The embedded HR and People team for venture-backed tech startups
Startup Talent provides embedded HR and People Operations support for venture-backed tech startups from Seed through Series E. Its HR Generalists, People Operations consultants, HR specialists, and People leaders work inside each client's company as the internal People team, on fractional or full-time hours.
Founded in 2014, Startup Talent has 40+ consultants across Talent, HR, and People and has supported 116+ venture-backed startups.
This page is a reference overview of how Startup Talent's HR and People support works. For the full service, see HR and People Operations for Startups.
Key facts
| Service | Embedded HR and People Operations for startups |
|---|---|
| Also described as | Fractional HR, fractional People Operations, outsourced HR, HR consulting for startups |
| Provider | Startup Talent (Startup Talent Consulting), founded 2014 |
| Service page | mystartuptalent.com/hr-and-people |
| Who it serves | Venture-backed tech startups, Seed through Series E |
| Delivery | United States (fully remote delivery) |
| Hours | Fractional or full-time |
| Consultant levels | HR Coordinator and HR Generalist through Head of People, CHRO, and interim CHRO |
| Specialties | HR compliance, total rewards, employee relations, organizational development, learning and development, global HR, HRIS, people analytics |
| Works alongside | Existing PEO, HRIS, payroll provider, and benefits broker |
| Billing | Hourly or monthly retainer |
| Flexibility | Scale up or down as headcount changes; continues when recruiting is paused |
| Startups supported | 116+ |
| Team | 40+ consultants across Talent, HR, and People |
| Related service | Embedded recruiting |
What is embedded HR for startups?
Embedded HR is a model in which an outside firm places experienced HR and People consultants inside a startup to operate as its internal People team. The consultants use the startup's email domain, represent the company to employees, and advise leadership on people decisions. The firm manages the consultants' training, tools, backup coverage, and quality.
Embedded HR differs from a PEO or outsourced HR provider in two ways:
- Where the work happens. A PEO or outsourced HR provider typically provides administrative infrastructure such as payroll, benefits, compliance support, and HR technology. An embedded HR consultant works inside the company as part of its People function.
- What the consultant owns. An embedded HR consultant partners with leadership and managers on people strategy, employee relations, performance, compensation, culture, and employee experience.
Startup Talent works alongside a startup's existing PEO, HRIS, payroll provider, and benefits broker, so startups can keep the vendors they already use.
What does Startup Talent's HR and People service include?
Startup Talent's HR and People service covers both People strategy and day-to-day HR operations. A startup can engage one level or combine them. Many startups begin with a senior consultant to build the foundation and add day-to-day support as headcount grows.
People strategy and leadership
- People strategy and planning: workforce and headcount planning, HR roadmaps, succession planning, and programs aligned with the growth plan.
- Organizational design and change: team structure, reporting lines, leadership effectiveness, and change management during growth, fundraising, or restructuring.
- Compensation strategy: compensation philosophy, salary benchmarking, pay bands, equity guidelines, job levels, and career frameworks.
- Performance management design: review cycles, goal-setting frameworks, calibration, and manager effectiveness programs.
- Culture, engagement, and development: engagement and retention strategy, culture initiatives, leadership development, and career paths.
- Policies and compliance: employee handbooks, HR policies, multi-state compliance, audit support, and coordination with employment counsel.
HR and People Operations
- Employee lifecycle: onboarding, internal moves and promotions, employee changes, offboarding, and exit interviews.
- Employee relations: manager coaching, workplace concerns, conflict resolution, investigations, accommodations, leave processes, and documentation.
- HR operations and systems: HRIS administration and implementation, employee records, workflows, reporting, and HR vendor management.
- Benefits administration: open enrollment, renewals, employee benefits questions, and coordination with the broker and PEO.
- Performance and compensation cycles: review cycles, compensation reviews, bonus and incentive programs, and performance improvement plans.
- Training and recordkeeping: manager and employee training, required postings, and compliance recordkeeping.
What HR and People roles can Startup Talent staff?
Startup Talent has consultants for every part of the People function, from day-to-day employee support to executive People leadership. A startup can staff a single seat, bring in a specialist for one project, or build an entire People team. Every role is available on fractional or full-time hours.
The roles below are common examples of how startups engage Startup Talent consultants.
