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.

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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.