Why One HR Person Won’t Solve Your HR Challenges

Many professional services firms in Switzerland reach a tipping point at 20–50 employees. Leadership realises HR has become too complex to manage on the side — and the instinctive solution is to hire one HR generalist.

It feels logical. But in reality, it rarely works.

One person is expected to handle payroll, recruitment, compliance, onboarding, performance, employee engagement, and leadership support. The scope is simply too wide. The result?

⚠️ Compliance gaps
⚠️ Delayed recruitment
⚠️ Inconsistent processes
⚠️ Burnout — for both HR and managers
⚠️ Frustration at leadership level

HR is unlike other functions. Just as you wouldn’t expect one accountant to handle tax, strategy, and M&A, you can’t expect one HR hire to master every aspect of the employee lifecycle.

The alternative is to think differently about HR. Instead of “one person doing their best,” forward-looking firms build access to multiple areas of expertise: administration, payroll, compliance, recruitment, employer branding, development, and leadership support.

This shift transforms HR from a reactive necessity into a strategic driver. Compliance is covered. Recruitment accelerates. Employees feel engaged. Managers are supported. And leadership gains back the space to focus on clients and growth.

In professional services, people are your product. They deserve more than an overstretched generalist — and your business does too.