HR software for your first employee
Set up your first employee's record, documents, working pattern and leave in one calm place, without buying more HR system than you need.
No sales call. No card. No trial clock.
- First employee record
- Working pattern set
- Starter documents together
- £0 per month
What HR software do you need for your first employee?
When you hire your first employee, you need one dependable place for their employment record, documents, leave and working pattern, without an enterprise implementation project.
Start with a proper employee record from the first hire, without paying for a larger system.
Your first employee is £0 per month on Free.
Free covers up to 10 active employees with no trial clock. If you choose a paid plan, Standard would cost £2 per month at this headcount, and Plus will cost £4 per month when it launches. Prices are before applicable tax.
The first hire deserves a proper start, not a makeshift file.
The first record sets the pattern
A clear start date, role, working pattern and holiday allowance are easier to establish now than reconstruct later.
One employee still has questions
Documents, leave and personal details need a dependable home even when the team can still talk across one desk.
The system should stay out of the way
You need enough structure to be trustworthy, not an implementation project for a one-person team.
The employee record, leave and onboarding in one place.
One current employee record
Keep employment details, working patterns and dated changes with the person they belong to.
- Import core people data
- Keep employment changes connected
Leave without a second spreadsheet
See working patterns, balances and team availability before a request is decided.
- Manage holiday and sickness
- Give employees clear request status
A clear start for each new employee
Bring starter details, documents and policy acknowledgements into one organised journey.
- Reuse onboarding steps
- See what is ready before day one
Enough structure for the first hire, with room for the next one.
Start with the records the employee and employer both need, then keep the same system as more people join.
Use HollyHR for
- One current employee record
- A dated working pattern and holiday allowance
- Starter documents and onboarding tasks
- Straightforward employee self-service
Keep specialist work in specialist systems
- Payroll calculations and submissions
- Employment-law and HR advice
- Recruitment advertising and applicant tracking
The core HR jobs for your first employee.
Create the first employee record
Keep the role, start date and employment details with the person they belong to.
Record the working pattern
Set the days and hours that holiday and availability need to follow.
Organise the starter documents
Keep written terms, policies and onboarding tasks in one visible journey.
Make leave clear from day one
Set the allowance and give your employee a straightforward way to request time off.
Useful resources for the first hire.
HR for startups
Set up the practical HR foundations for your first employees.
Open guideEmployment contract template
Use a clause-by-clause checklist for the first written agreement.
Open templateEmployee cost calculator
Estimate the wider employment cost behind the first salary.
Open toolStraight answers to common questions.
How much is HollyHR for my first employee?
The Free plan is £0 for up to 10 active employees. There is no card requirement or trial clock for Free.
Is HR software excessive for one employee?
It should not be. HollyHR gives the first employee a proper record and self-service without forcing you into a large-system rollout. The Free plan keeps the software cost at £0 while the team has up to 10 active employees.
Can employees and managers have their own access?
Yes. Employees can use the self-service available to their role, while managers can receive the team context and actions they need. That does not give either group blanket access to confidential HR records.
Can we export our records if our needs change?
Yes. Authorised administrators can prepare an organisation export with the supported record datasets and eligible uploaded files. Export remains available if the account later becomes read-only.
Can we import an existing staff spreadsheet?
Yes. HollyHR supports CSV import for the core people dataset. Start with a clean source file, check the mapped fields and keep the original until the imported records have been reviewed.
Start free with up to 10 active employees.
Bring your team over from a spreadsheet. There is no card, no sales call and no lock-in. For up to 10 active employees, everyday HR is free.