Coaching HR Service
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HR Service — Startup Specialist

No HR team?
Not sure where to start?

SELFOLOGY LAB steps in as your first HR department.

Specialized in Seed–Series A startups with zero dedicated HR staff. Our proven two-person team covers recruiting, HRBP, labor compliance, and global HR — ready to function as your company's first in-house HR team.

Book a Free 30-min Call View Services

SELFOLOGY LAB TEAM

👩‍💼
Shiori Yakumaru / CEO Recruiting strategy, execution & branding
🌏
Yuko Hagiwara / Director HRBP, org design, labor & global HR
🏢
3 consecutive companies, same team Recruiting firm → Deep Tech startup → DeepTech VC
🌐
Full bilingual support (EN/JP) Japan subsidiary launch support available
SCROLL
Deep Tech & Foreign-Funded Startup Track Record
Recruiting × HRBP 2-Person Team, Ready Now
Native Bilingual (Japanese / English)
Corporate Contract & Invoice Billing Available
Free Initial Consultation · 30 min+
Does This Sound Familiar?

Hiring and HR — all on the CEO's plate ——

The most common HR challenges we hear from startup founders. Do any of these apply to you?

"

We send candidate messages but barely get replies. How do we attract top engineers?

Without a proper JD, targeting strategy, and outreach approach, you won't reach the right talent.

Recruiting
"

VCs are pushing us to hire faster, but I don't even have time to run interviews.

Running a company while handling every interview is unsustainable. You need a system that frees the CEO from recruiting.

Recruiting
"

We have no employment policies or performance framework. Nothing is ready for new hires.

Hiring without an HR foundation leads to poor retention and organizational breakdown.

Org & Policy
"

Our HQ HR team only speaks English and has no idea how Japan's labor laws or hiring market works.

The most common challenge for foreign companies entering Japan. Bilingual HR with real Japan-side expertise is rare.

Global
Case Study

A Real Problem We Solved

Japanese Deep Tech Startup
6 months of inaction on CFO hiring — filled within 6 months of engagement
▲ Before

The company wanted to hire a CFO but had zero bandwidth for recruiting. With no idea where to start, six months passed without a single step taken.

✓ After

Took ownership of everything — from defining requirements and candidate personas to strategy and execution. CFO position filled within 6 months, despite being one of the hardest roles to hire.

Deep Tech CFO Hiring Strategy to Execution Zero Recruiting Bandwidth
Foreign-Founded Deep Tech Startup — Japan Entry
Zero knowledge of Japan HR or labor law — 5 hires in 6 months
▲ Before

Just after establishing a Japan entity, the company had zero knowledge of Japan's hiring market or labor law. No idea how to recruit — or how to manage employees after hiring.

✓ After

Owned the full recruiting process in Japan — 5 hires in 6 months. Also handled visa arrangements for overseas talent and built a company-specific employment handbook from scratch.

Foreign Deep Tech Japan Entity Launch 5 Hires in 6 Months Employment Handbook Visa Support
Japanese Deep Tech Startup
Engineering hiring at a dead end — multiple engineers hired after strategy rebuild
▲ Before

The company tried to hire engineers but got almost no applicants — and the few who applied didn't make it through. Technical hiring had hit a complete dead end.

✓ After

Rebuilt the recruiting strategy using deep expertise in Deep Tech engineering hiring. Multiple engineers successfully hired.

Japanese Deep Tech Engineer Hiring Recruiting Strategy Rebuild Multiple Hires

* Company name withheld under NDA

SELFOLOGY LAB TEAM

Shiori Yakumaru
Shiori Yakumaru
CEO / Recruiting Lead
Recruiting Strategy
＋
Yuko Hagiwara
Yuko Hagiwara
Director / HRBP
Org & Global HR
A proven team who shared the same workplace across 3 consecutive companies
Recruiting firm → Deep Tech startup → DeepTech VC
Not "a team that collaborates" — the actual team that worked together, embedded in your company.
About SELFOLOGY LAB

We become your first HR department.

We are an HR consultancy specialized in Seed–Series A startups with zero dedicated HR staff. Our two professionals cover recruiting strategy and execution, HR infrastructure, HRBP, and global HR — functioning as your company's in-house HR team.

We don't work as external consultants who occasionally check in. Two professionals who have worked side by side in real startup environments operate as the CEO's right-hand partners.

