*Best HR and Employment Law Consultancy in London 2024*

An executive award winning Human Resources & Employment Law consulting firm.

We work with employers on preventative measures to avoid employment claims being brought against them, also with employers who value their employees and are committed to bringing the best out of them to drive innovation and success for their business. 

Complying only with employment laws never kept employers out of tribunal courts, right? However, being ETHICAL does. Our approach to HR is strategic and puts the human back into Human Resources via evidence-based HR practices, and that’s what sets us apart from others.

Our unique pricing structure ensures you pay for the value and impact of our HR approach as opposed to an off-the-shelf solution. Our Tier 3 'in-house out sourced HR' costs just under the cost of a national minimum wage salary, for top level expertise. 

HR Habitat is a leading consultancy and a thought leader in the space with features in BBC publications and BBC radio, Telegraph, Startups.co.uk, People Management, HR Grapevine and more. 

www.hrhabitat.co.uk
Info@hrhabitat.co.uk 
0330 133 5088


​

Tina S. Rahman

Manager: It's the 4th time he's made this mistake! Can we sack him?

HR: No, we need to go through a fair process to address this. 

Manager: He's taken too much time off work and doesn't seem connected.

HR: So, is it a performance issue or attendance issue?

Manager: Can we just get rid?

HR: Have you informally raised concerns about his performance?

Manager: No, I assumed you're there to dismiss should this happen?

HR: Absolutely, if you want a first class ticket to Tribunal.

__

HR exists to resolve matters, retain good talent and prevent issues. Not to sack people the very moment you perceive there's an issue.

And your policies are only as good as leadership perception and application.

Sure, you may not always know when to report issues to HR.

But if your HR isn't keeping communication channels open and allowing for feedback loops with you, you're going to get an answer you don't want.

So, here's a step by step process you can follow now to avoid issues becoming detrimental;

→ Have a clear disciplinary and capability policy: ensure wording removes any unconscious gender biases associated with performance and attendance, for example

→ Publicise your policy: it's no good sitting on the intranet. In some cases, you may have to prove you have distributed them to all

→ Address issues early: follow our LEAF framework to deliver instruction in a way that will be heard and followed. We have a free module available as part of our wider leadership program - sign up here to get it for free https://lnkd.in/eEPWbNJx

→ Get your HR involved: Don't wait for a fire, nor the smoke. HR is your sounding board, your voice of reason. Utilise them.

→ Document everything: Don't make accusations you can't back up.

And from there, we can take care of the rest.

We might just hand you back a fully engaged and motivated employee.

It's not magic. 

It's HR. 

Want to chat - book a call straight into my diary here: https://lnkd.in/eatJrPBu

𝗛𝗶, 𝗜’𝗺 𝗧𝗶𝗻𝗮, 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗛𝗥 𝗛𝗮𝗯𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁.
𝗜’𝗺 𝘁𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗛𝗥 𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀, 𝘁𝗼𝗼.
𝗪𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝘅 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗥 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗹𝗱𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗻’𝘁 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗮𝗱.

𝗠𝘆 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗱 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 - 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲.

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Amanda O'Hare | LinkedIn

Founder, CEO. Uncovering the hidden Gender Perception Gap affecting both men & women- in everyday HR + leadership decisions *All Inclusive HR Dept for Less Than Minimum Wage*

Manager: You're not ready for the promotion, yet.
Employee: What am I missing?
Manager: Errmmmm...

Employee: What is the criteria being measured for the position?

Manager: Drive. Ambition. Leadership.

Employee: How are you measuring this?

Manager: I've been doing this a long time, I know when someone is ready for a promotion - you're just not quite there.

___

You're thinking - this is a very common leader-subordinate conversation.

You see it all the time.

Perhaps you've said these words to someone on your team before.

You go ahead and offer someone else the role.

But what you don't see is the damage your decision just made.

As HR, we won't make promotion decisions for you.

But what I will tell you is this - your decision is biased.

You have a perception of the perfect candidate for the promotion. And sure, maybe the other person is a good choice.

But here's where you created risk:

You don't have a clear process for measuring promotion readiness→ you're probably just looking at financial data

You don't have a clear reason for rejection → it just reeks of favouritism of another employee

You failed to objectively describe what you're looking for in a suitable employee → you've just diluted your authority by showing obscurity 

Yet, most people in leadership face difficulty having these conversations-

And in many of these case when we apply our proprietary Gender Equity Diagnostic...

we find hidden, unconscious connections to gender biases in your decision making. 

