by Claire Ward | Nov 21, 2025 | Internal Communications, Vision, Values & Culture
Even if you’ve managed to avoid getting sucked into The Traitors and losing the 10 + hours of your time to it, you’ve probably heard the chatter: Capes. Candlelight. Claudia in sequins. A castle full of people trying to spot who’s secretly stabbing them in the back – what’s not to love?
But beyond the drama, tears and plotting over porridge, The Traitors is basically a masterclass in group psychology. It’s got everything a founder needs to understand about trust, communication and how fragile team dynamics can be when people stop feeling safe.
And while your office might not have a round table or a daily “banishment ceremony” (tempting though that might be!), every workplace has its own version of Faithfuls, Traitors and the grey area in between.
Trust: the invisible glue that holds it all together
The most interesting thing about The Traitors isn’t who wins, it’s how people behave when trust starts to wobble or when they’re put under the microscope. Once suspicion creeps in, logic goes out the window. If you’ve heard just one round of explanations of why someone has acted ‘suspiciously’, you’ll have seen just how flimsy any ‘evidence’ is for voting someone out. People draw conclusions from the most spurious of observed behaviours, communication breaks down, alliances crumble, and emotions run the show. Sound familiar?
In businesses, the same thing happens when team members don’t trust each other or their leaders. People start holding back ideas, avoiding accountability or second-guessing motives. Decisions slow down, meetings get tense and “just checking in” emails multiply by the dozen.
Trust isn’t a fluffy concept; it’s the quiet foundation that allows speed, creativity and accountability to exist. And once it’s cracked, it takes more than an apology and a croissant to rebuild.
As leaders, that means creating what psychologists call psychological safety — an environment where people can be honest without fear of humiliation or punishment. It’s the difference between someone saying “I’ve made a mistake” versus keeping quiet and hoping no one notices.
Inclusion: the antidote to groupthink
One of the big dynamics in The Traitors is how quickly the group falls into “us vs them” thinking. Once a few loud voices dominate, it’s game over for quieter contributors. The Faithfuls, desperate for consensus, often gang up on whoever seems different, emotional or slightly out of sync.
Swap the castle for your company’s Monday meeting and you’ll see the same thing play out. Someone with a different communication style, background or approach can be misread as “not a team player” — and quietly side-lined.
This is where the I in your MAGIC framework comes in: inclusion. Creating space for different perspectives isn’t just the right thing to do — it makes teams sharper and more resilient. The best leaders make a habit of asking, “Whose voice haven’t we heard yet?” or “What might we be missing here?”
When everyone feels seen and safe to contribute, the team makes better decisions — and you’re far less likely to end up metaphorically “banishing” your best thinkers.
Accountability: how to spot (and stop) subtle sabotage
Every series of The Traitors gives us a few master manipulators — charming, calm, and brilliant at diverting blame. In the real world, we call this corporate sabotage lite. It’s the team member who quietly spreads doubt about a project, deflects feedback, or avoids owning their mistakes.
Accountability doesn’t mean finger-pointing — it’s about clarity. Everyone should know what’s expected of them, how success is measured, and what happens if things go off-track. When expectations are vague, so is responsibility — and that’s when “traitor energy” creeps in.
As a founder, one of your biggest jobs is to model accountability from the top. Admit when you get it wrong. Ask what you could have done differently. Celebrate people who take ownership rather than hide behind process. It sets a tone that says: we don’t need perfect people, we need honest ones.
Communication: how suspicion fills a silence
If there’s one thing The Traitors teaches us, it’s that when people don’t talk, stories fill the gap. Half the drama of the show is people whispering about what they think they saw. In teams, the same thing happens — just with fewer cloaks and more Slack threads.
When leaders don’t communicate clearly or regularly, people make up their own narratives. That’s how a simple restructure becomes “the company’s in trouble” or a quiet founder becomes “something must be wrong”.
You can’t stop gossip entirely (it’s human), but you can drown out speculation with openness. Regular updates, visible decision-making and explaining why things are changing are simple but powerful trust-builders.
What founders can take from all this
Watching The Traitors is a fun reminder that human behaviour doesn’t change much — whether we’re in medieval castles or co-working spaces. Teams thrive when they feel included, trusted and informed. They fall apart when they feel ignored, judged or blamed.
The best leaders don’t waste energy pretending mistrust doesn’t happen — they get curious about it. They ask what’s fuelling the doubts, surface the elephants in the room, and create small rituals that keep the connection alive.
