12 questions I walk through with founders when internal chaos starts creeping in

People Systems

• Do we have a clear, repeatable hiring process?
• Are we screening candidates consistently — or relying on gut feel?
• Is onboarding documented, or do we recreate it each time?
• Do managers know how to give — and receive — meaningful feedback?

Compliance & Risk

• Are we compliant in every state where we have employees?
• Are we correctly classifying contractors vs. employees?
• Are terminations handled consistently — and documented properly?
• Do we have an employee handbook anyone actually uses?

Culture & Clarity

• Are our core values written — and visible?
• Do we have the right people in the right roles?
• Do we run performance reviews, or just rely on Slack comments?
• Do people know what’s expected in their roles?
• Are we unintentionally rewarding burnout?

Leadership Insight

If even a couple of these made you pause, you’re not alone. Most early teams hit this messy middle — and I’ve helped founders navigate it without hiring a full HR team.

https://calendly.com/barbs-heybarbs/15-minute-startup-intro