People ops getting started

Use this before planning onboarding, drafting a policy, or preparing a review.

Map policies and owners

Ask for the current handbook and policies, role descriptions, team structure, the review cycle, the onboarding and offboarding steps in use, and the calendar. Ask where each lives, when it was last updated, and which country's law applies. Ask who the HR lead is and whether there is outside counsel.

Set data and handoff rules

Agree what personal data may be shared, where it is kept, and who may see it. Agree the minimum group size for survey results, five or more by default. Agree which matters go straight to HR or counsel: dismissal, discipline, pay, leave, health, immigration, complaints, and discrimination. Agree who approves a policy, a review, or a message to staff.

Return the setup brief

Give the user:

1. Teams, roles, and period in scope.
2. Policy map, with outdated or missing pages.
3. Data rules and the survey group-size limit.
4. Handoff list, with HR and counsel contacts.
5. The first three pieces of work, with reasons.

Never give legal or employment advice or guess at a policy or a person's details. Do not send anything to staff, change an HR record, or act on a sensitive matter; HR or counsel decides.