I didn't plan to run HR either.
Hi, I'm Nate Jorgensen.
I never applied for an HR job. I was running operations: schedules, crews, customers, and all the problems that come with them. Then the people side landed on my desk too. The hiring, the write-ups, the tough conversations nobody wanted to have. There was no HR department down the hall to call, so I figured it out one awkward conversation at a time.
Since then, I've spent years leading operations teams, and the managers who run them, across multiple regional markets. I've hired, onboarded, coached, and sometimes let people go, usually without an HR expert in the room. I hold a master's in Organizational Leadership from the University of Arizona, and I wrote The Accidental HR Manager to give people in that seat the playbook I wish I'd had.
Why The Accidental HR exists
Most small businesses don't have an HR department. They have an owner, an office manager, or an operations lead who got handed the job. Those people don't need a 300-page compliance manual. They need a clear next step, a template that actually works, and someone who's been in their shoes.
That's what I built here. Everything is practical, plain-English, and field-tested.
What you'll find here
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The book: The Accidental HR Manager, my guide to compliance, onboarding, performance, and the conversations nobody wants to have.
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Templates and toolkits: employee handbooks, checklists, and playbooks you can edit and use today.
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Courses: step-by-step training, starting with a free HR Foundations course.
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The HR Corner membership: ongoing templates, monthly compliance updates, and live Q&A with me.
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Free tools: the HR Policy Builder and the HR Risk Audit Checklist.
Outside of work
I live in Idaho Falls, Idaho, with my wife and kids. When I'm not working, there's a good chance I'm on the golf course.
Start here
Not sure where your biggest HR gaps are? Take the free HR Risk Audit. It's 15 questions, and it shows you exactly where to start.
