Imagine Sarah, a 52-year-old project manager, has always been a dedicated and high-performing employee. However, recently, she’s been experiencing fatigue, hot flushes, and difficulty concentrating, and all these symptoms are affecting her productivity and confidence.

Well, Sarah is not alone; many women face similar challenges during menopause, especially in remote work settings.

Remote work is renowned for its flexibility offerings, which can be beneficial for women experiencing menopausal symptoms. A recent survey found that 31% of working women desire flexible home working arrangements to manage their health better. For Sarah, the ability to work from home allows her to rest when needed and manage her symptoms discreetly and confidently.

But whilst remote work provides flexibility, it also presents challenges. A study highlighted that fatigue, difficulty sleeping, poor concentration, and memory issues are common menopausal symptoms affecting work performance. In Sarah’s case, these symptoms are impacting her ability to meet deadlines and participate in virtual meetings effectively.

Employers, therefore, play a crucial role in supporting menopausal employees. Research indicates that nearly 8 out of 10 menopausal women are in work. However, many workplaces lack formal support for menopausal employees; one survey even discovered that 90% of workplaces have no formal support for women experiencing menopause, which is an alarmingly large number considering that almost all women will experience menopause in their lifetime. This is why it is so important for organisations to be implementing menopause policies and training managers can help create an inclusive environment.

Companies that implement supportive policies for menopausal employees often see improved retention and productivity. A report by the Faculty of Occupational Medicine found that early and severe menopause can affect productivity and reduce time in employment. By providing flexible working hours and understanding managers, employers can help retain experienced employees like Sarah whilst still offering her the support she needs.

Menopause is a natural phase in a woman’s life, and with the right support, women can continue to thrive in their careers. For Sarah, a combination of remote work flexibility, supportive policies, and understanding colleagues can make a significant difference. Those employers who recognise the importance of supporting menopausal employees to maintain a healthy and productive workforce are the ones who will find themselves retaining those hard-working staff like Sarah.

At OrgShakers, we can offer employers guided support in formulating menopause policies, as well as offer menopause training to middle-managers and executives. This would enable them to identify a drop in productivity from someone like Sarah and recognise the signs that she may be perimenopausal – potentially even before she has understood what is happening herself. This is why having that holistic view on menopause in the workplace is so important, especially when in a remote working world, sometimes the only things you can see are those productivity dips.

If you would like to discuss how we can help ensure your menopause support policies extend to cover all working environments – whether that be in-office or remote – please get in touch with me at therese@orgshakers.com

Every successful organisation understands one simple truth – people drive performance.

Yet too often, HR is still seen as an administrative function rather than a strategic force. When human resources operates purely at a transactional level, it limits both people and business potential. A well-defined HR strategy changes that, transforming human capital into a true competitive advantage.

What is an HR Strategy?

An HR strategy is a roadmap that aligns people initiatives with business goals. It focuses on solving organisational challenges through people-centric solutions – attracting, developing, engaging, and retaining the talent that fuels growth.

Rather than simply managing payroll or compliance, strategic HR shapes long-term success by ensuring the right people are in the right roles, with the right support, at the right time. It also establishes HR as a key decision-maker in areas such as workforce planning, culture, and leadership development.

At its core, HR strategy is about moving from administration to anticipation – using insight and planning to position people at the centre of business performance.

Why Does HR Strategy Matter?

Without a defined human capital strategy, HR remains reactive – solving short-term problems rather than driving long-term outcomes. The difference between transactional and strategic HR can be the difference between steady growth and stagnation.

Consider two companies planning to expand into a new market:

• The strategic company involves HR from the start. HR analyses the target region’s labour laws, salary expectations, and talent availability, then builds a plan to recruit and retain skilled workers.
• The transactional company assigns hiring to an overstretched manager with no local knowledge, leading to hiring delays, compliance issues, and higher turnover.

By giving HR a voice in strategic decision-making, the first organisation turns workforce insight into a competitive edge. That’s why a comprehensive HR strategy matters for your organisation.

How to Build a Strategic HR Plan

Creating an effective HR strategy starts with understanding the current state of your workforce – and where it needs to be. Here’s a step-by-step process HR leaders can follow:

1. Understand the Business Objectives

Begin with the big picture. Meet with executives and department heads to understand the organisation’s goals, challenges, and growth ambitions. Every HR initiative should directly support these objectives.

2. Evaluate Workforce Capabilities

Review performance data, skill matrices, and training records. Identify existing strengths and where capability gaps may limit business success.

3. Conduct a Gap Analysis

Compare your current workforce to the skills and competencies the organisation will need in the next 1–3 years. Are there areas where reskilling, upskilling, or external hiring is required?

4. Assess and Refine Talent Strategy

Audit your recruitment, compensation, and retention strategies. Are you competitive in the market? Do your benefits and culture reflect what today’s talent values most?

5. Develop and Retain Existing Talent

Your next high performer may already work for you. Identify employees ready for new challenges and invest in their professional development through coaching, mentoring, and succession planning.

6. Monitor Turnover and Engagement

Employee retention isn’t just about satisfaction – it’s about alignment. Use engagement surveys and exit interviews to identify why people leave and where improvements can be made.

7. Plan for Succession

Unplanned departures can derail progress. Map out key positions and identify potential successors to ensure business continuity.

8. Leverage People Analytics

HR data tells a story. Analyse trends in turnover, absenteeism, compensation, and engagement to make evidence-based decisions that improve efficiency and culture.

9. Define Your HR Mission and Vision

Summarise your strategy in a clear, inspiring statement. This should reflect your HR philosophy and serve as a guiding principle for all decisions going forward.

The Benefits of Strategic HR

When HR strategy is integrated with business strategy, the results are measurable and lasting:

• Increased ROI: Budgets are allocated to initiatives that deliver the greatest impact.
• Stronger Talent Pipelines: Proactive workforce planning ensures you’re prepared for future needs.
• Improved Retention: Employees who see clear development paths stay longer and perform better.
• Stronger Culture: Aligning HR with company values builds engagement and purpose across teams.
• Smarter Decision-Making: Data-driven insights replace assumptions, making HR a trusted advisor to leadership.

Best Practices for Implementing HR Strategy

Building a plan is one thing – embedding it across the organisation is another. To ensure your HR strategy succeeds, keep these best practices in mind:

Involve Key Stakeholders Early

HR strategy cannot exist in isolation. Involve leaders, managers, and employees from the outset to build alignment and ownership.

Keep Budget Realistic

Great strategy fails without financial backing. Focus on initiatives that deliver high impact within existing resources and demonstrate ROI to secure future investment.

