You’ll likely know that feeling when someone joins your team and they’re lovely, they’re trying, but something just isn’t quite clicking. A lot of small employers sit with that gut feeling for too long… not because they don’t want to deal with it but because it feels awkward or they’re hoping it’ll work itself out. Sometimes it does but often it doesn’t, and the longer it’s left alone, the harder the conversation becomes.
We see this a lot with small businesses and charities locally, especially where relationships matter and teams are close-knit. Well, this is our top tip… don’t wait until you’re certain. You don’t need to have all the answers before you speak to someone. In fact, a straightforward check-in’s usually enough to open things up. Asking how the person’s finding things, whether anything feels unclear and sharing what you’ve noticed can be the key.
When you have these conversations early on, they feel supportive. Leave them to late though and they can feel like a surprise, which rarely helps anyone. Most people would rather know where they stand than be left guessing. Often, it just needs a nudge in the right direction rather than a formal HR process.
Marches HR – www.marcheshr.co.uk – we help local small businesses and charities get their HR sorted.