High performing employees make up around 21% of the workplace, according to a report by the Talent Strategy Group. A high performing employee will go above and beyond your expectations. They will digest information quickly, take ownership of their role and will strive for continuous development. This doesn’t mean they need to be the loudest voice in the room or the person that talks to their colleagues the most. A high performing employee can be someone who simply gets on with their job and does it to the very best of their ability. It is important for employers to notice high performing employees and take steps to nurture them as part of their talent management and employee development strategy.

Identifying High Performing Employees

The most important initial step is to look out for signs of high performing employees. Once you identify these, you can take the actions needed to develop them and boost workplace productivity. Some signs that an employee is high performing include:

• Hit the ground running – high performing employees will be able to get on with their jobs as soon as they have the necessary training. They won’t need continuous hand holding or someone to look over them. High performing employees will take the relevant knowledge required for the role and they will take ownership. This shows strong self-management skills and role accountability.
  
  
• Make improvements – a high performing employee won’t just do their job; they will also offer ideas on where improvements can be made to benefit the business. This proactive behaviour supports continuous improvement and innovation at work.
  
  
• Positive attitude – a strong employee will be good to be around and will bring positivity to their colleagues, contributing to higher employee engagement and a healthier workplace culture.
  
  
• Reliable and trustworthy – high performing employees will have a strong work ethic. You can rely on them to turn up for work and trust them with responsible tasks, such as opening the office in the morning. These traits are essential for team performance and leadership potential.
  
  
• Emotional maturity – a strong leader within the organisation will show emotional maturity. This includes handling feedback in a positive way and learning from it. Emotional intelligence is a key component of strong leadership skills.

How to Manage High Performing Employees

Retaining and developing high performing employees should be a priority for businesses. When a high performing employee is identified, consider the following performance management strategies:

• Pay and Benefits – make sure your high performing employees are paid the market rate and receive incremental pay rises based on their performance. Competitive rewards help with talent retention.
  
  
• Autonomy – trust is earned, and if you have a trustworthy employee, make sure you reflect this in the autonomy you offer them in their role. Empowering high performers supports stronger employee motivation. The last thing they will want is to be micro-managed.
  
  
• Set Goals – a high performing employee will start to look elsewhere if they don’t feel there is any growth within the business. Make sure you set goals with your employee and plan for their future career expectations as part of effective career development planning.

Turn Employee into High Performing Employee

Although it is important to nurture a high performing employee, this should not be to the detriment of other workers. It should be done in an inclusive manner, and used to recognise efforts rather than to punish others. Every employee should be given an equal opportunity to thrive in their role. With the right employee training, support, and development, many employees can become high performing employees over time.

At Inspired CVs, we offer workshops for employees to help them grow within their role, supporting their professional development and boosting their chances of becoming high performers. You can find out more here. We also provide professional CVs to support the needs of candidates.

The True Cost of Hiring a New Employee in the UK

The average cost of hiring a new employee in the UK is around £3,000, but this can be much higher if you use recruitment agencies in the UK, many of whom charge up to 35% of the employee’s salary. This means that for a salary of £50,000, you could be paying out more than £17,000 in recruitment costs, and that doesn’t include the hidden costs of lost time, interviews, training, or the onboarding process. With the cost of a bad hire being so significant, it’s crucial to avoid common hiring mistakes and make the right hiring decision the first time. Below are some of the most frequent recruitment mistakes employers make.

Rushing the Recruitment Process

When a business is in desperate need of a new hire, it’s easy to rush the recruitment process. With up to 86% of UK job seekers failing to attend interviews—often without notifying the employer—many companies struggle to get candidates through the door. This high interview no-show rate often increases pressure on hiring managers, leading to rushed decisions, poor candidate screening, and ultimately, costly hiring mistakes. Hiring too quickly can lead to selecting someone who isn’t the right fit or lacks the skills needed for the role, adding to the overall cost of replacing an employee.

Running an Inefficient Interview Process

An inefficient interview process is another major reason companies end up with the wrong candidate. A well-structured, effective interview process should include planned interview questions, consistency between interviewers, and trained hiring managers who know how to evaluate candidates objectively. Without a structured interview, employers risk asking irrelevant questions or failing to gather the information needed to make a confident hiring decision. Inefficient interviews increase the likelihood of bad hires, prolong the hiring cycle, and inflate overall UK recruitment costs.

