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Tech Topics In This Article: HRTech, Alabama startups
Gia Wiggins has built her career at the intersection of psychology and human resources, leveraging her deep understanding of human behavior to address organizational challenges. A graduate of Grambling State University (BA), California State University Monterey Bay (MBA), and the University of South Alabama (PhD), Wiggins transitioned her academic background into a career with HR roles at major corporations like AT&T, Sears, Cintas, and Target.
“It is a great pathway to still be able to use what I learned in psychology class about how to deal with people, how to address their needs, and how to try to look at ways that we can help to erase blocks, and to be able to help people be in a situation where they can succeed,” Wiggins told Hypepotamus.
Her passion for HR compliance led her to launch Morale Resource, a full-service employee engagement and HR services firm, in 2015. Through this consultancy, Wiggins discovered that many businesses underestimated the scope of their HR challenges. This realization propelled her to focus on conducting full-scale audits for her clients’ HR departments—a service that quickly gained traction.
Scaling HR Compliance with Auditocity
In 2021, Wiggins expanded her vision with the startup Fairhope, Alabama-based Auditocity, a software platform designed to simplify and scale HR compliance efforts. The platform offers custom audits, comprehensive HR reporting, and real-time alerts to help businesses navigate the complex and ever-changing regulatory landscape.
By automating the auditing process, Auditocity allowed Wiggins to reach more businesses without the need for on-site visits. Early adopters of Auditocity included her existing consulting clients, who played a vital role in refining the platform.
Wiggins describes Auditocity as a “diagnostic tool” that helps business owners identify gaps in their HR practices and align operations with labor laws, regulations, and Department of Labor standards. This focus on actionable insights has attracted a wide range of customers, from small businesses to Fortune 500 companies.
Alabama Roots and Local Investor Support
Last year, Auditocity secured $1.1 million in seed funding, including $300,000 from InvestAL, a program of Innovate Alabama funded by the federal State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI).
“It is not only saying, hey, you know, here’s some cash. But we want you to stay here, and we want you to be a part of the tech scene and what’s being built inside of the state,” Wiggins shared. “You cannot ask for a better partnership than to work with Alabama investors inside of the State of Alabama. I’m an Alabama girl…to be able to do this and have the state’s support has just been absolutely fantastic.”
This investment is part of a larger effort to grow Alabama’s innovation economy. It represents Alabama’s efforts to expand its entrepreneurial ecosystem beyond established hubs like Birmingham and Huntsville, creating opportunities for tech founders statewide.
