I am very much a “figure it out” person. In fact, someone once told me, “Don’t give me that Earnest, I’ll figure it out BS” while in a heated debate about who knows what. 20+ years later, I still remember that conversation, and I fully embrace my figure-it-out attitude. Many entrepreneurs and business owners embrace the same philosophy when faced with a new challenge or opportunity. A client needs something? Figure it out. Cash flow gets tight? Figure it out. A vendor drops the ball? Figure it out. A new opportunity shows up that you weren’t prepared for? Figure it out and keep moving.
And honestly, that works. Until it starts slowing growth, creating bottlenecks, duplicating everyone’s time, wasting money, and becoming your default HR structure.
Because once employees are in the business, HR is already happening. Hiring. Onboarding. Time off. Pay decisions. Performance conversations. Manager questions. Employee expectations. Policies. Conflict. Documentation.
If all of that is being handled through memory, assumptions, side conversations, and emergency problem-solving, the business may still be moving forward and growing, but it is also creating confusion, inconsistency, and unnecessary rework.
Good HR isn’t trying to turn your business into a corporate maze of policies, approvals, and red tape. The goal is to create an intentional HR structure that aligns with how you want to run your business. Not your competitor’s business. Not your neighbor’s business. Your business.
The Better HR Conversation
I don’t know of any organization that enjoys implementing, managing, and updating layers of policies, approvals, or corporate nonsense. That’s why the question matters.
🚫 Instead of this: “Why do we need structure or HR processes? Everyone knows how we do things.”
✅ How about this: “What structure do we need so the business does not depend on memory, assumptions, side conversations, and everyone just figuring it out?”
That shift matters because informal systems work until the business grows beyond what informal can support.
Structure That Supports, Not Smothers
While there isn’t a one-size-fits-all formula, there are practical ways to create structure so employees are not guessing, managers are not winging it, and owners are not recreating the process every time something happens. For example:
Onboarding: A new hire should not spend Day 1 waiting for someone to remember what they need. A simple checklist for offer letters, NDAs, background checks, system access, equipment, training, first-week meetings, and yes, even lunch, sends a message that you are prepared and that their experience matters. And, yes, the onboarding process starts as soon as the offer is accepted. Not the day they start.
Time off and flexibility: You do not need a 12-page policy to answer basic questions. But employees should know how to request time off, managers should know how to approve it, and the business should know how to handle it when everyone wants a long 4th of July weekend, and you still have clients to take care of.
Who owns what: As the business grows, “just ask the owner” cannot be the answer to everything. Employees need to know who handles what, managers need to know what they can decide, and owners need to stop being the default help desk for every question that the direct supervisor can answer.
The HR Work That Keeps the Business Moving Forward
Yes, this work is tactical. It is checklists, processes, policies, expectations, documentation, and communication. Super glamorous? No. Useful? Absolutely.
For growing businesses, intentional structure can become a real advantage. It helps employees understand what success looks like, gives managers tools to lead more consistently, and helps owners protect the culture they actually want. It also means fewer “why are we figuring this out again?” moments. That does not make the business stuffy or corporate. It makes the business operate efficiently and sets it up for success as it grows.
And as the business grows, the structure will need to grow with it. Systems change. Payroll and HRIS vendors change. Managers get promoted. Processes need to be revisited and adjusted. That is normal. It is much easier to adjust a foundation than to rebuild it every time there is a new hire, a weird time-off request, or a manager who needs help leading people.
That is how an intentional HR structure moves from “just another task” to working as strategic business support.
When "We'll Figure It Out" Stops Working
I still love “figuring it out.” Most business owners do. But if the same issues keep showing up — such as onboarding confusion, unclear expectations, inconsistent time-off decisions, and managers who are not sure what decision-making power they have — then it may be time to stop figuring it out from scratch every time.
An intentional HR structure helps your business grow the way you want, while keeping your culture specific to your business.