Balance Strategic and Operational Tasks

Never lose sight of compliance and day-to-day HR operations. Strong foundations support long-term strategy.

Prioritise Measurable Goals

Use clear key performance indicators (KPIs) – such as retention rates, cost per hire, or engagement scores – to track progress and adjust your approach as needed.

Review and Evolve Regularly

The workforce and economy evolve fast. Review your HR strategy at least annually to ensure it remains aligned with business direction and market conditions.

How to Use People Analytics?

People analytics turns workforce data into actionable insights that drive better decisions across every area of HR.

To use people analytics effectively in your HR strategy, start by identifying key questions your business needs to answer – such as what factors influence turnover, which teams show the highest engagement, or where skills gaps may exist.

Next, collect data from reliable sources like HRIS systems, surveys, and performance reviews, then analyse it for patterns and correlations.

For example, you might discover that certain managers have lower attrition rates due to stronger feedback practices, or that productivity spikes in teams with flexible work arrangements.

The goal isn’t really just to gather numbers, but to translate them into stories that guide action – shaping recruitment, training, and retention strategies based on evidence rather than instinct. Over time, this data-driven approach helps HR leaders predict workforce trends, measure the impact of interventions, and align people initiatives directly with business outcomes.

Final Thought

A strong HR strategy is not just about managing people – it’s about empowering them. When HR shifts from reactive problem-solving to proactive strategy, it unlocks innovation, productivity, and long-term growth.

At OrgShakers, we work with organisations to design HR strategies that turn people data into business performance. From workforce planning and leadership development to talent optimisation and succession, we help clients align their people plans with their commercial ambitions.

If you’d like to explore how a strategic HR framework can future-proof your organisation, get in touch with our team today.

As organisations scale, so do the demands on their HR function. More people means more hiring, onboarding, training, administration, and strategic planning. HR teams are expected to balance operational efficiency with long-term workforce development — often with limited resources.

In an ideal world, growing people needs would mean a growing HR budget. But the reality for many businesses is the opposite.

HR leaders are under increasing pressure to deliver greater impact with fewer resources, and that requires a smarter, more strategic approach to managing the HR function.

In today’s article, we uncover 9 strategies HR departments should utilise to maximise their HR budget, and continue to provide a sustainable purpose for the business.

The Pressure on HR Budgets

If your HR department is feeling the financial squeeze, you’re not alone. Businesses across sectors are working to manage overheads while keeping their people strategies on track. Research shows that:

• 85% of HR teams are under pressure to reduce spending
• 37% of HR professionals say constrained budgets are their top challenge
• 34% expect a reduction in headcount over the next year

Despite these pressures, HR teams remain critical to organisational success. They’re responsible for shaping culture, developing talent, and driving business outcomes. The question is – how can HR maintain (or even improve) performance while reducing/maintaining the same spend?

Here are nine proven ways to stretch your HR budget further and get maximum return on your investment.

1. Map Out Your HR Processes

Start with visibility.

Document every process – from recruitment and onboarding to payroll and performance management. Identify bottlenecks, manual hand-offs, and repetitive steps that slow things down.

This mapping exercise provides a foundation for efficiency improvements and automation. You’ll see where time and resources are being wasted, which helps pinpoint where technology or process redesign can deliver the biggest ROI.

2. Standardise HR Workflows

When teams operate in different locations or under different managers, HR processes often drift. Policies get interpreted differently, leading to inconsistency and confusion.

Standardising workflows helps ensure that every employee has the same experience – and that your HR operations run smoothly.

Document your core HR processes, train teams to follow them consistently, and regularly audit for compliance. Streamlining this way reduces errors, speeds up delivery, and saves money.

3. Invest in Management Coaching

Managers have an outsized influence on HR efficiency. Every decision they make, from hiring to performance management impacts your workload and the broader employee experience.

Targeted coaching and leadership development reduce people issues downstream. Whether it’s structured mentoring, microlearning sessions, or performance coaching, investing in management capability pays off. Skilled managers prevent problems before they reach HR, creating a self-sustaining culture of accountability and performance.

4. Focus on Retention

Replacing an employee is expensive – recruitment, onboarding, and training all take time and money.

Retention is one of the most cost-effective strategies for protecting your HR budget.

Use pulse surveys and engagement tools to understand why employees stay (or leave). Analyse feedback to identify patterns such as lack of growth, unclear expectations, or poor management. Then, take targeted action to improve engagement and development opportunities. Reducing turnover even slightly can have a significant impact on your bottom line.

5. Centralise HR Data

Data is the foundation of strategic HR. Having everything in one place – from employee records to performance metrics – allows you to generate insights that drive business decisions.

A central HR information system (HRIS) reduces duplication, improves reporting, and supports compliance. It also allows HR to transition from administrative to strategic by providing real-time data for leadership decisions.

If you already have an HRIS, ensure your team is fully trained and data inputs are standardised. Many organisations already have the right tools — they just need to use them more effectively.

6. Use Artificial Intelligence Wisely

AI is changing the way HR operates – but it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. The key is to start small and focus on practical wins.

AI tools can automate repetitive tasks such as candidate screening, policy FAQs, scheduling interviews, and analysing engagement data. These efficiencies free your HR team to focus on higher-value work like strategy and talent development.

Pilot a few applications, measure the results, and scale what works. With the right approach, AI becomes a cost-saving partner rather than a costly experiment.

It’s a widely accepted consensus that HR is going to benefit from AI, especially when it comes to people analytics, data analytics and recruitment. But adopting early, without ensuring your strategy is solid is risky – plan carefully before adopting any AI into processes.

7. Leverage Internal Talent

Your current workforce can be one of HR’s greatest cost-saving resources.

• Employee referral programs reduce recruitment costs and often result in stronger cultural fits.
• Mentorship programs foster development and knowledge transfer without major expense.

These initiatives boost engagement and morale while preserving valuable institutional expertise – all without major budget impact.

8. Align HR with Business Strategy

HR leaders who are part of strategic planning discussions can create significant value for the business. When HR understands business goals, it can prioritise initiatives that directly support revenue, customer satisfaction, and innovation.

This alignment ensures HR resources are deployed where they have the most impact. For example, if the business is entering new markets, HR can proactively prepare talent pipelines, training, and workforce planning to match.

When HR is a strategic partner, every budgeted dollar contributes to measurable business outcomes.

9. Consider Fractional or Project-Based HR Support

During times of change or growth, flexible HR resourcing can be a smart solution. Fractional HR or project-based consulting allows organisations to access senior HR expertise without the cost of a full-time hire.

It’s particularly effective for specialist areas such as compensation, compliance, or technology implementation. Consultants can deliver high-impact outcomes quickly, without long-term commitments or overhead costs.

