For founders, CEOs, C-suite and leadership teams

Alongside you through
growth, change
and complexity.

Senior People leadership for scaling businesses. Trusted support for difficult people decisions, strong People foundations, and the organisational shifts that come with growth.

Advisory support from £175/hour. Urgent support from £250/hour.
Fixed-fee and fractional pricing scoped after intro call.

16+
years senior People leadership in global startups
350+
headcount teams supported across growth stages
A–C
Series experience across VC-backed businesses
0→1
People functions built from the ground up

Trusted support for businesses in motion

Built People functions from the ground up
Partnered with founders, C-suite and investors
Led complex restructures and redundancy programmes
Supported international growth across UK, US and beyond
Extensive UK and US employment law expertise
Worked alongside Mendeley, Hindawi, Peakon, Doctify and Flash Pack
Our approach

Senior support, close to the business

At Alongside, we work closely with leadership teams to help businesses navigate the people side of growth, change and complexity — with senior judgement, practical support, and a strong understanding of how organisations actually work.

The result is stronger decisions, reduced risk, clearer accountability, and a business that runs more effectively and with greater confidence.

How we work together

Four clear ways to work together

Depending on what your business needs most right now.

Resolve
ER matters, redundancies and restructures

Senior support, sound judgement and calm handling through sensitive, high-risk people situations — ensuring compliance, reducing risk, and helping leaders move forward with confidence.

Foundations
Build strong People foundations from the start

For founder-led and newly funded businesses that need strong People foundations aligned to the business, built for growth without unnecessary complexity.

Fractional Leadership
Fractional senior People support for scaling businesses

Experienced People leadership in the business each week — without committing to a full-time senior hire.

Strategic Projects
Defined People and organisational projects

Senior expertise on a clearly defined piece of work — planning for growth, clarifying structure, improving leadership effectiveness, or delivering change well.

Why Alongside

A different kind of People partner

When people decisions carry weight, generic HR support is rarely enough.

Close to the business

Support shaped around your commercial reality, leadership dynamics, and stage of growth — never applied from a template.

Senior judgement where it matters most

Experienced, measured guidance through sensitive, high-stakes, and ambiguous situations where credibility and sound judgement matter.

Commercially minded

People decisions approached in the context of business priorities, growth plans, risk, pace, and performance — never in isolation.

Built for scaling businesses

Support designed for founder-led, fast-moving environments where clarity, pace, and good decision-making matter as much as process.

Clear, tailored and actionable

Bespoke support grounded in context, practical to implement, and proportionate to what the business actually needs.

Focused on stronger organisations

Designed not only to solve the issue at hand, but to strengthen the structure, leadership, and People foundations around it.

Who we work with

Who Alongside is built for

Alongside works best with businesses that need senior, commercially grounded People support — without defaulting to a full-time hire too early.

Typically
  • Founder-led startups
  • Scaling businesses
  • Newly funded companies
  • Series A–C businesses
  • Leadership teams navigating difficult moments
  • VC-backed and portfolio businesses
  • Businesses needing senior People leadership without a full-time hire
Best suited to businesses that want
  • Senior-level judgement
  • Practical support, not generic advice
  • A partner close to the business
  • Clarity through ambiguity
  • Tailored solutions that fit their stage and reality
  • Embedded senior support for a defined stage of growth

If your business is growing, shifting, or facing a people challenge that needs experienced handling, Alongside is built for exactly that.

Pricing

Simple, senior and scoped to need

Flexible support depending on the nature of the issue, urgency, and level of input required.

Advisory support
£175/hr

Urgent and priority support from £250/hour. For live guidance and leadership input.

Advisory blocks
5, 10, 20 hrs

For businesses needing support across a defined period or multiple matters.

Fixed-fee projects
Scoped

Restructures, redundancies, Foundations work, and strategic projects. Following scope review.

Fractional leadership
Bespoke

Quoted based on seniority, business stage, scope, pace, and internal capability.

All bespoke project and fractional pricing is provided following an introductory call. Not sure what you need? We can work through that together.

Experienced support, when it matters most

Thoughtful, practical support grounded in the reality of your business — whatever the challenge.

Alongside Resolve

Senior support for ER matters, redundancies, restructures and difficult people decisions

When people situations become sensitive, high-risk, or hard to navigate, leaders need experienced support they can trust. Alongside Resolve gives businesses calm, commercially grounded guidance with the right balance of clarity, care, and risk awareness.

