You Don't Need an HRIS Yet
At 10–20 employees, the HR "tech stack" recommendations you find online are absurd:
- HRIS for employee records
- ATS for recruiting
- Performance management platform
- Learning management system
- Benefits administration tool
- Time & attendance software
That's six separate tools for six different vendors — each with their own login, billing, and support team. For a startup with 15 people, this is overkill.
Let's talk about what you actually need.
The Essential HR Functions
1. Employee Directory
Know who's on your team, what their role is, and how to reach them. This doesn't require a dedicated HRIS. A simple member directory in your workspace handles this perfectly.
What you need:
- Name, role, email, phone
- Team/department assignment
- Reporting structure
- Start date
2. Onboarding
A new hire's first week sets the tone for their entire tenure. You need a repeatable onboarding checklist, not a dedicated platform.
A good onboarding list includes:
- Hardware and access provisioning
- Tool setup and workspace invitation
- Company handbook review
- First-week meetings scheduled
- Role-specific training tasks
Create a task template for onboarding, duplicate it for each new hire, and track completion like any other project.
3. Attendance and Time Tracking
You need to know who's working, when they're working, and how many hours they're logging. This is especially important for remote and hybrid teams.
What you need:
- One-click check-in/check-out
- Session duration tracking
- Weekly and monthly summaries
- No manual timesheets
4. Leave Management
Track PTO, sick days, and holidays. At a small team size, a shared calendar or simple tracking system works. You don't need a dedicated leave management tool.
5. Performance Conversations
Skip the annual review software. At a small team, performance management means:
- Regular 1:1 meetings (tracked as recurring tasks)
- Goal setting and progress reviews (use OKRs)
- Feedback captured in task comments or notes
6. Org Chart
Who reports to whom? At 15 people this feels unnecessary, but it matters for clarity — especially during rapid growth. A simple reporting structure in your member management does the job.
How to Handle HR Without HR Software
The trick is to use your existing operations platform for HR functions:
| HR Function | How to Handle It |
|---|---|
| Employee directory | Workspace member management |
| Onboarding | Task templates and checklists |
| Attendance | Built-in clock-in/out |
| Leave tracking | Calendar events or task statuses |
| Performance | OKR goals and 1:1 task tracking |
| Internal comms | Task comments and @mentions |
This approach costs zero additional dollars and keeps everything in one place.
When to Upgrade
You'll eventually need dedicated HR tools, but probably later than you think:
| Team Size | HR Approach |
|---|---|
| 1–10 | Use your project management tool |
| 10–30 | Add a simple HRIS for 1 records and compliance |
| 30–50 | Consider dedicated ATS and performance tools |
| 50+ | Build a proper HR tech stack |
Keep It Simple
Running HR for a small team doesn't require enterprise software. It requires clear processes and the discipline to use them. Track onboarding as tasks, attendance with one-click tools, and goals with OKRs — all within the platform your team already uses daily.