A gap you never knew existed.

It's no wonder sex discrimination claims are on rise - because nobody knows their doing it!

So, here's a process I want you to follow to avoid biases in your promotion decisions;

→ Introduce a promotions and development policy: ensure you refer the company's endeavours to prevent gender biases in decision making 

→ Consider what criteria will be scored: avoid any metric that would immediately pose a detriment to all men, or all women

→ Remove gender tags and employee names: judge on meeting notes/CVs only

In doing this - you're not just 'being compliant'-

You're shaping that magic C word (culture) that everyone seems to know everything about but never how to create a positive one.

If you want to be heard, be influential and be seen as a confident decision maker - 

go a step further and spend just a few minutes watching my FREE video course available here https://lnkd.in/e_kr4HFz on how to do just that.

𝗛𝗶, 𝗜’𝗺 𝗧𝗶𝗻𝗮, 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗛𝗥 𝗛𝗮𝗯𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁.
𝗜’𝗺 𝘁𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗛𝗥 𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀, 𝘁𝗼𝗼.
𝗪𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝘅 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗥 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗹𝗱𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗻’𝘁 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗮𝗱.

𝗠𝘆 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗱 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 - 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲.

Founder, HR Habitat: Uncovering Hidden Perceptive Biases (affecting both men + women) in Everyday People Management Decisions. *All Inclusive HR Dept for Less Than Minimum Wage*

"Can we postpone your performance review, something came up?"
Congratulations. You just diluted your authority.

Sound familiar?

This is your work-life biography of all the 'innocent' things you've said to your team-

and they've cost you

without you realising.

→ "Can we postpone your performance review, something came up?"

Congratulations. You just diluted your credibility. 

→ "I've been made aware of some issues about your performance" 

You're accusing, not asking. You sound insecure and unsure.

→ "The client was so happy with the report!"

Ok, great, but were YOU, the manager happy?

And if so, why not express it? It's borderline a toxic trait.

→ "How can I help you with your mental health?"

Wrong question. You're expecting them to do YOUR job. 

Ask what barriers are they are facing, and then do the work to remove them.

→ "Sure, work from home if you want"

Really this means they haven't the slightest chance of being put forward for the next promotion due to the implicit biases you have about remote workers...

...(often gender biases since more women work from home).

See, small actions are a mirror to your management abilities. It's the window to your subconscious perceptions about people at work.

Even if you can't see it. 

It's why so many employers argue "I'm not gender biased" when they have been accused of sex discrimination.

Because bias, particularly gender bias, is easy to perpetuate, hard to spot, and lives in all parts of people matters - 

Even that performance review you've had to postpone. 

So, to prevent 'small actions' from being seen as biased, here's what I want you to do;

↳ Check the policies first: most managers have no idea they exist. Ask HR what they mean and what your obligations are. 

↳ Assess before you address: Would it really impact anything detrimentally if you attended the performance review? 

If so, address it, tell your team member. If not, don't postpone.

↳ Put people strategies and business decisions through our proprietary bias diagnostic: 
this should be normal practice to find hidden biases in your everyday leadership actions (register interest here https://lnkd.in/eY25nS4g) 

If you want to be heard,

be an influence,

and be seen as a confident decision maker - 

go a step further and spend just a few minutes watching my FREE video course available here 𝗵𝘁𝘁𝗽𝘀://𝗹𝗻𝗸𝗱.𝗶𝗻/𝗲_𝗸𝗿𝟰𝗛𝗙𝘇 on how to do just that.

The power of consciously leading cannot be underestimated.

It's the key to being seen, heard and influential with the rise of discrimination claims we see today.

_____

𝗛𝗶, 𝗜’𝗺 𝗧𝗶𝗻𝗮, 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗛𝗥 𝗛𝗮𝗯𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁.𝗜’𝗺 𝘁𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗛𝗥 𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀, 𝘁𝗼𝗼.

𝗪𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝘅 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗥 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗹𝗱𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗻’𝘁 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗮𝗱.
𝗠𝘆 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗱 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 - 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲.

"You had a miscarriage? That's no reason to take time off".
That's what my boss told me, ten years ago.

Not in those exact words. But in worse ways. 

He said it through his actions, behaviour and decisions. 

Ten missed calls, seven WhatsApp messages and eight emails. 

All dismissing my experience, my medical condition, and worst of all - 

threatening to force me back into work before I was ready. 

