Service · External HR Partner
Do you need HR - but not a full-time Head of HR?
When a company grows, the people side almost always grows with it.
It often starts with one difficult conversation, a manager who needs sparring, or a hire that doesn't turn out the way you hoped. Or perhaps you simply notice that more and more people matters land on your desk - taking time away from the part of the business you actually want to be building.
At some point it becomes clear that you need HR. But not necessarily a full-time Head of HR.
I work as an external HR Partner for founder-led companies that need an experienced sparring partner - someone who can handle the concrete HR work and, at the same time, help create the structure, leadership and clarity that make continued growth possible.
It usually starts with HR. It rarely stops there.
Where it begins
It usually starts with HR. It rarely stops there.
Most companies reach out to me with one specific challenge.
Maybe HR is taking up more and more room. Maybe your managers have become dependent on you instead of taking ownership themselves. Maybe the same issues keep coming back, or your people aren't quite living up to what you expected.
Those are real challenges, and of course they need to be solved.
But in my experience, the thing that fills the most space in everyday life isn't always the thing that makes the biggest difference to work on.
So I don't start with a standard solution. I start by understanding the company.
- How are decisions actually made?
- How do the managers work together?
- Are the roles clear?
- Do people know what's expected of them - and do the managers agree on it themselves?
Because once we understand the company, it becomes much easier to find the solution that genuinely makes a difference.
Clarity
More clarity. Less guesswork.
One thing comes up again and again in the companies I work with.
I have yet to meet a company where people come to work hoping to do a bad job. Most people genuinely want to succeed, take ownership and contribute to the business. But when expectations are unclear, roles blur, or decisions aren't communicated properly, we all start filling in the blanks ourselves.
The more people have to guess what's expected of them, the more likely they are to get it wrong. And when they guess wrong, it rarely looks like a clarity problem. It looks like misunderstandings, frustration, missed deadlines and leadership that feels inconsistent from one team to the next - not because anyone stopped caring, but because nobody was ever quite sure what good looked like.
That's why I rarely start with new processes. I start by understanding how the company works today. More often than not, small changes to expectations, communication and ownership create far bigger results than another process or policy ever would.
Approach
How I work
I don't believe in standard solutions, because two companies with the same challenge rarely have the same cause behind it.
So I always spend time getting to know the company before we decide what to do. I'm curious about how decisions get made, how the leadership team works together, and where the organisation feels the most friction.
Sometimes what's needed is sparring with the leadership team. Other times it's about creating clearer roles, supporting a manager through a difficult situation, or building the structure the company has outgrown. Recruitment can be part of the answer too - but it's rarely the starting point.
I'm not interested in implementing as many HR processes as possible. I'm interested in finding the thing that will make the biggest difference to your company, and building from there.
Perspective
Something I see again and again
Most companies contact me about one specific challenge. But it often turns out that what fills the most space day to day isn't what makes the biggest difference to work on.
That's why I rarely start with a solution. I start by understanding the company. When we understand why the challenge appeared in the first place, it becomes much easier to find a solution that lasts.
Is this relevant for you?
When does an external HR Partner make sense?
I typically work one day a week or a fixed number of hours per month - depending on your needs and the stage your company is in.
- You have grown to somewhere between 20 and 150 people.
- People matters take up more and more of the founder's or leadership team's time.
- You need an experienced sparring partner, but not a full-time Head of HR.
- You want someone who can both handle the concrete HR work and help build a stronger organisational foundation.
- You want a partner who understands people and the business equally well.
The work
This is what I help companies with - but it's rarely where we start.
My work always takes its starting point in your company and the situation you're in. It might include:
- Sparring with founders and leadership teams
- Organisational structure, roles and responsibilities
- Leadership development and day-to-day leadership sparring
- Performance, development and feedback
- Difficult employee conversations
- Building a people foundation strong enough to keep up with growth
- HR processes and policies - when they actually add value
- Recruitment and onboarding
Client testimonial
Experience that lands in practice
„From our very first meeting, Gabi demonstrated strong professional expertise, a high level of professionalism and an impressive ability to quickly understand our business, our culture and the challenges we were facing."
„Through a focused and practical approach, Gabi has helped us strengthen our leadership foundation, develop our HR processes and create greater structure across the organisation."
Questions & answers
What I'm often asked
How much time do you spend with us?
Typically 1-4 days per month, scaled to need and phase.
Do you replace an in-house HR director?
We replace the need - not necessarily the role. Many clients keep us as a strategic partner even as they build internal HR.
Next step
Let's start with a conversation
You don't need to know the solution before we talk.
Most of my clients come to me with one specific challenge. Together we work out what sits behind it, and where it makes the most sense to start. Sometimes the answer is exactly what you had in mind. Other times it turns out that a small change somewhere else entirely creates far bigger results.
If you recognise your own company in what you've just read, let's have an informal conversation about where you are today - and how I can best help you move forward.
Related services
This might be relevant too
Organisational Development
Structure, accountability and clarity - built to scale.
Leadership Sparring
Stronger leaders. Stronger company.
HR Advisory
Strategic HR sparring that moves the business forward.
Onboarding
The first 90 days decide everything else.
Roles & Responsibilities
Clarity is the first step toward accountability.
People Development & Wellbeing
Companies thrive when people do.
Recruitment
I'm not a recruitment agency or headhunter. I help you make better hiring decisions.
Next step
Let's talk about your next growth phase.
A no-strings 30-minute sparring session. I listen, ask about the business and tell you honestly whether I'm the right match.
hello@uprightgrowth.dk·+45 30 35 08 41