In this episode, Karen Kirton explores the four-day work week, an increasingly popular workplace model where employees work fewer hours but retain their full salary. As businesses worldwide experiment with this approach, Karen breaks down the potential benefits, risks, and steps to successfully implement it.

In today’s episode, you will learn about:

• Why businesses are trialing the four-day work week – How this model enhances productivity, employee well-being, and work-life balance.
• The key benefits – Increased engagement, retention, and attraction of talent, as well as greater inclusion and gender equality by making work more flexible for caregivers.
• Potential risks and challenges – The mindset shift required to focus on outcomes rather than hours, concerns about customer expectations, and ensuring employees don’t experience burnout by cramming five days of work into four.
• The role of structured planning – The importance of defining roles based on measurable outcomes, aligning with legal and industrial relations requirements, and ensuring equity for existing part-time employees.
• How to implement a four-day work week – Steps for consulting employees, trialing the model, setting clear success metrics, and communicating the benefits internally and externally.

While the four-day work week isn’t suitable for every business, it can provide a major competitive advantage by improving productivity, employee satisfaction, and employer branding. If implemented well, it can help businesses stand out in a competitive labor market while maintaining efficiency and profitability.

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We’d love your feedback on this series, just head on over to amplifyhr.com.au or connect with Karen on LinkedIn! 

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In this episode, Karen Kirton explores strengths-based leadership and why developing strengths leads to greater success and well-being than focusing on weaknesses. Traditional workplace development has emphasized fixing weaknesses, but research suggests that leveraging strengths is far more effective for motivation, engagement, and performance.

In today’s episode, you will learn about:

• What strengths-based leadership is – The foundation of positive psychology, which focuses on developing what we naturally do well rather than fixing weaknesses.
• Why traditional development approaches fail – Forcing people to improve on things they dislike leads to frustration, procrastination, and disengagement.
• How to identify your strengths – Free and paid assessments, including VIA Character Strengths, CliftonStrengths, and Strengths Profile, help uncover what energizes and motivates you.
• The science behind strengths development – Studies show that using strengths in a new way increases happiness and reduces stress for up to six months.
• Why strengths awareness leads to better leadership – Employees who use their strengths daily report higher job satisfaction and are more likely to stay in their roles.
• How to apply strengths in leadership – Understanding both your own strengths and those of your team members allows for better delegation, motivation, and productivity.
• Practical ways to develop strengths – Strategies to enhance strengths like curiosity, resilience, and leadership legacy through daily exercises and role adjustments.

By focusing on strengths, leaders create happier, more engaged teams, leading to higher retention and workplace satisfaction.

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 amplifyhr.com.au or connect with Karen on LinkedIn! 

Send us a text

Get our free eBook packed with practical strategies to attract, engage, and retain top talent. Perfect for business owners and leaders focused on building a thriving team. Download it at amplifyhr.com.au/downloadable/find-grow-keep

In this episode, Karen Kirton explores how to shift company culture beyond just telling managers to "fix" their teams. Culture is shaped by the entire organization, not just one person, and shifting it requires a structured and strategic approach rather than isolated efforts.

In today’s episode, you will learn about:

• Why assigning culture change to a single manager is ineffective – A case study illustrating how top-down culture change without support can lead to employee resistance and even legal consequences.
• The importance of looking at culture holistically – Why hiring new people alone won’t shift culture unless an organization is clear on its purpose, values, and behaviors.
• How to define and align company values – Establishing core values that reflect how the company operates and using goal setting and KPIs to reinforce them.
• Building a structured framework for cultural change – Creating a systematic approach that includes recruitment, onboarding, performance reviews, and recognition programs to support the desired culture.
• The role of leadership in shaping culture – How consistent leadership behaviors and clear expectations help employees understand what is acceptable and what is not.
• Making culture tangible – Why organizations need measurable processes to ensure cultural initiatives aren’t just words but actual workplace practices.

Shifting culture isn’t an overnight process, but structured people and culture systems make it possible to create a workplace where employees feel engaged, aligned, and motivated.

Have you tried to change your workplace culture? 

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In this episode, Karen tackles the critical issue of employee retention, providing actionable advice and insights on how businesses can retain their best talent in a competitive job market. The discussion is grounded in the latest research and practical strategies that you can implement immediately.