In the end, The Traitors isn’t really about deceit — it’s about belonging. The players who do well are those who form genuine connections, listen more than they talk, and balance self-interest with collective success, exactly what you want from any high-performing team.
Final thought
You might not be cloaked in black at breakfast, but you’ll definitely recognise a few Faithfuls and Traitors in your own workplace. The trick is spotting which is which — and creating a culture where trust wins out over fear.
If you’d like help strengthening that culture in your business — or just making sure no one’s plotting your “banishment” — drop us a line at hello@thehrhub.co.uk or call 0203 951 1208.
Or for more insights on building calm, capable teams, have a read of my book, The MAGIC of HR.
by Claire Ward | Oct 3, 2025 | Vision, Values & Culture
October is here, and with it, Black History Month UK 2025 invites us under the theme “Standing firm in power and pride.” It’s a chance to celebrate the contributions of Black people in this country, to honour stories that have sometimes been overlooked, and to consider what power and pride look like in our own workplaces.
For founders, this isn’t just a moment to speak up — it’s a moment to listen, learn, and reflect. The theme reminds us that inclusion isn’t about fitting in: it’s about allowing people to stand firm in who they are, and to be proud of the value they bring.
Pride and power are words to remind us of what inclusion feels like when it works: belonging, visibility, and affirmation. When people are able to show up authentically — to bring their whole selves without hiding — it strengthens trust, engagement, and team morale.
If someone has to suppress part of who they are to be “acceptable,” you lose part of what makes them unique. Inclusion built on respect and encouragement allows individuals to lean into their strengths — and that’s how your team becomes more creative, resilient, and alive.
But I’m already pretty inclusive …
As a leader, you may well already think you’re already pretty inclusive within your business – and you may well be right! But sometimes it’s not just enough to recognise yourself – you need to be able to show this to your team visibly. Otherwise, how else are they going to know?
And typically this takes place by showing in your actions as well as your words.
Small Steps That Make a Big Difference
You don’t need a grand plan to embody power and pride in inclusion. These actions can help make inclusive practice more than just awareness:
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Host a team discussion or speaker event around this year’s theme. Invite people to share what “power and pride” mean to them — how they can be seen and valued & what stories they might have to share
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Audit your visible leadership. Who do people see as leaders? Are those people diverse? Could you spotlight more voices — in meetings, in internal comms, in roles where decisions are made?
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Review your recruitment and promotion practices with pride in mind: is your language inclusive? Do people from diverse backgrounds have clear pathways and opportunities to rise?
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Lead visibly. As a founder, showing pride in inclusion — admitting what you don’t yet understand, being open to feedback, making changes — gives others permission to do the same.
Black History Month has a wealth of information you can share and read / attend to understand what you can do to learn and support Black History Month and any future actions in your business, but we’ve also included some other information you can read/ watch below to understand Black history in the UK further:
This month is more than celebration. It’s a prompt to reflect: Are we giving people space to stand firm? Are we lifting up voices? Are we building workplace power that is shared, not hoarded?
At The HR Hub, we believe Inclusion is one of the five essentials in creating employee MAGIC. Alongside Meaning, Accountability, Growth and Care, Inclusion is what makes teams thrive. It’s the thread that runs through everything.
At The HR Hub, we help founders build workplaces where inclusion isn’t just a campaign — it’s a foundation. If you’d like help turning reflection into action, drop us a line at hello@thehrhub.co.uk or call 0203 951 1208.
by Claire Ward | Jun 26, 2025 | Internal Communications, Reward, Vision, Values & Culture
“We’re like a family!”
“You’ve just got to feel the energy here!”
“I only hire people I’d want to go for a drink with.”
Lovely sentiments of course. But none of them will stop your best people from quietly updating their CVs when the business starts to outgrow its structure and no one knows what’s expected anymore.
In fact, as one of my current podcast idols Codie Sanchez says, if a company starts saying that they are ‘like a family’, that should be your cue to run a mile! Why? Because families don’t set expectations over performance. And families don’t give challenging feedback (and no, I don’t count the passive aggressive comments at the end of a long Christmas lunch…) . Heck, most families don’t even like each other much!
So as your team expands, you’ll need more than straplines, birthday Prosecco and a buzzy Slack channel to hold things together. Because while perks are nice, they’re not culture. And when you’re scaling fast, relying on ‘good vibes’ alone is a fast track to confusion, inconsistency, and underperformance.
The culture you actually need is the one that helps people stay focused, feel included, and perform well without burning out or bailing.
