MINI PEOPLE TEAM
Your fractional people function
YOUR FRACTIONAL PEOPLE FUNCTION FOR STARTUPS WITH 20-50+ PEOPLE.
You’ve found traction. The team has grown past 20. The informal systems that got you here are now creaking under the weight of headcount, expectations, and complexity.
Mini People Team gives you strategic partnership plus operational delivery, so you can build a proper people function without rushing into a full time hire or losing what makes you distinct.
YOU’RE SCALING. THE PEOPLE SIDE IS STRUGGLING TO CATCH UP.
In the early days, you could more or less keep everything in your head. You were close enough to the team that you could spot issues early, make quick calls, and rely on context instead of process.
Now you’re 20+ people. Retention is wobblier than it used to be. Some teams are thriving; others feel stretched or a bit lost. You’re still involved in every tricky people decision, but you don’t have the time or the infrastructure to support them properly.
You know you need more than piecemeal fixes - pay reviews one quarter, a rushed performance cycle the next - but you’re not ready for a full Head of People team. You need a people function that can think and do.
Mini People Team sits in that gap. You get a psychologist‑led partner on strategy and leadership, plus experienced operators who handle the day‑to‑day people work that keeps everything moving.
This is for founders who:
(01)
Are watching retention slip. People aren't staying as long as they used to. You’ve lost a couple of top performers. You need clearer career pathways and better support, but you haven't had the bandwidth to build it.
(02)
Have managers who need development. You've promoted your strongest players into key roles, but they need constant guidance. You want them to own it, but right now, you're still doing most of the thinking.
(03)
Know the systems are breaking. Pay reviews are ad hoc. Performance conversations happen inconsistently. Onboarding varies. You've patched things together, but you need proper infrastructure before it all falls apart.
(04)
Are ready to delegate but don’t know how. You're still central to every people decision. You know it's not sustainable, and you want to focus on growing the business, not sorting out every people issue.
We’re now 50+ People and this framework has been transformational. Danielle's ability to transform and optimise People processes truly impressed us. She brought a fresh perspective to our organisation and helped us gain clarity on how to approach our People infrastructure.
“
Natasha Guerra, Founder + CEO, Runway East
how we’ll work together
1. We build your people plan
We start by listening. Leadership interviews to understand business goals and what’s keeping you up at night. Team listening through pulse surveys or focus groups to see what it feels like on the ground. From there, we build a 6-12 month people plan with clear priorities, owners, and sequencing.
2.strategic partnership
Regular strategic sessions (usually bi‑weekly) to stay aligned and make the key people decisions: structure, senior hires, pay, performance, tricky situations. You get founder and leadership coaching through the complex moments, plus design support for people systems that actually scale, not just look good on paper.
3.operational delivery
This is where the “team” comes in. We run day‑to‑day people operations: hiring support from job spec to offer, onboarding design and delivery, coordinating performance and pay cycles, documenting policies, answering people queries. You get out of the operational weeds without leaving a vacuum.
4.manager development
We support and stretch your managers so they can handle performance conversations, feedback, and people decisions more confidently. That might be 1:1 coaching, manager roundtables, or practical tools and frameworks. The aim is fewer escalations to you, and stronger teams underneath you.
5.scope evolves with you
We usually start with a three month commitment. Most partnerships continue as you grow and you start to think of us as part of your leadership bench. The work flexes to what you actually need and you’re never tied into a long, rigid contract.
the people infrastructure that scaling teams need
What we’ll typically work on together
People roadmap and strategic planning tied to business goals and headcount growth
Retention strategy, including clear progression frameworks and career paths
Pay philosophy, salary bands, and structured, fair review processes
Performance management rhythms that balance accountability and care
Manager development programmes to build internal capability and confidence
Hiring systems: scorecards, interview training, and a clear, honest employer story
Onboarding that integrates culture, role clarity, and realistic early wins
Policy documentation and a people operations handbook that people actually use
Team structure and role architecture as you add layers and leadership
People dashboards and metrics to inform decisions, not just report them after the fact
Pulse surveys, exit interviews, and sentiment tracking that surface what’s really going on
Values integrated into hiring, feedback, rituals, and decision‑making
Development plans for high performers so growth doesn’t always equal “promotion into management”
Support on complex cases: underperformance, absence, conflict, and the grey areas that keep you up at night
Founder coaching through the hardest people calls
who you’ll work with
I'm Danielle - Business Psychologist, Exec Coach, and Head of People.
I've held Head of People roles in fast growth environments. I know what breaks when you scale and how to fix it before it does. I've managed through high turnover, built people teams from scratch, and coached founders through their hardest decisions.
Our associate team brings operational delivery. They're experienced people operators who've scaled teams at startups. They handle the execution: running hiring processes, building onboarding, coordinating performance cycles, documenting policies.
You get strategic thinking plus execution capability - the combination most growing startups need.
what you’ll walk away with
Improved retention and team stability
Clear career pathways, fair pay structures, and better management reduce turnover. People stay longer, engage deeper, and tell their talented friends about you.
Confidence to step back
You’re not the single point of failure in every people issue. Whether it’s taking real time off or focusing on strategy, you know the people function will keep running.
A team that can operate independently. Your junior hires develop the skills and confidence to own key processes. You get bandwidth back, and they keep growing
Manager capability that cascades
Your managers develop the skills and confidence to own performance, feedback, and team health. They stop funneling everything back to you, and their teams feel the difference.
Systems that scale
Performance cycles, pay reviews, hiring processes, onboarding, and policies are documented, repeatable and proportionate to your stage. Enough structure to go faster, not slower.
Culture that stays intact as you grow
Values aren’t just a slide. They show up in who you hire, how you onboard, what you reward, and how you handle the hard calls, so the company still feels like itself at 50+ people.
Ready to stop being your own Head of People?
You’ve built something worth protecting. Mini People Team helps you build the infrastructure that lets it grow without turning you into a full time people manager
Download the TPV Services Guides for pricing ✨