🧭 The First 100 Days of People Ops in a Startup: What Actually Matters
You’re the first People hire in a fast-moving startup.
The founder says: “We need HR, but make it lean.”
Now what?
💡 The Reality of Day One
Startups don’t need full HR “infrastructure” at the beginning.
But they do need clarity, compliance, and culture scaffolding.
And the first 100 days in a People Ops role aren’t about complexity.
They’re about momentum and trust.
This article lays out the must-handle priorities and what to ignore early on, whether you’re a new HR Manager, Fractional Head of People, or founder-turned-ops lead.
✅ What Actually Matters in the First 100 Days
1. Build Context Before You Build Systems
Don’t roll out policies on Day 2.
Start by learning:
- What’s working (and what’s breaking) in the team today?
- What does the founder expect from you — really?
- How does this team actually communicate and make decisions?
🧭 Start with interviews, not frameworks.
📌 Bonus: Review your scope. You might’ve been hired as a "Head of People" when what they really need is a People Ops Generalist.
2. Prioritize What’s Blocking Execution
In most startups, this means:
- Undefined job roles or messy org charts
- No onboarding or feedback loops
- Poor documentation around contracts, leave, or payroll
You don’t need an HRIS or engagement survey on Day 30.
You do need to:
- Get contracts in place
- Clarify reporting lines
- Create a “How we work here” mini-manual
🎯 Tip: If people are improvising how to hire, define the process.
3. Establish Basic Compliance + Hygiene
Yes, even fast startups need the boring stuff:
- Right-to-work documentation
- Signed contracts
- Local labor law awareness (especially remote teams)
💡 Pro tip: This isn’t just about risk — it’s about creating psychological safety.
🧰 Keep a checklist of what needs to be legally locked in per location.
4. Create a Lightweight Onboarding Flow
The best new hires fail when onboarding is an afterthought.
By Day 100, you should have:
- A basic 5-day onboarding journey
- A Notion page or email template with company tools, people, norms
- A founder-approved “Welcome to the Team” doc or video
🎯 Why? Because onboarding = engagement = retention.
5. Coach the Founders on People Ops Basics
Many founders are smart but inexperienced with:
- Feedback conversations
- Compensation philosophy
- Interview structure and scorecards
Use your credibility to:
- Gently introduce structure
- Offer to lead calibration sessions
- Show where not having process is costing them top candidates
🔗 Related: Startup Hiring Mistakes That Cost You Talent
❌ What You Don’t Need to Do (Yet)
You’ll have time for systems.
But culture and clarity happen now - in the first 100 days.
💬 Final Thought
Your first 100 days aren’t about building HR - they’re about building trust.
Trust from the founders.
Trust from the team.
Trust that you can scale what’s working — and gently fix what’s not.
🎯 Focus on clarity, compliance, and connection.
Everything else can wait.
👉 Need help setting the right priorities in your People Ops journey? Let’s talk.