So let’s bust the myth: good vibes alone don’t build strong teams.
What is culture then, really?
In its most simple form, a company’s culture can best be described as the way you do things as a team and how you behave towards each other. There is no point having ‘be bold’ emblazoned across the wall in flashing lights if every time someone takes a risk at work they are chastised by senior management for not seeking several layers of approval first.
Culture is how it feels to work at your company (when no one’s watching).
It’s how people behave when the pressure’s on.
It’s how feedback is given (or avoided).
It’s how decisions get made.
It’s whether people feel seen, safe, and like they matter.
And for businesses of 10, 20, 50+ people, culture either becomes your rocket fuel or your risk factor.
When you’re small, culture tends to reflect the founder’s personality. You’re hands-on. You know everyone. It’s easy to keep things aligned because you’re in the room – literally and figuratively.
But as you grow? That vibe starts to slip. Suddenly, new managers are doing things their own way. Confusion creeps in. People start asking questions like:
“Who decides that?”
“What’s going on over there?”
“Why did they get promoted and I didn’t?”
And if you haven’t defined the culture you want – you end up with a patchwork of practices, politics and (quite possibly) the odd bit of passive-aggression.
Culture needs systems – not slogans
This is the bit no one puts on the murals.
Culture gets embedded through clarity, not charisma. And it shows up in:
- What you reward – and what you don’t.
- Who gets hired, fired, and promoted.
- The behaviours you tolerate – even from high performers.
- The conversations you have (and don’t have) when things go wrong.
A couple of years ago, we worked with a client whose team looked super engaged on the surface. They had socials, shoutouts, and even a ‘Culture Committee’.
But under the hood? People weren’t clear on expectations. Managers were inconsistent. And the “values” on the wall? More aspirational than actual. People spent more time bitching and moaning that actually contributing and it was recognised that results were suffering.
It wasn’t what modern parlance would term ‘toxic’ by any stretch. But it wasn’t high-performing either.
We helped them do a reset: clearer roles, proper feedback training, and actual accountability frameworks that increased trust and delivery.
Six months later? Higher performance, faster onboarding, and a whole lot less drama.
So where would I start to boost my culture?
We use our MAGIC framework to help clients figure this out. It’s not fluffy – it’s practical.
We see the best cultures show up in five areas:
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Meaning – People know why their work matters (not just to you, but to them).
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Accountability – Expectations are clear, consistent, and fairly applied.
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Growth – Everyone can learn, develop and progress.
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Inclusion – People feel like they belong, not just fit in.
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Care – Wellbeing is supported in ways that are real, not tokenistic.
When these elements are baked into how your team operates – in how you hire, manage, communicate and lead – that’s when culture becomes your secret weapon.
TL;DR:
- Culture isn’t “good vibes” – it’s consistent habits.
- You can’t scale what you haven’t defined.
- Leadership behaviour is the culture – model what you want to see.
- If it’s not written down, it doesn’t exist.
So if things are starting to feel a bit creaky, or your “team magic” is beginning to fray at the edges, don’t panic. But don’t ignore it either.
Book a chat with us, and let’s take a look under the bonnet. A few smart tweaks now can save you a whole heap of headaches later.
Contact us on hello@thehrhub.co.uk or call on 0203 951 1208
Not a phone or email kind of person? Grab my book, The MAGIC of HR, for more practical tips to build a culture that actually works.
by Claire Ward | Jun 13, 2025 | Vision, Values & Culture
Every June, your LinkedIn feed lights up like a Pride parade. Rainbow logos. Hashtags galore. Maybe even an internal comms email reminding people to be “aware and respectful.” All of course which are good to raise awareness and are a nice sentiment. But does it actually change anything?
For many business owners and leaders, who – let’s be honest are juggling cashflow, client demands and that one team member who keeps rolling their eyes in meetings – inclusion often feels like yet another HR buzzword to decode. One more thing to get wrong. Or one more thing to file under “I’ll deal with it later.”
But inclusion isn’t about getting everything right. It’s about creating a workplace where people don’t have to second-guess themselves just to get through the day. Where ideas come from everywhere. Where your team aren’t just there, they care.
So how do you build that, without needing a DEI committee or a 92-page strategy?
Let’s break it down.
Inclusion = Performance (not PR)
Inclusion isn’t just the “nice to have” box you tick because it’s Pride Month. It’s rocket fuel for team performance.