Allowing Unconscious Bias to Influence Hiring

Unconscious bias in hiring is extremely common. Many people naturally gravitate toward candidates who are similar to themselves. When hiring managers recruit based on familiarity rather than qualifications, it leads to poor decision-making and a lack of diversity in the workplace. This reduces innovation, affects team dynamics, and often means the most qualified person is overlooked. Reducing unconscious bias is essential for fair recruitment, improving diversity and inclusion, and preventing expensive recruitment mistakes.

Failing to Provide a Proper Onboarding Process

Even after hiring the right candidate, a poor onboarding process can undo all the hard work. Effective onboarding should include introductions to colleagues, a guided tour of the workplace, clarity around duties and expectations, and access to tools and resources necessary for success. Unfortunately, many employers overlook the importance of employee onboarding, which leads to early resignations and drives up the overall cost of hiring and training new employees. When onboarding is done poorly, employee turnover is high, the cycle starts all over again—with additional time, money, and productivity lost.

At Inspired CVs, we provide tailored guidance and professional support for both employers and employees. Our services include expert HR and recruitment advice, as well as professionally written, customised CVs designed to highlight your strengths and improve hiring outcomes.

Whether you’re looking to enhance your recruitment process or strengthen your career prospects, our team is here to help. Contact us today, or place your order directly, to get personalised support from industry professionals.

When employees raise concerns in the workplace, it’s essential for employers to take these issues seriously and handle them through a clear and fair grievance procedure. Managing employee grievances professionally not only helps resolve disputes quickly but also strengthens trust and improves overall employee relations.

This guide outlines the types of workplace grievances, how to manage a formal grievance from start to finish, and the key steps you should follow as an employer or HR professional.

✅ Why Having a Grievance Procedure Matters

A documented grievance policy ensures that employees understand how to raise concerns formally. It also protects employers by ensuring there is a fair and transparent process for handling workplace complaints, which can include issues related to:

• Discrimination or harassment
  
  

• Pay and benefits disputes
  
  

• Poor working conditions
  
  

• Unfair treatment
  
  

• Management behaviour
  
  

• Breakdowns in communication
  
  

When these issues go unaddressed, they can escalate, negatively affecting employee morale, productivity, and even increasing the risk of legal claims.

🛠️ Step 1: Encourage Informal Resolution First

Most employees will attempt to resolve concerns informally with their line manager. This is often the quickest and least confrontational way to handle workplace issues.

However, if the issue isn’t resolved or the employee feels they’re not being heard, they may escalate the matter and submit a formal grievance.

📝 Step 2: Submitting a Formal Grievance Letter

The first step in the formal grievance process is for the employee to submit a written grievance letter. This creates a record of the complaint and ensures that the matter is taken seriously.

📄 Example Grievance Letter Template (as recommended by ACAS):

[Today’s date]
Dear [Manager / HR Representative],

I am writing to raise a formal grievance.

I have a complaint regarding [briefly explain the issue].

[Optional] I have supporting evidence including [e.g., emails, messages, witness statements].

[Optional] I would like the following outcome: [state desired resolution].

Please let me know when we can meet to discuss this. I would also like to be accompanied at the meeting by [name].

Yours sincerely,
[Employee’s name]

🤝 Step 3: Holding the Grievance Meeting

Once the grievance letter is received, you should arrange a grievance meeting as soon as possible. This is an opportunity for the employee to present their case, explain their concerns in more detail, and provide any evidence they have.

💡 Best Practices for Grievance Meetings:

• Allow the employee to bring a colleague or trade union representative
  
  

• Maintain confidentiality throughout
  
  

• Keep detailed notes of the discussion
  
  

• Stay impartial and professional
  
  

• Be open to listening without interrupting
  
  

• Let the employee know when to expect a decision
  
  

If the employee has a disability, ensure that reasonable adjustments are made to accommodate their needs.

