Cornerstone Strategy LLC supports Japanese companies that are starting or expanding their business in the United States with the setup of their HR function.
To hire employees and operate a business in the United States, companies need to establish a wide range of HR foundations, including employment-related documents, employee handbooks, recruiting, onboarding and termination processes, payroll and benefits administration, HR vendors, and rules for employee relations and day-to-day HR operations.
We do not simply prepare documents or policies. We focus on building a practical HR structure that reflects U.S. laws, employment practices, and business customs, and that can be operated continuously by the local subsidiary.
Do You Face Challenges Like These?
- You plan to hire employees in the United States, but are not sure where to start.
- Your U.S. subsidiary does not have an HR representative, or its HR function is not yet fully established.
- Employment-related documents such as an Employee Handbook, offer letters, and HR policies are not yet in place.
- Processes for recruiting, onboarding, payroll, benefits, leave management, and termination are handled on an ad hoc or person-dependent basis.
- You have concerns about selecting vendors for payroll, benefits, insurance, HRIS, or other HR-related services.
- You are not sure how to adapt the HR policies of the Japanese headquarters to U.S. employment practices.
- Employee inquiries and workplace issues are being handled reactively as they arise.
- You need to establish the minimum HR foundation required to support business expansion.
Setting up an HR function in the United States requires more than assigning someone to HR or preparing basic documents.
It is important to design HR as a business-supporting function that integrates the full employee lifecycle, including hiring, day-to-day employee relations, payroll and benefits, compliance, and management support.
What Is HR Function Setup?
HR function setup is the process of establishing the human resources and employment management foundation needed to operate a business and manage employees appropriately in the United States.
This includes creating the practical HR infrastructure required for day-to-day business operations, such as employment-related documents, employee handbooks, recruiting and onboarding procedures, payroll and benefits administration, employee information management, leave management, performance-related processes, termination procedures, and HR vendor management.
For Japanese companies operating in the United States, it is especially important to respect the policies and management framework of the Japanese headquarters while adapting to U.S. employment practices, state-specific requirements, employee expectations, and local management realities.
Cornerstone Strategy LLC supports the setup of an HR function that can be practically operated, taking into account your company’s business stage, employee size, local management structure, and relationship with the Japanese headquarters.
Key Areas of Support
| Area | Support Provided |
|---|---|
| Overall Design of the HR Foundation | We identify the HR functions that should be prioritized based on your business stage, employee size, and local management structure. |
| HR Documents and Policy Development | We support the development of employment-related documents and templates, including Employee Handbooks, offer letters, and HR policies. |
| Employment Process Design | We organize core HR processes, including recruiting, onboarding, leave management, performance management, disciplinary actions, and termination. |
| Payroll and Benefits Structure | We help organize the necessary operating structure for payroll, benefits, insurance, 401(k), and related external vendor services. |
| HR Vendor Selection and Implementation Support | We support the selection, comparison, and implementation of payroll providers, benefits brokers, HRIS platforms, insurance-related vendors, and other HR service providers. |
| Employee Information and HR Operations Management | We design processes for appropriately managing employee information, employment documents, leave records, time and attendance, payroll-related data, and other HR records. |
| Coordination with the Japanese Headquarters | We clarify reporting, approval, policy deployment, and coordination processes between the Japanese headquarters and U.S. local operations. |
| Operational Implementation and Stabilization Support | We support the implementation, communication, and improvement of HR documents and processes so they can be used consistently in day-to-day operations. |
Expected Outputs
| Output | Description |
|---|---|
| HR Function Setup Roadmap | We organize the HR functions that should be prioritized and the implementation steps based on your business stage and employee size. |
| HR Documents and Policy Inventory | We create a list of necessary documents, including Employee Handbooks, offer letters, employment-related policies, and relevant forms. |
| Employment Process Design Document | We organize core processes such as recruiting, onboarding, leave management, performance management, and termination. |
| HR Vendor Comparison and Selection Materials | We organize information needed to compare and select external services such as payroll, benefits, insurance, and HRIS providers. |
| HR Operations Workflow | We clarify who should handle what, when, and how in day-to-day HR operations. |
| Headquarters Presentation Materials | We organize materials to explain the HR structure, required setup items, and operational considerations for the U.S. subsidiary to the Japanese headquarters. |
| Action Plan for Implementation and Stabilization | We prioritize short-term actions and medium- to long-term items needed to establish a sustainable HR function. |
Common Reasons Clients Contact Us
- We are hiring employees in the United States for the first time and would like to clarify the HR preparations we need.
- Our U.S. subsidiary does not have an HR representative, and we would like external support to establish the minimum necessary HR function.
- We would like to prepare employment-related documents such as an Employee Handbook and offer letters.
- We would like to select vendors for payroll, benefits, insurance, HRIS, or other HR-related services.
- We would like to clarify how to implement the HR policies of the Japanese headquarters at the U.S. local subsidiary.
- We would like to standardize HR processes from recruiting and onboarding to payroll, leave management, and termination.
- We would like to move away from person-dependent HR operations as the business expands.
- We would like to establish a structure to handle employee inquiries and workplace issues more effectively.
We will carefully listen to your company’s business stage, hiring plans, current situation of your U.S. subsidiary, and existing HR structure, and help identify the support needed for your organization.