When people feel safe to speak up, make mistakes, and show up as themselves, they perform better. They collaborate more. They innovate. They don’t sit on good ideas because they’re worried how they’ll land. And they don’t quietly leave because they felt like a spare part.
Studies by Deloitte and McKinsey both show that inclusive teams outperform others by 30–35%. But let’s strip out the management speak: if your team don’t feel included, they’ll disengage, underperform — or leave.
And replacing good people costs time and money that no SME has lying around.
Inclusion in practice (not policy)
In The MAGIC of HR, I talk about five key ingredients to creating a great place to work – “Inclusion” being the ‘I’ that is right in the mix.
But inclusion doesn’t mean more policies. In fact, half the time, your policies are fine. It’s the behaviour around them that counts.
Inclusion sounds like:
“Let’s move the team drinks to a different night so everyone can join.”
“Hey, you seemed quiet in that meeting — what’s your take?”
“We’ve got a few candidates with different backgrounds. Let’s make sure we’re not just hiring in our own image.”
None of this needs to be fancy. But it does need to be deliberate.
“But what if I say the wrong thing?”
This is the one I hear from founders and managers all the time. “I don’t want to offend anyone… so I just don’t say anything.”
Totally get it. But saying nothing is saying something. And silence can look a lot like indifference.
The truth? People don’t expect you to be fluent in every protected characteristic. They just want to know that you care enough to ask, learn and try. And when you get it wrong (you will — we all do), own it. Apologise. Move on.
This isn’t about being perfect. It’s about being better.
Inclusion needs courage (and a few grown-up conversations)
Here’s the thing: inclusion doesn’t always feel comfortable. It might mean:
Asking why only the loudest people get heard.
Challenging the office banter that’s a bit too close to the line.
Noticing who always gets the stretch projects… and who doesn’t.
These moments matter. And while it’s tempting to brush them off (“It’s just how he is”), that culture creeps in — quietly shaping who stays, who thrives, and who burns out.
Being a leader means having the spine to face this stuff head-on. Even when it’s awkward. Especially when it’s awkward.
Small shifts. Big results.
You don’t need a 12-month diversity roadmap to start building a more inclusive team. You just need to:
Ask people how included they feel. And listen to the answers.
Check your parental leave and benefits language — does it assume everyone’s in a hetero relationship?
Review your interview process. Are you hiring for “culture fit” or just “people like us”?
Give your managers some tools — because most of them want to do the right thing, they just don’t know where to start.
And if you’re not sure what to say? Try this: “I’m learning. If I get it wrong, tell me.” That one sentence can unlock so much trust.
Want to start adding more MAGIC to your team today? Drop us a line at hello@thehrhub.co.uk or call us on 0203 951 1208
Not a phone or email kind of person? Grab my book, The MAGIC of HR, for more practical tips to build a culture that actually works.
by Claire Ward | Mar 27, 2025 | Internal Communications, Reward, Vision, Values & Culture
At The HR Hub, we believe HR isn’t about paperwork and policies, it’s about people. Which is why we live by the MAGIC formula: that there should be Meaning, Accountability, Growth, Inclusion, and Care built into each of the stages of the employee experience.
These five ingredients are the secret sauce to building a workplace that people love And one that delivers real results.
We didn’t just dream this up over coffee (though that definitely helped). We asked hundreds of companies that we’ve worked with to take our HR Scorecard Discovery Quiz and tell us how well they’re doing throughout the employee lifecycle.
Here’s what we uncovered (and what you might want to keep an eye on in your own team).
🚀 Onboarding: Roll out the (Virtual) red carpet
Our survey showed an average onboarding score of 79.8%—a solid start! Most teams have the basics covered: kit delivered, Slack channel invites sent, manager intros scheduled.
But if you want to go beyond functional and head into fantastic, you need to inject Meaning from the get-go. Help new hires understand how their work fits into the big picture. People don’t just want a job, they want purpose. And the first week is your golden window to spark that connection.
📈 Growth: Not just a buzzword
Only 60% of companies felt confident in their growth opportunities. That’s a big red flag. If your people can’t see a path forward with you, they’ll create one somewhere else.
Growth in MAGIC means more than promotions. It’s about learning, upskilling, stretch projects, mentorship—all the good stuff that shows you’re invested in their potential. Small actions here can pay off in loyalty, innovation, and yes, retention.
🏆 Rewards & Recognition: Show me the money (and the love….)
At 63%, reward and recognition was… fine. But “fine” doesn’t drive engagement. And we all know a “thanks” said aloud beats a fancy award that no one notices.