Get support for a live issue
Coverage

What Alongside Resolve covers

ER and People Advisory

  • Employee relations matters
  • Performance concerns
  • Conduct issues
  • Capability and absence
  • Sensitive exits
  • Leadership decision-making

Redundancy and Restructure Support

  • Workforce change planning
  • Redundancy process guidance
  • Restructure and organisational design
  • Consultation support
  • Sequencing and implementation
  • Scripted communications for managers
  • Settlement agreement guidance

People Risk and Resolution

  • Grievances
  • Investigations
  • Disciplinary issues
  • Complex or sensitive cases
  • Practical options and risk assessment

Communications Support

  • Internal communications
  • Stakeholder communications
  • Leadership messaging
  • Consultation sequencing
  • Post-change stabilisation
Why this matters

What these moments require

Sensitive people situations call for more than policy and process alone.

Senior judgement

Experienced, measured leadership through situations that carry real business and personal risk.

Commercially sound thinking

Every recommendation is grounded in business context — not HR best practice in isolation.

Clear handling of risk

Practical options with honest risk assessment so leaders can make informed, confident decisions.

Support for leaders under pressure

A calm, steady presence during high-stakes and stressful moments.

Confident handling of difficult conversations

Support for leaders who need to handle difficult conversations well, and with care.

Calm, credible communication

Messaging that is clear, proportionate, and appropriate to the situation.

Ways to work together

Flexible support, scoped to need

Hourly advisory
£175/hr

Live support and urgent guidance. Priority support from £250/hr.

Advisory blocks
5, 10, 20 hrs

For businesses needing support across several matters or a defined period.

Fixed-fee projects
Scoped

Redundancy programmes, restructures, and multi-stage ER situations.

Best suited to
  • Founders and CEOs without senior in-house People support
  • COOs, CFOs, and leadership teams managing live issues
  • Startups and scaleups navigating difficult employee situations
  • Businesses entering restructure or workforce change
  • Companies needing experienced support without a permanent hire
Typical outcomes
Clearer options and faster decisions
Reduced people risk
Better handled employee situations
Stronger communication through difficult moments
A process that protects the business while treating people well

Need support with a live issue?

Book an intro call to talk through what's happening and what kind of support would be most useful.

Alongside Foundations

Build strong People foundations from the start

For founder-led and newly funded businesses that need strong People foundations aligned to the business, built for growth without unnecessary complexity.

Book an intro call

A practical 0→1 People foundation for scaling businesses

Early-stage businesses rarely need a big People function or HR overload. They do need the right fundamentals in place.

Alongside Foundations puts those essentials in place with the right balance of structure, clarity, and practical support — so founders can make better people decisions, reduce risk, and build in a way that supports growth.

The six pillars

The foundations of a strong 0→1 People function

Built around the core elements a scaling business needs from the start.

01

Employer Essentials

The basics that make the business a credible, protected employer.

  • Contracts and offer documentation
  • Core policy architecture
  • Employee handbook essentials
  • Compliance priorities and probation structure
02

Hiring Foundations

The structure to hire intentionally and in line with business priorities.

  • Hiring priorities aligned to goals
  • Who to hire first and when
  • Talent acquisition strategy
  • Interview structure and hiring process
03

Onboarding and Early Employee Experience

A clear start for new joiners and managers.

  • Onboarding framework
  • Manager onboarding responsibilities
  • 30/60/90-day expectations
  • Probation checkpoints and role clarity
04

Performance and Manager Foundations

The minimum structure for clarity, accountability, and better management.

  • Early performance framework
  • Role clarity and expectations
  • Manager basics and feedback rhythm
  • Accountability foundations
05

People Operating Model

How the People function should work as the business grows.

  • Lean People team setup guidance
  • Who to hire first in People
  • HRIS and tooling recommendations
  • Practical operating model guidance
06

Reward and Decision-Making Basics

Enough structure for fair, scalable, commercially sensible decisions.

  • Light-touch compensation philosophy
  • Salary benchmarking guidance
  • Offer guardrails and benefits basics
Optional add-ons

Next-step support

Added depending on your stage, internal capability, and what needs to happen after foundations are designed.

Add-on
People Team Enablement

For businesses with a junior HR or People team member who needs senior guidance. Weekly check-ins, prioritisation support, and accountability.

