Talent Acquisition and People Strategy: Insights&Advise

The First 100 Days of People Ops in a Startup: What Actually Matters

🧭 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?

đź’ˇ 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.

âś… 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.
đź”— Related: Stop Calling It Head of People When You Need Ops

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.
🔗 Related: How to Design a Hiring Process That Doesn’t Scare Off Top Talent

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.
đź”— Related: Building High-Performance Teams Starts with Setup

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
đź”— Related: Startup Hiring Mistakes That Cost You Talent

❌ What You Don’t Need to Do (Yet)

Don’t Overbuild
Focus Instead On...
HR tech stack (HRIS, LMS, OKRs)
Google Sheets + Slack + Notion
Complex benefits strategy
Legally compliant contracts + basics
Full performance review cycles
30-day check-ins + clear expectations
Culture decks & values posters
Clear “how we work” doc or onboarding story
You’ll have time for systems.
But culture and clarity happen now - in the first 100 days.

đź’¬ 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.
Talent Acquisition