W-50: People Operations Ways of Work

Field	Value
Document	W-50
Title	People Operations Ways of Work
Status	Draft
Owner	Head of HR (Atiya Aly)
Created	2026-04-05
Review	Quarterly
Depends On	W-01 (Company Operating Rhythm), STD-GOV-137 (Department Mandates and Decision Rights)

Purpose

Define how Simpaisa's People Operations (HR) function manages the employee lifecycle — from hiring through development to offboarding — across 180 staff in five markets. This document establishes consistent processes while allowing for local labour law compliance in each jurisdiction (PK, BD, NP, IQ, AE).

In a cross-border fintech processing $1B+ in transactions, our people are our platform. Consistent people processes ensure we hire well, retain talent in competitive markets, develop our teams, and part ways professionally when needed.

1. Hiring Process

1.1 Headcount Approval

Action	Approver
Replacement hire (existing approved headcount)	Department Head
New headcount (within approved budget)	Department Head + CFO
New headcount (outside approved budget)	CEO
Senior hire (Director level and above)	CEO
C-suite hire	Board

1.2 Recruitment Process

Stage	Owner	SLA	Output
Role requisition approved	Hiring Manager	-	Approved job description
Job posted (internal + external)	HR	Within 3 business days of approval	Live job posting
CV screening	HR + Hiring Manager	Within 5 business days of posting	Shortlisted candidates
First interview (screening)	HR	Within 10 business days of posting	Candidates progressed or declined
Technical/functional interview	Hiring Manager + Team	Within 15 business days	Assessment scores
Final interview	Department Head (or delegate)	Within 20 business days	Hire/no-hire decision
Offer preparation	HR	Within 2 business days of decision	Offer letter
Offer extended	HR	Within 1 business day of preparation	Offer communicated
Background checks (KYC on employees)	HR + Compliance	Before start date	Clearance confirmed
Onboarding	HR + Hiring Manager	Start date	Employee onboarded

Target: 30 business days from requisition approval to offer extended (may vary for senior or specialised roles).

1.3 Candidate Screening

Given Simpaisa's role as a licensed financial services provider, all hires undergo:

• Identity verification (government-issued ID, per local requirements).
• Employment history verification (previous 3 employers).
• Education verification (highest qualification claimed).
• Criminal background check (per local law and availability).
• Sanctions screening (same lists as merchant screening, per W-31 §8).
• Reference checks (minimum 2 professional references).

For roles with access to financial systems, customer data, or compliance functions: enhanced screening including credit check (where legally permitted) and regulatory disqualification check.

1.4 Onboarding Programme

Day	Activity	Owner
Day 1	Welcome session, IT setup, system access, office tour	HR + IT
Day 1	Company overview: mission, values, markets, products	HR
Day 1–3	Department orientation: team structure, key contacts, tools	Hiring Manager
Week 1	Mandatory compliance training: AML/KYC basics, data protection, code of conduct	Compliance + HR
Week 1	Security awareness training	CISO (CDO)
Week 1–2	Role-specific training and shadowing	Hiring Manager + Team
Day 30	30-day check-in: settling in, initial feedback, any concerns	HR + Hiring Manager
Day 90	Probation review (if applicable per local labour law)	Hiring Manager + HR

1.5 Hiring Channels

Channel	Use Case
Internal posting (all-staff email, Slack)	All roles — internal candidates considered first
Employee referral programme	All roles — referral bonus per market rates
LinkedIn / job boards	Standard external recruitment
Recruitment agencies	Senior roles or hard-to-fill specialities only (HR approval required)
University partnerships	Graduate and internship programmes (PK, BD primarily)

2. Performance Review Cycle

2.1 Annual Cycle

Phase	Timeline	Activity	Owner
Goal setting	January	Individual goals set, aligned to department and company OKRs	Employee + Manager
Q1 check-in	April	Progress review; course-correct if needed	Employee + Manager
Mid-year review	July	Formal mid-year assessment; written feedback exchanged	Employee + Manager + HR
Q3 check-in	October	Progress review; final push alignment	Employee + Manager
Year-end review	December	Formal annual assessment; rating assigned	Employee + Manager + HR
Calibration	January (following year)	Department-level calibration to ensure consistency	Department Head + HR
Outcomes communicated	February	Rating, development plan, and (if applicable) compensation adjustment	Manager + HR

