HR 0 → 1: Building Your First HR Function as a Hong Kong Startup.
The framework, policies, contracts and salary bands a growing company needs — set up once, in the right order, so hiring the next person is routine instead of a scramble.
What HR 0 → 1 Includes
HR Framework Design
The operating model for people matters at your stage: what is decided by whom, which processes exist from day one, and which can wait until the next headcount milestone.
Employee Handbook & Core Policies
Leave, working hours, conduct, expenses, data privacy and the other policies a first employee will ask about — written in plain language and drafted with reference to Hong Kong legal requirements.
HR Documents
Employment contract template, offer letter, probation and confirmation letters, and the onboarding checklist that goes with them — so hiring your next person is a fill-in exercise, not a drafting exercise.
HR Structure & Scope
Advice on when a founder, an office manager, an outsourced partner or a first HR hire should own each part of HR — and what that first HR role should actually cover.
Job Grading & Salary Bands
A simple grading structure and salary bands you can defend in an offer conversation and grow into, instead of pricing every hire from scratch.
Handover & Training
We walk whoever will run HR day to day through every document and process, so the framework keeps working after we step back.
How It Works
- 1
Discovery
Where you are today: headcount, hiring plan for the next 12 months, what documents already exist, and what has been causing friction. This shapes the scope.
- 2
Framework
We propose the HR operating model for your stage and agree which policies, documents and processes to build now.
- 3
Documents & policies
Handbook, policies, contract template and letters are drafted, reviewed with you, and revised until they read the way you would say it.
- 4
Structure, grading & bands
We set out the HR structure, job grades and salary bands, and show you how to place existing staff and future hires within them.
- 5
Handover
A working session with the person who will own HR, plus a simple calendar of recurring HR tasks — MPF, leave year, performance cycle — so nothing depends on memory.
HR 0 → 1 FAQ
What is included in HR 0 → 1 setup for a startup?
HR 0 → 1 is a foundation engagement for early-stage and growth-stage companies. We design your HR framework, write the employee handbook and core policies, prepare the employment contract template and standard letters, advise on the right HR structure for your headcount, build job grading and salary bands, and draft each document with reference to Hong Kong legal requirements.
When is the right time to set up HR properly?
Before the first hire is ideal; before the tenth is realistic. The usual trigger is the moment a founder realises they have written three different employment contracts and cannot remember which one is current. Setting the foundation early is cheaper than untangling it later.
Do we need to hire an HR manager?
Usually not at the start. Part of the engagement is advising on HR structure: what a founder or office manager can run with the right documents and a task calendar, what is better outsourced (payroll, for example), and at what headcount a dedicated HR hire starts to make sense.
Does this cover payroll and MPF?
HR 0 → 1 sets up the documents and processes, including MPF enrolment steps and the payroll calendar. Running payroll month to month is our separate Payroll Outsourcing service, which many HR 0 → 1 clients add once the foundation is in place.
Do we need an HRIS at this stage?
Not necessarily. For a small team, well-organised documents and a task calendar are enough. When headcount or leave tracking outgrows a spreadsheet, our HR digitalisation service moves you onto a system — requirements, data migration, go-live and training.
How long does HR 0 → 1 take?
It depends on how much already exists and how quickly you can review drafts. We agree a plan and timeline at the discovery stage rather than quoting a standard number that may not fit your situation.
Read next
- HR 0→1: Building Your First HR Function as a Hong Kong StartupThe foundations to build first, and in what order.
- How to Choose an HRIS for a Hong Kong SMERequirements, shortlisting, demo scoring and go-live.
NextPath is an HR consultancy, not a law firm. Our services and deliverables do not constitute legal advice; for matters requiring legal advice, please consult a qualified legal professional.