Employee onboarding isn’t just a checklist — it’s the foundation for culture, compliance, and long-term success. In this episode of HR2Go, Karen Arnold is joined by Sarah Stone, Capability Strategist and Co-Founder of Linkable, to unpack the real cost of poor onboarding, the risks of relying on “tribal knowledge,” and what great onboarding looks like in 2025. From compliance safeguards to building trust and connection, you’ll discover practical steps every business can take to set new hires — and leaders — up for success.

When you’re a small team doing big things, HR can feel like the last thing on the list.

In this episode of HR2Go, Karen chats with Tash from Aussie Helpers, a grassroots charity supporting farmers across Australia. Like many purpose-driven organisations, Aussie Helpers was growing fast — but their people processes hadn’t kept up.

Tash shares how the fear of “corporate HR” gave way to something much more valuable:

“We didn’t know what we didn’t know.”

Listen in for a candid, down-to-earth conversation about how strong HR systems don’t have to be rigid — they can actually free your team up to focus on what really matters.

🎧 Episode Host: Karen Arnold

What’s driving your staff turnover — and what can you do about it?

In this episode of HR2Go, Karen Arnold sits down with Stephen Woods, Director of Employee Wellness Australia, to unpack the big themes from the Beyond Compliance event. From leadership blind spots to workplace wellbeing, they explore why ticking the compliance boxes isn’t enough — and how culture, communication, and capability are the real keys to employee retention.

You’ll learn:

Why strong leadership is your best risk strategy

How poor culture silently drives turnover and burnout

The real cost of losing great employees — and how to prevent it

Practical tools like stay interviews and leadership programs that work

Whether you're an HR leader, business owner, or people manager, this conversation will help you shift from reactive to high-performing — with a workplace culture that actually retains top talent.

🔗 Learn more about Employee Wellness Australia: employeewellnessaustralia.com.au

Worried about payroll compliance? You should be. In this episode of HR2Go, host Karen Arnold is joined by Senior Consultant Peter Norrie to unpack how even minor payroll mistakes can lead to massive financial penalties — and even criminal charges — under Australia’s updated wage theft laws from January 2025.

We explore:

What a payroll audit really involves

Why 99% of audits uncover compliance issues

Common award misinterpretations and payroll system errors

Real-life cases of wage underpayment and the impact on business reputation

Why overpayments can be just as risky as underpayments

Practical steps to protect your business from legal risk

Whether you're an SME owner, payroll manager or HR professional, this episode is a must-listen for staying compliant, building trust with staff, and avoiding the devastating fallout of getting it wrong.

🎧 Ready for a payroll health check? Visit ewsolutions.com.au to book a consultation.

#PayrollAudit #WageTheft #FairWork #HRCompliance #SmallBusinessAustralia #HR2GoPodcast

Compliance or Chaos?  Keeping Your Workplace in Check in 2025.

Happy New Year... Or is it? In our latest HR to Go podcast episode, Holiday Hangover: Revitalise Your Team for the New Year, we discuss how to re-energise your employees after the festive break and keep morale high.

Discover practical strategies to help your team re-engage, refocus, and start the year on a positive note. Crucial start-of-year listening for all business owners and managers.

Karen Arnold from Effective Workplace Solutions chats about workplace Christmas parties. Listen to find out everything you need to navigate from a human resources point of view. Download the free EWS Christmas Party Checklist from our site: https://www.ewsolutions.com.au/product-page/ews-christmas-party-checklist

Karen Arnold shares the small details in workplace policies that can significantly affect your organisation’s culture, efficiency, and ability to manage your employees.

The wellbeing of your employees can make or break your business. We share our top tips for enhancing and maintaining workplace wellbeing, from affordable and easy tactics to simple strategies.

Remember the podcast episode where we discussed the new ‘Closing the loophole’ legislation (episode nine)? We’ve just recorded a sequel to highlight the new changes that are effective from August 2024. Listen now to find out how your business may be impacted.