Fast forward a few years, in another job, I was told I would be promoted to HR Director.

I shared my pregnancy with the Board - the best bosses I ever had, I might add.

Do you think they celebrated? 

Not a chance. 

They shut me down, refused to speak to me, and hired someone else-

Even though the role was promised, even though I had the respect of my team and manager. 

My manager there was the best I’d ever worked for. 

So, what went wrong? 

I asked myself the same question over and over. 

I had difficult conversations, pushing for fairness for everyone else;

For women with bad periods, men doing school runs. 

And then I saw the pattern. 

The ‘best boss ever’ had biases lurking in the background. 

Biases rooted in gender. 

The man passed up for promotion because he had family responsibilities - because ‘men don’t do school runs’. 

The woman dismissed because she should ‘just work harder’ despite suffering a real female health condition. 

This isn’t just about individual cases. 

It’s about recognising the unconscious biases embedded in leadership perceptions. In all our perceptions. 

It’s about fighting for fairness, not just for women, but for men, too. 

Ask yourself- 

Are we really doing enough? 

Or are we just pretending? 

Or worse, are you waiting for an employee to take you to court claiming sex discrimination before tackling the very issues you have?

You'll never see it coming.

Because, how can we factor in gender perception biases if we don't know we have them?

How can we make genuine change of all we do is react to these issues instead of choose to be better leaders?

It’s time to challenge the status quo. 

The leadership program I created does something no other program does.

While I teach you all things traditional leadership, we tackle it through the lens of perception bias.

Because only then will we see a change. 

Register your interest here https://lnkd.in/eEWWybdG (cohort from Jan 2026). 

For some immediate insight on your current biases you don't know you have , take my 2 min scorecard now https://lnkd.in/eSsM-XeH.

𝗛𝗶, 𝗜’𝗺 𝗧𝗶𝗻𝗮, 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗛𝗥 𝗛𝗮𝗯𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁.
𝗜’𝗺 𝘁𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗛𝗥 𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀, 𝘁𝗼𝗼.
𝗪𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝘅 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗥 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗹𝗱𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗻’𝘁 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗮𝗱.

𝗠𝘆 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗱 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 - 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲.

He said, "need to leave work at 2pm for school runs"
A week later he's called in a 'performance chat'

The thing is-

I believe you. You have concerns about his performance.

But the Tribunal won't.

Here's what happened;

You asked him to complete a report - it wasn't done.

You gave him extra time - you received a half hearted effort.

Then - you get that email about leaving early for school pickup. 

But here what I see, that you don't;

You asked him to complete a report → but you didn't specify deadline/purpose

You gave him extra time → without understanding what a reasonable extension was

He emailed asking to leave early → you used that as an excuse to address performance

Because when you don't address issues timely, you're being biased. Plain and simple.

How? 

You're creating a systemic difference between what the policies state about managing performance and how you react to those concerns.

You're magnifying that people are treated inconsistently, therefore unfairly.

And what's worse - your actions prove a hidden gender perception bias against men who do school pick ups.

I mean, why else did you wait until that point to address the unfinished report?

And let's be honest-

The unconscious (or perhaps conscious) perception is that mums do school rounds. Not dads.

And therefore, your actions will consciously allow women reasonable adjustments to allow for childcare responsibilities...

And unconsciously treat men differently in the same circumstances. 

So, when a client approaches me and says "we have a performance concern"

I'll believe you.

And I'll run the matter through our IP'd GED tool (Gender Equity Diagnostic) too, to find those hidden, invisible gender biases that are treated as sex discrimination claims in Tribunal....

As I always say-

You may not intentionally treat a man or a woman unfairly - 

but your subconscious gender perceptions about people will result in unfair treatment. 

Do better in 2026.

Start now- take my 30 second scorecard for a free report on all areas we can help you find those hidden biases https://lnkd.in/eSsM-XeH

Two identical sickness texts. Two completely different judgments.

One text is from a man. 

The other, a woman. 

The immediate thoughts are that you expect it from her, because you know….”women’s issues”. 

But coming from him- 

He’s a man. He’s got to “suck it up”. “He’s not committed to work”. 

See, we all have gender biases. 

And often, we don’t know we have them. 

Because they live deeply imbedded into our subconscious minds-

The part of the mind that contains your thoughts, ideas, and perceptions that you’re not consciously aware of……

but still influences your behaviours and decisions. 

Gender biases are amongst those hardest to spot because it’s also deeply ingrained in social norms. 