🔍 Step 4: Conducting a Grievance Investigation

After the grievance meeting, you should conduct a thorough and unbiased grievance investigation. This may include:

• Speaking with the employee’s manager or anyone named in the grievance
  
  

• Reviewing documents or communication relevant to the complaint
  
  

• Interviewing any witnesses
  
  

📌 Example:

If an employee raises a grievance about not receiving promised overtime pay, your investigation might involve:

• Speaking to the manager about the claim
  
  

• Reviewing timesheets and payroll records
  
  

• Checking for any written communications confirming the overtime agreement
  
  

🧾 Step 5: Making a Decision and Communicating the Outcome

Once the investigation is complete, use all available information to make a fair decision. Communicate the outcome to the employee in person (where possible), and follow up with a written grievance outcome letter.

Your letter should include:

• A summary of the grievance
  
  

• The investigation findings
  
  

• The outcome and any action to be taken
  
  

• The employee’s right to appeal the decision
  
  

📢 Step 6: Appeals Process

If the employee disagrees with the outcome, they have the right to appeal the grievance decision. Your grievance policy should clearly outline how and when appeals must be submitted, and a separate person should ideally handle the appeal to ensure impartiality.

📌 Key Takeaways for Employers

• Always take employee concerns seriously
  
  

• Encourage informal resolution first, but provide a clear formal grievance process
  
  

• Keep the process fair, transparent, and well-documented to avoid employment tribunals
  
  

• Maintain confidentiality and impartiality throughout
  
  

• Understand your obligations under employment law
  
  

🤝 Need Help Managing Grievances in Your Workplace?

At Inspired CVs, we provide expert HR support for employers, including guidance on grievance procedures, formal investigations, and employee relations. Whether you're responding to an employee complaint or updating your HR policies, our experienced team can help you navigate the process with confidence. We also provide professional CVs if you’re looking for your next move and CV and interview workshops.

📞 Contact us today for tailored HR advice, or explore our services for HR documentation, employee management, and workplace dispute resolution.

If you have received poor feedback during a performance review, it can be incredibly demoralising and upsetting, even if you weren’t expecting a glowing report. A negative performance review can seriously impact your self-confidence, job satisfaction, and overall well-being in the workplace.

While it's difficult not to take negative feedback personally, it's important to know that as an employee, you have the right to challenge unfair or inaccurate feedback. Here are some key steps to take when responding to a disappointing performance review.

🧠 Take Time to Reflect on the Feedback

When we receive constructive criticism or negative performance feedback, our natural instinct might be to react emotionally. However, acting on impulse can damage your professional relationships and make things worse.

Instead, give yourself time to process the information. Reflect on whether the feedback is accurate or based on misunderstandings or bias. For example, if you were told you’re “not a team player,” assess your day-to-day behaviour.

• Do you offer help to colleagues?
  
  
• Do you contribute to team meetings or collaborate effectively?
  
  

If there are areas for improvement, consider this a chance to grow. However, if you believe the feedback is inaccurate, vague, or unfair, you are absolutely within your rights to raise your concerns with HR or your line manager.

📋 Request Specific Examples or Additional Information

It’s common to feel overwhelmed or unclear about what was said during a performance review. If the feedback was generalised or vague, ask your manager for concrete examples and clarification.

For instance:

• If your manager says you “make frequent mistakes,” ask for specific incidents and whether these were discussed with you previously.
  
  

If performance concerns were never raised before, it is fair to ask why they are appearing in your formal performance review for the first time.

Clear communication and transparency in performance management are essential. You deserve to understand where the feedback is coming from and how it was evaluated.

🔄 Ask for a Review or Reassessment

If you have received additional context and still feel that the performance review was unfair, you can formally request a review of the outcome. For example:

• If you're told you "lack initiative," but feel micromanaged, discuss this openly.
  
  
• Explain how your manager’s leadership style may be affecting your ability to demonstrate independence.
  

It's important to be respectful and professional, not defensive. Use the opportunity to open a dialogue and improve your working relationship. Remember, many line managers are still developing their management skills, and they may be receptive to your feedback.

Learn what you can from the experience, but don’t hesitate to challenge feedback that is inaccurate, unfair, or unsupported by evidence.

At Inspired CVs, we provide confidential, expert HR advice for employees dealing with negative performance reviews, workplace issues, or career transitions. We can help you understand your rights, prepare for difficult conversations, and take control of your professional future.

📅 Book a consultation for personalised HR support, or contact us to learn more.

📝 Looking for your next opportunity? We also offer professionally written CVs tailored to your skills, experience, and career goals. Order your CV writing service today or reach out to our team for more information.

