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Clean the Data Before You Buy the Software: Seven Fields That Break an HRIS Rollout
November 11, 2026
New HR software does not fix messy employee data, it spreads it. Seven fields that break a rollout and a payroll cycle, how to fix each one at the source, and a…
Six Employee Files, Not One: What Belongs Where in a California Small Business
November 11, 2026
One folder per employee feels tidy until someone asks to see it. Split records into six files so a personnel file request, a medical note and an I-9 inspection never collide. What…
Managers, Culture and Retention
Why Training Does Not Stick, and a Follow-Through Plan for Small Employers
November 11, 2026
You paid for the course and Monday looks the same. Training fails in the weeks after the session, not during it. A four-step follow-through plan, the manager's part in each step, a…
Recruiting and Retention Are One System: Close the Promise Gap
November 9, 2026
Most new hires who leave early did not change their minds. They found a gap between what was promised and what they got. A promise ledger, a candidate experience audit and a…
The Facilitator’s Field Guide: A Book for Anyone Who Runs Live Online Sessions
November 8, 2026
Most online sessions end with one person talking and everyone else on mute. The Facilitator's Field Guide is my 12-chapter book on running live online sessions where everyone takes part, from the…
The Small Employer HR Field Guide: The Book for California Owners Who Do Not Have an HR Department
November 8, 2026
You do not need an HR department, but you do need the work HR does, starting with your first employee. The Small Employer HR Field Guide is my book of 13 principles,…
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Blog · November 11, 2026
No Ladder? Build a Lattice: Growth Without Promotions in a Small Company
Your best people leave because the next title does not exist. A career lattice offers growth sideways and deeper, not only up. Three skill levels per role, planned lateral moves, a pay…
Blog · November 11, 2026
Recognition That Works: A 10-Minute Weekly Routine for Small Teams
Your people want to be seen and you are too busy to notice out loud. A ten-minute weekly routine, four tests for praise that lands, three traps, and the pay and tax…
Blog · November 11, 2026
The One Person Who Knows How Payroll Runs: Key-Person Risk in Small HR
If one person holds payroll, benefits renewals and the I-9s in their head, a resignation or a sick week becomes a legal deadline. A five-column task inventory, the three-week test, a documentation…
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