HR systems
Setup, data migration and day-to-day running of BambooHR, HiBob, Rippling, Gusto, Deel or the system you already have.
Roles · HR & Recruiting
An HR operations manager to run the people side of your growing business
Clean staff records, an HR system people actually use, onboarding that's ready on day one, and policies written down before someone asks for them.
HR that keeps up with your headcount
At ten people, HR lives in a founder's inbox and a few spreadsheets. By fifty, that setup starts to cost you: offer letters go out late, new starters wait for laptops and logins, leave balances don't match, and nobody is sure which version of the handbook is current. An HR operations manager puts structure in place and keeps it running, so your managers can focus on their teams.
What they do for you
- Set up and maintain your HR system and staff records
- Run onboarding and offboarding checklists with IT, finance and managers
- Prepare offer letters, contracts and other HR documents from your approved templates
- Write and update the handbook, policies and HR processes
- Answer staff questions on leave, benefits and HR procedures
- Coordinate performance review cycles and keep the paperwork on track
- Keep leave, absence and headcount data accurate and share it with payroll
- Track compliance tasks and deadlines, and flag anything that needs legal advice
- Support teams spread across several countries, keeping records and processes consistent
What a reliable HR operations manager looks like
Tools they work in
BambooHRHiBobRipplingGustoDeelWorkdayPersonioLattice15FiveGreenhouseLeverDocuSignNotionGoogle WorkspaceMicrosoft 365Many more
A good fit if:
- Your headcount is growing and HR still runs on spreadsheets
- Founders or office managers handle HR on top of their own work
- New starters arrive before their accounts and paperwork are ready
- You need policies and processes written down and kept current
Not the right fit if:
- You mainly need roles filled; see Recruitment Process Outsourcing
- You need a senior people leader to set HR strategy; see Executive Search
- You need payroll run across several countries; that's Payroll Specialist, a page added after launch
Interview questions
01
"How would you set up onboarding for a company hiring five people a month?"
Strong answer: a checklist with owners in HR, IT and the team, tasks triggered from the HR system, and a check-in after the first weeks.
02
"A team member asks a question about their contract that you aren't sure of. How do you respond?"
Strong answer: look at the documents and policy, avoid guessing, escalate to the right person or adviser, and reply with a clear timeline.
03
"What would you look at first if we moved to a new HR system?"
Strong answer: clean data, required fields, permissions, integrations with payroll and IT, and a simple plan to train people.
04
"How do you keep sensitive staff information secure?"
Strong answer: access on a need-to-know basis, records kept in the system and not in email, and regular checks on who can see what.
Signs of a strong HR operations manager:
- Builds processes that work without them in the room
- Keeps staff data accurate and confidential
- Knows when to bring in legal or payroll advisers
- Is trusted by managers and staff alike
Signs of a weak HR operations manager:
- Gives legal answers they aren't qualified to give
- Keeps important records in personal folders or email
- Lets onboarding depend on reminders from managers
- Rewrites policies without asking leadership to approve them
Onboarding and offboarding
Checklists, documents, equipment and access requests that get new starters productive and close everything off cleanly when people leave.
Policies and handbooks
Drafting and updating handbooks, policies and procedures for leadership to approve and your advisers to check.
HR generalist work
Staff questions, leave and absence, performance review cycles, records and HR reporting for growing teams.
Compliance support
Tracking training, document renewals and HR deadlines, and preparing files for your advisers. Legal advice stays with your lawyer.
Finding your HR operations manager
- 1
Talk it through
We agree the work, the tools, the hours you share and who they report to. For this role: your headcount and growth plans, the countries your people work in, your HR and payroll systems, and who handles legal and payroll advice today.
- 2
Meet a shortlist and choose
We screen a wide pool for every role and introduce only the few who fit your brief. We source, screen and test candidates against your brief, and run background and reference checks. You interview and decide.
- 3
Start with support in place
They start on the work in the brief, and we stay in contact once they've begun.
Generalist HR operations hires are a well-understood search. Experience with a particular HR system or with teams across several countries can make it take longer. Our first look is in South Africa, and the search goes further when your brief calls for it.
How pricing works
Each of these options can be used to hire an HR operations manager, so weigh them against your plans. Your account lead can talk through the differences. Compare the arrangements on ways to hire.
Who does what
Swipe to see more →
| Task | You | JiveTalent |
|---|---|---|
| HR policy approval, decisions about your people, and legal advice | Own | – |
| HR system, onboarding, records and staff questions | Review | Looked after by your HR operations manager; we check in on workload and open items |
HR operations manager: your questions answered
Can they give legal advice on HR matters?
No. They know HR processes and keep things organized, but legal questions go to your lawyer or HR adviser.
Will they work during our business hours?
The brief sets the hours and the overlap with your team before the search starts, so every candidate is hired for them.
Can they support teams across several countries?
Yes. They can run HR admin, records and processes for people in several countries, with local rules confirmed by your advisers in each one.
Do they also handle recruiting?
They can coordinate hiring admin such as offers and onboarding. If you need roles sourced and filled at volume, Recruitment Process Outsourcing covers that.
What if it isn't working out?
Talk to your account lead. We go through it with you and agree a way forward.
How is confidential staff data protected?
We run background and reference checks first, and you decide what they can access in your HR system and other tools.
How do we see what our HR operations manager is working on?
Their hours are tracked in the client app and reported there for you to see.
Put your HR admin on solid ground
Book a call. We'll agree the brief for your HR operations manager and talk you through the ways to hire.