A pass probation letter is one of the lighter parts of onboarding a new team member, as it’s only sent when someone has passed their probation and a lot of the legal HR admin is out of the way. But it’s important to understand what goes into it, as a pass probation letter is part and parcel of the employee experience.  As one of Charlie’s HR advisor, I help founders and CEO’s give their teams the best possible employee experience. I’ve written this blog so you’ll know how to write a pass probation letter and when to send it out.  And to make things that bit easier, I’ve included a f ..read more

Setting OKRs at a small business is always an exercise you need to carefully think about. Will they be challenging enough? Do they meet our business objectives?  At Charlie, this is a part of our work we like to challenge and questions, because it determines the overall success of our business in the long run. And it’s important to ask questions when it comes to setting OKRs.  In this guide, I’ll be sharing with you the way we set OKRs as well and finally some OKRs examples to help you set your own.  What are the best OKRs for small businesses?  OKRs – meaning Objectives ..read more

Having a diverse workplace has tangible benefits for your business.  There are negative repercussions to not including diversity and inclusion in your hiring process. If your workplace comes under fire for being toxic or having a lack of inclusion, it can damage your brand reputation in ways that are hard to undo. Taking steps to be more diverse and inclusive makes your brand seem more human because it reflects a broader range of the human experience. I'm quite passionate about diversity and inclusion and I believe it doesn't create a better workplace, but a better, kinder world. In this ..read more

In the ebb and flow of any business, there come times when you have to make tough strategic decisions that hurt the people you depend on —your employees.  Redundancies are more than just numbers on a balance sheet; it's people's livelihoods and the survival of a business. Sometimes they can’t be avoided, but a carefully orchestrated redundancy consultation process is a chance to demonstrate empathy and ethical leadership. For businesses in the United Kingdom, redundancy consultations are a legal mandate underpinning a much broader commitment to ethical redundancies, organisational transp ..read more

What are full time hours in the UK, and what is the maximum someone can legally work over the course of a week? As a Charlie CIPD-qualified advisor, I provide small businesses and startups with the best possible advice on managing and supporting their employees.  And that includes helping HR managers and business owners decide which roles should be full or part time, and how many hours the people in those positions should work per week.  Getting your working hours right is vital  — as they can hugely impact your business success and the health and happiness of your team. But th ..read more

Setting goals has been a significant part of my career, but it hasn’t always been easy. In fact, it has sometimes been so challenging that I had to rethink my entire approach to it. When I first joined Charlie, I knew we had a lot of work to do in our product function. So, to clear my head and become laser-focused on solutions rather than problems, I revisited an old method called SMART goals. But what exactly are SMART goals? If you’ve heard about them, as a CEO or manager, you may be wondering how to implement them. In this blog, I’ll share answers to your most common questions, examples of ..read more

Interviews can be quite lengthy to prepare – but what happens when you’ve also got to think about the email invite you send to candidates?  At Charlie, we often use invite-to-interview templates to make sure we remain consistent in the way we communicate with candidates.  We know that this will help emphasise how much we value their time, but also guarantee that they will actually show up for the interview.  Have a look at our top tips to write an invite to interview email, and download or copy-paste some of our templates below.  What’s an interview invite letter for?&nbs ..read more

Voluntary redundancies are a strategic option for small business owners to downsize their workforce because of financial pressures or organisational restructuring, but in a way that doesn’t leave your employees out hanging to dry. When you give your employees the option to be chosen for redundancy, you take proactive measures to solve financial pressures, and help maintain morale with your existing team when they see you make an effort to be transparent and fair. In this post, I’ll guide you through the process of making a voluntary redundancy, and offer you a template of questions you can us ..read more

A job offer letter is a way to get your relationship with your new team member started on the right foot. It takes time - lots of time - to find the right person to do the job you need. Only 2% of job candidates who apply for a job are selected for an interview. Of those who get the offer, it takes 3 weeks on average for the official job offer letter to be made. That’s a lot of time bandying about when you could be onboarding the new employee and getting them up to speed. Here is where having a job offer template that works can come in very handy. Having a tailored job offer template not only ..read more

Crafting the right job description to attract the right candidate is a lot like knowing which bait to use to catch the right fish. You have to know what’s going to make them bite. You’re competing in the same industry as dozens of other companies looking for the same kind of talent you are. Knowing how to show your best face and make your offer appealing will make the right candidates come to you - and no one else. It’s about showing candidates everything they need to know before applying so that you don’t waste their time - or yours. Saying exactly what you have to offer the right candidate ..read more