Retained HR Advisory
Retainer HR Advisory provides ongoing, strategic HR guidance to help leadership build, refine, and scale people processes, while internal teams execute with clarity, confidence, and consistency.
The WHy
Why you need to outsource Retainer HR Advisory
The WHy
Why you need to outsource Retainer HR Advisory
As companies grow, people decisions become frequent and complex. Without senior HR guidance, teams rely on guesswork or reactive fixes. Retainer HR Advisory gives founders and HR teams continuous access to experienced advisors, ensuring decisions around hiring, performance, compliance, and culture remain aligned, scalable, and legally sound.
The WHy
Why you need to outsource Retainer HR Advisory
As companies grow, people decisions become frequent and complex. Without senior HR guidance, teams rely on guesswork or reactive fixes. Retainer HR Advisory gives founders and HR teams continuous access to experienced advisors, ensuring decisions around hiring, performance, compliance, and culture remain aligned, scalable, and legally sound.
Benefits
Benefits of outsourcing Retainer HR Advisory to Playdawn
HR challenges don't wait for quarterly reviews, they emerge daily. Playdawn's retainer advisory gives you ongoing access to senior HR expertise without full-time costs. We proactively refine processes, guide critical decisions, and ensure compliance as you scale, so your team stays aligned, protected, and ready for growth.
01.
Senior HR Expertise Without Full-Time Cost
02.
Proactive, Not Reactive HR Decisions
03.
Continuous Process Improvement
04.
Founder & Leadership Decision Support
05.
Industry-Aligned HR Practices
06.
Stronger Internal HR Capability
07.
Reduced Compliance & People Risk
08.
Scalable Support Through Growth Phases
Deliverables
What’s Included in Retainer HR Advisory
Our Retainer HR Advisory is a long-term partnership where we guide, review, and strengthen your HR systems, while your internal team executes with clarity and confidence
Ongoing HR Strategy & Planning
People roadmap aligned to business goals
Org structure and role evolution guidance
Hiring and workforce planning inputs
Outcome: HR decisions stay aligned with growth plans, not short-term firefighting.
Policy & Process Review
Review of existing HR policies and SOPs
Recommendations for updates and improvements
Support for new policy creation as needed
Outcome: HR processes remain relevant, compliant, and scalable as the company evolves.
Leadership & Founder Advisory
HR decision support for founders and managers
Guidance on sensitive people situations
Sounding board for organizational changes
Outcome: Leaders make confident, consistent people decisions backed by experience.
Performance & Productivity Advisory
Goal-setting and review framework guidance
Performance issue handling approach
Manager coaching inputs
Outcome: Fair, structured performance conversations that improve accountability and outcomes.
Hiring & Compensation Advisory
Role definition and hiring inputs
Salary benchmarking guidance
Offer and negotiation strategy support
Outcome: Competitive, realistic hiring decisions without internal inequity or budget surprises.
Compliance and Risk Advisory
Ongoing compliance check-ins
Guidance and disciplinary actions and exits
POSH and labor laws advisory support
Outcome: Competitive, realistic hiring decisions without internal inequity or budget surprises.
Internal HR Enablement
Review of internal HR execution
Frameworks, templates, and best practices
Mentorship for HR or operations owners
Outcome: Stronger internal HR capability without dependency on external execution.
Employee Lifecycle & Culture Advisory
Guidance across onboarding to exits
Support for engagement and retention initiatives
Culture and values alignment inputs
Outcome: A consistent employee experience that supports long-term retention.
Regular Review Cadence
Monthly review and advisory sessions
Priority-setting for upcoming HR actions
Progress tracking against people goals
Outcome: HR stays proactive, structured, and business-aligned.
On-Demand Advisory Access
Email / call-based advisory support
Quick guidance for urgent people matters
Escalation support when needed
Outcome: Timely HR guidance exactly when decisions matter most.
Deliverables
What’s Included in Retainer HR Advisory
Our Retainer HR Advisory is a long-term partnership where we guide, review, and strengthen your HR systems, while your internal team executes with clarity and confidence
Ongoing HR Strategy & Planning
People roadmap aligned to business goals
Org structure and role evolution guidance
Hiring and workforce planning inputs
Outcome: HR decisions stay aligned with growth plans, not short-term firefighting.
Policy & Process Review
Review of existing HR policies and SOPs
Recommendations for updates and improvements
Support for new policy creation as needed
Outcome: HR processes remain relevant, compliant, and scalable as the company evolves.