2.2 Rating Scale

Rating	Definition	Typical Distribution
Exceptional	Significantly exceeded all goals; role-model performance	~10%
Strong	Met or exceeded most goals; consistent high contributor	~25%
Effective	Met most goals; solid contributor	~50%
Developing	Met some goals; improvement needed in specific areas	~10%
Below expectations	Did not meet most goals; formal improvement plan required	~5%

2.3 Performance Improvement Plan (PIP)

For employees rated "Below expectations" or where performance concerns are identified mid-cycle:

1. Manager documents specific concerns and expected improvements.
2. HR reviews the PIP before it is issued.
3. PIP duration: 60–90 days (per local labour law and severity).
4. Weekly check-ins between employee and manager during PIP.
5. At PIP conclusion: employee either meets expectations (PIP closed) or does not (exit process initiated per local labour law).

2.4 Manager Accountability

• All managers must complete reviews on time. Overdue reviews are escalated to the Department Head and reported to the CEO.
• Managers rated on people management effectiveness as part of their own review.
• HR tracks review completion rates and publishes monthly during review season.

3. Learning and Development

3.1 Mandatory Training

Training	Audience	Frequency	Owner	Delivery
AML/KYC awareness	All staff	Annual	Compliance + HR	E-learning
Data protection and privacy	All staff	Annual	CISO (CDO) + HR	E-learning
Code of conduct and ethics	All staff	Annual	HR	E-learning
Security awareness	All staff	Annual	CISO (CDO)	E-learning + phishing simulations
Anti-bribery and corruption	All staff	Annual	Compliance + HR	E-learning
First-line manager training	All people managers	Upon appointment + annual refresher	HR	Workshop

3.2 Professional Development Budget

Level	Annual Budget Per Person	Approval
Individual contributor	USD 500	Manager approval
Senior individual contributor	USD 1,000	Manager approval
Manager / Team Lead	USD 1,500	Department Head approval
Director / Senior Manager	USD 2,500	Department Head approval
C-suite	USD 5,000	CEO approval

Budget covers: conferences, courses, certifications, books, and online learning subscriptions.

3.3 Development Programmes

Programme	Audience	Cadence	Description
Engineering bootcamp	New engineering hires	On hire	2-week intensive on Simpaisa's tech stack, codebase, and practices
Leadership development	High-potential managers	Annual cohort	6-month programme: coaching, workshops, cross-functional project
Cross-market rotation	Mid-level staff	Ad hoc	3–6 month assignment in a different market office
Mentoring programme	All staff (opt-in)	Ongoing	Pair with a senior colleague; monthly meetings

3.4 Training Tracking

• All mandatory training completion is tracked in the HR system.
• Compliance training completion is reported to the Global Head Regulatory (W-31 §5.2).
• Non-completion after 30 days of the deadline is escalated to the Department Head.
• Annual training completion report presented at the ELT as part of the HR update.

4. Offboarding Process

4.1 Types of Exit

Type	Initiated By	Notice Period	Process
Voluntary resignation	Employee	Per contract (typically 30–90 days)	Standard offboarding
Mutual separation	Employee + Simpaisa	Per agreement	Standard offboarding + separation agreement
Termination for performance	Simpaisa	Per local labour law; after PIP	HR-led process; legal review required
Termination for cause	Simpaisa	Immediate (per local labour law)	HR + Legal; investigation required
Redundancy	Simpaisa	Per local labour law	HR + Legal; consultation required
End of contract	N/A	Per contract	Standard offboarding

4.2 Offboarding Checklist

Step	Owner	Timeline
Resignation acknowledged in writing	HR	Within 1 business day
Manager notified; transition plan agreed	HR + Manager	Within 3 business days
Knowledge transfer commenced	Departing employee + Manager	During notice period
Exit interview scheduled	HR	During final week
IT access removal request raised	HR → IT (CDO)	To be effective on last day
Return of company assets (laptop, access cards, tokens)	Departing employee + IT	On or before last day
Final pay calculation (including leave balance, notice, gratuity per market)	Payroll + HR	Before last day
Access revoked: all systems, email, Slack, VPN, code repositories	IT (CDO)	End of business on last day
Compliance-sensitive roles: extended monitoring period	CISO (CDO) + Compliance	30 days post-exit
Experience letter / reference letter issued	HR	Within 7 business days of last day

4.3 Exit Interview

• Conducted by HR (not the departing employee's direct manager).
• Covers: reason for leaving, experience at Simpaisa, suggestions for improvement, willingness to return.
• Exit interview data is aggregated quarterly and trends reported to the ELT.
• If the departing employee raises concerns about misconduct, these are escalated to the appropriate function (HR, Compliance, Legal) immediately.

