HR Function Set Up From Scratch
Most companies build their HR function by accident — a policy written the week it was needed, an offer letter copied from someone's previous employer, an appraisal format borrowed from a friend. I have built the function properly from a blank sheet, including at greenfield stage, across seven industries.
The problem
Improvised HR is invisible until it is expensive. The offer letter downloaded from the internet turns out to be unenforceable. The appointment letter contradicts the handbook. Nobody documented the probation process, so the first difficult confirmation becomes a dispute. There is no record of the disciplinary warning that would have justified the termination. None of this is difficult to prevent — it is only difficult to fix afterwards.
What this covers
- Employee handbook written for your organisation, not a downloaded template
- Core policy set — leave, attendance, probation and confirmation, travel, exit, code of conduct
- Legally sound offer letters, appointment letters and contract templates
- Onboarding and induction process, from acceptance through to confirmation
- Salary structure and payroll framework designed around statutory requirements
- POSH policy and Internal Committee constituted correctly from day one
- Statutory registrations and compliance calendar — PF, ESI, Shops & Establishment
- HRIS or ATS selection appropriate to your size, without overbuying
Why me for this
Set up HR and training functions from scratch multiple times, including at greenfield project stage. Established the training and organisation development function from zero at a cable manufacturing greenfield plant, and built HR functions as CHRO and Head-HR across manufacturing, analytics, waste management and legal services.
Common questions
How long does it take to set up an HR function?
For a company under 100 people, four to eight weeks for the core framework — handbook, policies, letter templates, onboarding and the compliance calendar. Systems that depend on a cycle, such as performance management, are built alongside but prove themselves over the first full year.
Can we not just use free HR policy templates?
Templates are a reasonable starting point and a poor finishing point. They are usually drafted for a different jurisdiction, a different headcount, and a different risk profile, and they frequently contradict each other once assembled. The specific failure is that a downloaded appointment letter and a downloaded handbook say different things about probation or notice, and that contradiction is what gets argued about later.
At what headcount does a company need formal HR?
Statutory obligations begin much earlier than most founders expect — the POSH Internal Committee at ten employees, and PF and ESI thresholds shortly after. As a practical matter, informality stops working somewhere between twenty and fifty people, when the founder can no longer personally know every employee's situation.
Do you also run the HR function after setting it up?
Optionally, on a fractional CHRO retainer. Many companies use the project to build the framework, hire a junior HR executive to operate it day to day, and retain me part-time to supervise and handle anything senior.
Related
POSH Compliance & External Member
Internal Committee constitution, external member appointment, training and annual filings under the POSH Act, 2013.
Fractional CHRO
CHRO-grade judgement on a part-time retainer, for companies that need the thinking without the salary.
Labour Law & Employee Relations
Disciplinary action, domestic enquiry, conciliation and Labour Court representation — done properly the first time.