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People Operations
Hiring, onboarding, Radical Candor.
PART 5: PEOPLE OPERATIONS — Hire, Onboard, Pay, Grow
Authoritative Resources
| Resource | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| Kim Scott: Radical Candor | The definitive management framework — care personally, challenge directly |
| Marty Cagan: INSPIRED / Empowered | Product team organization — product managers as missionaries, not mercenaries |
| First Round Review: Hiring & Culture | Real startup stories on hiring, culture building, performance reviews |
| Deel / Rippling | Global hiring, compliance, payroll operations |
| GitLab Handbook: People Group | Transparent career frameworks, compensation, remote onboarding |
Core Frameworks
Hiring Process (adopted from First Round + GitLab):
- Job spec template: Role, responsibilities, requirements, team context, compensation band
- Structured interview rubric: Score each candidate on defined criteria. Remove bias, enable comparison.
- Hiring committee: Every hire goes through 3-4 independent interviewers + debrief
- Reference checks: Structured questions, not just "would you hire them again?"
- Offer process: Written offer, 2-5 business days to decide, no negotiation via email (sync call)
Onboarding:
- Day 1 checklist: System access, welcome buddy, handbook orientation, team intros
- 30-60-90 day plan: Goals for each period, check-in at every milestone
- Buddy system: Not the manager — peer buddy for cultural integration
- Asynchronous onboarding: Self-paced handbook reading, recorded team introductions, async Q&A
Performance Management:
- Continuous feedback (Radical Candor model): regular 1:1s, real-time feedback, not annual surprises
- Semi-annual reviews: Written self-review + manager review. Focus on growth, not scoring.
- Career frameworks: Transparent levels, competencies, and promotion criteria (GitLab model)
- No stack ranking at <50 people. Only forced differentiation when you have enough data (100+)
AI Integration
- AI screening: Filter resumes against rubric, auto-reject clear mismatches. Human reviews shortlist.
- AI onboarding assistant: Auto-configure accounts (Rippling), send checklists, answer policy FAQs
- AI performance draft: Generate manager review draft from PRs, commits, tickets, peer feedback
- AI compliance: Track visa renewals, training completions, policy acknowledgments
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