Why Cultural Fit Matters in Recruitment

When it comes to your recruitment strategy, it's vital not only to hire candidates with the right skills and expertise, but also those who align with your company culture. Hiring for cultural fit ensures that new employees feel engaged, motivated, and integrated into the organisation — while a poor fit can lead to job dissatisfaction, high employee turnover, and a decline in team morale.

🔍 What Is Company Culture?

Your company culture is made up of several key components: your organisational values, everyday behaviours, communication styles, and leadership approach. For example, your workplace might have a relaxed, informal and flexible culture that encourages open-door collaboration and independence. On the other hand, it might be a structured, process-driven environment with clear hierarchies and procedures.

Understanding your organisational culture helps you ask the right interview questions to ensure candidates will thrive in your environment.

🚫 The Risks of a Poor Cultural Fit

Consider a scenario where your company promotes a flexible, autonomous working style, but you hire someone who prefers strict routines, closed-door working, and formal communication. That misalignment in workplace preferences can lead to employee disengagement, conflict with colleagues, and even early resignation — ultimately impacting team productivity and morale.

✅ Benefits of Hiring for Cultural Fit

Hiring the right cultural fit isn’t just a “nice to have” — it’s a critical factor for building a productive, motivated, and loyal team.

For Employees:

• Job Satisfaction: Employees who fit the company culture are more likely to feel fulfilled, valued, and committed to their work.
  
  
• Lower Stress Levels: A good culture fit creates a comfortable work environment, helping reduce employee stress and boost overall well-being.
  
  

For Employers:

• Higher Productivity: A well-integrated team performs better and collaborates more efficiently.
  
  
• Improved Employee Retention: Employees who align with the culture are more likely to stay long-term, reducing the cost and disruption of turnover.
  
  
• Increased Profitability: Happy, productive employees deliver better customer experiences — positively impacting business success and growth.
  
  

🎯 Key Interview Questions to Assess Cultural Fit

The interview process is your best opportunity to assess whether a candidate will align with your workplace culture. Asking the right cultural fit interview questions can help you avoid costly hiring mistakes.

Here are five essential questions to consider:

1. What type of work environment do you enjoy?
   → Helps identify if they’ll thrive in your culture.
   
   
2. How do you prefer to collaborate with colleagues?
   → Gives insight into their communication and teamwork style.
   
   
3. How do you like to be managed?
   → Reveals compatibility with your leadership approach.
   
   
4. What company values resonate most with you?
   → Assesses value alignment and motivation.
   
   
5. Tell us about your favourite previous role — what made it so enjoyable?
   → Highlights what energises them at work.
   
   

These questions provide deeper insight into a candidate’s preferences, helping you identify whether their personality and working style are suited to your environment.

⚠️ Don’t Overlook Cultural Fit in Hiring

Many interviewers focus solely on skills and experience, neglecting the importance of cultural alignment. This oversight often leads to difficult team dynamics, low engagement, and higher turnover rates.

By making cultural fit a key part of your hiring process, you build a stronger, more cohesive workforce — one that shares your company’s values, communicates effectively, and works towards shared goals.

At Inspired CVs, we support businesses with professional interview training workshops designed to help employers improve their hiring process and get the best out of candidates during interviews. Our workshops equip hiring managers with the tools and techniques to ask the right interview questions, assess cultural fit, and make confident, informed hiring decisions—every time.

📞 Contact us to learn more, or order your interview workshop directly to start enhancing your recruitment strategy today.

According to research by the Chartered Management Institute, one in three employees have left their job because of a bad manager. Although it’s important for managers to offer support, it can be extremely frustrating when this escalates into micromanagement — a harmful and controlling management style that significantly impacts employee well-being and workplace morale.

What is Micromanagement?

Micromanagement is a style of management where employees are given little to no autonomy in their work. Instead, they feel that their manager is constantly watching over them, questioning decisions, and interfering with their day-to-day tasks. This often stems from insecure leadership, a lack of trust in employees, or simply an absence of the relevant management skills needed to lead a team effectively.

Sometimes, micromanagers believe they are being helpful or supportive, but in reality, they are creating a toxic work environment. For professionals who value autonomy, creativity, and independent thinking, micromanagement can be demoralising and even lead to burnout or resignation.

