How we help
Three ways we work together.
Some founders are putting the right foundations in place for the first time. Some have outgrown the way the organisation operates. Others face one challenge that can’t wait. Whichever it is, we begin the same way — with a diagnostic.
it always starts with a diagnostic
How an engagement starts
We won’t propose a solution before we understand the problem.
So every engagement — Build, Scale or Focus — starts the same way: with a short, structured diagnostic that tells both of us what your organisation actually needs before you commit to anything bigger. It takes two weeks.
A two-week Organisation Readiness Diagnostic.
- 1
Listen
Weeks 1–2
We get the real picture — not just from you, but from the people living inside the organisation every day.
- A founder deep-dive on the problem and what you need.
- Conversations across the team: area leaders, managers and key ICs.
- A review of the people practices that exist today.
- 2
Readout
End of Week 2
You get an honest, specific and prioritised read — not a generic audit, and not a sales pitch.
- What’s actually breaking — and, just as usefully, what isn’t.
- The two or three things to fix first, and why.
- A strategy and execution plan for the flagged risks and fixes.
- 3
Then we decide
Only after the readout
Only once the picture is clear do we talk about what, if anything, comes next.
- Build — foundations, run as a project.
- Scale — an ongoing fractional partnership.
- Focus — one sprint, or nothing at all.
Two weeks in, you’ll know what your organisation needs before committing to anything bigger. If you don’t need us, we’ll tell you.
01
Build
People Foundation Setup
Put the right foundations in place before growth makes every people decision harder.
The first time you put real structure in place. Build usually begins when hiring has outrun the scaffolding around it — good people landing in roles no one has fully defined, and “how we do things here” living in your head instead of anywhere written down. Over a defined engagement, we put the foundations in properly, and lightly, so nothing has to be unpicked a year later.
What we put in place
- Organisational design & role structure.
- Hiring strategy & frameworks.
- Performance systems & review cycles.
- Values & competency frameworks.
- Compliance & governance, including POSH.
When this fits
When the team is growing faster than the organisation, and it’s time to build the foundations properly.
What you walk away with
A structure people can navigate, a hiring engine that protects quality, and performance, policy and governance foundations that hold as headcount climbs.
02
Scale
Fractional People Strategy Partner
Senior people thinking at the leadership table, without a full-time hire.
An ongoing partnership. Where Build sets the systems up, Scale runs and evolves them with you — senior people thinking at the leadership table, week in and week out, without the cost or commitment of a full-time executive hire. As the business grows more complex, the organisation keeps pace instead of falling behind it.
What we work on together
- People strategy at the leadership table.
- Organisation design & restructuring as you scale.
- Leadership & talent development.
- Culture & employee experience as you grow.
- Workforce planning & cost optimisation.
When this fits
When senior people thinking is needed at the leadership table, but not another full-time executive.
What you walk away with
An organisation that grows more capable as it grows larger — stronger managers, clearer ownership, and a founder who is no longer the operating system the company depends on.
03
Focus
Focused People Sprints
Solve one important challenge before it becomes five.
A single, well-defined engagement with a clear start, a clear end and a clear outcome. When one thing is genuinely holding the business back, we bring senior thinking and real momentum to solve it — without signing you up for anything longer than you need.
Common focus areas
- Competency mapping.
- Onboarding redesign & engagement diagnostics.
- Performance & people analytics.
- Change management & transformation.
- One priority, solved end to end.
When this fits
When one people challenge is holding the business back, and focused support solves it quickly.
What you walk away with
The one thing that mattered most, resolved properly — with a practical way forward you can carry on your own.
The breadth behind all three
The breadth behind all three
Whichever way we work together, the same depth sits behind it: organisation design, hiring, leadership development, performance management, compensation and benefits, payroll, workforce planning, goal setting, competency frameworks, employee experience, HR governance, compliance, organisational change and culture. The breadth of a senior People leader — always applied through the lens of your business, not a checklist.
Not sure where to start?
Most conversations don’t begin with a service. They begin with a founder saying,
“Here’s what’s happening. I don’t know exactly what I need, but I know something has to change.”
That’s enough — the diagnostic is built for exactly that.
Start with a diagnostic