Five HR processes every solo HR leader should document

Executive overview

Solo HR leaders waste time recreating the same processes from scratch. Documented processes make work faster, fairer, and transferable if you leave or grow the team.

Five areas demand documentation: recruitment, onboarding/offboarding, accounts payable/receivable, open enrollment, and payroll.

Documented processes are the difference between an HR function that scales and one that breaks when one person leaves.

Recruitment and hiring

• Document job analysis methods — how you determine required skills and knowledge for a role.
• Include a reusable job description template.
• Record which recruitment platforms you use, ATS integrations, and typical spend.
• Capture interview methods: screening questions, structured vs. unstructured, panel interviews.
• Track cost-to-hire and time-to-hire metrics alongside hiring budget.
• Note succession planning tools such as levels documents.
• Create a hiring handbook covering relevant compliance legislation — audit it as laws change.

Onboarding and offboarding

• Document the new hire orientation schedule so it only needs tweaking per role.
• Record 30/60/90-day expectations; managers write them, HR retains them.
• Include a plan for walking new hires through benefits enrollment during orientation.
• Reference your culture guide or employee handbook and note when it is covered in orientation.
• Document how onboarding paperwork (I-9s, W-4s) is tracked in your ATS.

Offboarding documentation should cover:

• Notice of separation and wrap-up letter templates.
• Paycheck details and COBRA eligibility information.
• Process for collecting company equipment and revoking system access.
• Plan for transferring work responsibilities and conducting an exit interview.
• Steps for termination due to gross misconduct.
• Severance pay policy.

Accounts payable and receivable

• Accounts payable (AP): money your organization owes vendors and suppliers.
• Accounts receivable (AR): money owed to your organization that has not yet been paid.
• Document the data organization system (software or manual) and communication channels with clients and vendors.
• Set an invoicing timeline and define consequences for late payments.
• Record a standard schedule for running AP and AR each quarter.
• Include contact information for your accountant and any relevant client contracts.

Open enrollment

• Set a communication timeline — earlier outreach reduces last-minute confusion.
• Establish a schedule for working with your benefits broker so ID cards arrive before the effective date.
• Plan an annual benefits reevaluation: track participation rates and align offerings to workforce demographics.
• Document the system for distributing summary plan descriptions and managing employee elections.

Payroll process

• Establish pay periods and define employee subgroups (e.g., location, exempt vs. non-exempt).
• Ensure time, attendance, and PTO counts are accurate each pay period.
• Regularly remove terminated employees from payroll.
• Set up custom earning and deduction types for non-standard pay rates.
• Confirm employees have completed direct deposit, W-4, and withholding documents.
• Verify benefit deductions are withheld automatically where possible.

Treating processes as living documents

• Processes should evolve — running them repeatedly reveals inefficiencies.
• Improvement comes from trial and error, not from getting it right the first time.