Making Efficiency a Competitive Advantage

Budget constraints don’t have to limit HR’s impact. The most effective HR teams are those that treat efficiency as a strategic skill – systematically identifying waste, standardising processes, and investing in tools that multiply productivity.

By adopting even a few of these approaches, HR leaders can free up resources, strengthen operations, and create more value for the business.

At OrgShakers, we help organisations optimise their HR function through practical strategies that enhance performance and cost efficiency.

If you’re looking to make your HR budget go further while delivering exceptional results, get in touch with us today to explore how we can help.

In today’s fast-paced and technology-driven world, organisations are recognising that the right tools make all the difference to productivity.

This is particularly true when it comes to supporting employees with disabilities, where assistive technology (AT) has become one of the most powerful enablers of performance, retention, and business growth.

While discussions around disability employment have traditionally focused on compliance or accommodation, the real opportunity lies in how technology can unlock productivity and engagement across the workforce.

Recent data shows that in the US, only 37.1% of working-age people with a disability are employed, compared to around 75% for those without disabilities. Yet, a global survey by BCG revealed that approximately one in four adults has a condition that affects a major life activity – a number far higher than what most companies recognise in their own workforce. These statistics highlight both a challenge and an opportunity: ensuring that every employee has access to tools that allow them to perform at their best.

The Power of Assistive Technology

Assistive technology (AT) refers to any device, software, or system that helps individuals work more effectively. From speech recognition tools and real-time captioning to screen readers, ergonomic keyboards, and focus-enhancing applications, the right technology can make day-to-day work smoother, faster, and less stressful.

According to recent studies, 82% of employees with disabilities say accessible software is critical to their job effectiveness, yet 45% rate their current workplace accessibility tools as only “fair to poor.” This represents a significant performance gap that HR and IT teams can close not through massive investment, but through smart implementation.

The Productivity Payoff

The impact of properly implemented assistive technology extends well beyond accessibility. When the right tools are in place, productivity, engagement, and retention all rise. Here are some measurable advantages businesses are seeing:

1. Higher Productivity and Efficiency

When employees can work using tools that fit their needs, output increases. Assistive technology reduces friction in day-to-day tasks, limits frustration, and enables faster, more accurate results. This leads to smoother workflows and more consistent performance across teams.

2. Reduced Turnover and Improved Retention

Workplace friction is a major driver of attrition. When employees have reliable technology that enables them to perform confidently, they are more likely to stay and grow within the company. Retaining skilled employees not only reduces recruitment costs but also preserves valuable institutional knowledge.

3. Better Recruitment and Talent Attraction

Companies that invest in assistive tools gain a reputation for being forward-thinking and employee-focused. This makes them more appealing to jobseekers who value efficiency, innovation, and adaptability in their workplace.

4. Innovation and Improved Design Thinking

Assistive technology often drives better system design overall. By optimising interfaces and workflows for clarity, accessibility, and focus, businesses inadvertently improve usability for all employees — not just those who require accommodations. The result is technology that performs better, scales more easily, and supports broader innovation goals.

Where to Start

Implementing assistive technology doesn’t have to be complex or costly. Here are some practical starting points HR leaders can consider:

• Conduct a technology audit: Identify tools already available and where gaps exist in accessibility or usability.
• Leverage built-in accessibility features: Many platforms like Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, and Zoom already offer screen readers, voice commands, captions, and focus modes.
• Engage employees in feedback loops: Ask teams what tools help them work best — insights often come from real experience.
• Collaborate with IT and facilities: Make sure physical and digital environments work together to support productivity.
• Offer training and awareness sessions: Employees often underutilise assistive features simply because they don’t know they exist.

A Smart Investment in Performance

Assistive technology is not just a compliance measure — it’s a productivity strategy. With thoughtful implementation, businesses can empower employees to perform at their full potential, improve collaboration, and strengthen operational efficiency.

The returns are clear: higher performance, reduced turnover, and a workforce equipped to meet the demands of the modern workplace.

If you would like to explore how we can help your organisation identify and implement assistive technologies that improve performance and engagement, please get in touch with us today.

Workplace mental health has changed dramatically over the past few years. What was once a quiet, uncomfortable topic has now become a regular part of leadership discussions and employee wellbeing strategies. Yet, despite progress, a key question remains: are we truly making progress in how mental health is treated at work?

In recent years, there has been a clear rise in mental health support from employers. One survey revealed that 90% of companies now offer some form of mental health benefit, up from 84% in 2019. This growth reflects a wider understanding that mental wellbeing directly impacts engagement, performance, and retention.

Encouragingly, employees are also more open to discussing mental health at work. A 2024 report found that 74% of employees now feel comfortable talking about mental health issues with colleagues or managers. This represents a major step forward in creating workplaces where people feel supported to speak up. However, progress isn’t uniform. Around 35% of employees still say they have faced negative reactions after disclosing a mental health challenge, suggesting that awareness doesn’t always translate into understanding.

This is where leadership plays a critical role. When managers are trained to recognise the signs of stress or burnout, and respond with empathy and practical support, it changes how mental health is handled across the organisation.

Investing in mental health training for managers not only equips them with the tools to support employees effectively, but also helps create consistency in how issues are approached.

Regular check-ins, open conversations, and clear communication channels are also key. These help identify challenges early and make discussions about wellbeing part of normal working life rather than crisis management. Employers who integrate these touchpoints into daily workflows – not just annual wellbeing initiatives – see stronger engagement and reduced absenteeism over time.

The reality is that mental health support is no longer a “nice to have.” It’s a business essential that underpins productivity, teamwork, and retention. Leaders who prioritise this area are not only improving individual wellbeing but also strengthening organisational performance and resilience.

While progress has been made, the journey is ongoing. By embedding mental health awareness into leadership development, communication, and workplace design, organisations can build environments where employees feel supported to perform at their best.

If you would like to discuss how we can help you strengthen your company’s approach to mental wellbeing and performance, please get in touch with us today.

A company’s success depends on its people. Happy, engaged employees are more productive, loyal, and likely to stay long-term. But how can HR leaders know if employees are truly satisfied with their work, benefits, and company culture?

The most effective way is by asking them directly. Employee satisfaction surveys and employer happiness surveys provide data-driven insight to measure morale, track engagement, and improve retention.

In this article, we explains how to survey employees effectively, what types of HR surveys to use, and how to turn results into meaningful action.

Why measure employee satisfaction?

Employee happiness directly impacts retention, productivity, and reputation. By measuring employee happiness, organizations can identify issues early, improve leadership practices, and strengthen company culture.

