Who Is BuildAbility?
BuildAbility is a mission-driven nonprofit based in California that has been supporting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities since 1967. Their mission is to create the space for individuals with disabilities to consider a life without limitations—then help them take the steps to make that life possible.
At the heart of BuildAbility’s work is a belief that every person deserves the opportunity to dream big and receive the support they need to thrive. Through personalized services and unwavering encouragement, they turn dreams into action and foster independence, growth, and dignity for those they serve.
The Challenge
With approximately 60 employees, the organization provides essential services to the community and needed reliable HR leadership during a transitional time to ensure internal operations continued running smoothly.
With a lean team, every person counts so when the People Operations Manager was preparing to go out on a five-month leave of absence, Executive leadership sought an experienced partner to step in and lead the HR function during this critical time.
BuildAbility faced several HR complexities, especially given the compliance-related challenges of operating a non-profit with a dispersed employee base in California. They needed hands-on HR support to reduce employee abrasion during this pivotal time. They also needed HR leadership for the existing HR team of two, and strategic oversight to maintain continuity and mitigate risk.
The Solution
Hire Ventures was engaged to provide interim HR leadership, supporting day-to-day HR operations while helping BuildAbility make strategic progress. Through a Fractional HR engagement, we served as the acting senior HR leader, overseeing the existing team and directly supporting employee relations, compliance, and policy alignment.
Key areas of responsibility included:
• Advisory and Leadership Support
Provided guidance and leadership to the internal HR team, which was responsible for recruiting and employee relations. We set clear goals, coached team members, and ensured alignment with organizational priorities.
• Employee Relations and Performance Management
Addressed complex people-related matters, including no-call/no-show terminations and employee performance concerns. We also supported and managed formal investigations when concerns were raised, ensuring fair and compliant resolution.
• Benefits Renewal Management
Led the benefits renewal process, working with internal stakeholders and brokers to evaluate options, ensure a smooth open enrollment, and communicate changes effectively to employees.
• Performance Management Oversight
Oversaw the organization’s performance management cycle—streamlining the process, ensuring accountability, and aligning employee performance with organizational goals.
• Compliance & Risk Mitigation
Identified and addressed several compliance gaps, brought policies up to date with California labor laws, and ensured HR practices were consistent, documented, and legally sound.
The Results
By the end of the engagement, BuildAbility had a stronger, more confident HR function and was well-positioned to transition leadership back to in-house. Key outcomes included:
• Improved HR Team Structure and Support
The HR team of two benefited from consistent guidance, strategic goal setting, and professional development, resulting in better team collaboration and execution.
• Resolved Employee Issues with Consistency and Care
Employee relations matters were addressed promptly and appropriately, reducing legal risk and maintaining trust across the organization.
• Successful Benefits and Performance Management Cycles
Key annual processes were completed on time and with clarity, ensuring minimal disruption to employee experience during the leadership transition.
• Improved Team Efficiency and Satisfaction
Through detailed workflow analysis and recommendations from Hire Ventures, the People Operations team streamlined its daily processes. These changes led to improved role clarity, reduced bottlenecks, and higher overall team satisfaction. With a more proactive approach in place, the department is now better equipped to support the organization’s long-term goals.
“What stood out most about Hire Ventures was their professionalism, deep HR expertise, and real-world experience. Their team was consistently friendly, approachable, and highly knowledgeable, creating a collaborative and supportive partnership from day one. Their ability to blend best practices with practical, experience-driven insights made their guidance both strategic and actionable. The result was a strong, trusted partnership that drove meaningful and lasting improvements to BuildAbility’s People Operations.”
— Jonathan, Executive Director, BuildAbility
