Jon Stojan
Greg Wilson & Maria Acosta
When Greg Wilson reflects on the origin of Workforce Consultants, he observes a transition from a traditional corporate trajectory to a more hands-on model of leadership. After advancing rapidly through senior human resources roles, including serving as a vice president within large organizations, Wilson notes he reached a point where highly layered systems and rigid structures no longer aligned with his view of how HR should support businesses.
“I accelerated quickly in the corporate world,” Wilson says. “But I grew tired of overly structured systems. I wanted to build something more present and practical.”
That decision led to the formation of Workforce Consultants, a California-based HR advisory firm designed to operate as a deeply integrated partner rather than a distant consultant. What began as a grassroots effort, built through networking, speaking engagements, and direct outreach, gradually evolved into a boutique firm serving small to mid-sized companies across Southern California.
From Wilson’s perspective, the firm’s defining characteristic is presence. “We are present with our clients,” he explains. “We’re on-site frequently, generally every week, and we work throughout the entire organization.” Unlike advisory models that primarily interact with ownership or executive leadership, Workforce Consultants works with supervisors and frontline employees to ensure policies translate into real-world practice.
Maria Acosta, President and Senior HR Consultant, refers to the firm as a fully integrated extension of the businesses it serves. “We become their HR department,” Acosta explains. “We’re part of their culture, part of their processes, and part of their daily operations.” According to her, that integration creates continuity between compliance requirements and employee experience.
Workforce Consultants focuses primarily on organizations that do not maintain an internal HR department. For companies with fewer than 250 employees, Wilson notes that HR demand often fluctuates. “The workload is cyclical,” he says. “We’re there when the need is there, and we can scale back when it isn’t.”
According to Wilson, this fractional model allows businesses to access experienced HR leadership without carrying the fixed overhead of a full in-house team. He explains that services include payroll administration, recruitment support, performance management programs, employee handbook development, wage-and-hour compliance, executive coaching, and structured training programs. Wilson also notes that the firm maintains relationships with employment attorneys and safety professionals, expanding its advisory capacity while remaining boutique in structure.
Compliance, Wilson acknowledges, is often the entry point. California’s regulatory environment can be complex, and businesses frequently seek guidance on wage-and-hour rules, investigations, and evolving employment standards. Yet both leaders emphasize that compliance is only the foundation.
“Compliance gets us in the door,” Acosta says. “But because of our personalized approach and the value we offer, it expands from there.” From her perspective, workforce development, supervisor training, and structured performance management often become natural next steps once trust is established. The firm also operates bilingually in English and Spanish, enabling clearer communication across diverse workforces. That capability, according to Acosta, strengthens engagement and reduces misunderstandings in day-to-day operations.
Over the years, Wilson highlights that Workforce Consultants has supported organizations that later grew into nationally recognized brands. While Wilson notes that some clients eventually transition to internal HR teams as they scale, he views that progression as part of a broader lifecycle. “During that transitional process, we’ve already created the infrastructure and foundation,” he explains.
Looking ahead, Wilson’s vision remains measured. “I would love to see sustainable growth, not exponential, but sustainable,” he says. Rather than pursue rapid expansion or outside investment, he prefers organic development and long-term relationships. “I don’t want us to become robots,” Wilson adds. “We want to be part of every client’s everyday business life. Those relationships are key to our success.”
For Workforce Consultants, the goal is not to build a sprawling corporate enterprise, but to plant a steady flag in the market, offering hands-on HR guidance that aligns policy with practice and compliance with culture.