Key Benefits of Employee Happiness Surveys

• Increase retention: Address concerns before they lead to turnover.
• Improve engagement: Identify what motivates your teams.
• Optimize benefits: Align rewards with employee needs.
• Enhance culture: Strengthen alignment between values and experiences.
• Boost performance: Happier employees perform better and stay longer.

Regular employee satisfaction surveys help HR spot early signs of burnout or disengagement and take action before it affects business outcomes.

The Types of HR Surveys That Measure Employee Satisfaction

Different surveys reveal different aspects of the employee experience. A mix of survey types gives a complete picture of workforce sentiment.

Employee Engagement Surveys

These measure how emotionally connected and motivated employees feel at work, highlighting engagement drivers and leadership effectiveness.

Benefits Satisfaction Surveys

Evaluate how employees perceive their benefits and whether they find them valuable. This ensures you’re investing in benefits that make a difference.

Work-Life Balance Surveys

Assess workload, stress, and well-being to prevent burnout and support a sustainable balance between work and life.

Culture and Values Surveys

Gauge how well employees align with your mission and values. This helps build belonging and a strong, unified culture.

Exit Surveys

When employees leave, these offer insight into why—and how to improve retention strategies for the future.

Mental Health and Well-Being Surveys

Measure overall well-being and stress levels. This helps HR tailor support programs and normalize open discussion around mental health.

The Best Practices for HR Happiness Surveys

When designing employee surveys, it’s important to keep them short and focused.

Limiting the number of questions helps avoid survey fatigue and increases completion rates. Employees are far more likely to respond thoughtfully when the process feels quick and relevant to their day-to-day experience rather than time-consuming or repetitive.

The questions themselves should be clear, specific, and actionable. Avoid vague prompts that produce yes-or-no answers. Instead, ask targeted questions such as, “How supported do you feel by your manager?” or “How well do you understand your career development opportunities?” Using a mix of question types – rating scales, multiple choice, and open text – creates a balance between measurable data and qualitative feedback that adds depth and context to results.

Finally, always prioritise trust and clarity. Make sure surveys are anonymous so employees can answer honestly without concern about repercussions. Before launching a survey across the organisation, run a pilot test with a small group to catch unclear language or technical issues. A well-tested, confidential, and concise survey not only delivers higher participation but also provides more reliable, actionable insights for HR leaders.

How Often Should You Survey Employees?

The frequency depends on your goals, but consistency is key:

• Engagement Surveys: Annually for deep insights.
• Pulse Surveys: Monthly or quarterly for quick check-ins.
• Benefits Surveys: Annually or after major changes.
• Work-Life Balance Surveys: Twice a year to track well-being.
• Exit Surveys: After every departure.
• Mental Health Surveys: Biannually to monitor burnout risks.

Increasing Employee Participation

Participation improves when employees understand the purpose behind surveys and trust how their feedback will be used. Clear communication is essential – be transparent about why you’re collecting responses and how the insights will shape future decisions. Making surveys easy to access and quick to complete, particularly on mobile devices, helps boost engagement and ensures everyone has an equal opportunity to participate.

Consider the use of anonymous employee surveys regularly, where employees truly feel they can share feedback safely and anonymously.

You can also encourage higher response rates by offering small incentives, such as raffle entries, gift cards, or simple recognition.

Most importantly, always share top-level findings once the survey closes and explain what actions will follow. Demonstrating that employee feedback leads to tangible change builds trust, reinforces credibility, and motivates greater participation in future surveys.

Turning Insights Into Action

Collecting feedback only matters if it leads to change.

• Analyze the trends: Identify common pain points and success areas.
• Share the findings: Present clear recommendations to leadership, and some high-level findings company-wide where possible.
• Take action: Implement and share the improvements based on feedback.
• Follow up: Re-survey later to measure progress and impact, set internal KPIs with leadership.

Share the actions with the team in town hall meetings or company meetings, let employees know their voice has been heard and what actions are in place as a direct action from their thoughts – this will power your survey completion rates further forward.

The Bottom Line: Employee Happiness Drives Business Success

Measuring employee satisfaction isn’t just good HR practice—it’s a business advantage. A happy workforce delivers higher productivity, stronger engagement, and better results.

By using employee happiness surveys effectively and acting on feedback, HR leaders can create workplaces where employees feel valued, supported, and motivated to perform their best.

If your organization isn’t surveying employees yet, now is the time to start. The insights you gain could be the key to a more engaged and resilient workforce.

Want to shake up your internal employee surveying strategy and how to utilise the data from your employee surveys in relation to people strategy? Speak to orgshakers today.

Running a smaller organisation often means juggling multiple responsibilities, but overlooking HR (Human Resources) isn’t just another task slipping through the cracks—it’s a serious risk. Without proper HR support, your company could face costly legal, financial, and reputational challenges. From compliance violations to low morale, the absence of HR expertise can weaken the foundation of your entire operation.

Here’s why HR is essential, and the hidden dangers of running a business without the right HR support.

1. Legal Compliance: The Costly Risk of Continuing Without HR

Every business in the United States must comply with complex federal, state, and local employment laws covering areas like wages, benefits, discrimination, and workplace safety. Without professional HR support, it’s easy to violate these laws, leading to:

• Expensive fines and lawsuits
• Employee claims under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), Title VII, or the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
• Data protection issues that could lead to legal action

For example, mishandling discrimination or harassment complaints can lead to significant settlements and lasting reputational harm. HR support ensures your business stays compliant with employment laws, helps you avoid risk, and protects your company’s integrity.

2. Poor Employee Relations Can Stall Business Growth

Strong employee relations are the backbone of a productive workforce. Without HR, small businesses often face conflict, miscommunication, and procedural errors. Common issues include:

• Unresolved grievances that lower morale and productivity
• Mishandled disciplinary actions that lead to resentment or lawsuits
• Managers spending excessive time dealing with people problems instead of business operations
• Misunderstandings that turn into costly disputes

HR professionals help you manage employee relations fairly, consistently, and legally. They also provide the structure and communication tools needed to maintain trust and accountability in the workplace.

3. High Turnover and Hiring Challenges

Recruiting and retaining the right people is key to sustainable growth. Without HR support, your hiring process can lack consistency and strategy, leading to:

• Poor hiring decisions that increase turnover and replacement costs
• Weak retention programs, resulting in constant staff turnover
• Potential discrimination risks during hiring

High turnover can disrupt operations and create a negative perception among job seekers. Working with HR experts helps you build better recruitment processes and employee retention strategies, improving your company’s reputation as an employer.