Types of Micromanagement

Micromanagement behaviours can be subtle or overt. Here are some of the most common signs of micromanagement in the workplace:

1. Constant Communication

While regular updates are part of healthy team communication, being expected to constantly check in with your manager can interfere with productivity. Employees should be trusted to manage their workload without unnecessary oversight.

2. Excessive Questioning

A micromanager often questions every step: What did you do? When did you do it? Why did you do it that way? They may even ask to be copied into every email thread — showing a lack of trust and delegation.

3. Unconstructive Criticism

Instead of providing constructive feedback, micromanagers tend to criticise frequently and nitpick, creating anxiety and stress among team members.

How to Address Micromanagement

Compile Examples

If you feel you're being micromanaged, it’s important to gather concrete examples of the behaviors that are affecting your performance and well-being. Many micromanagers are unaware of the impact of their actions, so being prepared with specific instances can help you have a more productive conversation.

Examples of micromanagement include:

• Being asked to create a document, only for it to be completely rewritten without discussion.
  
  
• Frequent requests for unnecessary updates or meetings.
  
  
• Constant dissatisfaction with your work without providing actionable or helpful feedback.
  
  
• Unrealistic expectations paired with a lack of guidance or training.
  
  
• Monitoring your time excessively, including break durations and work hours.
  
  

Request a Meeting With Your Manager

Some people simply lack managerial competence. If you're dealing with a poor manager who is micromanaging, it's important to request a one-on-one meeting to address your concerns.

During the meeting:

• Use your compiled examples to explain how the behaviour is affecting your work.
  
  
• Be honest about how it makes you feel. For example:
  
  
• “When you ask for frequent updates, I feel like I’m not trusted to manage my responsibilities.”
  
  
• “When my work is changed without discussion, I feel undermined.”
  
  
• Reiterate that you value clear communication, collaboration, and mutual trust.
  
  

Your goal is to create a healthier manager-employee relationship where you're given the space to thrive and do your job effectively. Managers should provide adequate onboarding, training, and support — not control or micromanage every task.

Final Thoughts

Micromanagement is more than just an annoying habit — it’s a serious issue that affects employee engagement, retention, employee turnover and company culture. If left unaddressed, it can drive talented employees out of the business. By identifying the signs, documenting your experiences, and having an honest conversation, you may be able to improve your working relationship or decide whether it's time to look for a healthier work environment.

At Inspired CVs, we offer expert HR support for employees facing challenges in the workplace, including issues with micromanagement, toxic work environments, or poor management practices. Whether you're navigating a difficult situation at work or planning your next career move, our team is here to help.

You can book a consultation with us for confidential support, or get in touch for more information about our services.

We also specialise in crafting professional CVs tailored to your industry, helping you stand out in a competitive job market. If you're preparing for your next career opportunity, we’re here to support you every step of the way.

Succession planning is the process of preparing the workplace in advance to ensure that individuals with the necessary skills, knowledge, and experience are in place to fill key roles when needed. It is a strategic HR practice used to identify critical positions and develop future leaders, helping ensure that your organisation is prepared for staff turnover, promotions, or unexpected departures.

Benefits of Succession Planning

Despite its importance, succession planning is often underutilised within businesses. However, it plays a vital role in workforce planning and talent management. Key benefits include:

• Preparing for future recruitment needs – allowing your business to be proactive rather than reactive
  
  
• Supporting employee career development and internal mobility
  
  
• Creating a clear career path for high-potential employees
  
  
• Maintaining business continuity and stability during transitions
  
  
• Improving employee retention and reducing turnover
  
  

Risks of Not Having a Succession Plan

Failing to implement a succession planning strategy can have serious consequences for business performance and employee morale. Risks include:

• Gaps in the organisational structure, leading to decreased productivity
  
  
• Loss of valuable clients and stakeholder confidence
  
  
• Decline in overall team performance
  
  
• Poor staff retention and increased recruitment costs
  
  
• Low employee engagement and motivation due to limited career progression opportunities
  
  

How to Create a Succession Plan

Many companies struggle with succession planning simply because they don’t know where to begin. However, it can be broken down into a few simple steps. When you consider the benefits—as well as the risks of not planning—it becomes clear why every organisation should have a plan in place.

