The Latest from Kristy-Lee

We all know the feeling, we’re losing sleep, we’re avoiding the person at work, we’re angry, frustrated and tearing our hair out. We have an employee who is not performing, not showing up how we want them to at work or behaving in a negative way, a way that isn’t sitting right with you.

We can’t always quite put our finger on the exact issue, it’s just not quite right, but it’s wrong enough to be consuming our time and attention. Or maybe it is more obvious, but we feel like we’re going over the top if we bring it up – we don’t want them to feel like we are micromanaging them or pulling them up for something that feels petty and insignificant (yet the fact that it’s consuming our time and attention does in fact mean that at some level it is significant to us).

So, we tolerate it, whether it’s behaviour, attendance, performance or something else, we tolerate it. We think maybe it’s not that much of a big deal, or maybe it’ll be short term, or surely they will realise soon and fi...

There’s a fine balance between the number of people that report into any one position and how effectively a business or organisation continues to run. It’s quite often an aspect of organisational structure that is overlooked, neglected, or spirals quickly out of control as businesses scale and grow without a clearly identified structure or resourcing plan for growth.

But there is a magic number of direct reports that hits the sweet spot, ensuring that you have just the right number of staff reporting into a single position while still ensuring that position itself is effective depending on the nature of the role.

Structure is one of the fundamental aspects of ensuring that you don’t overwhelm, or even underwhelm, your management team and help set them, and their teams, up for success – in the long run, this feeds into your business success and is well worth investing in.

There are actually five key factors or variables that impact the success of direct report structures and...

No less than once a week I’ll get a call, or question online, that goes a little like “I have a problem with a staff member, they are getting their job done but they aren’t being a great team member, I can’t quite put my finger on it but every time I raise an issue with them they have an excuse, there is always some reason things haven’t gone to plan”.

Does this sound familiar to you? Have you had someone like this on your team before?

Sure enough, after a few questions my typical conclusion is – you have someone who is below the line. What line? Great question!

The Above the Line – Below the Line Framework

I first became aware of this framework close to 20 years ago, I’d heard about it conceptually but when I really noticed this as a powerful framework for teams when I worked with a business who really embraced the concept so much that their team used the language in their day to day operations – this is when I really started to pay attention to this concept.

Who conceptualise...

Ever felt like you were literally drowning in resumes? Recruiting the right people for your business can be both time-consuming and overwhelming.

With hundreds—sometimes thousands—of applications flooding in for a single job posting, filtering through resumes can quickly become a full-time job.

One of my favourite tools to use to make this process not only more efficient, but also more effective, is SEEK’s screening question functionality.

If you’re hiring staff and using SEEK to advertise roles, leveraging its built-in screening tools can help you save time, reduce hiring overwhelm, and identify the best candidates faster. In this post, we’ll explore how to use SEEK’s screening questions effectively and share some insider tips to optimise your recruitment process.

Why SEEK is Still Australia’s Top Job Board

SEEK remains the most dominant job board in Australia, with over 160,000 job ads live at any given time and more than 32.8 million site visits in January 2025 alon...

As business owners, we often find ourselves spending our entire day dealing with people, managing their needs, and navigating the complexities of teamwork.

As a business owner we need to step into the role of ‘leader’ in our business. However, many entrepreneurs and managers find themselves reluctant leaders, struggling to embrace their role as "the boss."

Instead of providing direction and leadership, they fall into what can be called the "non-boss mindset"—a hands-off approach where they hope their team will figure things out independently. While autonomy is important, a lack of leadership can create confusion, inefficiency, and frustration among employees.

If you've ever avoided making decisions, shied away from conflict, or found yourself reluctant to manage your team, you might be operating in this non-boss space.

Overcoming the Fear of Leadership

When we started our journey into entrepreneurship or embarked on our careers, we may not have anticipated that managing people ...

Hiring the right people is one of the most critical decisions a business owner or manager can make.

Yet, so often, interviews are filled with bad questions—the kind that don’t actually help assess a candidate’s suitability for the role.

If you’ve ever left an interview feeling like you didn’t get any real insights into an applicant, your questions might be to blame. Let’s explore the worst types of interview questions, why they fail, and how you can ask better ones to make smarter hiring decisions.

Why Interview Questions Matter

Many employers assume that candidates will volunteer all the important information they need to make a decision. But in reality:

• Candidates only answer what’s asked—if you don’t ask the right questions, you won’t get the right answers.
• A one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work—questions should be tailored to the role and your business needs.
• Poor questions lead to poor hires—hiring mistakes are costly, time-consuming, and disruptive to your bu
...

At the time of writing this, it’s Employee Appreciation Day!

Whilst this day is a great opportunity to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of your team (despite not being widely recognised in Australia), it’s not just about recognising your team on one day each year.

I thought this day was a great opportunity to discuss the value and importance of recognising our people more generally.

Taking the time to celebrate your employees can boost morale, improve engagement, and create a more positive workplace culture. Embedding gratitude and recognition into your daily leadership style will have a far greater impact than a single celebration.

Let’s explore why employee recognition is crucial, creative ways to celebrate Employee Appreciation Day, and how to foster a culture of appreciation year-round.

Why Employee Recognition Matters

It might seem like a small thing, but showing appreciation has a significant impact on workplace morale, engagement, and productivity.

Hiring great employees can be time-consuming, challenging, and even overwhelming. But with the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), businesses can streamline the recruitment process, saving time and effort while improving hiring outcomes.

AI won’t replace human decision-making in hiring—it lacks intuition, emotional intelligence, and the ability to assess cultural fit. However, when used correctly, AI can speed up administrative tasks, enhance job ads, and help you find the right candidates more efficiently.

Here are five practical ways you can use AI to improve your hiring process.

1. Use AI to Write and Refine Job Descriptions

A well-crafted job description is the foundation of a successful hiring process. It sets expectations, attracts the right candidates, and filters out unqualified applicants.

How AI Helps:

• AI tools like ChatGPT can generate job descriptions based on specific role requirements, industry standards, and key skills.
• AI can suggest improvement
...

When an employee resigns, employers often face a critical decision: should they require the employee to work out their notice period or let them leave immediately?

While it may seem like a simple yes-or-no question, the reality is more complex. There are legal considerations, business needs, and the overall impact on the team to take into account.

While notice periods exist to ensure a smooth transition, the question remains: does keeping a resigning employee on board benefit the business, or is it sometimes better to part ways early? Let’s break down everything you need to consider when making this decision.

Understanding Notice Periods and When They Apply

A notice period is the time between when an employee resigns (or is terminated) and when their employment officially ends. For permanent employees—whether full-time or part-time—notice periods are typically outlined in their employment contract or the relevant Modern Award, or The Fair Work Act.

The length of notice...

Hiring the right people is one of the most critical elements of business success.

The right employees can drive productivity, improve company culture, and help your business thrive. But hiring the wrong people? That can lead to inefficiency, workplace tension, and costly turnover.

Unfortunately, many business owners and managers fall into common hiring traps—ones that are completely avoidable with the right approach. The good news? By recognising these mistakes and making simple changes, you can dramatically improve your hiring success.

Here are three of the most common hiring mistakes—and exactly how to avoid them.

1. Lack of Clarity: Know Exactly Who You’re Hiring

One of the biggest mistakes businesses make when hiring is not being clear on exactly what they need in a new employee. Many employers rush into recruitment without defining the role properly, leading to confusion, wasted time, and unsuitable hires.

Why This Happens:

• Urgency to fill a role quickly,
...