4. Low Morale Leads to Low Productivity

Employees who feel unsupported are less likely to perform at their best. Without HR, businesses often lack the systems that promote engagement and motivation, such as:

• Clear communication channels for feedback
• Regular performance reviews and recognition programs
• A focus on diversity, inclusion, and fairness

HR support creates a positive workplace culture where employees feel valued and motivated to contribute to the company’s goals.

5. Burnout and Absenteeism on the Rise

Ignoring employee well-being is one of the fastest ways to lose productivity. Without HR guidance, businesses may face:

• Increased absenteeism and turnover
• Employee burnout due to poor workload management or lack of boundaries

HR professionals design wellness initiatives, manage workloads, and promote work-life balance. These steps reduce burnout, keep employees engaged, and improve retention.

6. Operational Inefficiency and Wasted Resources

HR isn’t just about hiring and firing – it’s about building structure and efficiency. Without HR support, small businesses often experience:

• Disorganized employee records leading to payroll mistakes and compliance issues
• Missed training and development opportunities that limit growth

A strong HR foundation improves processes, enhances productivity, and allows you to get the most out of your team.

7. Reputational Damage That’s Hard to Fix

Your employees are your brand ambassadors. When they feel undervalued or mistreated, the impact goes far beyond internal morale. Without HR:

• Negative employee reviews can damage your company’s reputation online
• Legal disputes or EEOC cases may become public, reducing client and candidate trust

HR support helps maintain a positive company culture and protects your reputation by ensuring fair treatment and consistent communication across the organization.

8. Expensive Mistakes That Hurt Your Bottom Line

Employment lawsuits in the U.S. can cost tens of thousands of dollars—or more—depending on the claim. For small businesses, even a single legal issue can have devastating financial consequences. HR professionals help prevent these risks by ensuring your business follows proper procedures and documentation at every stage of the employee lifecycle.

9. Limited Growth Without Strategic HR Insight

HR plays a key role in long-term business success. Without it, companies often struggle to:

• Plan their workforce effectively
• Build teams that align with business goals
• Develop and sustain a strong organizational culture

Strategic HR support helps align your people with your company’s growth objectives, ensuring your workforce can adapt and scale as the business evolves.

How to find Ad-Hoc HR Support?

Running a business without experienced HR support might seem manageable at first, but the risks can grow quickly.

Partnering with an experienced global HR consultancy like OrgShakers gives you expert guidance, compliance support, and strategic insights tailored to your company’s needs.

At OrgShakers, we help organisations build strong, compliant, and motivated teams –because every successful company starts with its people.

October is Black History Month in the UK, and this has helped to inspire our reading material this month. Despite huge strides forwards in representation in the workplace, there is still a lot of work to be done to ensure that diverse voices are being heard at the very top. That’s why this month we have chosen to read Shari Dunn’s new book, Qualified: How Competency Checking and Race Collide at Work.

Shari Dunn is a lawyer, journalist, nonprofit executive, and equity consultant whose career has consistently bridged advocacy, media, and organizational leadership. A former CEO of Dress for Success Oregon and founder of the consultancy ITBOM, she has long worked to expand opportunity for marginalized groups.

In her debut publication, Shari shines a light on the often invisible but deeply damaging workplace phenomenon she calls ‘competency checking’. This term describes the subtle, persistent questioning of Black professionals’ qualifications and legitimacy, regardless of their actual track record or achievements.

She explains that while many organizations continue to claim a ‘pipeline problem’ – the idea that there aren’t enough skilled Black candidates – the reality is that talent is abundant. The issue lies in biased perceptions of who counts as competent, and who is assumed to require extra scrutiny.

Through interviews, case studies, and historical framing, Shari demonstrates how competency checking manifests: managers double-checking work only when it comes from a Black employee, questioning promotions even after proven success, or using coded language that undermines authority and expertise.

The book traces the roots of this practice to systemic racism and highlights how it continues to erode engagement, limit advancement, and fuel burnout among professionals of color.

This critique is well-balanced with forward-looking solutions; Shari urges organizations to rethink performance evaluation systems, eliminate racially biased hiring tools such as personality tests, and implement regular equity audits. Most importantly, she emphasizes building cultures that genuinely affirm the value, authenticity, and authority of Black employees. By naming the problem and equipping readers with strategies, Qualified provides both a diagnosis of the harm and a roadmap for change.

If you would like to discuss how we can help ensure that your hiring practices are optimized to give you access to the best and widest pool of talent available, please get in touch with us today.

In the meantime, be sure to grab a copy of Qualified – you can purchase it here in the US and here in the UK.

At OrgShakers, we often say that the best interviews are not just about assessing candidates – they’re about creating a conversation that unlocks insight. A truly productive panel interview is one where every participant leaves with a clear understanding of the candidate’s capability, the role’s alignment, and how both could thrive together.

Having supported countless Boards and leadership teams worldwide, we’ve seen how panel interviews can either elevate or hinder hiring outcomes. The difference often lies in the preparation, communication, and consistency of the panel itself.

Here’s how HR professionals can set their organisations up for success by ensuring panel interviews are fair, engaging, and above all — productive.

1. Prepare the Panel, Not Just the Candidates

A productive panel interview starts long before the first question is asked. HR professionals play a crucial role in helping the panel feel aligned and ready.

Hold a short pre-interview briefing to confirm logistics, check sound and lighting if online, and clarify the flow of the session. This not only prevents awkward technical issues but also allows panel members to discuss the purpose of the interview – what they’re assessing, who’s asking which questions, and what a “great” answer looks like.

Most importantly, align on the tone of the conversation. Candidates at senior levels are evaluating your organisation just as much as you’re evaluating them. Panels that project warmth, professionalism, and enthusiasm tend to attract stronger interest from top talent.

2. Create Clarity and Consistency

When each panel member understands their role, the interview feels structured, confident, and cohesive. HR professionals should ensure that all panelists are using the same set of core questions, phrased consistently across interviews. Even small variations can unintentionally change meaning and make it difficult to fairly compare responses.

Developing a scoring guide or framework can also help maintain consistency, allowing for more objective evaluation and easier discussion afterward.

3. Keep It Human – even when they’re online.

Remote interviews can sometimes feel detached, but HR professionals can coach panelists on how to bring humanity back into the process.

Encourage everyone to:

• Keep cameras on and maintain eye contact through the screen.
• Minimise distractions — no emails, phones, or background noise.
• Smile and engage as they would in an in-person setting.

A relaxed, attentive panel allows candidates to show their authentic selves — giving the organisation a more accurate sense of who they’re really hiring.

4. Encourage Active Listening and Note-Taking

A productive interview isn’t just about asking the right questions — it’s about really hearing the answers. HR professionals can set expectations for panelists to listen actively, take structured notes, and avoid interrupting candidates mid-thought.

