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​When it comes to workplace events that produce resentment and anxiety, few score higher than the big annual performance review. This dreaded process is a relic of the industrial age and in today’s world of working, getting feedback once a year no longer serves a purpose. It comes as a verdict, a judgment, whereas the intention needs to be course-correcting.

​Look at the news and we see leaders of all shapes and sizes talking about what we need to do and how we will operate in order to make it through the pandemic.  It’s clear that there are some strong and worthy leaders out there whilst there are some just trump(et)ing noise.  A crisis is THE time when you will see who truly shines as a leader in your business.  Whether it’s you or members of your team, strong and positive leadership will help your business as we navigate everything COVID-19 is throwing out.

As HR Consultants, we are asked to advise on the how, when and what of giving an employee a warning....a lot.  It may seem simple enough – you are the business leader, your employee is behaving poorly or not delivering so you bang out a letter and put them on notice.  Right?  Well yes, if you want to get hit with action by Fair Work, or completely disengage an employee.   But if you want to do it the right way which will protect your business and show that you have been fair and followed process, and you are genuinely focused on trying to get the employee to do what is required, read on…

What kind of Manager are you? 
Are you a Micro-manager who rules with an iron fist, hoards all the power and controls decisions? 

Or are you a Delegator who shares the duties and is more consultative than dictatorial, relinquishes power, and shares responsibility?

To be a great leader, you have to learn how to delegate well.  We have 5 tips on how to become a better delegator and improve your leadership qualities.

It’s a fact, staff turnover costs your business financially and the recruitment process can be an additional load that you simply don’t need.  There are trackable expenses such as recruitment and advertising but there are many intangible costs that are not so easy to determine.  Lost productivity is an obvious one but it isn’t just limited to lost output when a role is not back-filled before your incumbent departs – it’s also the efficiency of a new employee who won’t be as quick as the experienced team member they replace.  And don’t forget the reallocation of time and attention that impacts you or your staff that are involved in the recruitment, onboarding and training a new team member.  And for some businesses, these costs are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to staff turnover.  

​There is no real way to avoid people leaving a company but working on your retention and looking after the people that help make your business a success, can help you reduce the number of departures and minimise these overheads whilst further enhancing a positive, engaged team with increased productivity as a result.  To that end, we have seven quick tips to help you build an employee retention strategy that delivers results.

​Your preferred candidate has accepted the job and the start date has been agreed.  Awesome.  He’ll rock up in a week and you can pop him in Kevin’s old cubicle, and a new era begins you think to yourself as you move on to the next job on your to do list.  

If this is what it looks like when you have a new recruit, then you have just set your new gun hire up for failure.  But I hired someone smart and experienced I hear you cry.  Surely they can just get in there and get stuff done.  Well yes, they most likely will jump in if they are as good as you think, but we’ve got some tips that will help you transition them into your business and provide an excellent base for success. After all, you’ve put some real effort into finding the right person – you must want it to work out long term!

As a business owner or leader, you will experience unwanted stress at one time or another.  The key to managing stressful periods is to have strategies and supports in place that will help you get through it whilst maintaining your sanity!  At HR Staff n’ Stuff we see the damage stress has on businesses as we are often called in to assist with very challenging situations and we can and will help.  But we also recommend a little self-help that only takes 2 minutes.  Want to know more?  Well, read on…..

The art of communication is the language of leadership – James Humes

Without doubt, we’ve all experienced a time (or many times) when we have had to sit through a presentation, a meeting or just a one on one conversation where the thought of poking your eye out held more appeal.  Poor communicators can make the experience excruciating for those on the receiving end.   As to the message that the orator is trying to deliver - there is no possible way it’s making its way through!   If the audience hasn’t simply zoned out, they will be checking their Facebook pages or plotting their escape route.

​We all want to make sure our message is heard, so we have 5 quick tips that will improve your communication skills.....

If there is one thing that employers dread it is that knock on the door from an employee eager to talk about their salary. Does that sound familiar? 

Sometimes the business cannot afford to increase employee salaries which is absolutely okay!  Sometimes you may have a small amount you can afford to spend, but you simply can’t increase your overall wages bill. In fact, you don’t actually have to increase the salary of your employees every year. The only obligation an employer MUST MEET is to ensure their employees’ hourly rate is at least the minimum requirements under the relevant Modern Award.

There are plenty of other ways to reward employees, keep them engaged with the business and keep them motivated in their roles. We have listed a few creative options below that we know work!