7 practical takeaways from our first HR Manager Community session
This week, we held the first HR Manager Community session and I left feeling really proud of what we’re building.
The best part was how open everyone was. People shared what’s working, what’s been hard, and what they’d do differently next time. That mix of honesty and practical ideas is exactly the point of the group.
Here are the seven themes that came up most, plus a few simple takeaways you can actually use.
1) Confidence comes from having people to sense check with
A lot of people around the table were in standalone roles, or have moved into HR through internal progression. When you’re the person expected to have the answers, the hardest part is often making decisions in isolation.
➡️ Try this: build yourself a small circle of peers you can message for a quick sense check. Even one or two trusted HR contacts makes a big difference.
2) HR systems are only “good” if people use them
We talked about a range of systems and tools, but the main lesson was simple. The best system is the one that works day to day for the people using it.
BambooHR got the strongest feedback on ease of use and how it supports performance management.
➡️ Try this: before you look at demos, write a short list.
- what you must have
- what would be useful
- what you will never use
It stops you getting distracted by shiny features you won’t need.
3) The work after a restructure is the bit people underestimate
A few businesses have been through restructures and redundancies in the last year. What they are dealing with now is rebuilding trust and re-engaging teams.
Two points came up repeatedly.
- Communication and transparency are what make change land well.
- Trust takes time to rebuild. You can’t rush it.
➡️ Try this: keep communication going after the change is done. A simple monthly update that shares what’s happening, what’s not changing, and what is still being worked through can steady the mood.
4) Manager training fades if it isn’t kept alive
The group talked a lot about going back to basics with manager capability.
Difficult conversations, absence, performance, recruitment. It’s not that managers do not care. It’s that if they’re not using the skills regularly, confidence drops and HR gets pulled back in.
➡️ Try this: swap big training programmes for short refreshers.
A monthly 30 minute session, a quick prompt sheet, or a few real scenarios that managers can practise can keep the basics fresh.
5) AI is making applications look better and more similar
AI came up a lot, especially in recruitment. Many teams are seeing high volumes of applications that read the same. Similar language, similar structure, and very polished wording.
One idea I loved was giving candidates a second chance.
If a CV looks heavily AI-written, one business goes back and asks the candidate to re-submit in their own words. Not to catch people out, but to understand the real person behind the application.
➡️ Try this: build your screening around detail, not polish. Pick three claims from the CV and ask for specifics.
What did you do. What changed. What was the outcome.
6) Sharing interview questions in advance is inclusive, but you may need to adapt
A lot of businesses share interview questions in advance to support inclusivity and help people prepare. The challenge now is answers becoming overly rehearsed, sometimes supported by AI.
A good middle ground suggested by the group was sharing themes rather than the exact questions.
For example: we’ll cover teamwork, systems, and a recent challenge.
➡️ Try this: share themes, then train managers to probe properly. “Tell me more” is a skill. It’s also what helps you get past rehearsed answers and into real experience.
7) The six-month rights conversation brought everything back to early performance
There was a lot of discussion about employment rights moving to six months and what that could mean for probation periods.
Some were considering five months, others three, others keeping six but tightening review points. The main takeaway was this. If performance concerns are left until the end of probation, you have left it too late.
➡️ Try this: set clear review points in the first 8 weeks, and make onboarding and expectations crystal clear from day one. Good recruitment and early support reduce most probation headaches later.
Final thought
What I loved about the session was that nobody was pretending HR is simple right now. But there were so many practical ideas shared that can genuinely make things feel more manageable.
If you’re an HR Manager who wants a local group to sense check with, learn from, and build confidence alongside, that’s exactly what this community is for.
➡️ ➡️ Join our community here ⬅️ ⬅️