HR After Dark - New Financial year, new goals

It's been a minute, but HR After Dark is back — and this episode, Bec and Phoebe from HR Dynamics ditch the usual TV chat for a real, unfiltered look at how their own business is tracking against its goals.

In this episode:

• A mid-year goal check-in — why the start of a new financial year (or the halfway mark of the calendar year) is the perfect time to reset
• Sitting down for face-to-face performance reviews with their own team (yes, even HR people put this off) — and what they learned from doing reviews off-site
• Why genuine, formal acknowledgement matters as much as constructive feedback
• Being "great starters, not great finishers" — and the case for setting fewer goals and actually following through
• 19 years in business: why slow, consistent relationship-building beats chasing overnight wins
• How AI is reshaping the HR industry — what it can't do (the hard conversations), what it's changing (a rise in general protections and fair work claims), and how it's freeing up time for higher-value client work

Transcript

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SPEAKER_00 0:05

Welcome, Phoebe. It's been a while since we've done a podcast, and we can go through the reasons that have led us there shortly. But for our listeners out there, welcome to the HR After Dark podcast. Normally we go through our favorite TV shows, but today we've decided to do a bit of a pivot, as we like to say in the business world, and just give you a bit of an update on where we're at at HR Dynamics. Also, the only shows I have been watching lately have been on Netflix, and they have been the world's worst series. So I'm not sure how we would relate them back to HR because some of the things are just way out. They're like neighbors blowing houses up and people importing viruses. If you haven't watched them, highly recommend it, but they are full on. Anyway, with that, I think it's a good thing.

SPEAKER_01 0:51

It's such an interesting way to be able to relax, Big Play. I just don't understand how you can find that type of show relaxing. Anyway, each today. So each here we are today, and we want to talk about what our feed's been for the month, which is about goal setting and always good time at the beginning of July, start of a new financial year, a reset. If you've got goals for the whole year that go January to December, then you're halfway through. So it's good to do a bit of a check-in. And if you start doing a financial year, then obviously you're starting. So when to be able to look at. Where are we at?

SPEAKER_00 1:27

So where are we at? So because we have our marketing calendar, we had a look in its goal setting and we thought, where are we at with our goals? So I guess lots of you would have heard the analogies of a builder's house is never finished and a doctor's children are always sick. And child people aren't great at contracts and performance reviews for our own team, great at it for others. But and we're really proud to say that we sat down one-on-one with everybody face to face, did all their reviews, which was a really great experience, and sent all the follow-up documentation, reissued contracts. I'm feeling feeling like a July goal was ticked. And I'm feeling like we should give ourselves a bit of a pat on the back for that for us to see what we preached.

SPEAKER_01 2:07

Yeah, one of the learnings that I got from doing that is we actually did the reviews, most of the reviews off site, which was quite good. I know down on the Sunshine Post we weren't, we did it, weren't able to, but up in Cannes, it was quite good to go to neutral territory, wasn't it? To be able to do the reviews. And getting a professional development plan so we could understand. And there were some surprises as to what we thought people would be interested in learning or wanting to develop in compared to what they actually thought. So it was really good to kind of talk about that and get a bit of a plan that we all agreed on in place.

SPEAKER_00 2:40

And I guess the most important thing too is the follow-up afterwards. And for those ones, for those people that some of the plans we've actually started to look at getting them that professional development, we've set up some sessions, there was some mentoring, and we've set up those mentoring sessions. So we've really, because we wrote the goals down, and I know it sounds so cliched, and it is cliched, but it is cliched because it works. We wrote it down and we have to stick by it.

SPEAKER_01 3:04

The other thing that I think is really interesting too is that people think those performance reviews, we need to do it where people aren't performing, or are they such a good performer, or they know they're good, and we tell them all the time they're good. But actually sitting down formally and being able to genuinely thank the team for the hard work and what they've done and acknowledge some of the challenges that they've had, I think they really appreciated it as well. And they said nice things about us. So that was good. So pat on the back again for us to get some feedback as well. Because often that is important when you're a manager and a business owner. You need good feedback as well as constructive feedback as well. We know these areas we need to improve upon. So I think from a staff perspective, we've nailed it. What about other goals that we've set for the year back? Beck and I are the best at ideas. We're great starters. We're not good finishers, are we?

SPEAKER_00 3:56

No, no, we are we are absolutely great starters. In fact, one of the teams sent me a video the other day, and it was of Jeremy Clarkson's from Clarkson's Farm. And he goes into one of his, I think it's his son, and he goes in, he goes, I've just had a great idea. And she sent it to me. She's like, Does this remind you of anyone? Because I'm forever saying to our digital manager, I've had a great idea. No idea how we're going to implement it, but I've had a fabulous idea. And I think we're great at that, but we need to nail some of those ideas down. This podcast, one of them, great idea, but it's been a few months since we put one out. And that is completely on us, Phoebe. We can't blame anyone for that but us. No, exactly.

