As the post-holiday wave of resignations begins, many businesses find themselves ramping up recruitment. In this episode, Karen Kirton unpacks three key recruitment trends shaping 2024 and what they mean for small to mid-sized businesses looking to stand out and hire effectively.

In today’s episode, you will learn:

• Why AI is changing recruitment—for everyone
  Candidates are using AI to generate resumes and cover letters, and recruiters can harness it to streamline processes, reduce admin, and improve decision-making. But beware—AI can also mask weaker candidates, so your selection processes must adapt.
• The shift toward pay transparency
  With legal changes banning pay secrecy clauses and growing employee expectations, companies need remuneration policies and clear salary bands. Transparent job ads not only filter out misaligned candidates—they attract better-fitting ones too.
• How changing workforce demographics impact hiring
  Gen Z now makes up nearly 30% of the workforce. Karen explores what this means for job design, leadership style, and where and how you advertise roles. Recruitment strategies that worked 10 years ago may not work in 2024.

Bonus:
Karen shares actionable reflection points:

• What’s your recruitment strategy for this year?
• Are your hiring processes up to date?
• Is your pay transparent?
• Are you inclusive across all generations?

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Are you ready for recruitment in 2024? We’d love your feedback on this series, just head on over to Amplify HR or connect with Karen on LinkedIn.

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Register today for our next free and online masterclass on 22nd May -  From Unclear to High Performing: A Framework for Managing and Rewarding Your Team.

As the new year kicks off and resignations rise, many businesses find themselves in recruitment mode. But instead of immediately jumping to hire, Karen Kirton explores a powerful alternative—outsourcing. In this episode, she breaks down the pros and cons of outsourcing key functions and how it can help small businesses scale without the overhead.

In today’s episode, you will learn:

• Why outsourcing can be smarter than hiring – Gain expertise, reduce costs, and scale your business faster by bringing in external specialists.
• Functions that are perfect for outsourcing – HR, finance, IT, marketing, and sales are all prime candidates.
• Key benefits of outsourcing:
  • Access to expert knowledge and systems.
  • More focus on your core business activities.
  • Improved compliance and reduced legal risk.
  • Flexibility without long-term employment commitments.
• Common concerns and how to overcome them – Learn how to manage control, culture fit, dependency, and continuity when outsourcing.
• What to look for in an outsourcing partner – Questions to ask about their model, commitment period, communication style, and handling of personnel changes.
• How to decide if outsourcing is right for you – Understand your business’s current stage and long-term model to make the right call.

Make sure to subscribe to stay updated with new releases every second Monday!

Visit Amplify HR for more insights and resources.

Also Mentioned in This Episode:

6 Tips for Hiring Your First HR Person

Episode 47

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Register today for our next free and online masterclass on 22nd May -  From Unclear to High Performing: A Framework for Managing and Rewarding Your Team.

In this episode, Karen Kirton shifts the focus from business to personal, sharing a practical and structured approach to setting meaningful goals for the new year. Rather than vague resolutions, Karen introduces tools and frameworks that help you reflect on what really matters in your life, build positive habits, and create goals you’re more likely to achieve.

In today’s episode, you will learn:

• How to use the Wheel of Life – A powerful tool for assessing satisfaction across key areas like health, relationships, finances, personal growth, and more.
• The benefit of identifying your lowest-scoring life areas – Why focusing on these can lead to more meaningful progress.
• How to set goals with the SPIRIT framework: 
  • Specific – Know exactly what you want to improve and why.
  • Prizes – Reward progress along the way.
  • Individual – Ensure goals are tailored to you.
  • Reviewing – Adjust goals as needed.
  • Inspiring – Keep it positive and motivating.
  • Time-bound – Set a clear and specific deadline.
• How to align your personal goals with your business mindset – Personal goal-setting helps strengthen your ability to set and stick to business goals too.
• Why shared goal-setting with a partner or household member can boost results – Start the new year on the same page.

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Register today for our next free and online masterclass on 22nd May -  From Unclear to High Performing: A Framework for Managing and Rewarding Your Team.