Add-on
HRIS Selection Support

Vendor recommendations, workflow input, and setup guidance. Support to define requirements and recommend the right system approach.

Add-on
Manager Enablement Sessions

Targeted support for managers stepping into people responsibility — expectations, feedback basics, and accountability.

Add-on
Compensation Deep-Dive

A more detailed review of pay positioning and decision-making guardrails, including market benchmarking and offer principles.

What this gives your business
A credible and practical People foundation
Clearer hiring and onboarding structure
Improved founder confidence on people decisions
Reduced risk and stronger consistency
A roadmap for what to build next
Pricing approach

Typically scoped as a fixed-fee project following an introductory call and scope review.

  • Current stage and headcount
  • What is already in place
  • Scope of design work required
  • Whether add-ons or enablement support are needed

Build strong foundations from the start

Let's talk through what stage you're at, what's already in place, and what the business needs next.

Alongside Fractional Leadership

Fractional Head of People / People Director support for scaling businesses

For businesses that need experienced People leadership, but are not ready for a full-time senior hire. Alongside works as a close partner to the CEO and leadership team — setting direction, overseeing day-to-day People priorities, and helping the organisation grow with more structure, clarity, and confidence.

Book an intro call Discuss fractional leadership
What's included

What Alongside Fractional Leadership includes

CEO and leadership partnership

  • Trusted sounding board to the CEO and leadership team
  • Guidance on people decisions, team dynamics, and organisational priorities
  • Senior input on risk, sequencing, and stakeholder handling

People strategy and roadmap

  • Practical People strategy aligned to business goals
  • 6–12 month roadmap and priorities
  • Support on what to build now, later, or not at all

Day-to-day People oversight

  • Oversight across ER, hiring, onboarding, and performance
  • Support on live issues as they arise
  • Practical leadership through day-to-day People complexity

Manager coaching and support

  • Support for managers handling performance and team issues
  • Coaching on expectations, accountability, and communication
  • Building confidence across leadership layers

Structure, clarity and calm

  • Role clarity and accountability support
  • Better operating rhythm around People priorities
  • Steadier leadership handling during growth or change

Internal team support

  • Direction and oversight for a junior HR or People team member
  • Practical enablement to improve execution and momentum
How this works

Meaningful senior People leadership on a recurring basis

Designed to give businesses meaningful senior People leadership without the cost or commitment of a full-time hire.

Weekly leadership meetings

Regular senior presence in the business, with consistent input into leadership decisions and priorities.

Manager coaching

Ongoing support for managers working through team dynamics, performance, and people challenges.

Roadmap ownership

Accountability for the People roadmap — prioritising what needs to happen and when.

Live issue support

Responsive guidance on ER and people matters as they arise — no overhead, no delay.

The aim is not to add more process. It is to give the business a senior People partner who helps it run more clearly and effectively.

Best suited to
  • Founder-led and scaling businesses
  • Newly funded companies
  • Series A–C teams
  • Companies not yet ready for a full-time Head of People
  • Organisations with a junior HR hire needing senior guidance
  • Leadership teams managing growth, ambiguity, or change
Typical outcomes
Clearer People priorities and direction
Better day-to-day handling of People issues
Stronger manager confidence and capability
Improved structure, accountability, and communication
A more scalable People approach without overbuilding

Pricing approach

Quoted based on the level of seniority required and the scope of work to be delivered.

  • Head of People vs People Director level
  • Business stage and headcount
  • Complexity of the leadership environment
  • Pace of hiring, change, or restructuring
  • Number of days or level of embedded involvement
A close-partnered model, by design

Because fractional leadership work is high-trust and closely embedded, Alongside only takes on a small number of fractional clients at any one time. This ensures the support remains thoughtful, responsive, and genuinely close to the business.

Need senior People leadership without a full-time hire?

Let's talk through what support your business needs, how embedded that should be, and whether a fractional model is the right fit.

Alongside Strategic Projects

Defined People and organisational projects for growth and change

Some challenges do not require a full-time hire. They require experienced leadership on a defined initiative, transition, or organisational priority.

