Most business owners think they’ve got HR covered. But HR is about more than hiring, compliance, or payroll. Some of the most critical drivers of culture, retention, and risk management are often overlooked until they create tricky and costly problems.
With Halloween upon us, let’s explore some of these “spooky” HR topics and offer up some advice for managing them. Consider this your “treat” for the season:
- Culture ≠ Perks: Culture isn’t pizza parties. It’s how you intentionally find, grow, and keep the right talent. Ignoring it fuels turnover, and you’ll get disengaged teams who would rather trade your “perks” for opportunities that help them grow.
- Burnout is Common: How are your team members really doing? Be sure to authentically check in with your team often, before the flame burns out.
- (Lack of) Succession Planning: If your top performer won the lottery tomorrow, would your business collapse? Having the right talent in the right seat today matters, but defining your talent plan three, five, and ten years into the future is equally important.
- Role Confusion: A clear org chart and defined titles, roles, and responsibilities bring clarity and accountability for all.
- Communication, Communication, Communication: New systems, processes, or leaders fail without thoughtful communication, training, and buy-in.
- Why Work Here?!?: Ensure all team members know your business’s Employee Value Proposition (EVP). Why do people join and stay? Clear values, recognition, and growth pathways fuel engagement and performance.
- Talent Assessments & Skills Planning: Assessments reduce hiring risks, and skills mapping uncovers hidden potential and gets team members ready to grow. Invest in both for smarter talent decisions.
- Knowledge Transfer (Before It’s Too Late): When someone plans for retirement or another team member wins the lottery, will they leave with significant institutional knowledge? Proactively documenting and training others on best practices, critical contacts, and processes creates seamless exit plans.
- Yes, Communicate Again: Noticing a theme?! Poor communication fuels disengagement. At Chatfield Global, we weave communication and change management plans into every initiative.
- HR > Compliance: Human Resources is not just compliance checklists or one-off “projects.” When done right, HR is the strategic lever that turns talent into your biggest growth engine.
Chatfield Global doesn’t just clean up after the HR “tricks” when things break. We partner with our clients in the development and execution of strategic talent planning and thoughtful communication. Resilient, high-performing teams are the best treat there is!