Buzzing About HR
đď¸ Buzzing About HR
Straight-talking HR for the people doing payroll, sales and playing workplace therapist before lunch.
If you run a UK small business, or you're the HR-of-one trying to keep the wheels on, this podcast is for you.
No corporate jargon.
No "synergy."
Just real answers to the people's problems no one warned you about.
Hosted by award-winning HR expert Kate Underwood, each episode tackles the moments small business owners actually face:
- The employee who's brilliant at the job and causes chaos in the team
- The manager who avoids hard conversations until they turn into a bonfire
- The "small issue" grievance that suddenly becomes a formal complaint
- The sickness pattern is suspiciously linked to Mondays and payday
- The resignation that makes you think, " What did we miss?"
You'll get plain-English UK employment law, practical advice on performance, absence, hiring and retention, and grown-up culture conversations, all usable the same day. No theory. No paperwork museums. No advice that only works in big HR departments with unlimited budgets.
This is also a permission slip to lead like a human. Clear standards. Fair boundaries. Decent communication. Less drama. The goal is a calmer workplace, fewer sleepless nights, and a team that actually wants to stick around.
And yes, Hazel the office dog pops up too. Because nothing says "people management" quite like a judgmental stare from a Wellbeing Officer who's never written a policy in her life.
â Start here: take the FREE HR Health Check and see where your risks and your quick wins are hiding.
New episodes every Tuesday.
Buzzing About HR
Your First Week Sets The Truth About Your Business And Whether Good People Stay
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In this episode of Buzzing About HR, we start with a first day that far too many people recognise. No logins. An induction from 2016. A team who did not know someone was starting, let alone their name. And by lunchtime, that new hire is already wondering if they made a mistake.
A messy first day tells people everything they need to know about your business. And it is rarely the message you want to send. This episode is about turning that chaos into a simple, repeatable onboarding system that helps good people settle, feel valued and actually stay.
If you run a UK small business or you are the HR team of one, this is a practical blueprint you can put into action straight away. We break onboarding down into five clear stages. Before they start. Day one. Week one. Month one. And the first 90 days. Nothing fluffy. Just what needs to happen, when, and who owns it.
I talk through why the first week matters more than most businesses realise. It builds trust, cuts mistakes and stops people quietly disengaging before they have even found their feet. We also cover the UK legal basics that need to be right from the start, including contracts on or before day one, right to work checks, correct pay, basic health and safety and handling personal data properly. Getting these right early builds instant credibility.
Then we get practical. I show you how to split onboarding roles across tiny teams without overwhelming anyone. Owner, buddy, IT, payroll and even virtual assistants all have a part to play. You will hear what a realistic first day actually looks like, including a calm start time, meaningful work before lunch and a clear finish with a plan for tomorrow.
You will also get quick wins for both on site and remote starters. Simple things like a one page day one plan, a booked lunch with friendly faces, short screen recordings for common tools and daily buddy check ins that stop small worries growing into big problems. I share simple scripts and templates you can reuse, from welcome messages to those slightly awkward wobble conversations that can make or break confidence.
We also talk about spotting early signs that someone might leave. Silence in meetings. Repeated small errors. Eating lunch alone every day. And more importantly, what to do within the first seven days to turn things around. Clear milestones keep it fair and focused, with simple goals, check ins and decision points that protect both the business and the individual.
Build onboarding once and run it every time. That is how culture becomes visible. Ready beats winging it. Kindness beats chaos. And cake always works better when there is a plan.
If this episode helped, follow the show, share it with a founder who is hiring, and leave a quick review so more small teams can find a calmer way to onboard.
If youâre not 100% sure how your HR is really holding up, take our free HR Health Check. Itâs short, jargon-free, and gives you a clear score on whatâs working â and what needs a bit of love.
And if you do it before 1st April 2026, youâll get a bonus 7 Pillar Strategy-on-a-Page, tailored to help you manage HR brilliantly for the year ahead.
Thatâs it for today, but if you fancy a bit of friendly HR advice in your inbox (with zero waffle), come and join our newsletter.
We send out bite-sized tips, plain-English updates, and handy things youâll actually use â no spam, no fluff.
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If you're not sure how your HR is really holding up, take the free HR Health Check. It's short, jargon-free, and gives you a clear score on what's working and what could do with a bit of love.
Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe so you never miss one, and leave a review if you've got thirty seconds. It honestly does help more small business owners find the show, and it's the cheapest good deed you'll do all week.
Got a question or need actual HR support? Find Kate at kateunderwoodhr.co.uk, email buzz@kateunderwoodhr.co.uk, or follow along on social.
Until next time, keep buzzing, and take care of your people.
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