After each interview, take a few moments to debrief while impressions are fresh. This encourages collaborative reflection and helps capture valuable observations that might otherwise fade by the time comparisons are made.

5. Reflect Your Culture and Values

How your panel behaves during an interview sends a strong signal about your organisation’s culture. HR leaders should remind panels that every interaction – from tone of voice to body language – communicates something about the company.

If your culture values innovation, collaboration, or empathy, make sure that shines through in how your panel conducts itself. A candidate who experiences a thoughtful, well-organised process is more likely to stay engaged and accept an offer.

Final Thought

Productive panel interviews don’t happen by chance — they’re the result of intentional preparation, alignment, and care. By guiding panels to be consistent, engaged, and human-centred, HR professionals can dramatically improve hiring outcomes and strengthen employer reputation in the process.

At OrgShakers, we help organisations design and facilitate leadership interview processes that are fair, inclusive, and highly productive. If you’d like to train your panels or refine your interview framework, get in touch with the OrgShakers team today.

Salary benchmarking is the process of comparing your company’s pay against reliable market data to ensure compensation remains fair and competitive. It keeps your pay rates in line with market averages to help you attract and keep hold of your best talent.

But without the right processes in place, benchmarking can be difficult, costly and labor-intensive.

This blog shows you the best way to benchmark salaries reliably, quickly and without busting your budget.

What is Salary Benchmarking?

Salary benchmarking – also known as compensation benchmarking – is the process of comparing your organization’s pay and benefits to salary data gathered from other companies. It makes sure your salaries remain fair, competitive, and aligned with industry standards.

Salary benchmarking involves gathering, evaluating and analyzing market salary data to establish average pay levels for each role. This information is used to identify typical salary ranges, including medians and quartiles, which reflect how roles are valued across industries, levels of seniority and regions. It’s important to assess job descriptions by industry and geographic location, as salaries can vary by sector and differ widely in different parts of the US.

Once you’ve collected data, compare your pay with competitors and track trends to stay in sync with the market. Paying below the going rate risks disengagement and turnover, while overpaying can waste budget and create an unbalanced structure that’s difficult to maintain.

Beyond helping you attract and retain top talent, effective pay benchmarking helps HR teams get a grip on costs without sacrificing operational efficiency. Finally, it keeps you on the right side of compliance with US pay transparency and equal pay legislation.

Why is Salary Benchmarking Important?

Salary benchmarking is important because it helps companies set fair and competitive compensation based on accurate data. It confirms that existing employee salaries are meeting job market trends and helps organizations attract talent in a competitive labor market.

Boost Your Employee Retention

Fair and competitive pay is one of the strongest drivers of job satisfaction – research shows 82% of employees consider it critical in their decision to stay with their current employer.

Salary benchmarking helps you set comparative pay rates within your industry, so you retain staff and avoid the high costs of turnover, recruitment and lost productivity. Beyond cost savings, competitive pay also improves morale and boosts employee engagement, reducing dissatisfaction and making staff more motivated and loyal.

Drive Your Recruitment

Salary is one of the biggest factors in career decisions – 66% of employees say it drives their decision to look for a new role. Salary benchmarking makes sure your job postings offer packages that match market expectations, catch the eye of well-qualified prospective candidates and persuade them to apply.

By setting the right pay and mix of compensation, you strengthen your talent acquisition strategy, build stronger applicant pools, and avoid the time and cost of drawn-out recruitment campaigns.

Achieve Pay Equity

Salary benchmarking helps you achieve pay equity by making sure all your employees are rewarded fairly. It cuts the risk of unintentional pay disparities based on gender, race, disability and other factors, creating a level playing field where everyone feels equally respected and valued.

Beyond building an inclusive workplace culture, benchmarking also supports compliance with legislation such as the Equal Pay Act, EEOC guidelines, and new state-level pay transparency laws in places like California, New York and Colorado.

Pay equity only works if salary benchmarking is run regularly and market changes are reflected in salary reviews. To bring your pay philosophy to life, educate management on the importance of pay equity, and clearly communicate your compensation philosophy to your employees.

Protecting Your Brand Reputation

Reputation is one of your most valuable assets – it drives customer loyalty, supports sales, and builds investor confidence. But brand perception also depends on being seen as a good employer. If employees enjoy your work environment and feel valued and fairly rewarded, they become strong brand ambassadors; if not, word spreads quickly.

Compensation practices are increasingly in the spotlight. US companies that ignore pay equity risk damage to their reputation with applicants, customers and employees alike, particularly as more states require employers to publish pay ranges on job postings.

Salary benchmarking helps you reduce pay gaps, reinforce transparency and protect your employer brand so that stakeholders trust in your integrity as well as your performance.

Avoid Overpaying

Overpaying can prove just as problematic as underpaying. Without accurate pay benchmarking, salaries can creep higher than market averages – for example, when long-serving staff negotiate increases or when demands are made inconsistently across teams.

But overpayment can cause inequity, distort pay structures and inflate payroll costs. For organizations working to tight margins or undergoing rapid growth, this extra burden can damage profitability and make your business less resilient in the face of economic downturns.

Salary benchmarking provides the wider market perspective you need to keep payroll costs under control, support operational efficiency, and maintain a fair, sustainable compensation strategy.

How to Benchmark Salaries (Step-by-Step)

Define Your Goals and Roles

The first step to conduct salary benchmarking is to be clear on your objectives.

Are you benchmarking to:

• Attract talent?
• Retain staff?
• Control costs?
• Meet compliance requirements?

Next, define the roles and scope of your benchmarking. Map out job titles, responsibilities, and pay ranges across your organization, from entry-level to senior roles. Create or update job descriptions to ensure they can be matched accurately against the market.

Finally, factor in company size, sector, location, and growth plans so your benchmarking reflects both your current structure and your future needs.

Collecting Salary Data: The Pros & Cons to different approaches

Once you’ve defined your roles, the next step is gathering market data to compare against. The key is quality: outdated or self-reported figures can distort results, so focus on reliable, up-to-date data that matches your industry, company size and location.