SPEAKER_01 4:34

And it's just, I don't think it's because we're lazy. And I don't think it's because we don't see the importance of it. It's just that getting a schedule in place and sort of sticking to it is really hard. And our I think our goal needs to be less is more. See ourselves so many things that we're going to do and actually freaking follow through on the stuff that we are going to do.

SPEAKER_00 4:57

And then you're suddenly busy doing invoices and receipts and all that sort of thing, and you know, doing some painting.

SPEAKER_01 5:04

And there's personal stuff that happened. I've had to take some time off unexpectedly due to my mother. We're getting to the age that parents are getting old. So it's sort of personal things that will come up. But I think you need to be able to come back and say, okay, that happened, but what's the structure? What are we coming back for to keep up that consistency? And actually, coming up to our 19th year in business, I know that's super scary, isn't it, Beck? And look, when I look at our success, it hasn't been this kind of, you know, major success that we've suddenly come up with. It's just been that slow consistency, building those relationships and those long-term relationships that's actually been the key for success for our business. And I think that's a real takeaway.

SPEAKER_00 5:46

Absolutely. And we've certainly done things that we've learned from. And we've certainly, but you've just got to get back on. You've just got to keep going. And you haven't stuck to something, stick to it, keep going. It doesn't, you just you've just got to keep going. Maybe I could remind myself of that for the gym. But anyway, that's probably a whole other conversation. Let's not get too overzealous here. Let's just stick with the work stuff.

SPEAKER_01 6:08

I think having rewards as well, and that's for your staff and also for yours for yourself. And the rewards doesn't mean it has to be massive bonuses or pay increases. It can just be small things that you do as as rewards for actually that achievement, some sort of whatever's going to work for your workplace. But something visual, something tangible that, well, we've managed to achieve this, we've managed to get the success. And when we did it, what what are our learnings from this? How can we grow to did we not have a good goal to start? Did we need to pivot? I tell you what, AI's changed things a lot as well. We've just seen such massive growth in that. So there's sort of some goals and things that we're putting in place that are quite different now. We've got AI on board. And even compared to at the start of the year, I'd have to say that.

SPEAKER_00 6:54

And I think the yeah, and I think what AI has changed is our mix of work, definitely. Because I think a lot of people say to me, Oh, are you worried about AI taking over HR? No, I'm not worried about it taking over HR because AI can't sit in a room and have a difficult conversation with someone. And the other thing is AI has made it so accessible for general protections claims and fair work claims and grievances. And we have seen more and more of that come through. And the robot can't sort that. A person has to sort that. So the mix of work is definitely changing. And so then I think some of our goals definitely have to change with that as well.

SPEAKER_01 7:30

I remember when we first started and we were so jealous of those businesses that had those great online shops and they just got all their revenue through people buying documents. And now we're like, oh my gosh, I would hate to have one of those businesses now because that's the value of that's really gone down. But the people content I think is really important. And I think that's something that that's a learning for our business as to what we're doing to ensure that we're visible and we're giving value where it's worth. There's no point you using services from us that AI can work for you. Absolutely. You may want us to, if you haven't got time or capability, sure, we can do it for you. But you want to use our services for really that the nuanced human interaction, managing those conflict, frustration, change management, that type of thing. Things that can't be all put together in a dot point word document that you can get through AI.

SPEAKER_00 8:19

And AI is not great at dot points either. It's good a lot. Moreover, it's great at long, lengthy sentences. Dot points not so good at.

SPEAKER_01 8:29

So maybe if you're looking at your goals for the next six months, I would really recommend that if you haven't already, that you really take that on board as to what role AI is playing in your business. And also just your time management as well. So now, even for our end of March reporting, like we can just run those all through AI rather than sitting there and pouring and trying to work out did there's been more here or what happened there? It will just go through, analyze it all, and tell us what we should be looking at. Which is great. Makes you more efficient.

SPEAKER_00 8:57

Phoebe loves to cut money, cut spending. So what's the anomaly here, Ben? Phoebe, I'd love to know your favorite thing that's happened in the past. And I know you've had a really tough six months. This is probably a hard question. But what's been your one standout thing personally and business that's happened in the last six months?