In this episode, you will learn about:

• Personalized Engagement: Discover the power of 'Asking the Person' (ATP) to uncover true employee motivations and needs. This strategy emphasizes the importance of individual conversations to understand why employees stay and what might cause them to leave.
• Financial Incentives: An exploration of current trends indicating that competitive salaries and benefits are increasingly influential in employee retention. We discuss how to assess and adjust remuneration strategies to align with market standards and employee expectations.
• Cultural Alignment: Insights into assessing and cultivating a workplace culture that aligns with both organizational goals and employee values. This segment covers practical steps for measuring and enhancing the work environment to support retention.
• Proactive Planning: Guidance on how to use strategic planning to preemptively address potential retention issues before they escalate. This includes how to adapt roles and responsibilities within the company as it grows and changes.

Each of these focal points is designed to help you better understand and implement retention strategies that are effective in today's dynamic work environment. By the end of this episode, you'll have a clearer understanding of why employees leave and what you can do to encourage them to stay.

Make sure to subscribe to stay updated with new releases every second Monday!
 
Visit Amplify HR for more insights and resources. 

Free Download: Secrets to Keeping Your A Players - Amplify HR

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In this episode, Karen Kirton explores how small businesses can create career paths for employees, even with limited roles or organizational structure. With today’s competitive job market, providing career growth opportunities is a key factor in attracting and retaining top talent.

In today’s episode, you will learn about:

• Why career paths matter – Research shows that candidates prioritize training and development when considering new roles, making career planning a valuable retention strategy.
• How to structure career paths in different business types – Whether you have many similar roles (e.g., accounting firms) or highly specialized roles (e.g., media agencies), Karen shares tailored approaches to career mapping.
• Competency-based career progression – How to define role competencies and set clear steps for employees to advance within their positions.
• Identifying high-potential employees – How to pinpoint employees who would benefit from a career path and work with them to develop a long-term career plan.
• The business owner’s role – Practical ways to support career development, such as offering job rotations, secondments, stretch projects, and external learning opportunities.
• The importance of position descriptions – How using clear job descriptions can guide employees toward the skills and experience needed for promotion.
• Promotions and role redesign – Why businesses should consider promoting from within, even if an employee isn’t 100% ready, to prevent talent loss.

Karen provides actionable steps for small business owners to build career pathways, ensuring employees feel valued, motivated, and engaged in their professional growth.

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

 Visit Amplify HR for more insights and resources. 

Free download:

An abridged version of the Amazon best-selling book “Great People, Great Business”

Also Mentioned in This Episode:
Retain Your Best Employees with Personal Development Plans
Episode 23

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In this episode, Karen Kirton explores how social media can be a powerful tool for attracting top talent and building a strong employer brand. With recruitment becoming increasingly competitive, businesses must go beyond traditional job ads and engage potential candidates where they spend their time online.

In today’s episode, you will learn about:

• The current job market landscape – Why job ads have increased by over 50% since pre-pandemic levels, while applications per ad have declined.
• Why social media matters in recruitment – How platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Reddit can help you connect with potential employees.
• Defining your employer brand – Quick strategies to identify what makes your company unique as a workplace, including insights from employees and hiring conversations.
• Types of content to share – How to showcase company culture through video testimonials, employee quotes, staff promotions, behind-the-scenes content, and highlights from workplace events.
• Balancing job ads with employer branding – Why your social media strategy should focus on what makes your business a great place to work rather than just promoting open positions.
• Capturing and nurturing candidates – Simple ways to build a talent pipeline and stay in touch with interested candidates, even when you’re not actively hiring.

Karen provides practical strategies for leveraging social media to position your company as an employer of choice, helping you attract, engage, and retain top talent in today’s competitive job market.

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

Subscribe now to stay updated with new insights every episode, and visit Amplify HR for more resources.

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Get our free eBook packed with practical strategies to attract, engage, and retain top talent. Perfect for business owners and leaders focused on building a thriving team. Download it at amplifyhr.com.au/downloadable/find-grow-keep

In this episode, Karen Kirton explores why change management is one of the most challenging aspects of leadership and why it often scores poorly in staff satisfaction surveys. While communication is a critical part of managing change, it is only one piece of the puzzle—a successful transition requires a structured approach that considers human psychology and workplace dynamics.

In today’s episode, you will learn about:

• The psychology of change and negative bias – Why humans naturally focus on losses rather than gains, and how this impacts workplace transitions.
• The change curve and emotional reactions – How employees move through denial, resistance, acceptance, and integration, and why each phase affects performance.
• Common mistakes businesses make in change management – Including poor planning, lack of consultation, and underestimating employee concerns.
• A structured change management process – How to prepare, plan, and execute change while involving employees in meaningful ways.
• The role of leadership and middle managers – Why equipping managers with the right communication and support strategies can prevent resistance and improve adoption.
• Measuring success and rewarding contributions – How to track progress, sustain momentum, and ensure changes are embedded in the long term.