Salary Surveys

Pros: In-depth analysis, consistent job leveling, enterprise-level datasets
Cons: Costly, time-consuming, requires data submission, often lags behind real-time market shifts

Employee Submitted Salary Information

Pros: Cost-free, easy to access online, offers a quick pulse check
Cons: Based on self-reported, unverifiable data, data often outdated or incomplete, skewed by outliers and inconsistent reporting

Manually Reviewing Job Board Data

Pros: Budget-friendly, uses in-market data
Cons: Time-intensive, hard to validate and compare, over-reliance on spreadsheets

Real-Time Salary Benchmarking Tools

Pros: Instant results, easy to use (no specialist expertise required), covers niche roles and local variations, real-time dynamic market data
Cons: Less suited for senior or executive roles

The Best Approaches

Remember to Analyze and Compare Your Data

Once you’ve gathered reliable data, start by creating market salary bands for each role. Define the minimum and maximum pay levels and calculate benchmarks such as the median (p50) and upper quartile (p75), which are commonly used to set salary ranges.

Compare your internal pay ranges against the market. For example, if the market median for a Senior Product Manager in New York City is $150,000 and the p75 is $165,000, you might adjust your midpoint to $150,000 and set a pay band of $145,000–$165,000. This gives you a fair, competitive range while leaving headroom for bonuses and progression.

Finally, document your assumptions and criteria so that future reviews are consistent and transparent. This makes it easier to explain decisions to managers and employees and to demonstrate fairness.

Not sure how to digest large areas of data and need help understanding the best approaches? Orgshakers is a Global HR Consultancy ready to shake up your approach to utilising in-house data to make accurate business pay decisions. Get in touch to see how we can help you today.

Implement and Communicate Pay Changes

Salary benchmarking only adds value if the results are acted on and shared clearly. Use your findings as evidence in pay conversations with managers and employees, showing how salary ranges were set and why they are competitive for your industry, company size, and location.

Be transparent about when and how benchmarking was carried out so colleagues trust the process and understand its recency and methodology. Communicating openly builds confidence in your compensation strategy and demonstrates a commitment to fairness.

Finally, make benchmarking a recurring process, not a one-off exercise. Reviewing salary data regularly ensures your pay structure keeps pace with market shifts, supports compliance with pay transparency rules, and provides a consistent framework for promotions and salary increases.

Review Regularly

Effective salary benchmarking is more than a one-off exercise. Pay trends shift quickly, especially in competitive or fast-moving sectors such as tech, healthcare, and financial services, so benchmarking needs to be built into your ongoing compensation cycle.

Most organizations review salary data at least annually, while those in high-growth industries or competitive markets may benchmark every six months. Regular reviews ensure your pay ranges stay aligned with market medians and quartiles, support compliance with equal pay and transparency regulations, and help you respond quickly to external pressures like inflation or skills shortages.

Salary Benchmarking Tools: What are Your Options?

Reliable salary benchmarking depends on access to accurate, up-to-date compensation data. There are several ways to source this information – from traditional surveys to job board insights and salary benchmarking platforms – each with its own strengths and limitations.

The right tools should give you both breadth and reliability, but gathering data can also be time-consuming and expensive, especially for smaller HR teams. Below, I break down the main options and their pros and cons.

Salary Surveys

Pros: In-depth analysis, consistent job leveling, enterprise-level datasets
Cons: Costly, time-consuming, requires data submission, often lags behind real-time market shifts

For years, salary surveys have been the traditional go-to for HR and reward professionals. Published annually by consultants, they aggregate data from hundreds or even thousands of companies to define typical pay ranges across roles, industries and geographies. Their biggest strength lies in the depth and consistency of analysis, particularly for large organizations or senior roles where reliable benchmarks are harder to find.

But there are significant drawbacks. Because surveys take months to compile, by the time results are published, the data is often already stale, especially in today’s fast-moving market. They also come with a hefty price tag and ask for manual and time-intensive data submissions in return. And since the datasets are weighted toward larger enterprises, results can skew away from what’s realistic for small and mid-sized employers.

Employee Submitted Salary Information

Pros: Cost-free, easy to access online, offers a quick pulse check
Cons: Based on self-reported, unverifiable data, data often outdated or incomplete, skewed by outliers and inconsistent reporting

Many job sites collect crowdsourced salary data from current or former employees who anonymously submit their pay, role, location and industry details. Platforms like Glassdoor and Indeed aggregate these inputs to produce average salary insights that are freely available online. For job seekers, these tools can be a useful way to see whether their pay aligns with peers.

For employers, however, the limitations are clear. There’s no way to verify accuracy, consistency or whether submissions reflect total compensation packages. Because the results are based on mean averages, they can be distorted by outliers and don’t offer the precision of medians or quartiles. And since much of the data is historical, reported salaries often lag behind the current market.

Manually Reviewing Job Board Data

Pros: Budget-friendly, uses in-market data
Cons: Time-intensive, hard to validate and compare, over-reliance on spreadsheets

Some organizations still rely on scraping job boards to collect pay data for benchmarking. At first glance, this “back to basics” method feels cost-effective, but in practice, it often consumes weeks or months of manual work from HR teams. The process typically involves combing through multiple sites, pulling data into spreadsheets, and trying to reconcile inconsistent job titles or formats.

The bigger problem is reliability. With so many different sources, results can be skewed by short-term spikes, regional variations or incomplete listings. And because the data is just a snapshot in time, it quickly becomes outdated, leaving you with benchmarks that may no longer reflect market reality.

Real-Time Salary Benchmarking Tools

Pros: Instant results, easy to use (no specialist expertise required), covers niche roles and local variations, real-time dynamic market data
Cons: Less suited for senior or executive roles

Advances in technology mean HR teams no longer have to rely solely on static surveys or manual job-board checks. Real-time salary benchmarking platforms pull in millions of live data points to deliver accurate, up-to-date market insights in minutes. They allow you to filter by role, level, location and company size, so you can quickly see how your pay bands compare to current market ranges.

For example, real-time platforms in the US analyze millions of job postings refreshed daily, giving you confidence that you’re working with the latest salary trends. They are simple to use and provide insights even for highly specialized or niche roles, without the need for spreadsheets or lengthy manual research.

Common Challenges in Salary Benchmarking: How to Overcome Them

Data Gaps

Benchmarking relies on having a robust sample size. If you filter too narrowly (e.g. by role and level and location), you risk ending up with too little data to draw meaningful conclusions. The fix is to apply broader filters where needed or use real-time platforms, which draw on live job postings – not employer-reported payroll figures – to provide up-to-date salary ranges without relying on self-reported inputs.

Niche Roles

Specialist or emerging job titles often lack published benchmarks. Here, consistency in job matching is key: align the role with similar skillsets or adjacent families, and use real-time data sources to track how these roles are priced as they mature in the market.

Global vs Local Data

Salaries can differ widely between countries, regions, or even cities. A New York salary band won’t map directly to Dallas or Chicago. Always anchor your benchmarking to the relevant market and supplement with official datasets such as Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) or state-level labor data for context if needed.

