Semicolon Talent · HR consulting, founder coaching and recruiting for startups
You've built something worth growing; let's build the team and systems to match.
Semicolon Talent is an HR and operations consulting firm for seed to Series C founders. We coach founders, build the people and operations systems their company needs next, and recruit the team to run them. A sound plan, built with you, owned by your team.
The thinking behind the name
Two ideas that are stronger together;
A semicolon joins two thoughts that could stand on their own but mean more side by side. That's how we see hiring and People Ops.
Most startups treat them as separate problems, handled by separate people, usually right after something breaks. We treat them as one system. Who you hire, how you pay them, how they grow and how the business runs around them all connect, and getting that right early is a lot cheaper than fixing it later.
Sound familiar?
You don't need an HR department yet. You need someone who has built one.
We work with first-time founders and small businesses that have outgrown running everything from memory. If a few of these sound familiar, we should talk.
Your offer letters live in three different Google Docs.
Two people in the same role are paid very differently and nobody can explain why.
You're about to promote or hire your first manager.
An investor or customer asked about SOC 2 and your HR controls.
Payroll, benefits and onboarding all still run through you.
You have five open roles and no real hiring process.
Where we come in
Hiring, people, and the operations underneath
Pick one area or let us run all three. Either way, everything we build connects back to how your business actually operates.
hiring
A hiring engine you can run without us, and full-cycle recruiting while you build it.
Talent acquisition strategy A hiring plan tied to your runway and roadmap.
Full-cycle recruiting Sourcing through signed offer, up to five roles a month.
Interview design Scorecards and structured loops that reduce bias and guesswork.
Employer brand How you show up to candidates, from job posts to close calls.
people
The structures that keep good people around and help them do their best work.
Founder coaching One-on-one coaching on leadership, first-time management and the people decisions only a founder can make.
Values, policy and handbook A north star for your culture and the documents that back it up.
Compensation and total rewards Salary bands, benchmarking and a pay philosophy you can defend.
Performance and manager training Feedback rhythms and workshops for first-time managers.
HR tech, payroll and compliance HRIS, payroll and benefits setup, plus SOC 2 people controls.
Inclusion and belonging Programs built into how you hire, pay and promote.
operations
The operating rhythm that keeps leadership aligned, revenue predictable and the numbers honest.
Communication processes Meeting rhythms, decision docs and all-hands that keep everyone informed without living in Slack.
Revenue operations Pipeline stages, forecasting and sales comp that line up with your targets.
CRM setup and hygiene A clean CRM with conventions your team follows and reporting you can trust.
Executive alignment OKRs, leadership cadences and board-ready reporting so everyone rows the same way.
Budget and P&L balance Headcount plans tied to runway, with clear visibility into what each hire costs and returns.
Systems and vendors A lean tool stack, vendor reviews and processes that hold up in a SOC 2 audit.
How we work together
Organized, then on your terms
Listen.A conversation about where you are, what's working and what keeps you up at night.
Plan.A prioritized 90-day people and operations plan, sized to your stage and budget.
Build.We implement alongside you: policies, comp bands, tools, hiring loops and training.
Hand off or integrate.Take it from here with full documentation, or keep us embedded as part of your team for as long as you like, without adding full-time headcount.
Ways to work with us
Senior help without a senior headcount
Start where you are and grow from there. Every plan begins with a three-month commitment.
Advise
$5,000 / month
A senior partner and founder coach on call for the people and operations decisions that come up every week.
Founder coaching on leadership and people decisions
Unlimited virtual access, with replies within 2 hours
1 hour of in-person strategy a month
Feedback on offer letters, policies and people docs as they come up, within a monthly scope we agree on together
Recruiting can be added anytime
Build
$12,500 / month
Hands-on help putting real programs in place, like comp bands, performance reviews or onboarding.
Everything in Advise, including founder coaching
40 hours of team time a month
3 people programs implemented
2 hours of in-person strategy a month
Embed
$20,000 / month
A fractional People and Ops leader who works as part of your team, without the full-time headcount.
Everything in Build, including founder coaching
Up to 20 hours a week inside your team, in meetings, planning and working sessions
Recruiting retainer included, with the flat fee waived
Add-ons and projects
Recruiting
$10,000 + 12% of first-year base
Full-cycle search for up to 5 roles a month, per hire.
Implementations
Scoped to the project
Selecting, setting up and tuning your HRIS, payroll, performance and recruiting tools.
Workshops and speaking
Scoped to the event
Practical sessions for managers, leadership teams and conferences.
Not sure where to start? We'll recommend a plan on our first call.
The people behind it
Operators who have done the work
Stephanie Smith
Strategic advisor
A People and Operations executive who has spent the last decade building the systems behind a remote, venture-backed tech company, from pay equity and SOC 2 to payroll, equity and governance. She holds a master's in leadership and communication, mentors in the University of Washington MBA program, and has been recognized for her work on gender and pay equity.
Amanda Konarek
Talent strategist
A talent acquisition leader with about 20 years of experience building hiring, attraction and retention programs. She has helped build three unicorn startups and brings a steady focus on inclusion and equity to every search.
Kyile Smith
Engagement and performance strategist
Our engagement and performance review expert, with 12 years of experience building teams. Kyile focuses on how strong performance management and real engagement lead to people staying longer and doing their best work.
Questions founders ask
HR consulting, founder coaching and recruiting, explained
What does an HR consultant do for a startup?
We set up the people systems a growing company needs: policies and a handbook, comp bands, performance reviews, HRIS and payroll, and the compliance pieces investors and SOC 2 auditors ask about.
What is founder coaching?
One-on-one coaching for founders on leadership, first-time management, building a team and the people decisions only you can make. It is included in every plan.
What is a fractional People and Ops leader?
A senior leader who works as part of your team part-time, up to 20 hours a week, so you get executive-level People and Operations help without a full-time hire.
Do you offer recruiting on its own?
Yes. We run full-cycle searches for up to five roles a month, or pair recruiting with any plan.
What does operations consulting include?
Revenue operations, CRM setup and cleanup, communication rhythms, executive alignment and OKRs, and headcount planning that fits your budget and P&L.
Do you only work with Seattle companies?
No. We are based in Seattle and work with seed to Series C founders across the US.
Ready to build with us?
Tell us a little about your company and where things feel messy. We'll reply within a business day with a few times to talk. No pitch deck required.