First HR in a Startup? Here’s Your Survival Guide

It’s your first day. Everything seems great — there’s a coffee machine, they handed you a laptop, sticky notes are all over the walls, and the founder in a hoodie is passionately talking about “a new era of technology.”

And then it hits you.

There’s nothing. Like… absolutely nothing.

Not a single document.

You ask, — “Hey, where are the employment contracts?” — “Oh… we just trust people. We’re a startup!”

The HR inside you silently cries, opens Google Docs, and starts a new life with a folder called “HR STUFF.”

Sick leave? Sounds like a new Web3 product. — “Guys, I’m sick. Can’t really think straight.” — “Cool, just work from bed. No camera.”

You try to gently explain that sick leave isn’t a failure of productivity. It’s an act of care.

Hiring: “my buddy knows a guy” — “We need a strong developer. Can they start tomorrow?” — “Do we have a job description? Interviewers?” — “We checked his GitHub — seems cool. Can you talk to him?”

And off you go. You create the first JD template, build a basic hiring funnel, and deep inside, you know — this is just the beginning.

Onboarding = “Figure it out yourself” A new hire starts Monday. No one knows. No one welcomes them. They write in the general chat: “Hey, today’s my first day.”

You panic and coordinate with the team, and somehow it works. By week two, you have a Notion page with an onboarding flow.

You’re it. The entire HR team. You’re the recruiter. You’re the People Partner. You’re the admin, the mental health advocate, the team-building guru, and the one person who knows how to sign a contract with a freelancer.

And your job is to bring order to the chaos.

The First HR’s Startup Checklist

1. Cover Legal Basics

• Check how people are actually employed (contracts, freelancers, self-employed, nothing)
• Figure out who handles payments (founder, accountant, lawyer)
• Build a basic database of all team members and contractors
• Set up proper document storage (access, structure, permissions)
• Launch a contract signing flow (DocuSign, Diadoc, or physical)

2. Set Up Hiring

• Align on who makes hiring decisions (founder, team lead, group)
• Create a JD template
• Set up a basic hiring funnel: inbound → screening → interview → offer
• Draft templates: candidate email, rejections, offers
• Start tracking everything (Notion, Sheets, Trello — doesn’t matter, just start)
• Assign interview owners
• Choose your sourcing channels

3. Launch Onboarding

• Create a checklist for day 1 and week 1
• Assign someone to greet and support the newcomer
• Send a welcome letter or build a Notion page
• Appoint trial-period mentor
• Arrange intro meetings with key teammates
• Collect feedback from the newcomer during their first month
• Set informal trial period goals

4. Set Up People Management

• Introduce regular 1:1s (founder, leads, key people)
• Align on feedback culture — don’t wait for formal reviews
• Create a space for concerns and suggestions
• Track engagement
• Define and document leave, vacation, sick day policies

5. Document Company Culture

• Meet with founders to define values
• Write down the “how we work” principles — decision-making, communication norms
• Publish it (Notion, Wiki)
• Integrate into hiring, onboarding, and feedback

6. InternalComms & Rituals

• Set regular all-hands
• Decide how updates are shared (weekly results, product updates)
• Build a knowledge base to avoid repeating yourself endlessly
• Launch a way to give shoutouts and recognize good work

7. Prepare HR Metrics for the Founder

• Time to hire
• Reasons for offer rejections or team turnover
• Onboarding satisfaction
• Retention after 3/6 months
• Main causes of burnout

8. Build Relationships with the Team

• Run 1:1s with key people
• Identify both formal and informal leaders
• Find pain points — processes, tensions, expectations
• Make it clear you’re here to make life easier, not to control

Final Thoughts

Being the first HR in a startup isn’t about following a playbook — it’s about writing one from scratch.

It’s messy, unpredictable, and often overwhelming. But it’s also one of the most impactful roles you’ll ever take on. And yes, sometimes it feels like you’re holding the company together with duct tape and Notion pages… but you’re doing it.

You’re not just setting up processes — you’re creating clarity. You’re not just organizing onboarding — you’re shaping first impressions. You’re not just “doing HR” — you’re laying the foundation for how this company treats its people.

It’s not easy. But it matters a lot.

And someday, when the team is thriving and things just work, you’ll know: That folder called “HR STUFF”? That was the start of something big.