It’s often systemic.

As leaders and managers, you can’t account for what you don’t see. 

Yet, those bias judgments shape your reactions. 

And you’re busy following sickness protocol to ensure you’re acting lawfully. 

You call HR to make sure you sent the correct text response. 

You note the absence dates in the time management system. 

You think you’ve done it all correctly.

Until someone accused you of gender bias.

See, managers rarely consider biases they can’t see, because they think it just doesn’t exist. 

A great leader can scrutinise their own ideas, perceptions and decisions. 

It takes you from good to great. 

From just scraping lawful compliance to imbedding it in practice. 

We all have a choice. 

Ready to consider how your gender biases impact the next people decision you make? 

Start by taking my free 60 second scorecard with a short series of yes/no questions. https://lnkd.in/eSsM-XeH

You get an immediate free report of findings and my team and I will send you a free e-book filled with leadership frameworks and strategies you can follow today that will help you eliminate hidden perception biases in your decisions.

tribunalsafehr.scoreapp.com

Would Your Current HR & Leadership Practices Survive a Tribunal?

She texted "I'm too sick to come to work today". She LIED to you.

You receive this text at 7am...

you know it's a sickness text before you even open it.

She has endometriosis, she's poorly today, won't be in, it says.

You immediately roll your eyes thinking "we have a important project on"

but then proceed to texting back "no, worries, sorry to hear it, get well soon!".

You know you responded appropriately.

But, when she returns to work you...

⇾ take her out of email chains (incase she's off sick again)
⇾ give her portion of the client deck to someone else so no deadlines are missed
⇾ forget to log her sickness dates into the HR system, because it's so busy

A week later she asks why you treated her 'differently'.... 'unfairly'.

You're shocked. You did everything by the book.

You CONSCIOUSLY text a reasonable response.

And another week later she's sick again - this time, the flu.

But really -

she feels undervalued.

Dismissed.

She's disengaged.

Not because of the flu, but because you created invisible barriers where she can't be who she is - a woman with endometriosis. 

Because here's what you don't see.

You are biased. Specifically, gender biased. 

Because-

taking her out of email chains
isn't contingency planning → it's ignoring her female health issues

giving her deck task to another team member
isn't filling the absence gaps → it's telling a woman she's not capable

forgetting to log her sickness
wasn't by accident → it's inconsistent record keeping resulting in barriers connected to her condition

You didn't deliberately discriminate. 

but it happened - systemically.

You unconsciously allowed a system to play out differently for her than you would for a male employee.

And it stems from your unconscious perceptions of how men and women are managed in absences, performance etc.

The bias is hidden. Unintentional. Invisible. 

And this proves my philosophy-

that everyday people management matters are subconsciously perceived/approached differently depending on gender.

These unconscious perceptions shape our decisions.

Therefore, those decisions are, gender biased.

And it doesn't just affect women. It affects men, too.

So, unless you're assessing impact to both men and women on ALL your people decisions-

You will find that that's biases in your actions. 

If you have anything to do with managing people, you'll want my free video module on giving bias-free feedback/instruction to both men and women in the workplace.

Let's start there. Get it here https://lnkd.in/etHrWiuN 

____

𝗛𝗶, 𝗜’𝗺 𝗧𝗶𝗻𝗮, 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗛𝗥 𝗛𝗮𝗯𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁.
𝗜’𝗺 𝘁𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗛𝗥 𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀, 𝘁𝗼𝗼.
𝗪𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝘅 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗥 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗹𝗱𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗻’𝘁 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗮𝗱.

𝗠𝘆 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗱 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 - 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲.


s

Kate McCarthy-Booth (FIRP)

Founder and Coach

Are you hiring? Talk to me, I promise to surprise you | Committed to giving a 🤫 about people and adding value everyday!

I’m Kate - Managing Director of McCarthy Recruitment, a people-first consultancy that helps businesses get the very best out of their teams. From talent strategy and leadership development to DEI and unconscious bias training, I support organisations with every part of the people agenda.

Back in 2005, I sold my house, sofa-surfed, and put my life in storage to build McCarthy. Why? Because people are my purpose.

Recruitment gave me a space to connect, challenge, and build something meaningful. After years in environments where employees came last, I was determined to create a business that puts people first – always.

I’ve never exactly played by the rules. I was the girl told to be quiet, not to take up too much space. Turns out, those very traits shaped me into a resilient, no-nonsense leader who leads with empathy and isn't afraid to call it as it is.

