FOR PRIVATE EQUITY BACKED OR PRIVATE EQUITY CURIOUS COMPANIES
People risk reprices deals.
Here is how to fix it before diligence starts.
When diligence starts, the same issues appear again and again.
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Policies were never documented.
Compensation decisions evolved informally.
Succession planning never happened.
Performance issues were tolerated instead of addressed.
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None of this is visible in the financial model. It becomes loudly aware in diligence. These items can slow deals, change valuations or even stop the process altogether if enough risk is exposed.
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$250K
Full -Time CHRO cost saved
30-90
Day Install Timeline
25+
Employee infrastructure need starts
WHERE WE WORK
You built something real. But somewhere between 5 and 50 hires things got complicated.
01
PRE DILLIGENCE PREPARATION
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Founder-led companies preparing for capital or acquisition.
02
OPERATING PARTNER SUPPORT
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Portfolio companies that need leadership infrastructure installed quickly before or after close.
03
PORTFOLIO STABLIZATION
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Situations where hiring mistakes, leadership gaps, or people risk are slowing execution.
WHAT WE DO
Examples of Builds for PE ready Companies
The Scale Founder Advantage Install covers every risk category PE firms examine.
It is a fixed-scope, 90 to 180 day engagement that produces board-ready people infrastructure from the ground up.
What gets built:
Compensation philosophy and full pay band structure across all levels and functions — with a pay equity analysis and comp adjustment recommendations.
Succession planning framework — critical role identification, successor profiles, development plans, and a board-ready succession report.
Board-ready people metrics dashboard — headcount, turnover, hiring pipeline, retention risk, and comp trends. Delivered monthly. Takes 30 minutes to update.
PE diligence readiness package — the complete HR documentation set organized for data room delivery. Risk register with remediation status. Compliance certification. Management presentation people section.
Org design and role clarity — current state analysis, recommended future state structure, transition plan, and change management guide.
OPERATING PARTNERS & PORTFOLIO COMPANIES
We work directly with PE operating partners to assess and remediate HR risk across portfolio companies. This includes pre-close diligence support, post-close people infrastructure builds, and ongoing fractional CHRO leadership through the value creation period.
For portfolio companies at different stages of readiness, we offer a Portfolio Diagnostic — a structured assessment that maps HR maturity across five pillars for each company in the portfolio and produces a prioritized remediation roadmap.
If you are evaluating a target or assessing a current portfolio company, a conversation takes 20 minutes. There is no cost to that conversation.
ONGOING SUPPORT
Most PE-backed companies move from a Scale Install into a Chief Executive Partnership — a named Fractional CHRO at the executive table for $15,000 per month. The partnership maintains the people dashboard, leads the HR team, prepares for board meetings, and manages the ongoing people agenda through the value creation period.
When the company is ready for a full-time CHRO — typically at 400 to 500 employees or at a significant liquidity event — we lead the search through Patrice and Associates and manage the transition. Everything we built transfers cleanly to the incoming executive.