Most founders know they need HR eventually. The hard part is knowing when "eventually" has arrived.
Here is a simple rule: the moment a people issue starts taking more of your mind-share than a customer or product issue, you need someone senior thinking about it.
The signs it is time
- Hiring is eating your week, and you still make expensive mistakes.
- You have no employee handbook, so every manager makes up their own rules.
- A compensation conversation went badly and you are not sure why.
- You have a complaint, conflict, or exit that feels above your experience.
- You are about to raise funding or enter an audit, and you know the HR house is not in order.
What "first HR person" really means
For a 15–50 person company, the first HR hire is rarely a CHRO. It is usually a strong HR generalist who can run processes and someone senior — a fractional advisor or consultant — who can think like a leadership partner.
KAJ works with founders at exactly this stage: you need senior judgement before you can justify a full-time head.
A practical first step
Before you write a JD, list the top three people problems costing you sleep or money this quarter. That list becomes your scope. If it is mostly hiring, you need hiring process support. If it is mostly compliance and paperwork, you need foundations. If it is mostly conflict and exits, you need advisory.
The right help at the right time is cheaper than the wrong full-time hire.