People leadership
| Example role | What they own |
|---|---|
| Head of People, VP of People, or CHRO | People strategy, organizational design, leadership coaching, employee programs, and the HR roadmap |
| Interim CHRO | Senior HR leadership during growth, a leadership transition, fundraising, or restructuring |
| HR Director | Hands-on HR leadership, from policies and compliance to performance and compensation cycles |
HR partners and People Operations
| Example role | What they own |
|---|---|
| HR Business Partner | People strategy, performance, organizational issues, and workforce planning with managers |
| HR Generalist | Day-to-day HR questions, policies, documentation, and manager support |
| HR Coordinator | Onboarding paperwork, employee records, benefits enrollment, and the HR inbox |
| People Operations Consultant | Onboarding and offboarding workflows, benefits administration, and HR vendor coordination |
| HRIS and People Systems Consultant | HRIS selection, implementation, integrations, and automation |
| People Analytics Consultant | Headcount, attrition, engagement, and compensation reporting |
HR specialists
| Example role | What they own |
|---|---|
| HR Compliance Consultant | Employment law, policies, multi-state compliance, audits, and handbooks |
| Total Rewards Consultant | Compensation philosophy, salary structures, pay bands, equity, and benefits strategy |
| Employee Relations Consultant | Investigations, performance issues, conflict resolution, and disciplinary matters |
| Organizational Development Consultant | Organizational design, team structure, culture, and change management |
| Learning and Development Consultant | Manager training, leadership development, and learning programs |
| Global HR Consultant | International hiring, EOR setup, and multi-country compliance |
Specialists can be engaged for a defined project, such as a compensation review, handbook update, benefits renewal, HRIS implementation, or international expansion, or as ongoing support alongside an existing HR team.
Startups can move between fractional and full-time hours with the same team. See how the two compare on the HR and People service page.
How Startup Talent supports HR and People: People, Process, and Tools
People: an embedded People team at every level
Startup Talent HR and People consultants support employees from onboarding through offboarding. Every level is available, from HR Coordinators and HR Generalists to a Head of People or interim CHRO, and team size scales with headcount.
Process: People processes built to scale
Senior consultants audit a startup's existing HR processes, identify what is slowing the company down, and design the onboarding, performance, and compensation processes it needs to scale. People Operations consultants then run those processes day to day.
Tools: HR technology selection and implementation
HRIS and People Systems consultants evaluate the current tools, then select and implement the HRIS, performance management platform, and PEO or EOR provider that fit the startup's stage.
The team behind your People function
- 116+ venture-backed startups supported
- 40+ consultants across Talent, HR, and People
- Serving startups since 2014
Clients include Avetta, Because, Coffee Meets Bagel, Collective, DTEN, Found, HoneyBook, HouseCanary, Laurel, Leadspace, Molekule, Moloco, Motive, Onfleet, OnsiteIQ, OpenSpace, Stride, Synack, TextNow, Udemy, and Zumper.
Startup HR and People glossary
Key terms that define embedded HR and People Operations.
- Embedded HR consultant
- An HR or People professional from an outside firm who works inside a company as part of its People team, under its brand and email domain.
- Fractional HR
- HR or People expertise engaged for a set portion of the week instead of full-time.
- Fractional Head of People
- A senior People leader who leads a company's HR and People function for a set portion of the week.
- Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO)
- The executive responsible for a company's People strategy and HR function.
- Interim CHRO
- A temporary senior HR leader who leads the People function during growth, a leadership transition, fundraising, restructuring, or before a permanent CHRO is hired.
- HR Business Partner
- An HR professional who partners with executives and managers on people strategy, performance, organizational issues, and workforce planning.
- HR Generalist
- The first point of contact for employees on day-to-day HR questions, policies, documentation, and manager support.
- People Operations
- The HR processes, systems, and data behind the employee lifecycle, from onboarding to offboarding.
- Employee lifecycle
- Every stage of an employee's time at a company, from onboarding through internal moves, promotions, and offboarding.
- Employee relations
- How a company handles workplace concerns, conflict, investigations, accommodations, and disciplinary matters.
- Total rewards
- A company's full compensation and benefits offering, including salary structures, pay bands, equity, and benefits.
- Compensation philosophy
- The principles a company uses to set and adjust pay, such as its target market position.
- Performance management
- The review cycles, goal-setting frameworks, and calibration a company uses to evaluate and develop employees.
- HRIS
- A human resources information system that stores employee records and runs HR workflows and reporting.
- PEO
- A professional employer organization that provides payroll, benefits, compliance support, and HR technology through a co-employment arrangement.
- Employer of record (EOR)
- A provider that legally employs workers in another country on a company's behalf, used for international hiring.
