How to Lose Sight of Your Business Strategy
Recently, the EMA sent out their regular newsletter to members (of whom, for full disclosure, FixHR is one) with a highlighted “insight“. It caught my attention for all the wrong…
Posts by Author: Ainsley Palairet
Is AI a Good Proxy for an ongoing HR Service?
Lately, I’ve noticed a new and exciting thing when I sit down with business owners who come with staffing issues. Instead of a policy downloaded from Google, a template shared…
Why Trying to Be a “Good Employer” Sometimes Makes Things Worse
I work with many business owners and leaders who care deeply about their people. I like to think of it as a particularly kiwi thing – we all know even…
When HR Starts Carrying the Thinking, Not Just the Paperwork
The reality is, most growing businesses already have some form of HR support in place. (If you don’t, sing out – we can help you with that!) Employment agreements are…
HR Is Not a Support Function: Why HR Is a Business Strategy
I know, the secret – or not-so-secret – many small business owners harbour is that HR lingers awkwardly and unflatteringly in the background. It’s an annoying something that seems to…
HR on a Shoestring
How Small Businesses Can Build Culture Without Big Budgets When you run a small business, culture matters as much as cash flow. A strong culture keeps good people, lifts performance,…
The Cost of Kindness: How Avoiding Hard Conversations Hurts Your Bottom Line
I care deeply about kindness. I AM that person! It is one of the reasons I started FixHR, it’s why I like Brene Brown, and it’s why I love certain…
The HR Blind Spot in Family Businesses: Familiarity Can Mask Risk
An interesting feature of New Zealand’s economy that’s easy to forget (or not know?) is family businesses form the backbone of it. Many of these businesses are in the farming…
When Good Staff Stay Too Long: The Risk of Loyalty Without Growth
Is it a Kiwi thing? Does everyone love loyalty? Who doesn’t find it comforting to have someone who knows the ropes, who’s been with us through thick and thin with…
The Quiet Crisis of Unused Leave: What It’s Costing Your Business
In small businesses, it’s easy to let leave balances slide. After all, it’s much nicer having your team at work, doing what you pay them to do, than paying them…