The One HR Rule Every Startup Should Break
Best practices sound fancy—like something big companies cook up when they have time, money, and a full-time HR compliance goblin.
Startups? We’re just trying to not break employment law while hiring three people, firing two, and figuring out if anyone’s actually read the handbook we wrote in a panic last year.
But here’s the thing:
If you don’t set the rules, chaos will. And chaos doesn’t care about EU labor laws.
Source: tenor
The Problem with “Best Practices”
They’re not bad. They’re just not built for you.
A "best practice" at Google might mean a 12-step onboarding ritual and a feedback framework with its own theme song.
At your Lisbon-based SaaS startup? It means a Notion doc, a Slack emoji, and a prayer.
Trying to copy-paste someone else’s HR strategy is like wearing a tailored suit from another body. It might zip up, but it won’t look right—and it definitely won’t move with you.
Your New Mantra: Best Fit > Best Practice
Because what works in a Berlin AI lab won’t fly in a Barcelona crypto wallet company.
Because your Croatian remote team isn’t the same as your Dutch office crew.
Because France.
The best HR strategy? One that fits your stage, your culture, your local labor laws, and your very weird, very real team.
Real Talk from the Field
🟢 Hire Like You Mean It
Speed is great. Regret is faster.
A London startup hired an entire sales team in a rush—half didn’t get the product. Six months later: mass exits, bad Glassdoor reviews, and one traumatized hiring manager.
Fix it:
Prioritize culture add, not just “fit.”
Understand your labor laws. In Germany, you want to be sure before you sign. In the UK? Probation periods exist for a reason.
🟢 Remote ≠ Automatic
A Finnish startup thought remote meant "done and dusted." Turns out, it meant lonely, disengaged employees.
Fix it:
Do meetups.
Run monthly “Ask Me Anything” sessions with leadership.
Or try a coworking club in key cities for that human touch.
Slack emojis are cute. But they’re not culture.
🟢 Feedback: The Silent Culture Killer
The Dutch will tell you straight. The Brits will tell you “interesting” and then leave it to rot.
Fix it:
Normalize structured feedback (360s, anonymous surveys, regular check-ins).
Build rituals. Try “Feedback Fridays.”
Founders need feedback too. Especially them.
🟢 Don’t Let Them Stagnate
People don’t leave companies—they leave boredom.
A Polish AI firm keeps engineers happy with learning budgets.
An Estonian startup lets folks try new roles every few months.
Fix it:
Offer growth. Courses, mentorships, lateral moves.
Let people experiment. And maybe fail. That’s how they stick around.
TL;DR: What Actually Works
✅ There’s no one-size-fits-all. Local laws + local culture = your custom playbook
✅ Hire slow when you can. Mistakes are expensive
✅ Remote teams need actual design, not just Zoom links
✅ Feedback builds (or breaks) culture
✅ Learning is retention’s best-kept secret
Final Word: Stop Copying. Start Designing.
You don’t need the Silicon Valley Bible of HR. You need something scrappier, smarter, and more human.
So ditch the “best practices.”
Figure out what fits you.
And build from there.
Your culture will thank you. So will your legal team.
