Last Updated on September 4, 2026 by Shankar Jadhav
Most startups hit a wall around 10–20 employees: no policies, messy payroll, statutory registrations pending, and no one owning HR. HRTailor gives you a dedicated Online HR Manager who sets up your HR foundation and then runs it - enterprise-grade HR without the enterprise headcount.
What startup HR consulting covers
- HR foundation: offer & appointment letters (now mandatory under the 2025 Labour Codes), employee handbook, policies (leave, POSH, code of conduct)
- Statutory setup: PF, ESIC, PT registrations + ongoing compliance
- Payroll & salary structure: compliant CTC design (wages ≥50% of pay), monthly processing, payslips
- HRMS setup: attendance, leave, documents in one system
- Ongoing HR ops: onboarding, grievances, exits, full & final
Why startups choose HRTailor over a freelance consultant
| Freelance consultant | HRTailor | |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | Ad hoc | Dedicated manager + pod |
| Scope | Advice only | Setup and execution |
| Compliance | You implement | Managed end-to-end |
| Continuity | Person-dependent | Team-backed |
| Cost | Per-project | From ₹10,000/mo |
How it works
- Free consultation - we map your team, stage and gaps.
- HR foundation build - policies, contracts, statutory registrations, salary structures.
- Go live - HRMS + payroll running, HR pod handling day-to-day.
- Scale - HR that grows with your headcount.
Who it's for
Funded startups, bootstrapped SMEs and growing teams of 5–100 employees that need real HR outcomes, fast - without hiring a full HR department.
Frequently asked questions
How much does startup HR consulting cost?
From ₹10,000/month at HRTailor - far less than an in-house HR hire.
Do you handle PF/ESIC/PT registration?
Yes - full statutory setup and ongoing filing.
Are appointment letters mandatory now?
Yes - under India's Labour Codes (in force since Nov 2025), formal appointment letters are required.
Do you just advise or also execute?
Both - we set up your HR and then run it month to month.
Related: HR outsourcing · payroll outsourcing · statutory compliance.
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The core HR policies every Indian startup needs from day one, ready to adapt to your company.
Related: HR outsourcing for startups · Full HR outsourcing service · Transparent pricing · HR policies every startup needs
Three HR pitfalls we help startups avoid
1. Skipping statutory registration. Founders often assume EPF and ESIC don’t apply “until we grow bigger”. They apply at 20 and 10 employees respectively (20 in Maharashtra/Chandigarh for ESIC). Waiting means retrospective back-payments plus 12 percent interest and damages up to 25 percent.
2. Copy-paste US policies. Startups reuse leave, POSH and offer-letter templates from parent companies or the founder’s previous employer. Indian labour law requires state-specific S&E clauses, 26-week maternity, POSH ICC, and appointment letters signed by both parties. Copy-paste policies fail the first inspection.
3. Ignoring the four Labour Codes. In force since 21 November 2025, the Codes consolidate 29 laws and change how gratuity, working hours and fixed-term contracts work. Founders who haven’t updated policies are already non-compliant.
What our startup consulting covers
Two- to four-week structured engagement: gap analysis against current compliance posture, policy pack customisation, statutory registration completion, first-hire onboarding template, and quarterly follow-through for the first year. Fixed fee, no hourly billing.