The Power of a 1-Person HR Department (Yes, It’s Possible)
You don’t need a full HR team. You just need the right mindset, structure, and support.
If you’re the one person in charge of HR at your company — whether it’s in your job title or not — this post is for you.
Maybe you’re the admin who also handles contracts. Maybe you’re the founder doing payroll, onboarding, and trying to figure out what policies you actually need. Or maybe you’re a newly hired HR Officer with a team of one — you.
Whatever the setup, here’s the truth:
A 1-person HR department can be not only effective — it can be transformative.
You don’t need a massive team to build structure, support your people, and stay compliant. You just need clarity, focus, and the right tools.
Let’s walk through how to make it work.
Section 1: What Does a 1-Person HR Department Actually Do?
It’s tempting to think HR is all policies, contracts, and red tape. But the heart of HR — especially in a small business — is:
Building systems that help people succeed
Protecting the business (and its people) from unnecessary risk
Supporting managers and founders as the business grows
Making sure nothing (and no one) falls through the cracks
As a solo HR, you’re often:
The recruiter
The trainer
The policy writer
The sounding board
The people problem solver
And yes — the one who reminds everyone to actually take their leave.
But you don’t need to do it all at once.
Section 2: Your First Superpower – Prioritisation
One-person HR departments don’t have the luxury of doing everything.
So your first job is to stop trying to do everything — and focus on what matters most right now.
Here’s a simple way to prioritise:
Compliance Risk
→ Contracts, leave tracking, UIF/tax registrations, policies like discipline & grievance.People Experience
→ Onboarding, clear job roles, simple comms.Growth & Development
→ Training plans, skills development, EE tracking, culture clarity.
Start with the basics. Build upwards. One system at a time.
Section 3: Your Second Superpower – Clarity
You don’t need to know everything. You just need to be clear about:
What’s already in place
What’s missing
And what the business actually needs next
Try this:
➡️ Do a 30-minute HR audit.
List out:
Which policies exist
Where contracts are stored
How leave is tracked
How you onboard someone
Who people talk to when they’re unhappy
You’ll instantly see where the gaps are — and what needs fixing first.
Section 4: Systems Are Your Secret Weapon
You don’t need expensive HR software to run HR well. You need repeatable steps.
Create basic systems for:
Onboarding (a checklist is enough)
Leave tracking (a shared spreadsheet is a start)
Contracts and staff files (use Google Drive or Dropbox with permissions)
Templates (save time by reusing what works)
Great HR isn’t about having fancy tools.
It’s about making sure people know what’s expected and what to expect.
Section 5: You’re Not Alone (Even If You’re Solo)
Just because you’re the only HR person in the building doesn’t mean you’re unsupported.
Look outside:
HR communities
Trusted service providers
Guides like the “Your First 90 Days of HR” checklist
Your local SETA or HR support networks
And most importantly — work with your leadership team.
Your role is to support the business — but they must support you, too.
Section 6: What Solo HRs Do Better Than Big Teams
Here’s what you bring that a big HR department sometimes can’t:
Personal connection
Speed — no red tape
Real understanding of the business
Flexible thinking
You’re not just HR — you’re the culture custodian.
You know who’s struggling. You hear what’s really happening.
And that gives you power to make small, meaningful changes — fast.
Final Thoughts: Don’t Wait to Be “Big Enough” for HR
Small businesses need HR just as much as big ones — sometimes more.
And having one smart, committed, supported HR lead can be the difference between chaos and calm.
So if you’re the one doing HR in your company?
You’re not “just” the HR person.
You’re the reason people stay, grow, and feel safe.
That’s not small. That’s everything.
