Embedded People Leadership

I step in as your Head of People, no full-time hire required.
Seamlessly embedded. Fully accountable. Real results.

I work directly with your team to build and run a People function that drives performance, culture, and growth. Whether you're scaling fast or tightening operations, I bring the experience and execution to match your stage.

You get hands-on leadership across the full People spectrum, without the overhead of a full-time hire.

What’s included:

People strategy and planning:
I turn business goals into a clear People roadmap. From workforce planning to org design and headcount strategy, I align talent priorities with where you're headed next.

• Org design and workforce planning:
  I design structures that support scale - clear roles, reporting lines, and team configurations that help you move faster with less friction.

• Recruiting strategy and execution:
  I don’t just help you hire - I build the entire recruiting engine you need to scale. That means defining what great looks like, designing your hiring process, and filling it with the right candidates. I source and screen directly, keep the funnel moving, and help close top talent. You also get the full framework kit: role scorecards, briefing sheets, competencies frameworks, interview plans, training for your team, and more. It’s everything you need to go from ad hoc hiring to a repeatable, high-performing system.

• Onboarding and retention programs:
  I create experiences that set people up to thrive. From checklists, day-one onboarding, probation period reviews, roles & responsibilities, to 90-day success plans, I build programs that boost retention and performance from the start.

• Performance management systems:
  When performance is vague, everything slows down. I design review processes that create clarity, accountability, and real traction. You get tailored review cycles, goal-setting systems, and manager training that match your stage. I also develop competency-based feedback frameworks that anchor evaluations in observable behaviors, raising the bar without adding complexity.

• Career frameworks and leveling:
  I build role-specific frameworks that define what’s expected at each level and what it takes to grow. No bloated rubrics, just clear, practical guidance for employees, managers, and leadership. These frameworks create transparency around growth, support fair promotions, and help you scale with structure.

• Compliance and employee relations:
  Most teams ignore compliance, until it becomes a problem. I help you get ahead of the risk. That includes policies, contracts, documentation, and support for sensitive employee situations. I also create clear, modern staff handbooks that align with your culture while keeping you legally covered. No jargon. No mess. Just practical tools that protect your business and build trust.

• Culture and employee experience:
  Culture is shaped by what happens every day, not just what’s written on the wall. I help you define the culture you want and embed it through values, rituals, leadership behaviors, and day-to-day systems. I also run eNPS and engagement surveys, translating feedback into clear, targeted actions that strengthen both morale and performance.

Best for:
Startups, scale-ups, or business units that need senior People leadership with real impact, without committing to a full-time headcount.

A La Carte Projects

Targeted, high-impact People projects.

Need expert support for a specific challenge or initiative? I offer a flexible menu of project-based engagements, each one scoped to deliver clarity, speed, and measurable value.

Popular projects include:

• Recruiting: system design, hands-on hiring, or both:
  I can build the entire recruiting engine or step in to help you hire right now.
  • System design: Custom hiring processes, role scorecards, sourcing strategies, interview plans, and team training, everything you need to scale hiring with confidence.
  • Execution: Actively hiring? I source and screen candidates, fill pipelines, and keep the funnel moving.
  • Or combine both for a full-spectrum recruiting solution tailored to your stage and needs.

• Career framework and leveling design
  Create clear, role-specific progression frameworks that define expectations at each level and support transparent growth, promotion, and compensation decisions.

• Performance review and feedback systems
  Design and implement performance cycles tailored to your company’s stage. Includes review structures, goal-setting processes, manager enablement, and competency-based feedback frameworks.

• Onboarding and retention programs:
  Design structured onboarding experiences and early-stage success plans that accelerate ramp-up and improve retention from day one, incl. roles & responsibilites or probation period reviews.

• Culture and employee experience strategy:
  Define and embed the culture you want through intentional values, rituals, and systems. Includes eNPS and engagement surveys with action-oriented reporting.

• Compliance and employee relations:
  Develop the foundational infrastructure to stay compliant and build trust. Includes HR policies, documentation, employee relations support, and custom staff handbooks.

• Org design and workforce planning
  Assess and design org structures, team configurations, and headcount plans to support your next stage of growth.

Don’t see what you need?
Let’s talk. I scope each project to match your goals, timeline, and internal capacity, so you get exactly what you need, when you need it. Available in English and German!

janet@scalepeoplelab.com