article · 5 min read
Hiring Your First People Leader
When to bring in a Head of People, what to look for, and how a fractional partner bridges the gap.
Most founders hire their first Head of People six months too late and one level too senior.
The pattern we see at Heartwork: a founder waits until things are on fire, then over-corrects by hiring a CPO from a 2,000-person company. That leader spends their first 90 days frustrated that there's no infrastructure to lead.
A cleaner path: bring in a fractional people partner at 25 people. Use them to build the foundation — leveling, comp bands, onboarding, a real performance cycle. When you cross 80–100 people, hire a full-time Director or VP who inherits a working system.