As we move into a new year, it's time to reflect on goals, priorities, and business direction. In this episode, Karen Kirton walks through a practical approach to company-wide goal setting—beyond just financial targets. Using simple frameworks, she explains how to create measurable objectives across four business pillars and how to ensure these goals drive engagement and performance across your team.

In today’s episode, you will learn:

• Why setting company goals matters – How clear, achievable goals improve motivation, commitment, and well-being.
• A simple 4-pillar framework – How to set objectives across Financial, Operations, Customers, and People areas.
• The SMART method in action – How to make goals Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.
• How to cascade goals across your team – Align company objectives with individual roles and responsibilities.
• Why ownership and review are critical – Tips for assigning goal accountability and tracking progress throughout the year.
• Helpful goal-setting models – Suggestions for further reading: Balanced Scorecard, EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System), and OKRs (Objectives & Key Results).

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Visit Amplify HR for more insights and resources. 

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Register today for our next free and online masterclass on 22nd May -  From Unclear to High Performing: A Framework for Managing and Rewarding Your Team.

In this episode, Karen Kirton is joined by Barbara Clifford, also known as The Time Tamer, to explore how business leaders can manage time, stress, and wellbeing—not only for themselves but for their teams—as the end-of-year pressure builds. Barbara shares practical and compassionate advice for setting boundaries, saying no with grace, and leading others through emotionally charged periods with empathy and clarity.

In today’s episode, you will learn:

• Why the end-of-year feels like a “finish line” – And how to reset expectations and say no without guilt.
• The power of boundaries – How to assess what’s realistic, what can wait, and how to protect your energy.
• Tips for team leaders – Why recognising emotional triggers and individual stress responses is crucial in supporting your people.
• The "blender" analogy – Barbara’s go-to image to understand why constant productivity is unsustainable and how to prioritise recovery.
• The conveyor belt method – A visual tool to help sort what’s urgent, what can bounce, and what really needs your attention.
• The importance of post-holiday awareness – How to use your downtime to recalibrate your personal wellbeing baseline.
• A simple de-escalation tactic – What to say when criticism comes your way (especially during tricky family or team conversations!).

Make sure to subscribe to stay updated with new releases every second Monday!

 
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Register today for our next free and online masterclass on 22nd May -  From Unclear to High Performing: A Framework for Managing and Rewarding Your Team.

In this episode, Karen Kirton explores why workplace wellbeing is more than just offering fruit bowls and gym discounts—especially as the end of the year approaches and employee stress rises. She shares practical ways to boost wellbeing across multiple domains, from financial and emotional health to psychosocial safety, and explains how doing so is not only the right thing to do, but essential for retaining great people.

In today’s episode, you will learn:

• Why now is the time to focus on wellbeing – End-of-year stress, economic pressures, and the new-year job hunt make this a crucial time to take action.
• The 6 domains of wellbeing – Karen highlights the CIPD UK framework covering everything from good work and personal growth to financial and social wellbeing.
• The impact on retention – Research from Gallup and the Myers-Briggs Company shows a clear link between wellbeing and employee loyalty.
• Understanding your legal obligations – Karen breaks down the basics of WHS and psychosocial risk compliance under Australian legislation.
• Proactive strategies – From offering EAPs and mental health days to sharing financial education and accessing free government training, Karen shares ways to embed wellbeing meaningfully into your business.
• Free resources to explore – Including Beyond Blue and state government initiatives like NSW’s free mental health training and coaching for leaders.

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Do you consider employee wellbeing in your workplace? We’d love your feedback on this series, just head on over to Amplify HR or connect with Karen on LinkedIn.

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Register today for our next free and online masterclass on 22nd May -  From Unclear to High Performing: A Framework for Managing and Rewarding Your Team.

In this episode, Karen Kirton is joined by Pree Sarkar, founder and director of Switch Recruitment, to explore the real reasons employees leave their jobs—and what employers can do to keep them. With decades of recruitment expertise, Pree shares candid insights into employee dissatisfaction, why compensation is rarely the full story, and how small business owners can create workplaces people want to stay in.