Whether I'm consulting in the boardroom, supporting our clients' hiring strategies, or raising two wild and wonderful boys, I bring energy, honesty and a drive to help people thrive.

If you're looking for straight-talking advice on recruitment, culture, or anything people-related – I’m always up for a chat.

Founder and Board Member

McCarthy Recruitment 
Passionate about delivering talent solutions  

McCarthy is an award winning, industry leading recruitment business delivering talent solutions across the UK. 

We partner clients to find the best talent and we enable our candidates to enhance their careers. 
Working with a range of organisations from small to medium size businesses to large global businesses, we use our 18 years of trading experience to deliver talent solutions that transform the way our clients engage with candidates and resource their people.

We stand out as different. 

Through…

-	our approach
-	our knowledge 
-	our commercial and strategic approach 
-	our products and solutions 
-	our flexibility and innovation
-	our delivery 
-	our pace


Our methods are effective, we understand our client’s commercial strategy and we offer an approach to talent acquisition which ensures that we work with the overall business objectives of our client developing a unique talent solution bringing together the people and commercial agendas as one. 

Our experience is vast, from outsourced volume projects, research and benchmarking, working alongside internal teams to assist with screening and interviewing, new site and store openings, tech stacks to executive search and developing recruitment strategies we have delivered it to our brand partners.  

Our perfect Package brochure showcases some of our solutions and products, however our approach is to treat every client’s needs individually. 

If you want a different approach call us on    or for more information visit our website 

View our testimonials here…


Our partnership approach is supported by our sister company McCarthy Consultancy which supports us to advise and shape our client’s approach, strategically reviewing their Employee Value Proposition (EVP), resourcing strategy  approach to managing bias and assessment processes ensuring that they are set up for success and they gain a competitive advantage in their marketplace.

Kate McCarthy (FIRP)

Leadership starts with how you defend your team when they're not in the room to defend themselves.

I watched a manager throw their entire team under the bus in a leadership meeting last month. 

When the CEO questioned a missed deadline, instead of taking ownership, they said "Sarah didn't follow up with the suppliers and the floor team failed to escalate the inventory issues." 

The room went silent, and by the next day, three team members had updated their LinkedIn profiles.

The room went silent, and by the next day, three team members had updated their LinkedIn profiles.

That's not leadership. That's cowardice.

When you blame your team to save face, you don't just lose their trust.

You destroy psychological safety for everyone watching.

Here's the difference:

Blame-shifting manager: "The team didn't execute properly."

Accountable leader: "I didn't set clear expectations and remove the obstacles they needed to succeed."

Blame-shifting manager: "John made the wrong call on the client presentation."

Accountable leader: "I should have provided better guidance on the client's priorities."

The moment you throw someone under the bus, everyone else on your team sees it.

And they all think the same thing: "I'm next."

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗹𝘆.

Because psychological safety isn't built through your words in team meetings.

It's built through your actions when your team isn't there to see them.

What's the most damaging example of blame-shifting leadership you've witnessed?

Share to your network♻️ and follow Kate McCarthy (FIRP) for daily insights on what leadership actually looks like.

This is the number one reason why businesses come to me in a talent crisis.

Leaders behaving like this.

They wait until the exit interview to ask what went wrong.

They wait until the team is burned out to check on workload.

They wait until engagement scores tank to start listening.

And by then? It's too late.

Your best performer just accepted another offer. 

Your rising star stopped speaking up in meetings. 

Your reliable team member is now doing the bare minimum.

The damage is done before you even realize there was a problem.

𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗶𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘀. 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗺 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗲.

The leaders who retain talent don't wait for crises. 

They ask the uncomfortable questions when everything looks good on paper. 

They notice when someone who used to contribute ideas goes quiet. 

They check in when workload increases, not after people break.

Because once someone mentally checks out, your retention window has already closed.

As HR leaders, we watch this pattern play out repeatedly. 

We see the warning signs building.

What are you doing to help leaders tune into their teams before it becomes too late?

Share to your network♻️ and follow Kate McCarthy (FIRP) for insights on proactive leadership development.

Your 'nice' leadership is actually avoidance. And it's demoralising your team.

You dodge the performance conversation because you don't want to hurt feelings.

You let mediocre work slide because confrontation feels uncomfortable.

You avoid making tough calls because you want everyone to like you.

And you think this makes you a good leader.

Meanwhile, your high performers are watching. 

They see that excellence and mediocrity get treated exactly the same.

