HR operating model UAE: 90‑minute design sprint (decide the model fast)
Purpose: force a pragmatic choice between three delivery tiers and produce first‑draft role cards, a one‑page RACI‑lite and a top‑3 risks list within 90 minutes.
Who attends
- COO (sponsor), HR lead, two function heads (e.g., Product/Engineering + Ops/Sales), and a facilitator (internal or external).
Sprint agenda (high level)
- Diagnostics — 15 minutes: rapid review of org chart, headcount by function and recent compliance exceptions. Bring one slide per participant.
- Model & thresholds — 25 minutes: map activities to Core / Embedded / Partnered and set qualitative thresholds (e.g., >2 hires/month = consider Embedded).
- Role‑card drafting — 30 minutes: create 2–3 role‑card drafts (Embedded People Ops lead, Core HR compliance owner, Partner coordinator).
- RACI‑lite & risks — 20 minutes: agree one‑page RACI for hire→onboard→case resolution flows and list top‑3 implementation risks with mitigations.
Immediate outputs
- Role‑card drafts, one‑page RACI‑lite, prioritized risks and sprint decisions to feed the 8‑week roadmap.
Evidence to bring
- Current org chart and headcount export, recent compliance exceptions (anonymised) and active HR vendor list.
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8‑week implementation roadmap (HR structure for SMEs) — weeks 0–8
Objective: translate sprint outputs into weekly milestones that the COO can resource and own.
Roadmap (weeks 0–8)
Week 0 — Design sprint
Run a 90-minute design sprint. Draft role cards, a one-page responsibility matrix (RACI) and a risk list.
Week 1 — Sponsor sign-off
Validate and approve the role cards, then circulate the responsibility matrix.
Week 2 — Resource commitments
Confirm part-time resource allocations and select the pilot function.
Week 3 — Service standards
Draft the service-level agreement (SLA) matrix and agree baseline service standards.
Week 4 — Capacity modelling
Compare workload with available capacity to identify staffing gaps or specialist support needs.
Week 5 — Pilot launch
Start the embedded HR support pilot in the selected function.
Week 6 — Partner onboarding, if required
Onboard the specialist partner and test escalation routes.
Week 7 — Training and handover
Train the designated leads and circulate operational playbooks.
Week 8 — Review and improve
Measure results and decide whether to expand or adjust the approach.
*Partnering is optional and limited to specialist or pooled services — budget confirmation required before onboarding.
Evidence required for sign‑off
- Sprint deliverables, committed part‑time resource allocations and finance confirmation of budget for any partnered platform costs.
Download the one‑page COO Decision Snapshot (8‑week summary + decision thresholds) in the Downloads block.
Three‑tier delivery model & headcount planning UAE thresholds
Define the tiers
- Core HR: retains owner accountability for statutory compliance, policies, payroll oversight (not payroll processing), HR data and audits. Minimal headcount: 0.5–1.0 FTE in smaller firms, scaled to workload.
- Embedded People Ops: HR capability placed within a function (e.g., Engineering) to handle routine hiring, onboarding, performance touchpoints and manager coaching.
- Partnered Platform: external or pooled specialists engaged for episodic or specialist work (e.g., senior hiring coordination, psychometric assessments, legal review).
Headcount planning principles
- Use qualitative thresholds first (frequency, business criticality), then validate with the Excel Capacity & SLA calculator for numeric thresholds.
- Typical decision rules for COOs:
- Keep compliance in Core HR until exceptions or audit volume justify full‑time oversight.
- Add Embedded People Ops when a function consistently requires >1.5 business‑days/week of HR time (use the calculator to confirm).
- Choose Partnered Platform for specialist, low‑frequency activities where internal scaling is inefficient.
Evidence needed: baseline service volumes (hires/month, case counts) and budget guardrails.
Role‑cards, RACI‑lite and SLA matrices for strategic HR operations
Purpose: shift decisions into clear operational artefacts COOs can publish and enforce
Role‑card essentials (use the download)
- Purpose, core outcomes (3–4), top KPIs (e.g., SLA adherence), handover triggers, escalation owner, required time allocation.
RACI‑lite
- One page focusing on hire→onboard→case resolution flows. Keep RACI entries to primary decision points only (approve, execute, inform). This is accountability, not bureaucracy.
SLA matrix (example fields)
- Service description | Tier (Core/Embedded/Partner) | Acknowledgement target | Response target | Escalation owner
- Example: "Employment compliance query" | Core | 4 business hours | 3 business days | Head of Core HR
Evidence to derive realistic SLAs
- Current ticket logs or case histories and stakeholder expectations for response times.
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Capacity modelling & headcount planning UAE: Excel capacity and SLA calculator
Purpose: convert volumes into required capacity and compare embedded hire vs partner cost quickly.
Required inputs
- Current headcount by function, monthly hires, ticket/case counts, average handling times (sample weeks acceptable), target SLA levels, working hours.
Outputs
- Recommended FTE capacity by tier, gap analysis, incremental cost rows for partner options, scenario comparison (baseline, +20% growth, no‑hire constraint).
How to run three quick scenarios
1. Baseline: populate current volumes and confirm if existing capacity meets target SLAs.
2. Growth (+20%): test whether embedded hires are required or partner capacity is more cost‑effective.
3. Constrained budget: model impact of maintaining SLAs without new hires using partner hours.
Evidence needed: anonymised headcount export and sample case handling times.
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Implementation controls, compliance containment and risk calibrator
Minimum governance required
- Ownership: Core HR holds statutory compliance accountability and retains audit evidence. Embedded leads maintain case notes and escalation logs.
- Controls: sign‑off gates (role‑card approval), monthly compliance checkpoint chaired by COO, exception register with root cause notes.
- Triggers to escalate to partner/legal: repeated compliance exceptions, contract disputes or uncertainty over regulatory interpretation.
Risk calibrator (simple)
- Rate each risk (Likelihood x Impact) and assign mitigations: Prevent (process), Detect (audit), Respond (escalation). Keep the calibrator to three top risks for the 8‑week pilot.
Evidence needed: anonymised list of past exceptions and named owners for checkpoints.
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What success looks like (metrics + anonymised operational vignette)
Three measurable metrics to track in the first two business cycles (8 weeks)
1. SLA compliance rate — percentage of HR tickets acknowledged and resolved within agreed SLA (monthly).
2. Directional median time‑to‑fill for critical technical hires — focus on trend direction in the first 8 weeks.
3. Reduction in recurring compliance exceptions — qualitative reduction in repeat audit items.
Baselining approach
- Use current ticket logs, ATS notes or hiring manager feedback to establish starting points. Measure trend over weeks 4 and 8.
Anonymised vignette (operational)
- A UAE mid‑market client piloted an Embedded People Ops lead in its engineering function. The pilot showed faster coordination with hiring teams and fewer recurring follow‑ups on contractual compliance; those qualitative signals provided the evidence to scale the embedded role to another function. Treat this as a testable hypothesis rather than a guaranteed result.
Evidence to collect
- Baseline SLA performance, time‑to‑fill notes, hiring manager feedback and monthly exception log.
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To schedule a JL Group‑facilitated session, book a 60‑minute scoping call to size the workshop and deliverables.