Outdated Data

Traditional surveys and static reports may lag months behind fast-moving job markets. By the time they’re published, they risk being out of sync with current hiring conditions. Real-time benchmarking tools solve this by refreshing data daily, giving HR teams confidence that pay bands reflect today’s market reality.

Linking Salary Benchmarking to Pay Strategy

Salary benchmarking doesn’t just confirm whether your pay is competitive; it also shapes your wider pay strategy. Once you know how your salaries compare to market medians and quartiles, you can decide whether to match the market (50th percentile), lead it (75th percentile), or lag behind, depending on your goals and budget.

This positioning affects not only base pay but also your approach to total rewards like bonuses and benefits.

Conclusion

Salary benchmarking is one of the most impactful ways to keep pay fair, competitive, and sustainable. Done well, it not only protects your bottom line but also boosts recruitment, retention, and engagement.

If you would like to discuss how OrgShakers can support your organization in creating fair, competitive, and sustainable pay practices, get in touch with us today.

Recently, I have noticed something surprising – employees are increasingly tuning out once-vibrant wellbeing programs.

In many modern programs, well-being is delivered as one-size-fits-all. Yet research shows the future lies in choice and agency – tools that allow employees to tailor their journey and choose what matters most to their lives. Embedding pulse surveys and bite‑sized learning tools helps us surface what actually works and adjust in real-time.

Statistically, workplace burnout has hit record levels in 2025. Forbes reports that 66% of employees said they are burned out, which is an all‑time high. Glassdoor mentions of burnout are up 32% year over year, and 85% of workers report at least some symptoms. These aren’t just numbers; they highlight that even well‑intentioned programs can feel performative or empty when delivered top-down.

The shift? Offer diverse options rather than broadcast mandates. That might mean investing in modular programs such as on‑demand coaching, optional mindfulness sessions, nutrition workshops, ergonomic assessments, or mental health check‑ins.

The point is to emphasize autonomy: let employees opt into what resonates, and embed continuous data feedback loops (via pulse surveys, recurring check‑ins) so interventions evolve rather than stagnate.

It’s also key to be integrating wellbeing into daily workflows, not siloed events. Those crucial informal moments like micro‑break reminders, manager check‑ins, walking meetings, tech‑free hours can reduce stress more sustainably than scheduled lunchtime webinars. And with the hybrid working world making these moments harder to capture, it’s more important than ever for employers to be consciously encouraging and making space for them.

Crucially, leaders need to be normalizing rest and boundary setting. Encourage the use of annual leave, respect disconnect hours, and publicize leadership modeling of healthy work patterns. And don’t just take our word for it, the data speaks for itself: in organizations recognized as top workplaces, high scores in reward, empowerment, and wellbeing correlate strongly with engagement and productivity.

This doesn’t mean abandoning wellbeing efforts, but shifting from ‘tell’ to ‘ask’. Asking people what helps, giving them choice, and iterating programs in partnership is how employers transform wellbeing fatigue into meaningful engagement and sustainable energy.

If you would like to discuss how we can help ensure your employees do not fall victim to wellbeing fatigue, please get in touch with us today!

In my daily work as a global human resources professional, one of the most pressing – and rewarding – challenges is balancing the universal values of inclusion with respect for local cultural norms. When a company’s employees span the globe, they need to uphold consistent, inclusive principles while navigating cultural nuances that, at times, may clash with those principles. The dance of ‘global teams, local norms’ is a delicate one, after all.

A Company-Wide Inclusive Foundation 

At the highest level, an organization needs to have articulated and modelled inclusive norms that are non-negotiable, for example respect for individuals regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, or any other protected status. Even in markets where discrimination is legally or culturally sanctioned, your company policy needs to be clear: respect everyone for who they say they are, and this principle applies universally across your organization, regardless of local perspectives. 

This clarity from the top is vital. Research shows that globally inclusive teams aren’t just morally compelling, but also financially stronger. Diverse and inclusive organizations are 35% more likely to outperform competitors, and companies with diverse executive teams are 33% more likely to achieve above-average profitability. This underpins not only why we uphold global inclusion standards but also why it’s good business. 

That said, organizations must also recognize the importance of cultural respect. For instance, in certain countries where women customarily cover their hair, wearing a head covering may be a social or religious expectation. In such contexts, adapt to respect these norms out of cultural sensitivity. Only when a norm infringes on human rights should you then draw a line. 

But what about promotions in places where cultural expectations might discourage women – or other groups – from leadership roles?

The approach is twofold: 

• Clarify universal promotion criteria rooted in performance, leadership, and competence. 

• Provide support systems to help employees overcome cultural barriers. 

This will help to remain focused on one clear goal: promotion must be based on merit, not on conforming to local stereotypes. 

Leading with Cultural Competence and Equity 

Critical to making these inclusive norms real are the leaders themselves. Studies confirm that culturally competent leaders – those high in ‘cultural intelligence’ (CQ) – are more effective in global environments. It’s why companies should be screening for CQ in leadership roles and invest heavily in its development.

According to SHRM, 79% of organizations view cultural competence as a vital skill, and companies that formally measure and train for it see up to 32% higher employee performance and a 50% reduction in turnover. 

High-performing leadership teams model inclusive behaviors, and their cross-cultural adeptness enables consistent adherence to global inclusion norms. 

Embedding Cross-Cultural Competence 

It’s important to note that an inclusive approach cannot be static. Instead, it has to be embedded into the very fabric of how the organization does business and its HR processes: 

• Recruitment – bias-free, inclusive job ads, and evaluating candidates for cultural adaptability. 

• Onboarding & training – immersive cultural competence sessions and reinforcement via employee resource groups and assignment of a buddy. 

• Performance management – customized feedback and evaluation mechanisms that consider cultural framing of communication and leadership styles and support accountability at all levels. 

When cultural training is woven into day-to-day work structures and not just left as optional modules, leaders will experience stronger engagement, retention, creativity, and ultimately, better performance. 

Navigating Global Headwinds 

Of course, today’s DEI landscape isn’t free of friction. In some regions, political or financial pressures have led corporations to scale back DEI efforts. However, leaders at firms like Apple and Costco continue to defend inclusion as a strategic, not optional, pillar of success. In response, many companies are integrating DEI directly into leadership roles rather than running standalone compliance departments. 

This aligns perfectly with our philosophy: inclusion isn’t a checkbox, it’s embedded leadership responsibility and a way of doing business. 

By weaving cross-cultural competence with unwavering inclusion values, companies can foster global teams that feel both supported locally and united globally – where culture is not a barrier, but a bridge. If you would like to discuss how we can help you embed cultural competence across your organization, please get in touch with me at marty@orgshakers.com