In today’s episode, you will learn:

• Why people really leave – Pree shares the top four reasons employees move on: leadership, role fit, stagnation, and compensation.
• The danger of disengagement – How “moderate dissatisfaction” can quietly damage performance and culture if left unaddressed.
• Simple ways to check in – Use the traffic light method and ask key questions to assess satisfaction levels before it’s too late.
• Keys to small business retention – Pree’s approach includes flexibility, values-based hiring, development, and intentional team culture.
• The cost of replacing people – Why investing in employee experience and regular connection is far more affordable than rehiring.
• What’s happening in the market – A look at current economic conditions and what they mean for retention and recruitment trends in 2024.

Make sure to subscribe to stay updated with new releases every second Monday!

We’d love your feedback on this series, just head on over to Amplify HR or connect with Karen on LinkedIn. 

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Register today for our next free and online masterclass on 22nd May -  From Unclear to High Performing: A Framework for Managing and Rewarding Your Team.

In this episode, Karen Kirton explores how to hold onto your great people by understanding what really makes employees stay. Drawing on open-text survey responses from multiple businesses, Karen shares ten key themes that employees say contribute to long-term engagement and satisfaction.

In today’s episode, you will learn:

• The top 10 reasons employees stay – Based on real employee feedback across multiple businesses.
• Why effective leadership matters most – Encouragement, communication, and valuing mental health make a major difference.
• The role of company culture and values – And why they must be more than words on a wall.
• How to promote learning, growth, and development – Even without a formal training program.
• The importance of flexibility, autonomy, and innovation – And how to support these in practical, people-first ways.
• How to build meaning into daily work – So employees feel they’re making a difference beyond just tasks.

Make sure to subscribe to stay updated with new releases every second Monday!

We’d love your feedback on this series, just head on over to Amplify HR or connect with Karen on LinkedIn.

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Register today for our next free and online masterclass on 22nd May -  From Unclear to High Performing: A Framework for Managing and Rewarding Your Team.

In this solo episode, Karen Kirton invites listeners to reflect on a fundamental but often overlooked question: when was the last time you reviewed your company values? She explores how values can guide culture and business decisions—but only if they’re embedded meaningfully, not just words on a wall.

In today’s episode, you will learn:

• How to reflect on the purpose of your values – Why your values should be directly tied to the culture you want to create.
• Steps to define or refresh your values – Including practical prompts and tools like Brené Brown’s values lists.
• Why behavioral statements matter – How to bring values to life with examples of what they actually look like in action.
• How to embed values in everyday decisions – From client conversations to team check-ins, using values as a lens for consistency and alignment.
• Tips to regularly revisit your values – Why reflection and discussion across the team is key to making values part of your culture, not just documents.

Make sure to subscribe to stay updated with new releases every second Monday!

Visit Amplify HR for more insights and resources. 

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Register today for our next free and online masterclass on 22nd May -  From Unclear to High Performing: A Framework for Managing and Rewarding Your Team.

In this follow-up episode, Karen Kirton continues her conversation with David Larter from Send Jolly about how to emotionally connect with new hires through a thoughtful onboarding experience. Building on the analogy of a flight journey, David shares practical strategies for making onboarding meaningful—from setting realistic expectations to using branded gifts that reinforce a company’s values.

In today’s episode, you will learn:

• The power of honesty during onboarding – Why sharing both the positives and challenges of the organisation helps build trust from day one.
• Creating an onboarding map – How to plan the onboarding journey step-by-step to reduce anxiety and improve clarity for new hires.
• The role of welcome gifts – How thoughtful, curated items (like a bonsai grow kit) can emotionally connect new hires to your company’s mission.
• Using technology to streamline onboarding – How tools like monday.com can support consistent, efficient processes that still feel human.
• Making it personal – Why the question “How do we want new hires to feel?” should guide every onboarding decision.

Make sure to subscribe to stay updated with new releases every second Monday!

Do you have an emotionally connected onboarding process? We’d love your feedback on this series, just head on over to Amplify HR or connect with Karen on LinkedIn.

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Register today for our next free and online masterclass on 22nd May -  From Unclear to High Performing: A Framework for Managing and Rewarding Your Team.