More cost-effective than hiring a full-time HRBP — operational from day one
Recruiting × Org Design × HRBP × Global, all under one roof
Proven track record with Deep Tech and foreign-funded startups
Corporate contract available — meets HQ procurement requirements
Bilingual team capable of direct coordination with HQ HR
Team Profiles

"The team that actually worked together" steps into your company.

Two HR professionals who shared the same workplace across 3 consecutive companies — a recruiting firm, a Deep Tech startup, and a DeepTech VC.

Shiori Yakumaru

SELFOLOGY LAB

薬丸 詩織

Shiori Yakumaru

CEO / Recruiting Lead

A startup-specialized talent acquisition consultant. Built her foundation in executive and specialized recruiting at a major Japanese recruiting firm, then led technical hiring as Talent Acquisition Lead at a Deep Tech company. Her strengths: deep intuition for people through conversation, and hands-on startup experience. She owns the full cycle from recruiting strategy to execution.

Recruiting Strategy EVP & JD Design Deep Tech Hiring Life Coaching DeepTech VC HR Advisor

Career

  • Major Japanese recruiting firm / Recruiting Consultant
  • Deep Tech startup / Talent Acquisition Lead
  • DeepTech VC / HR Advisor
  • SELFOLOGY LAB / CEO (June 2025–)
Yuko Hagiwara

SELFOLOGY LAB

萩原 優子

Yuko Hagiwara

Director / HRBP & Global HR

A native Japanese-English bilingual HR generalist with 18+ years of HR experience across Japan and the United States. Served as Senior Talent Management Specialist at a Deep Tech startup, overseeing organizational design, DEI, and global HR. Extensive experience launching Japan entities for foreign-funded companies.

HRBP Org Design Native Bilingual DEI Global HR Labor & Compliance

Career

  • Major Japanese recruiting firm / Senior Talent Management Specialist
  • Deep Tech startup / HRBP
  • DeepTech VC / HR Advisor
  • 18 years HR experience (Japan & U.S.)
Why SELFOLOGY LAB

4 Reasons You Won't Find Anywhere Else

01

Proven Team Chemistry

We shared the same workplace across 3 consecutive companies — a recruiting firm, a Deep Tech startup, and a DeepTech VC. This isn't a "collaborative team" — it's the actual team that worked together, stepping directly into your company. The Recruiting Lead × HRBP synergy is real.

3 companies · same team
02

Full Bilingual Capability

A native Japanese-English bilingual with 18 years of HR experience is on our team. Foreign national recruiting, evaluation, and onboarding can be handled entirely in English. Direct liaison with HQ HR is fully covered.

Native bilingual × 18 years HR
03

Deep Tech Domain Expertise

We have hands-on recruiting and HRBP experience at a robotics × AI company. We understand both the nuances of hiring specialized engineers — from hardware to software to AI — and the organizational design needed to support them.

Hardware to AI · all domains
04

Startup-Speed HR Judgment

The right HR priorities differ significantly between Seed and Series A. Getting them wrong can waste months and burn through your recruiting budget. Because our team has worked inside startups, we make the call on the spot — no "we'll get back to you."

Phase-specific judgment × immediate action
Service Plans

3 Plans Tailored to Your Stage

From early-stage recruiting to building a full HR foundation to supporting a Japan market entry — we can step in at any phase.

Tier 1
Recruitment Focus
"Fill your most critical roles — in 3 to 6 months."
Pricing
Quoted after consultation
Best For Early-stage startups with zero HR staff. Need to urgently fill key roles like CTO or VPoE.
  • Role design & requirements definition (persona creation)
  • Job description design & optimization (EVP-driven)
  • Direct sourcing execution (LinkedIn / job boards)
  • Interview process design & interviewer training
  • Offer structure & negotiation support
  • Weekly progress report
Inquire Now
Tier 2
Full HR Build
"Build everything — from zero HR to a functioning HR foundation."
Pricing
Quoted after consultation
Best For Post Seed–Series A, 10–50 person company. No HR policies, performance systems, or onboarding in place.
  • Includes all Tier 1 services
  • HR policy design (performance, compensation, grading)
  • Employment regulations & internal policy setup
  • Onboarding program development
  • Salary structure & compensation benchmarking
  • Monthly management report (HR KPIs)
Book Free Consultation
Tier 3
Japan Entity HR Setup
"Full HR support for your Japan market expansion."
Pricing
Quoted after consultation
Best For North American, European, or Asian startups launching a Japan entity. Unfamiliar with Japan's labor laws and hiring practices.
  • HR infrastructure for Japan entity (regulations, social insurance, labor)
  • Japan market recruiting strategy & execution
  • Bilingual liaison with HQ HR
  • Cross-cultural communication design
  • Japan labor law compliance
  • DEI & global policy Japan localization
Inquire Now
Before / After

From "I have no idea how hiring works"
to running a company that attracts great people

No HR expertise required on your end. Here's how the day-to-day reality shifts when SELFOLOGY LAB steps in.

