HR

Role in Startup
At the Startup stage, HR might be just a set of tasks you handle ad hoc: drafting offer letters, ensuring compliance with basic employment laws, and figuring out your benefits package. There’s no formal department, just scrappy solutions.

Objectives
You need to keep your team legally and ethically employed. You also want to preserve a healthy culture—even if you’re in a small, close-knit group. Setting the right cultural tone early is a game-changer for future growth.

Areas of Specialization
None. You’re just trying to cover the essentials—payroll, basic benefits, maybe a stock option plan. You do, however, start identifying the kind of culture you want to build and how you want people to feel about working at your startup.