Here’s where Inclusion and Care really shine. A meaningful thank-you, a peer shoutout, a quick coffee voucher “just because” it all adds up. When people feel seen and appreciated, they stick around longer and perform better.
👋 Offboarding: winner of ‘The most overlooked experience’
At 55%, offboarding was the lowest-scoring category. Ouch. It’s as if the moment someone resigns, we collectively forget they’re still a human (and often, still on the payroll for a few weeks).
But this is exactly where Accountability matters. A thoughtful goodbye can be just as powerful as a warm welcome. Help exiting employees feel respected, and give your remaining team a sense of closure and continuity. Bonus: it also boosts your reputation with future talent.
If your employee experience is a bit wobbly in places, don’t panic.
The first step is being honest about where the cracks are.
Want a roadmap? Test out how you stack up against MAGIC formula yourself here. Whether it’s making onboarding more purposeful, offboarding more human, or adding career development into the everyday, the goal is simple: build an experience your people will rave about.
And if you need a hand applying MAGIC to your own team? We’re only a call (or email) away. C
Check out thehrhub.co.uk, ping us at hello@thehrhub.co.uk, or ring us on 0203 6277048. Not a phone person? Grab my book, The MAGIC of HR, for more practical tips to build a culture that actually works
by Jenny Stark | Nov 26, 2024 | Employee Engagement, Learning & Development, Vision, Values & Culture
Let’s face it: the last few weeks of the year can be a bit of a rollercoaster. With deadlines looming and holiday excitement in the air, it’s easy for energy levels to dip. But don’t forget — it’s also a crucial time of the year for retention. Many employees start having ‘wandering eyes’ around this time, thinking about their next career move, what they’ve achieved (or not achieved!) this year, and whether they’d advance more at another company. So what can you do to make sure they stick around?
A little sprinkle of recognition goes a long way
It feels good to be appreciated, doesn’t it? Research shows that feeling valued is a huge motivator in the workplace. When employees receive genuine recognition, they’re four times more likely to be engaged and 73% less likely to burn out.
So, how can you sprinkle a little appreciation magic this Christmas? Think public shout-outs during team meetings, fun end-of-year celebrations that highlight everyone’s hard work and performance-based incentives. These aren’t just nice gestures; they’re powerful tools that keep your team feeling seen and valued.
When you’re conducting end-of-year reviews as a leader, it’s tempting to launch into everything you personally want done in 2025, or everything you felt went wrong in 2024. Remember though that this is an excellent opportunity to show your employees your gratitude and appreciation for all the hard work they’ve put into this year. The more you can leverage this opportunity to create recognition, the likelier your employees will value working in your team.
Now’s the time to invest in their 2025 career growth
It’s easy to neglect things like training programmes and your employees’ career goals, especially at this time of the year as things are winding down. But arguably there was never a better time to invest in career growth – or at least, plan for ways of improving their skills for 2025. Employees who feel supported in their growth are twice as likely to recommend their managers and stick around for the long haul, definitely a win-win.
What seminars and training programmes can you send your employees to next year? How can you connect your more junior employees with senior leaders for mentoring opportunities? Have you got a dedicated budget for supporting their career goals, and a clear roadmap of milestones for 2025? It may appear too early to think about these things, but trust me – the more prepared you are now, the less likely your employees will consider jumping ship in the new year.
The gift of flexibility this Christmas season
With Black Friday, Christmas and Boxing Day around the corner this can be the busy season, especially if you’re in retail or marketing. Stress levels can skyrocket, so consider offering flexible hours and remote working options, or simply encouraging everyone to unplug after hours. As a leader it’s your job to lead by example – so when 5.30pm or 6pm arrives, have you stopped emailing your team?
Flexibility isn’t just about working less, it’s about working smarter. Trust your team to manage their time effectively, and you’ll create a culture of respect and understanding that keeps everyone happy.
You can absolutely maintain high levels of communication while working remotely through Slack, video calls and emails. Schedule in regular check-ins and honest discussions about priorities to keep everyone aligned and focused.
At the end of the day, retention isn’t just about big gestures — it’s about consistent actions that show your team they matter. As we head into these final weeks of the year, remember that every interaction is an opportunity to reinforce why your best employees should stick around.
Need help with your retention? Drop us a line via hello@thehrhub.co.uk or give us a call on 0203 951 1208.
If you don’t want to speak to anyone but would like to learn more, read my book The MAGIC of HR.