✗ BEFORE

  • The CEO is spending dozens of hours a week on hiring. Core business keeps getting pushed back
  • You post a job opening but barely anyone applies — and the ones who do aren't the right fit
  • You've been saying "we need to hire someone soon" for six months. Still nobody hired
  • A new hire quit after three months saying "this wasn't what I expected"
  • Salaries and raises are decided by gut feeling every time, with no clear rationale
  • When a new employee shows up on day one, nobody knows what to tell them to do

✓ AFTER (3–6 months later)

  • A hiring process is in place. The CEO only steps in for the final decision
  • Your job posting makes people want to apply — and the quality of candidates goes up
  • Roles that used to drag on for six months are now filled in 3–6 months
  • New hires say "everything matched what I was told" — early turnover drops
  • Salary and raise criteria are written down. No more awkward guesswork with employees
  • New hires have a clear plan for their first 1 and 3 months — they contribute faster
Compare Your Options

More Affordable Than a Full-Time Hire. More Hands-On Than a Consultant.

There are 4 options for solving your HR challenges. When you compare cost, speed, coverage, and startup fit — the answer becomes clear.

Option Est. Monthly Cost Time to Start Coverage Startup Fit
Hire a Full-Time HRBP ¥800K+/month
(salary + social insurance + recruiting cost)		 ✗ 3–6 months just to hire △ Limited to one person's strengths ✗ Mismatch risk revealed only after joining
Large HR Consulting Firm ¥1M+/month
(varies by project)		 △ 1–2 months for proposal & contract △ Strategy only — execution billed separately ✗ Designed for large enterprises, no startup context
Freelance HR (solo) ¥400K+/month ✓ Relatively fast ✗ Recruiting or policy — one domain only △ Depends entirely on individual experience
SELFOLOGY LAB From ¥150K/month
(by plan)		 ✓ Operational within 1 week ✓ Recruiting × Org × Policy × Global ✓ Startup specialists — decide and act on the spot

Minimum contract is 3 months. Try SELFOLOGY LAB before committing to a full-time hire.
We start by organizing your recruiting, org, and policy priorities together — book a free 30-min consultation.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

What size and stage of startup do you work with?

We primarily work with Seed–Series A startups at the 5–50 person stage. Whether you're at "how do we make our first hire?" or "we need to build our HR foundation from scratch," we can engage at any point. Feel free to reach out for an initial consultation.

What are the contract terms and minimum duration?

The standard format is a monthly retainer (minimum 3 months). Spot engagements (recruiting only, one-time projects) are also available. We'll tailor a proposal to your needs in the initial consultation.

Which of the two founders will be my main point of contact?

It depends on your plan and priorities. If recruiting is the primary focus, Shiori Yakumaru takes the lead. For organizational design, HR policy, or global needs, Yuko Hagiwara takes the lead. In practice, the two of us work together to support your company.

Can you communicate in English?

Yes. Yuko Hagiwara is a native Japanese-English bilingual, fully capable of reporting and coordinating directly with your HQ HR team in English. This is a particular strength in our Japan Entity HR Setup plan (Tier 3).

How does coordination with a labor attorney or social insurance consultant work?

For labor and social insurance operations, we coordinate with licensed professionals as needed. SELFOLOGY LAB leads on HR strategy, recruiting, and policy design, while specialist partners cover areas requiring formal certification — keeping you with a single point of contact throughout.

How It Works

Up and Running in as Little as One Week

1
Free Consultation
We spend 30 minutes understanding your challenges, stage, and priorities.
30 min+ / Free
2
Proposal Delivery
We send a tailored proposal covering scope, plan, and pricing.
Within 1 week
3
Contract & Kickoff
We align on roles, communication setup, and first-month goals.
Operational next week
4
Monthly Review
Monthly reports, KPI updates, and scope adjustments for continuous improvement.
Monthly
Get Started

Ready to sort out your HR?
Let's start with 30 minutes.

Even if you're at "I don't know where to start," that's exactly where we begin. The initial consultation is free. We'll listen to your stage and challenges first, then propose the right approach.

Book a Free 30-min Call

Reach out by email. We typically respond within 3 business days.
SELFOLOGY LAB / CEO Shiori Yakumaru