SPEAKER_01 9:19

Well gosh. So from a business perspective, I think that we have got a really good team. And what we've done with our team is we've allocated all our clients to a senior consultant. Because back and I used to know all of you, all of our clients, we knew exactly who you were, what the conversations were. It would always be in the background. But there's become so many, it's really hard to keep on top of all of that all the time, in the left to the level of detail that we had before. Whereas now I think we've got some systems in place, some systems and processes in place where each consultant has got clients that they're responsible and looking after and need to follow up. So we just need to talk to each consultant and go through their list and are there any concerns. So I think that's been from a professional point of view, I think that's been really good. And I'm really pleased that we've got we've gone to the stage that we're able to implement that. And we can really focus on the customer service for those clients that we've got. And I love that. And I love that I'm not having to continually go out and find new clients because we've got so many good ones that we're working with all the time. So from a professional point of view, I think that has been a really positive thing. And I'm just a hundred percent going to steal your thunder for this one, next one, Beck. But Beck has introduced me to our secondhand era. So she has just gone crazy in relation to buying secondhand clothes, and I have been a major benefit of this, and I have got a great new wardrobe that I'm not feeling guilty about because it's all secondhand, it hasn't cost that much. If I don't like it, I resell it, get money, get something else. And it has brought much joy into my life. That's something from the person.

SPEAKER_00 11:05

I like that. You definitely didn't steal my thunder because I'm loving this secondhand. Like even just you can wear fun things too. And it's it's certainly a good, I like to call it a cost neutral hobby. I don't think I'm going to be retiring on my reselling, but I buy I get to buy nice dresses and all that tactile stuff that we don't always get in HR. So it's nice, it's been a nice little interest that we've shared. And I think work-wise, I have to say a team, definitely. But even just we're starting to grow on the Sunshine Coast, which is really exciting. We're starting to get more and more clients down here. It's taken a long time, six years. It's certainly, it's certainly taken a long time. But uh we're starting to get known and we're starting to get referrals, and that's really exciting, and we appreciate all of those referrals. It's still, I feel like our business is at a nice stage where we don't have to stalk people like we used to so much. But it's still really nice when you get those referrals. You still get that real joy and that real we can help you. And and I and that that is something I thoroughly enjoyed as well. So I think they're my kind of ones. Also, what is your personal one? My personal highlight was that we got to go to Queenstown together with all our families. That was fun. It's it's so nice, like your girls and my boys growing up and hanging. I I love it when it's the four of them, the two girls and the two boys together, and they're they're just they're such different ages and such different kids, but they just they've known each other for so long. It's there's something really nice. Like cousins by associations, non-blood cousins.

SPEAKER_01 12:33

And and I think when you have a business, it just consumes so much and it consumes a lot of that family time and after hours of weekend and missing different sporting events or different events for the kids because you've got to do things at work. And so it's really nice when you can take them on a trap and do some fun stuff with them as well.

SPEAKER_00 12:54

And just, yeah, see them outside of their normal. Yeah, no, they were they were the ice bar was super fun. If we're gonna have a business idea at Ice Bar in Port Douglas, not sure about the electricity, but it was thoroughly enjoyable, the ice bar.

SPEAKER_01 13:06

I still think that will be really good funeral directors, Beck.

SPEAKER_00 13:09

I feel that that would be I think the ice bar would be good at it.

SPEAKER_01 13:13

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 13:14

I think the ice bar would be far more fun. So yeah, no, that was that was thoroughly enjoyable. So I guess key takeaways is what are your goals?

SPEAKER_01 13:23

And look, if you need to reset, if you're thinking feeling in a bit of a you're in a bit of a slump, a bit overwhelmed, a bit demotivated, then please don't hesitate to pick up the phone and book a session with one of our senior consultants or us or Leanne, our coach. And you need to feel excited. We send so much time at work, you need to love what you're doing, you need to feel excited. And if you don't have the energy and excitement to give to your team, be you the owner or be you a manager with it, then how can you expect them to rise up to it and provide that customer service and that energy and that productivity? So you've really got to take care of yourself, know what you've got to go achieve and feel enthusiastic and passionate about it and find a way to make it fun and rewarding. And if we can help you get that, then yeah, we would love to hear from you. Challenge, accept it. If you're like, I don't think they can make me feel like that. Take it on board. Yeah, let us try.

SPEAKER_00 14:17

Yeah. It's like thank you for listening to our podcast that deviated off our uh normal podcast roll, but we'll be back with more HR after done. Yeah. So bring on a TV show.

SPEAKER_01 14:28

Yeah. Goals is going to be to do more podcasts and really nail that down.

SPEAKER_00 14:33

The first goal needs to be to agree on a TV show.

SPEAKER_01 14:36

Then we can do another one.

SPEAKER_00 14:37

Yeah. We have two. Do we need some do we know some good conflict management people that can assist us on that note?