4.4 Critical Role Succession

For roles deemed critical (defined as: departure would materially impact operations within 30 days):

• Succession plan maintained and reviewed annually.
• Knowledge documentation required as an ongoing obligation (not just at exit).
• Two-person rule: no critical function depends on a single individual.
• Critical roles include: Country Heads, Compliance Officers, senior engineers with sole system knowledge, Treasury staff.

5. Employee Engagement Cadence

5.1 Engagement Activities

Activity	Frequency	Owner	Output
Pulse survey (5 questions, anonymous)	Quarterly	HR	Engagement score + theme analysis
Annual engagement survey (comprehensive)	Annual (October)	HR	Detailed engagement report
All-hands company meeting	Monthly (per W-01)	CEO + HR	Company update + Q&A
Department town halls	Quarterly	Department Heads	Department update + feedback
One-on-one meetings (manager-report)	Fortnightly (minimum)	Managers	Documented in HRIS
Skip-level meetings	Quarterly	Department Heads	Direct feedback from IC staff
Social events / team building	Quarterly per market	Country Heads + HR	Participation tracked

5.2 Engagement Metrics

Metric	Target	Measurement
Employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS)	>30	Annual survey. Complement eNPS with quarterly pulse CSAT surveys (1-5 scale) on specific dimensions: management, tools, growth, culture.
Pulse survey response rate	>80%	Quarterly
Voluntary attrition rate	<15% annually	Monthly tracking
Regrettable attrition rate	<8% annually	Monthly tracking
Average tenure	>2.5 years	Quarterly
One-on-one completion rate	>90%	Monthly (HRIS data)

5.3 Action on Results

• Pulse survey results reviewed by HR within 5 business days.
• Department-level results shared with Department Heads within 10 business days.
• Action plans for low-scoring areas due within 30 days.
• Action plan progress tracked quarterly.
• Annual survey results presented at the ELT and Board (Remuneration & Nomination Committee).

6. Compensation Review

6.1 Annual Compensation Review

Phase	Timeline	Owner
Market benchmarking	October–November	HR (with external data provider)
Budget allocation for compensation adjustments	November	CFO + CEO
Manager recommendations	December	Managers (within allocated budget)
HR review and calibration	January	HR + Department Heads
CFO and CEO approval	January	CFO + CEO
Communication to employees	February (with annual review outcomes)	Managers
Effective date	March payroll	Payroll

6.2 Compensation Philosophy

• Positioning: Simpaisa targets the 60th–75th percentile of market rates for each role and location.
• Equity: Equal pay for equal work, adjusted for market (cost of labour varies across PK, BD, NP, IQ, AE).
• Variable pay: Senior roles (Manager and above) have a variable component (10–30% of base) tied to company and individual performance.
• Currency: Employees are paid in local currency. AE-based employees may opt for USD.

6.3 Off-Cycle Adjustments

Off-cycle compensation adjustments (outside the annual review) are permitted only for:

Reason	Approver
Promotion	Department Head + HR + CFO
Retention (counter-offer)	Department Head + HR + CEO
Role change (significant scope increase)	Department Head + HR + CFO
Market correction (benchmarking shows significant underpayment)	HR + CFO

6.4 Benefits

Benefits vary by market per local law and practice. The following are standard across all markets:

Benefit	Coverage
Medical insurance	Employee + dependants (per market plan)
Annual leave	Per local labour law (minimum); Simpaisa policy may exceed statutory minimum
Sick leave	Per local labour law
Parental leave	Per local labour law; Simpaisa policy provides 12 weeks paid maternity leave where statutory minimum is lower
End-of-service gratuity	Per local labour law (PK, AE, BD, IQ)
Professional development budget	Per §3.2 above
Mobile phone allowance	Manager level and above

Appendix: RACI

Activity	HR	Head of HR	Department Head	CFO	CEO	Country Head
Hiring (standard)	R	A	C	I	I	I
Hiring (senior / C-suite)	R	A	C	I	A	I
Performance review cycle	R	A	R	I	I	I
Learning and development	R	A	C	I	I	C
Offboarding	R	A	C	I	I	I
Employee engagement	R	A	C	I	I	C
Annual compensation review	R	A	C	A	A	I
Off-cycle compensation	R	A	C	A	A (retention)	I
Benefits administration	R	A	I	I	I	C