Natasha Hawker is co-founder of Employee Matters, your in-house HR and recruitment experts, coming in and out of your business, as and when you need them.

A finalist in the Australian 2023 Telstra Best of Business Awards, Natasha Hawker is author of "From Fire to Hire, Managing the Employee Life Cycle."

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Soundbites

[2:50] Difficult conversations in management and key questions managers should ask themselves.

[3:43] The importance of regular one-on-ones with team members.

[3:57] Daily huddles to improve accountability, communication, and listening skills, especially in remote teams.

[5:55] Why managers avoid difficult conversations.

[6:12] Three key areas managers need to improve: hiring better, managing better, and exiting better.

[7:19] Reflection on personal experiences of avoiding feedback, explaining how unaddressed small issues can snowball over time.

[8:40] Importance of vulnerability in leadership, encouraging managers to seek feedback from their teams.

[9:50] Challenge of employees reacting emotionally to feedback. De-escalation techniques.

[11:29] Advice on acknowledging emotions during difficult conversations and using pauses to allow employees to express their feelings.

[12:19] Role of social sensitivity in effective teams—reading nonverbal cues and responding appropriately.

[12:46] Recommendation to prepare employees for tough feedback conversations by framing them as growth opportunities.

[13:48] Suggestion for a direct approach to sharing feedback, allowing employees to correct assumptions and engage in open dialogue.

[14:10] Introduction to the topic of exit interviews, explaining their value in identifying trends, retention risks, and leadership challenges.

[15:09] Concept of stay interviews—proactively engaging employees to understand what would keep them in the company.

[16:17] Exploration of the benefits of an alumni program and how staying connected with former employees can lead to new business opportunities.

[17:09] Shift in discussion to onboarding, explaining how poor onboarding increases turnover, emphasizing the need for structured induction programs.

[19:35] Discussion on the importance of leadership in encouraging employee growth, advocating for managers to develop their teams rather than hoarding knowledge.

[21:30] Information on how Employee Matters helps small to medium businesses with HR and recruitment, emphasizing that strong HR practices provide a competitive advantage.

CONTACT NATASHA HAWKER

Contact Employee Matters at employeematters.com.au to learn more about their HR and recruitment services.

https://www.natashahawker.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natashahawker/

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