HAPPY NEW YEAR ??

I trust you all enjoyed your Christmas and New Year break, have rested, and recharged the batteries in anticipation for what the new year brings. For business owners a new year is exciting, brings hope and comes with a blank canvas, but also some fear and trepidation of what is around the corner.

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While reflecting on last year and planning for the new year I can’t ignore that economic pressure has and will likely continue to shape HR trends globally. We worked with over 200 small to medium businesses across all industries so we are in a privileged position to observe small to medium business trends. At?wattsnext last year we completed more than 10 x the number of restructures, deeds of release terminations and bullying investigations than we historically have in the preceding 16 years, and I expect this to continue in 2025.

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Economic pressure leads to business owners and senior executives scrutinising HR systems, people performance and the effort and attitude of employees. Below are the three HR areas I believe we should all try to master this year:

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1. Cost base
2. Culture (in a hybrid work environment)?
3. Skill acquisition?

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My personal mantra this year is ‘1% better every day’ - incremental Improvements by getting a little bit better at everything. In my opinion greatness in 2025 will not come from grand gestures and big change but from small, incremental, and consistent actions. I strongly believe the hard workers and those willing to put the work in to improve will be the true winners in 2025 and that small to medium businesses won’t be able to support the employees that have been historically coasting. Please?click here to read my blog?where I discuss the three areas to master in more detail.?

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If you have not yet reflected on 2024 and completed your annual anonymous survey, we have capacity to help in second half of January. There is still time to get the attraction jump on your competitors before February when recruitment jobs traditionally peak!?

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Don’t be afraid of change, we would love help you strategically assess your functional structure and individual roles so your get your new year HR foundation right!

Ben Watts?

Chief Executive Officer

Looking for more insights? Check out the additional blog posts below to keep your 2025 strategy on point! ??

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The Art of Balancing Flexibility With Accountability

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Want to Keep your Best People in 2025? Stop guessing and start asking.

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Your Leadership Team isn't Broken - You just don't speak the same language!