First Head of HR for a Founder-Led Online Resale Marketplace

The company has warehouse and office teams in place to support an e-commerce marketplace for used home goods. After a time of outside ownership, the founders re-acquired the company and re-implemented the original plan. Instead of chasing rapid growth, they chose steady trade, clear costs, and sound day-to-day work. Staff worked across one main site, smaller local teams, and a modest remote group. The HR function was still limited: much was done manually, with few tools to guide the work. The setup ensured the senior leaders knew about site needs and staff issues on a daily basis.

The ex-HR lead had been operating on a part-time external deal for years and was ready to move on. The new head would report to the owners and manage one in-house HR team member. The position required the candidate to handle staff issues, basic HR work, and possible oversight of site and safety needs. The hire had to be able to advise senior owners and still deal with day-to-day concerns at all levels of staff. In the local market, the role had a reputation for past changes in HR, and that made some candidates who were considering the role nervous. One person walked out of the selection process after learning which firm was hiring, so the communication around the role and company had to be open from the beginning.

Keller Executive Search surveyed HR execs at lean companies that used hourly employees and had multiple busy sites. Early calls tested staff relationships, hands-on judgment, and comfort working closely with business owners. One strong person came in through the firm’s own public job posting and direct contact. The candidate was also considering another offer and didn’t have much time to decide. The owners were quick to speak to him about the role, the support, the daily demands. Pay and scope were agreed by both parties before the other offer was finalized.

The chosen HR leader accepted and joined after the notice and checks were done. His previous experience showed he was very adept with hourly teams, owner-led companies and direct HR needs. The outgoing lead remained for a brief handover period to keep key work and records in order. Keller Executive Search assisted the client in making sensible choices in a short decision window. The hire brought the firm a stable HR lead who would fit its lean model and practical culture. The new lead also gave owners one clear point for all people issues.