Hire a Head of People

A Head of People leads the human resources function, owning hiring strategy, culture, compensation, employee relations and compliance. The role matters because a company’s ability to attract, keep and develop talent depends on the policies and programs this leader builds. Typical responsibilities include: set people strategy covering hiring, onboarding, development and retention; design compensation, benefits and performance review programs; advise executives on organization design, succession and leadership development.

Look for people strategy, employment law, compensation design, employee relations, talent planning and executive advising. Experience with Workday, BambooHR, Rippling, Lattice and Greenhouse is common in this role.

It is possible, but most employers hire a Head of People on a full-time basis because the role depends on continuity and long-term relationships. Contract-to-hire is a practical middle route if you want a trial period first.

Often it is mainly a title choice. Head of People signals a focus on culture, talent and employee experience, while HR Director can imply a stronger compliance and administration emphasis. Check the actual scope in the job description, and note that titles vary by company.

Consider one when HR must set strategy rather than only run administration, such as building compensation structures, managing a recruiting team or advising executives. A generalist serves a small team well, but cannot usually provide leadership across several HR functions.