Karen provides a practical framework for managing change effectively, reducing resistance, and increasing acceptance so that transitions are smoother, faster, and more successful.

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

Visit Amplify HR for more insights and resources. 

Free download: Unlock Business Growth Through Your People

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In this episode, Karen Kirton explores the complexities of salary increases, particularly in a year impacted by rising inflation, competitive labor markets, and Fair Work Commission wage decisions. As businesses navigate financial constraints while trying to retain talent, it’s crucial to take a structured approach to salary reviews and communicate effectively with employees.

In today’s episode, you will learn about:

• The impact of inflation and wage decisions on salary reviews – How rising costs and Fair Work’s mandated increases affect businesses and employee expectations.
• Understanding award coverage and compliance – Why businesses must determine if roles fall under modern awards, and how to ensure salary structures align with legal requirements.
• How to assess market competitiveness – The importance of benchmarking salaries using industry data and job boards to stay competitive in today’s labor market.
• Developing a clear communication strategy – How to explain salary decisions to employees transparently to prevent dissatisfaction and potential turnover.
• Proactive planning for future salary increases – Why businesses should start factoring in higher salary budgets for the next financial year to stay ahead of market shifts.

Karen provides practical steps for employers to navigate salary reviews strategically, ensuring compliance, competitiveness, and effective employee retention.

Do you have a salary review strategy?

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 Visit Amplify HR for more insights and resources.

Also Mentioned in This Episode:
Paying fair - do you have a transparent pay policy?
Episode 15

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In this episode, Karen Kirton explores the pitfalls of informal interviews and why relying on casual conversations over coffee often leads to poor hiring decisions. While small businesses may prefer a flexible approach to recruitment, structured interviews provide a much stronger foundation for selecting the right candidate.

In today’s episode, you will learn about:

• The flaws of informal interviews – How bias, impression management, and psychological tendencies (like the need for affiliation and proximity effect) can lead to inaccurate hiring decisions.
• Why structured interviews are more effective – How asking consistent, well-thought-out questions reduces bias, provides better comparisons between candidates, and ensures you hire based on skills rather than likability.
• How structured interviews uncover real capability – Why behavioral-based interview techniques make it harder for candidates to fake responses and provide a clearer picture of their experience.
• The importance of training interviewers – How to equip hiring managers with the right skills to conduct effective interviews, listen actively, and minimize unconscious bias.
• How structured interviews improve hiring outcomes – Why they lead to better job fit, increase candidate confidence in the role, and reduce costly turnover.

Karen shares practical insights on transitioning from informal hiring practices to a structured approach, ensuring businesses make informed decisions and secure the best talent.

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

 Visit Amplify HR for more insights and resources. 

 Free download: Hire right: Making your business a people magnet - Amplify HR

 Also Mentioned in This Episode:
Recruiting right - use psychometrics to find great people
Episode 17

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What is a healthy level of employee turnover? And how does your business measure up? Monitoring employee turnover is one of the easiest, and most informative, metrics to track.

In this episode, Karen Kirton dives into the critical topic of employee turnover, discussing why it's essential to measure, what constitutes a good turnover rate, and how to manage it effectively. Karen explains the direct and indirect costs associated with turnover and provides practical advice for calculating and interpreting your company's turnover rate.

In today’s episode, you will learn about:

-> The significance of employee turnover as a key business metric and its impact on both costs and workplace culture.

-> Detailed guidance on how to calculate employee turnover and what the resulting percentage indicates about your business health.

-> The factors influencing the cost of turnover, including the role type, tenure of the employee, and the associated recruitment, training, and productivity losses.

-> Insights into what is considered a healthy turnover rate across different industries and company sizes, and how to assess what rate is ideal for your business.

-> Strategies for reducing turnover by enhancing workplace conditions, providing clear career paths, and ensuring effective management practices.

-> The importance of distinguishing between different types of turnover, such as voluntary resignations and terminations, to better understand underlying issues.

This episode provides valuable insights for business leaders looking to minimize turnover and its associated costs while enhancing their company’s ability to retain top talent.

Make sure to subscribe to stay updated with new releases every second Monday!
 
 Visit Amplify HR for more insights and resources. 

  Free download: Unlock Business Growth Through Your People

Send us a text

Get our free eBook packed with practical strategies to attract, engage, and retain top talent. Perfect for business owners and leaders focused on building a thriving team. Download it at amplifyhr.com.au/downloadable/find-grow-keep