Joining an IT Start-up as an HR Generalist: What Should I Focus On?

Hi, I am going to join an IT start-up company. Please advise on what things I should do as an HR generalist.

Regards,
Ritu

You need to devise, formulate, and implement HR-related policies so that your organization will have all highly competent employees working with you for a longer duration at the lowest monetary cost.

As a startup, your focus area could be acquiring the most suitable manpower and talent management. You have the opportunity to design talent attraction and retention strategies, compliance procedures, compensation strategies, etc.

Understanding the Business

It may sound like common sense, but firstly, you need to understand the business thoroughly to know the competencies/skill set required for the people to be recruited. Understand the competition in the business and the USP of your organization in terms of products and services. Know thoroughly the critical/leadership job roles and their job descriptions.

Compensation and Benefits

Align compensation and benefit structures that enable attracting, retaining, and motivating all staff. Have fair performance standards in place and also a robust performance management system.

Technological Tools

Apply relevant technological tools in terms of HR software to perform HR operations with ease and efficiency. Always present your point of view with data, sound logic, and proven practices, and don't hesitate to assert in cross-functional meetings.

I have put forward some of the above points which occurred uppermost to me.

Regards,
Vinayak Nagarkar
HR Consultant

In an HR Generalist role at a start-up, your contributions would be crucial. Here are the top 3 activities you need to focus on:

1. Talent Management
Start-ups often attract good talent easily, but the real challenge lies in retaining them. Ensure that your employee engagement policies are of top-notch quality.

2. Job Descriptions (JD)
Having worked with numerous small businesses over the years, I have noticed the struggle they face in creating precise job descriptions. Make sure you carefully list all the necessary details.

3. Performance Management System (PMS)
PMS can be a complex area to navigate in start-ups. Employees in such environments are motivated not just by salary but also by other factors. Therefore, I recommend expanding your appraisals beyond monetary benefits.

I hope this information proves useful to you.

Thank you,
Om Jha
HR Consultant
HR Footprints