With rising awareness of psychosocial risks in Australia, it’s becoming harder for managers to differentiate between genuine risks (like bullying and harassment) and normal workplace challenges (like constructive feedback or professional disagreements). While psychological safety is essential, not every uncomfortable moment at work is a hazard!

New research shows that confidence in leadership is the #1 driver of employee engagement in 2025. But confidence isn’t about charisma—it’s about actions, integrity, and communication.

Ah, performance reviews. A well-structured performance review process drives engagement, retention, and career growth, but too many businesses leave it to the last minute. Preparing now—by training managers, updating templates, and focusing on meaningful conversations—ensures reviews are impactful rather than just a compliance exercise.

With ongoing updates to awards, enterprise agreements, and Fair Work regulations, now is the time to review contracts, payroll, and policies to ensure compliance. A proactive audit not only protects your business from financial and reputational risk but also builds trust with employees!

Reference checks can provide valuable insights into a candidate’s past performance, but they are often inconsistent, unreliable, and limited in predicting future job success. While not a replacement for robust selection methods like structured interviews and pre-employment testing, they remain a useful final step in hiring, particularly when automated tools are used to ensure efficiency and fairness.

January is a critical time for employee retention as many professionals consider fresh opportunities. A compelling Employee Value Proposition (EVP) not only attracts top talent but also keeps your current team engaged and aligned with your organisation’s values, making it a strategic priority for the start of the year.

Competencies are the combination of skills, knowledge, and behaviours that define how employees excel in their roles, bridging the gap between responsibilities and effective performance. When clearly defined, competencies enhance talent recruitment, career development, and team cohesion, making them vital for employee retention and organisational success.

A structured mentoring program fosters engagement, builds meaningful connections, and supports a culture of growth by providing a space for mentors and mentees to share knowledge and grow together. Defining a clear purpose, establishing an effective framework, and celebrating success are key to unlocking the potential of mentoring within organisations.

Mark Price’s Happy Economics outlines six drivers for workplace happiness, reinforcing that employee well-being is key to productivity, innovation, and resilience. Achieving this requires meaningful leadership, empowered managers, substantive well-being initiatives, and a deliberate focus on measuring and improving happiness.

Confidence in leadership is the top global driver of employee engagement, highlighting the importance of leaders valuing their people, aligning decisions with organisational values, and fostering motivation!

While AI promises significant productivity gains, most employees haven’t yet integrated it into their daily work. Leaders could actively support AI adoption by providing training and clear use cases, which helps teams unlock AI’s potential.

Ensuring a positive exit experience for employees reinforces brand loyalty, increases the chances of return talent, and boosts team trust!

When analysing engagement surveys, it’s easy to focus on the loudest voices, especially negative comments, but these don’t represent overall employee sentiment. To make well-rounded decisions, balance comments with broader engagement metrics, look for trends, and engage in conversations to uncover deeper insights.

Curious about outsourcing HR and can't justify hiring someone (yet)? There's many reasons why outsourcing is the way to go.

Moments that matter is all about showing employees you care about them as people. This will increase your engagement, resulting in all sorts of other benefits from improved employee happiness to profits!

Wondering what makes an ATS or a HRIS? Read for some quick definitions on HR systems and what they do.

SMEs can benefit greatly from employee engagement surveys, as their smaller size allows for faster and more effective action on feedback. When employees feel heard, it directly boosts engagement, creating a happier and more productive team.

It’s National Work Life Week… so a let's dive into one of the hottest topics in workplace flexibility: the four-day work week. This post discusses the pros and cons of the four-day work week trend, providing data on its impact and tips for implementation.

It's World Mental Health Day, so let's talk about the concept of psychological safety in the workplace, its benefits, and strategies for fostering it within teams.

Did you know only 12% of employees agree their organisations does a great job of onboarding? Onboarding really matters for retention. Read for some scary stats!