Jacqueline Hazan, CEO, Hazan Consulting
At Hazan Consulting, we’ve seen it time and again: startups that scale successfully don’t just get their product and go-to-market strategy right—they build culture intentionally through their HR systems. Culture isn’t a “nice to have”—it’s a growth lever.
Build Safety
One startup we worked with was facing high turnover on a fast-growing team. By implementing clear feedback channels, conflict resolution protocols, and inclusive hiring practices, they created a culture of psychological safety. Within six months, employee retention improved by 40%, and the team became more productive—delivering a new product feature ahead of schedule and unlocking a key partnership.
Share Vulnerability
Another client’s leadership team struggled with alignment and trust, which was stalling decision-making. Through executive coaching and leadership training, we helped them adopt a more transparent, collaborative approach. As leaders began to model vulnerability—owning mistakes and seeking input—cross-functional collaboration improved, and time-to-market on key initiatives dropped by nearly 30%.
Tell a Story
A startup with a bold mission had trouble translating that into their hiring and onboarding. We worked with them to align their HR strategy—recruitment messaging, values-driven performance reviews, and culture-building rituals—with their vision. The result? Stronger candidate pipelines, faster hiring, and a team that stayed deeply connected to the company’s purpose—even through a period of rapid scaling that doubled revenue in under a year.
Founders: your people strategy is your growth strategy. Lead with it. Build your HR foundation early—and make sure it tells the story you want to scale.