Scaling Your Business Safely 🚀

The most dangerous phase of your business isn't when things go wrong, it's when everything's going right. You've hit your biggest year, your team's grown to 10, 15, maybe 20 people… and somewhere along the way you hired a few mates on a handshake. That's exactly where employment law can catch you out.

In this episode of Call HR with Fay, I share the story of a client (let's call him Dave) whose handshake hire ended up at Fair Work. Then I walk you through how to get it right: how to tell a contractor from an employee, how to check the award so you're not underpaying, and how to onboard someone properly so they actually stick around.

What We Cover 📋

Contractor or employee? Why it's about the nature of the relationship, not what suits you

How to check the right award so you're not paying under the minimum

The Fair Work documents you need before someone starts

A simple onboarding process you can set up in a spreadsheet: no fancy HR system needed

What probation really involves in Australia (3, 6 or 12 months)

How to build a feedback loop that keeps your good people

Chapters 🕒

00:00 The most dangerous phase of scaling

01:22 Dave's story: the handshake hire that went wrong

03:38 Before you hire: contractor or employee?

04:30 Getting the award right

05:06 The Fair Work Statement

05:23 Onboarding: why first impressions matter

06:12 The onboarding mistake most owners make

06:50 Stage 1: Prepare before day one

08:05 Stage 2: Day one done right

08:49 Stage 3: The 30-day feedback check-in

10:00 Probation: what you need to know

11:12 Passing probation (celebrate it)

12:06 Keeping the employee lifecycle going

13:02 What happened to Dave

13:41 Free resources + how to reach us

If you're hitting that growth phase, come say hi. There are free resources on the website you can download, and if you can't find what you're after, email us at info@hrseekers.com — happy to help.

🌐 Website: https://www.hrseekers.com

💼 Connect with Fay: https://www.linkedin.com/in/faytheiss/

📌 HR Seekers LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hrseekers

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hr_seekers/

🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hrseekers

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Call HR with Fay | HR Seekers

Real HR. No corporate fluff.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you think HR is just paperwork, payroll, or screening resumes, you're not alone. But that view is costing you.

In this episode of Call HR with Fay, I break down why so many business owners are still stuck with an outdated picture of HR, and what strategic HR actually looks like when it's aligned with your business goals.

Timestamps:

0:00 Is your view of HR stuck in the past?

1:04 Welcome to Call HR with Fay

1:37 A client who never had formal HR

3:39 What's so strategic about HR?

4:09 Stop treating HR like admin

4:33 1. Payroll → Remuneration Strategy

5:09 2. Recruitment → Workforce Planning

6:26 3. Paperwork → Organisational Design

7:34 4. Reactive → Anticipating Problems

8:17 HR as a revenue driver, not a cost centre

8:43 The mistake of blaming the system

9:24 New Australian psychosocial hazard laws (1 July 2026)

11:25 Getting your leader on board with HR

13:42 What hasn't changed: compliance

Useful links mentioned in this episode:

Fair Work: https://www.fairwork.gov.au/

Safe Work Australia: https://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/

Want more no-BS, no-corporate-jargon HR advice? Head to hrseekers.com for free resources, and subscribe so you don't miss the next episode.

Get in touch:

info@hrseekers.com

🌐 Website: https://www.hrseekers.com

💼 Connect with Fay: https://www.linkedin.com/in/faytheiss/

📌 HR Seekers LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hrseekers

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hr_seekers/

🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hrseekers

—

Call HR with Fay | HR Seekers

Real HR. No corporate fluff.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is the first episode of Call HR with Fay, a podcast for business owners, leaders, and anyone in corporate who wants real conversations about people, work, and what actually makes a difference.

No jargon. No BS. No tick-box exercises.

Let's be honest. HR has a reputation problem.

Too corporate. Too slow. Too much compliance and not enough common sense.

I've worked in HR for over 15 years. I know the reputation. And I think it's time we change it.

HR can be the thing that saves your business from expensive mistakes. Or it can be the thing that holds you back.

The difference? Knowing what it's actually supposed to do.

Drop a comment below and tell me what you want to see next!

#HRSeekers #CallHRwithFay #SmallBusinessHR #HRAdvice #LeadershipTips #WorkplaceCulture #HRAustralia #NoCorpFluff

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🌐 Website: https://www.hrseekers.com

💼 Connect with Fay: https://www.linkedin.com/in/faytheiss/

📌 HR Seekers LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hrseekers

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hr_seekers/

🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hrseekers

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Call HR with Fay by HR Seekers

Real HR. No corporate fluff.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.