Roswell resident Debbie lived on coffee and sixteen-hour work days for two years. She had the idea, secured the funding, built the prototype, hired the team, launched the marketing and opened the doors. However, when it came to handling her human capital, she was at a standstill. Labor law, compliance and risk management had her frozen. Who did she find to help? Flex HR came to the rescue!
Flex HR was founded by Jim Cichanski, a 26-year Army National Guard Colonel, to help business owners like Debbie stay focused on the vision that inspired them to start their company in the first place, while leaving the complexities of human resources to seasoned professionals with decades of collective experience. With the support of his daughter, Jamie Sieja, and son-in-law, Steve Sieja, Jim has built a company that blends the expertise of a full-service HR firm with the personalized care and values of a family business.
“I founded Flex HR in 2001 by asking, ‘What keeps business owners up at night?’ In brief, the answer is most companies don’t receive the quality of HR service that they should. The founding concept of Flex HR is to take the human resources burden that so many small, mid and large-sized business owners and managers feel regularly and turn that into a feeling of confidence knowing that their HR is being properly handled and thriving under the guidance of Flex HR,” says Jim.
With nearly 80% of businesses outsourcing at least some HR functions to help manage rising costs and increasing complexity, Flex HR has developed a customized approach for every client. Each business is paired with a dedicated HR expert who takes the time to deeply understand the company’s goals, culture and priorities, allowing Flex HR to thoughtfully navigate the highly nuanced challenges that modern businesses face. Following this principle has led Flex HR to be recognized six times as an Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Private Company.
Jennifer Morehead, CEO of Flex HR believes their highly personalized service builds trust that leads small to mid-sized companies to feel confident their human capital needs will be met flawlessly. Jennifer states, “We partner with businesses to provide expert-led, outsourced HR and payroll solutions that reduce risk, save time, and support company growth. Our clients choose outsourcing because it allows them to operate with the sophistication of a larger organization—without the overhead of building everything in-house”.
However, building a successful company that helps so many doesn’t materialize overnight. In many ways, the wheels were already in motion when Jamie was still in middle school and she and Jim first discovered how naturally they worked together. One of their earliest collaborations involved building a life-sized robot entirely out of soda cans, a quirky project that quietly foreshadowed the creative partnership to come. Over the years, they tackled home projects side by side and even volunteered together with Habitat for Humanity alongside WSB’s Clark Howard. So when Flex HR was still in its infancy, it felt only natural for Jim to turn to Jamie for help creating a promotional letter for the budding company, a task she eagerly embraced.
Jamie remembers, “It was a family effort putting major hours into folding the letters, stuffing envelopes, printing labels, etc. to get the mailing out. Pretty sure I got paid with a Starbucks gift card for that job but I was pumped for it.”
At the same time Jamie was discovering her passion for creativity and marketing, another important piece of the story was falling into place. She and her future husband, Steve, had been unknowingly living remarkably parallel lives. They both were born in the Chicago area, moved to Georgia, then attended neighboring high schools and even crossed paths at many of the same high school events without ever realizing it. It wasn’t until they both arrived at Auburn University that their paths finally converged. They quickly realized their connection felt destined from the start, culminating in a proposal and marriage that anyone would say was their destiny.
Together, Jamie and Steve would eventually move to Roswell and bring their own creative and strategic strengths into the growing family business, helping Flex HR evolve from a fledgling company built on relationships into a nationally recognized HR partner grounded in the same family-centered values on which it was founded. Jamie remembers, “Steve was always on the creative side of marketing while I was on the strategic and analytical side. These contrasting strengths complemented one another in an effort to help Flex HR along the way”.
Whether vacationing in Hilton Head, cheering on Auburn football, dining at local favorites like Grana, The Standard or 1920, or cruising Canton Street in their Bronco with their two boys and dog Hazel, the founding members of Flex HR have always prioritized connection. Deeply rooted in the North Fulton community, the family believes those strong personal relationships and shared experiences are not only central to their lives, but also the foundation of a successful business.
As Flex HR celebrates 25 years in business, its success can certainly be measured in the companies it has helped grow, the risk reduction provided for businesses and the countless clients who now rest a little easier at night. But perhaps the company’s greatest accomplishment cannot be found in spreadsheets or compliance reports. It can be found in the rare privilege of a father and daughter building something meaningful side by side; turning years of trust, hard work and shared vision into a business rooted not only in expertise, but in family, community and genuine human connection.
flexhr.com
"Flex HR has been a wonderful new beginning for us as a growing organization. Their dedication to client service and doing what is right has been an important part of our transition to a more manageable HR process. Growing our human capital by over 50% in one year would not have been as easy and seamless without their help and support. I would highly recommend them to any business in need of additional HR support.” ~ACE (Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs)