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EMBEDDED PARTNERSHIP
The people and culture function your business needs, without the full-time hire.
Embedded Partnership is for scaling businesses that need consistent, context-rich people stewardship to support their next stage growth objectives.
You have a named person who knows your business, holds the context of your team and applies real judgement in real time.
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For businesses that need a trusted partner to guide the next stage.
You are past the point where ad hoc advice is enough
The business is complex enough that you need someone holding the people system, not just responding to individual questions when you call. You need continuity, context and proactive stewardship.
You are not ready to hire a full-time Head of People
The headcount, the complexity and the budget do not yet justify a full-time senior hire. But you need the same quality of judgement and consistency. Embedded Partnership fills that gap without the overhead.
You want someone who feels like part of the team
Not an external reviewer who visits occasionally and sends a report. Someone who understands the business, knows the people and applies real-time judgement when it matters.
Where we can step in
Not every business needs the same level of support, and that changes as you grow. These two tracks cover the most common patterns we see but the right fit is always confirmed in conversation before anything is scoped or priced.
People Ops Partnership
Who this is for
Scaling businesses that need consistent, hands-on people operations support. You have growing HR demand, managers asking questions you don't have time to answer, and compliance obligations that need active attention.
Typical growth stage: 20 to 60 people. First senior hires in post. Founder still fielding too much.
What's included
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Named relationship lead
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Onboarding and context build
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Monthly check-in call
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HR query and request handling
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Template and resources library access
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Monthly summary note
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First-line ER stewardship (advisory and paperwork)
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Policy drafting and updates
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Onboarding and offboarding support
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Employment documentation
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Proactive compliance monitoring
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First-line manager support
Strategic Partnership
Who this is for
Growth-stage businesses that need both operational people support and a senior thought partner. You're navigating complexity; culture fracturing, leadership gaps, board-level decisions, not just someone to handle the admin.
Typical growth stage: 40 to 150+ people. Series A or B. Strategic and operational people needs running simultaneously.
What's included
Everything in Operational Partnership, plus:
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Weekly founder and leadership check-in (30 minutes)
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Strategic advisory allowance
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Leadership and team dynamics support
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Business observation touchpoints
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Proactive strategic insights
Something else you want support with? We align our embedded partnership services with where you are and your business goals, let's discuss what that might look like for your business.
How the relationship develops
Month 1
Proactive context building. Stewardship of current needs begins from week one.
Month 2-3
Operating rhythm established. The business stops thinking about HR. It is being held.
Month 3+
First proactive insights.
Enough context to start observing patterns the business cannot see from inside.
Month 6+
Trusted presence.
Your relationship lead is in your regular conversation rhythm, not waiting to be asked.
Month 12+
Embedded intelligence. Anticipating rather than reacting. Surfacing friction before it surfaces as a problem.
Embedded support is not a fixed service, it is a relationship that builds context over time. The longer your relationship lead is inside the business, the more they can anticipate rather than react. What starts as holding the day-to-day becomes a trusted presence in the room where decisions get made, able to guide the system and grow with you at each stage.
Where it connects
Most clients enter Embedded Partnership following a Rapid System Read or a People Foundations Sprint. The prior work means your relationship lead inherits context on day one rather than starting from scratch.
If a defined strategic need emerges inside the partnership, we recommend the right route: a defined sprint for something that needs building, or a Targeted Intervention for something that needs resolving. The partnership continues alongside.
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Ready to have the right person in your corner?
Talk to us about Embedded Partnership.