We're a team of principal consultants with 15+ years of experience across human resources, people operations, and organizational design — built in the trenches of tech startups and small businesses, not corporate HR departments.
happyish HR is led by principal consultants who have spent their careers inside tech startups and small businesses — not in the HR departments of Fortune 500 companies. That distinction matters. We know what it's like to be the first HR hire, to build policy from scratch, to manage global compliance with a lean team, and to keep people engaged when resources are tight.
We operate under Required Human Un Ltd., a parent firm built around the idea that the human layer of any organization cannot be automated away — it must be intentionally designed and supported.
Every engagement we take on is led by a consultant with deep expertise in the relevant area — not handed off to junior staff. We work as a focused practice, not a generalist agency.
Policy buildout, comp frameworks, onboarding systems, manager support
International hiring, cross-border employment law, entity considerations
Equity audits, inclusive hiring practices, culture program design
First HR hire support, scaling infrastructure, founder coaching on people matters
Burnout strategy, retention frameworks, sustainable team design
We're not a template shop. Every engagement starts with understanding your actual situation — not your org chart.
Our sweet spot is tech startups and small businesses that have outgrown winging it on HR — but aren't ready (or able) to build a full internal people function. We also work with scaling companies that need specialized expertise their generalist HR team doesn't have.
Founders who need to get HR right from the start — without a full-time hire yet
Companies that have outgrown ad-hoc HR and need real infrastructure
US-based or global companies hiring across borders who need compliance support
Product and engineering-led orgs that need a people partner who speaks their language
happyish HR is an operating venture of Required Human Un Ltd. — a consulting firm built around the premise that no matter how sophisticated your tools or automation, the human layer of any organization cannot be omitted. RHUL houses focused practices across people ops, finance, individual wellness, and compliance. We're specialized without being fragmented.
Learn about RHUL →HR & people ops consulting for startups and growing teams — that's us.
The parent firm. Covers bookkeeping, individual wellness, entity compliance, and more — when you need support beyond HR.
Bookkeeping, accounting systems, and back-office operations — handled at the RHUL level.
Bring the messy version — we'll help you figure out the right starting point. No pitch deck required, no obligation after the call.