Leadership & Founder Advisory
HR decision support for founders and managers
Guidance on sensitive people situations
Sounding board for organizational changes
Outcome: Leaders make confident, consistent people decisions backed by experience.
Performance & Productivity Advisory
Goal-setting and review framework guidance
Performance issue handling approach
Manager coaching inputs
Outcome: Fair, structured performance conversations that improve accountability and outcomes.
Hiring & Compensation Advisory
Role definition and hiring inputs
Salary benchmarking guidance
Offer and negotiation strategy support
Outcome: Competitive, realistic hiring decisions without internal inequity or budget surprises.
Compliance and Risk Advisory
Ongoing compliance check-ins
Guidance and disciplinary actions and exits
POSH and labor laws advisory support
Outcome: Competitive, realistic hiring decisions without internal inequity or budget surprises.
Internal HR Enablement
Review of internal HR execution
Frameworks, templates, and best practices
Mentorship for HR or operations owners
Outcome: Stronger internal HR capability without dependency on external execution.
Employee Lifecycle & Culture Advisory
Guidance across onboarding to exits
Support for engagement and retention initiatives
Culture and values alignment inputs
Outcome: A consistent employee experience that supports long-term retention.
Regular Review Cadence
Monthly review and advisory sessions
Priority-setting for upcoming HR actions
Progress tracking against people goals
Outcome: HR stays proactive, structured, and business-aligned.
On-Demand Advisory Access
Email / call-based advisory support
Quick guidance for urgent people matters
Escalation support when needed
Outcome: Timely HR guidance exactly when decisions matter most.
Why Choose Us
Why we are your best choice
Embedded HR Leadership Experience
Our advisory is led by professionals with 15+ years of HR leadership inside established gaming companies, bringing practical judgment shaped by real studio environments.
Extended Advisor Ecosystem
Beyond our core team, we leverage a trusted circle of senior HR and industry advisors to pressure-test decisions and strengthen long-term people strategies.
Live Industry Perspective
Constant interaction with gaming studios and professionals gives us current visibility into what teams are actually doing, not just what policies suggest.
Compensation & Rewards Intelligence
We advise using active insights on gaming salaries, benefits, and role expectations, helping you make competitive, fair, and sustainable people decisions.
Role & Studio Workflow Awareness
Our understanding of game development roles and production cycles ensures HR guidance fits studio realities, deadlines, and cross-functional collaboration.
Advisory Grounded in Reality
We stay close to real hiring bottlenecks, retention issues, infrastructure limits, and team pressures, so HR advice remains practical, adaptable, and executable.
Why Choose Us
Why we are your best choice
Embedded HR Leadership Experience
Our advisory is led by professionals with 15+ years of HR leadership inside established gaming companies, bringing practical judgment shaped by real studio environments.
Extended Advisor Ecosystem
Beyond our core team, we leverage a trusted circle of senior HR and industry advisors to pressure-test decisions and strengthen long-term people strategies.
Live Industry Perspective
Constant interaction with gaming studios and professionals gives us current visibility into what teams are actually doing, not just what policies suggest.
Compensation & Rewards Intelligence
We advise using active insights on gaming salaries, benefits, and role expectations, helping you make competitive, fair, and sustainable people decisions.
Role & Studio Workflow Awareness
Our understanding of game development roles and production cycles ensures HR guidance fits studio realities, deadlines, and cross-functional collaboration.
Advisory Grounded in Reality
We stay close to real hiring bottlenecks, retention issues, infrastructure limits, and team pressures, so HR advice remains practical, adaptable, and executable.
Frequently Asked Questions
Got Questions? We've Got Answers!
How is Retainer HR Advisory different from HR Foundation?
Do you execute HR tasks under this engagement?
Who typically works with you on our side?
Is this suitable if we don’t have an internal HR yet?
How often do we interact?
Can you help with sensitive employee issues?
Will you help us improve existing HR processes?
Is this limited to gaming companies?
How long should we ideally stay on retainer?
What outcomes should we expect from this engagement?
Let's Talk
Talk to a HR expert.
Have an experienced HR advisor support your people decisions as you scale.
Ongoing guidance • No execution dependency • Founder-friendly
Let's Talk
Talk to a HR expert.
Have an experienced HR advisor support your people decisions as you scale.
Ongoing guidance • No execution dependency • Founder-friendly
Let's Talk
Talk to a HR expert.
Have an experienced HR advisor support your people decisions as you scale.
Ongoing guidance • No execution dependency • Founder-friendly