Discuss a strategic project
Scope of work

What this can include

Workforce Planning

  • Role and capability planning for the next phase
  • Hiring priorities aligned to business goals
  • Headcount recommendations and sequencing

Organisational Design

  • Team structure review and reporting lines
  • Role scope refinement and accountability mapping
  • Redesign support during growth or reset

SMT / SLT Design and Implementation

  • Purpose and structure of leadership forums
  • Decision and escalation principles
  • Accountability model and implementation support

Performance Framework Design

  • Expectations framework and review rhythms
  • Manager guidance and accountability structures
  • Underperformance foundations

Compensation Philosophy and Reward

  • Job levelling framework
  • Salary benchmarking and banding
  • Offer guardrails and progression principles

Change Management and Communications

  • Communication planning and sequencing
  • Leadership messaging and manager briefing support
  • Post-change stabilisation

Talent Acquisition and Hiring Strategy

  • Hiring strategy aligned to business goals
  • Interview framework and scorecard design

International Expansion People Planning

  • People planning for new market entry
  • Compliance and risk considerations
  • Repeatable playbooks for future launches

Our expertise spans the breadth of the employee lifecycle and all aspects of organisational effectiveness. If you have a specific challenge or bespoke project in mind, please reach out to discuss.

Why this matters

As businesses grow, the friction is rarely isolated

What looks like a team issue may actually be a structure issue. What feels like a performance problem may be a clarity problem. What appears to be a communication challenge may point to deeper leadership misalignment.

Alongside brings a broader organisational lens, helping leadership teams solve the immediate challenge while improving how the organisation works overall.

Best suited to
  • Scaling businesses entering a new phase of growth
  • Leadership teams needing senior support on a defined initiative
  • Organisations navigating reset, redesign, or transition
  • VC-backed and portfolio businesses requiring targeted expertise
Typical outcomes
Clearer structure and accountability
Stronger leadership alignment
Better communication through change
More effective leadership forums and management rhythms
A more resilient business as it grows

Pricing approach

Strategic Projects are typically priced on a bespoke fixed-fee basis following an introductory call and scope review. Pricing depends on scope, duration, complexity, urgency, stakeholder involvement, and implementation needs.

Have a project that needs experienced senior support?

Let's discuss the challenge, the outcome you're aiming for, and the right shape of support.

About Alongside

Senior People leadership built around growth, change and complexity

Alongside was created to offer a different kind of People support: closer to the business, more commercially grounded, and better aligned to the realities founders and leadership teams actually face.

JR
Credentials
  • MSc Human Resources Management and Organisational Analysis
  • CIPD Level 7
  • ACAS Code of Practice expertise
  • Employment Rights Act 1996 and 2025
  • Equality Act 2010
  • TUPE
Meet Jess Reeves

Founder of Alongside

Jess Reeves is a senior People leader with over 16 years' experience helping startups and scaleups build, stabilise, and evolve. She has worked across founder-led and VC-backed businesses, building People functions from scratch, shaping high-performance cultures, supporting international growth, and guiding leadership teams through moments of change, ambiguity, and pressure.

Jessica brings a rare combination of commercial acumen, brand and communications expertise, organisational insight, executive-level People leadership, and the ability to translate between leadership, operations, and people realities.

Experience highlights
  • Built People functions from 0→1
  • Supported scaling businesses across multiple growth stages
  • Partnered with founders, C-suite, and investors
  • Led complex organisational redesign and redundancy work
  • Worked internationally across startup and scaleup environments
  • Worked alongside Mendeley, Hindawi, Peakon, Doctify and Flash Pack
  • Founder of Rosie BéBé and Alongside
Our values

What makes Alongside different

More than a strategic partner and expert operator — designed to feel different.

Close Partnership

We work alongside our clients in a way that feels close, trusted, and fully invested. We build real understanding and share the weight of difficult moments.

Deep Understanding

We listen to understand the needs, goals, pressures, and ambitions behind the brief — connecting the dots others may miss.

Thoughtful Ingenuity

We bring fresh thinking to familiar challenges. Even the most practical People work can be delivered in a way that feels thoughtful, creative, and distinctly well applied.

Respectful Clarity

Difficult situations handled with both honesty and humanity — giving people the respect, kindness, and clarity they deserve.

Alongside Energy

Positive energy, strong relationships, and purposeful momentum — even when the work is complex or high-stakes.

Our Partnership Promise

What you can expect

More than expert advice — a partner who understands your business, works closely through the important moments, and brings the judgement and clarity needed to move things forward well.

To understand before we advise
To work close to the business
To bring clear, senior judgement
To tailor, not template
To handle people with humanity
To create momentum, not just ideas

If you need experienced People leadership close to the business, let's get started.