HR advice for the moments that come up in working life.
You don’t have to wait until something has gone badly wrong before talking to HR.
Sometimes you’re stepping into something new and want to get it right. Sometimes you’re asking for something. Sometimes work has changed around you, or something simply doesn’t feel right. And sometimes nothing is technically “wrong” at all. You just want another experienced perspective.
Below are some of the situations people bring to Got HR?. You don’t need to know which category you fit into before you book.
The kinds of things we can talk about
Tap through the categories below. You don’t have to know which one you fit into.
01 / 8
Starting something new
A job offer, a new role, a promotion, or managing people for the first time.
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02 / 8
Asking for something
More money, more flexibility, different hours, a different title.
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03 / 8
Work and caring
Parental leave, returning to work, flexible arrangements, caring for family.
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04 / 8
Managers and conversations
A difficult manager, feedback you weren’t expecting, a meeting with no agenda.
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05 / 8
Workplace change
A new manager, shifting responsibilities, a restructure, a redundancy.
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06 / 8
When things get difficult
A complaint, an investigation, a workload that isn’t sustainable.
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07 / 8
Leaving and what comes next
Resigning, timing, transition, or moving into something different.
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08 / 8
Somewhere independent to think
Sense-checking a situation, or having nowhere else to say it out loud.
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Starting something new
You might be excited about an opportunity but want to understand the offer properly before you accept it. That might mean looking at the role, salary, flexibility, working arrangements, title, probation, notice, the questions worth asking before you say yes and what may be worth negotiating.
Getting the job is one thing. Starting it well is another. Starting well can mean thinking about how to prepare before day one, what to focus on in your first few weeks, how to understand expectations and how to build the right relationships without feeling like you need to prove everything immediately. For more senior roles, that might include your first 30, 60 or 90 days.
A promotion can look great on paper and still be worth thinking through properly: the scope of the role, expectations, reporting lines, pay, title, what actually changes and whether the opportunity fits what you want next.
And if you’re becoming a manager for the first time, it can help to think about what good management looks like, how to establish yourself with the team and how to approach those first leadership moments.
Several of these at once? That’s normal. Bring me whichever is closest.
You’re wondering, “Is this normal?”
Can they do this?
Am I overreacting?
What would HR normally do here?
Should I put this in writing?
Is this worth raising?
What should I ask in the meeting?
You don’t have to know which category you fit into.
Real workplace situations rarely sit neatly under one heading. You may be dealing with several of these things at once, or something completely different.
Start with whichever part is taking up the most space in your head.