1. Identify Business-Critical Roles

The first step is to identify business-critical positions—roles that are essential to the company’s success. For example, if you have only one accountant managing all finances, that is a key role. Losing that person could significantly impact your operations. In contrast, roles within a large team may be easier to cover temporarily.

2. Assess and Engage Current Employees

Next, assess your existing team. Regular performance reviews, career conversations, and employee engagement activities will help you understand their ambitions and future plans. For example, if someone in a critical position is planning to retire, start developing a successor early to reduce turnover.

Also, if an employee is looking for a new challenge, supporting their move can result in smoother transitions and better morale. Holding on to disengaged staff is counterproductive.

3. Promote Internal Recruitment and Talent Development

Before seeking external candidates, explore internal recruitment opportunities. Evaluate employee performance and goals to identify potential successors and provide appropriate training and development programmes. For example, an ambitious Accounts Assistant could be trained to become the next Accounts Director.

Internal succession planning not only builds leadership pipelines but also supports employee retention and loyalty.

4. Prepare for External Recruitment

If no suitable internal candidates exist, external recruitment may be necessary. Effective succession planning gives you time to prepare, define the job role, allocate a recruitment budget, and attract the right talent in advance.

Why Succession Planning Matters

Succession planning is not just a “nice to have”—it’s a critical element of strategic human resource management. It ensures that your business remains resilient, adaptable, and prepared for change. With the right plan in place, you can retain top talent, build internal capability, and avoid disruption when staff leave.

If you're looking for expert support in HR strategy, workforce planning, or succession planning, contact us today to find out how we can help.

We’ve had the Great Resignation, quiet quitting and now we’re firmly in the era of ‘job hugging.’ As the name would suggest, job hugging is a term used to describe holding onto your job, but it is more out of necessity, than a genuine desire to stay in the role. According to data from The UK Job and the Market Report from Adzuna around the UK job market, vacancies and average salaries are falling, with employees understandably concerned over the economic uncertainty they find themselves in. The economic uncertainty has resulted in the job hugging trend, which is apparent across the globe.

Is Job Hugging Beneficial?

On the surface, it might seem like job hugging is beneficial to employers, after all, it means they will naturally improve their employee retention levels. However, although this may be the case, it also results in employees remaining in their post because they have to, rather than because they want to. The consequences of this could include:

• Low Employee Productivity - just because someone is there in person, it does not necessarily mean they are engaged. Although employers want to improve employee retention levels, they are not much use to them if they are producing very little. It is not always easy to get rid of unproductive employees either, especially if they have been with the company for over two years. There are processes to follow and these can often be time consuming.
• Poor Attitude - negative attitudes in the workplace can be catastrophic for a business. Some people have the inability to continue doing their work to the best of their ability when they have already mentally checked out. If an employee feels like they are only staying in the job through job hugging, it is unlikely that they will have the best attitude.
• Resentment - employees may even feel resentful towards their employer, which could manifest in many different ways. None of which are beneficial to their employer.

Can You Re-Engage Employees?

If you believe that any of your employees are job hugging due to economic uncertainty, rather than a genuine desire to remain in the business, there are ways you can improve workforce engagement.

• Communicate - if you suspect that an employee would rather be anywhere else, whether it is through their productivity or attitude, speak to them. Take time to understand their needs and try to find a solution that benefits both parties. For example, do they want a more challenging role? Would they appreciate some additional training and development? Is their salary an issue for them? When you understand their desires more clearly, you can get a better idea of how to re-engage them.
• Open Door - make sure your employees feel comfortable to knock on your door about their concerns by creating an open door policy. In this way, you can nip issues in the bud before they become problematic.
• Set Goals - simply setting some goals can be enough to re-engage your workforce. Goals can help improve employee productivity and motivation. They don’t need to be massive, elaborate goals, simple daily goals can be enough to yield great results. 

Looking to stand out in today’s competitive job market? At Inspired CVs, we specialise in crafting professionally designed, high-impact CVs that help you land interviews and take the next step in your career. Our top-rated CV writing services are tailored to showcase your strengths and get results.

We also provide personalised HR advice for employees facing workplace challenges, along with CV workshops and interview preparation sessions designed to support both job seekers and employers. Whether you're navigating a career change, tackling job market uncertainty, or looking to empower your team, Inspired CVs is here to help.