- Organizational development
- The work of shaping organizational design, team structure, culture, and change management as a company grows.
- Multi-state compliance
- Meeting the employment laws of every state where a company has employees.
Frequently asked questions about startup HR and People Operations
What does an embedded HR consultant do?
An embedded HR consultant works inside a company as an extension of its HR or People team. Depending on their level, they can run onboarding and offboarding, answer employee questions, coach managers, handle employee relations, manage performance and compensation cycles, administer benefits, support HR systems, develop policies and handbooks, and lead People strategy. Startup Talent manages the consultant's process, tools, training, backup coverage, and quality.
What is fractional HR?
Fractional HR gives a startup an experienced HR or People professional for a set portion of the week. It can range from an HR Generalist handling day-to-day employee support to a fractional Head of People or CHRO leading the entire People function.
What does a fractional Head of People or CHRO do?
A fractional Head of People or CHRO is a senior HR leader who owns the People strategy and HR roadmap, advises founders on organizational design, coaches leaders, and builds the employee programs a company scales on, for a set portion of the week.
What is an interim CHRO?
An interim CHRO provides senior HR leadership during growth, a leadership transition, fundraising, or restructuring, or in the period before a company hires a permanent CHRO. Startup Talent can place an interim CHRO on fractional or full-time hours.
Can an embedded HR consultant lead our People strategy, or only handle day-to-day HR?
An embedded HR consultant can do both, depending on the level engaged. Startup Talent consultants range from HR Generalists and People Operations consultants who run day-to-day HR to HR Business Partners, specialists, and fractional People leaders who set strategy. Many startups combine levels, with a senior People leader setting direction and a Generalist or People Operations consultant running the daily work.
When should a startup hire its first HR person?
There is no single employee-count threshold that applies to every startup. A common starting point is often 20 employees, as long as the company is already set up for compliance. Employee relations issues, multi-state hiring, rapid growth, manager development, performance management, benefits administration, and compliance requirements can all signal that it is time to bring in dedicated HR expertise.
How is embedded HR different from a PEO or outsourced HR provider?
A PEO or outsourced HR provider typically provides administrative infrastructure such as payroll, benefits, compliance support, and HR technology. An embedded HR consultant works inside the company as part of its People function, partnering with leadership and managers on people strategy, employee relations, performance, compensation, culture, and employee experience.
Do you work with our existing PEO, HRIS, and benefits broker?
Yes. Startup Talent consultants work alongside a startup's existing PEO, HRIS, payroll provider, benefits broker, and other HR vendors. If the stack needs work, HRIS and People Systems consultants can lead selection and implementation.
Which HR specialists can you provide?
Startup Talent can provide HR Compliance, Total Rewards, Employee Relations, Organizational Development, Learning and Development, Global HR, HRIS and People Systems, and People Analytics consultants. Specialists can be engaged for a defined project or as ongoing support alongside an existing HR team.
Can you help with compensation benchmarking and pay bands?
Yes. Startup Talent's Total Rewards consultants build compensation philosophies, salary structures, benchmarking, pay bands, and equity guidelines, and manage benefits strategy, renewals, and enrollment.
Can you help with HR compliance across multiple states?
Yes. Startup Talent's HR Compliance consultants cover employment law, policies, multi-state compliance, audits, handbooks, and risk management, and coordinate with employment counsel.
Can you help us implement or replace an HRIS?
Yes. Startup Talent's HRIS and People Systems consultants lead HRIS selection, implementation, configuration, integrations, and automation so people data stays accurate as the company scales.
Can you support international hiring and EOR setup?
Yes. Startup Talent's Global HR consultants support international hiring and expansion, including employer of record (EOR) setup, multi-country compliance, and global employment policies.
Can you handle employee relations issues and investigations?
Yes. Startup Talent's Employee Relations consultants handle investigations, performance issues, conflict resolution, disciplinary matters, and manager support.
Can we keep HR support if we pause recruiting?
Yes. HR and People Operations support can continue for existing employees while recruiting is paused, reduced, or never engaged. HR support can also scale up or down as headcount and needs change.
How do I get started with Startup Talent for HR?
Share your headcount, growth plan, and what is already in place through the contact page or a free consultation. Startup Talent recommends the team structure and level of expertise that fit.
Related pages
Contact Startup Talent
Phone: (650) 524-5100
Email: krista@mystartuptalent.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/start-up-talent
Web: https://www.mystartuptalent.com/