They notice that clear direction never comes because you're too busy trying to keep everyone happy.

They realize that your team meetings are full of pleasantries but empty of real progress.

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗶𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗲. 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴.

It's caring enough to have the hard conversation.

Caring enough to give feedback that stings but helps someone grow.

Caring enough to make decisions that disappoint some people but move the team forward.

Your team doesn't need you to be nice. They need you to be clear, direct, and courageous.

The question is: Are you avoiding difficult leadership moments because it serves your team, or because it serves your comfort?

Share to your network♻️ and follow Kate McCarthy (FIRP) for insights on what courageous leadership actually looks like.

The fastest way to become indispensable at work has nothing to do with your technical skills.

It's doing what you say you're going to do.

And most people are spectacularly bad at it.

They promise to send that report by Tuesday. 

It arrives the following week with no explanation.

They commit to reviewing your proposal by Friday. 

You follow up three times before getting a response.

They volunteer for the project in the meeting, then quietly hope someone else takes over when things get complicated.

Sound familiar?

But here's what happens when you're the exception.

When you say you'll call someone back, you actually do it.

When you commit to a deadline, you deliver on time or communicate early if something changes.

When you take on a responsibility, you see it through completely.

And suddenly, everyone notices.

Leaders start thinking of you first for important projects. 

Colleagues begin seeking your input because they know you'll follow through.

Your manager stops worrying about your work because they trust it will get done.

𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮 𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘁. 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗮 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲.

Because while others are networking their way to the top or chasing the latest productivity hack, you're building something more valuable.

A reputation that opens doors.

Here's the thing about consistency - it compounds.

Each kept commitment builds trust. Each delivered promise strengthens your professional brand.

You become the person others want to work with, promote, and recommend.

Not because you're the smartest person in the room.

Because you're the most reliable one.

And in a world where everyone talks about what they're going to do, simply being the person who actually does it makes you unforgettable.

What's one commitment you made this week that you're going to absolutely nail?

Share to your network♻️ and follow Kate McCarthy (FIRP) for career insights that focus on what actually works.

You can't always have a good day, but you can always make the best of a bad one.

The difference between people who bounce back and those who spiral isn't their circumstances.

It's what they choose to focus on when everything goes wrong.

When the project gets derailed, they ask "What can I learn from this?"

When the client meeting bombs, they think "How can I improve next time?"

When the deadline gets moved up, they focus on "What's within my control?"

𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴'𝘀 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗲. 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗱𝗼 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱.

The people who thrive in challenging environments don't wait for good days to show up.

They create small wins on the bad ones.

What's one thing you do to shift your perspective when work gets tough?

Share to your network♻️ and follow Kate McCarthy (FIRP) for daily insights on building career resilience.

Your open-door policy won't help when your employees are too scared to walk through it.

After 25 years consulting with organizations, here's what I've learned:

𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀:
• Sending another newsletter
• Posting updates on Teams
• Announcing "my door is always open"

𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀:
• Saying the hard things before they become crises
• Creating two-way dialogue, not monologues
• Explaining the why, not just the what
• Ensuring every manager delivers consistent messages
• Building psychological safety so people speak truth

Here's the problem most HR and People leaders miss:

Communication breakdowns aren't loud.

They're silent.

Nods in meetings instead of clarifying questions.

"Sounds good" instead of "I'm confused."

Status updates instead of strategic alignment.

Compliance instead of commitment.

𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝘀𝗮𝗳𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗵, 𝗶𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲.

You're not communicating.

You're broadcasting.

And broadcasting doesn't build the trust your culture needs to handle what's coming next.

The companies that win aren't sending more messages.
They're building more trust.

That's the work that actually matters.

𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲-𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀, 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 Kate McCarthy (FIRP) 𝗳𝗼𝗿 DAILY 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲.

7 things great leaders will do today.

Most leaders talk about what they're going to do.

Great leaders are already doing it.

Right now, while others schedule meetings about scheduling meetings, the best leaders are taking action.

They're not waiting for perfect conditions or the right strategic plan. They're leading in the moment.

Here are a few examples:

𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗱𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆
Not a group huddle. Not a status ping. An actual conversation where they ask how someone is really doing and what they need to succeed.

𝗥𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗮 𝗯𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝘀𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻
That approval bottleneck. The broken system everyone complains about. The policy that makes no sense. They find it and eliminate it.

𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 "𝘄𝗵𝘆" 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀
Your team can handle tough decisions. They can't handle being left guessing why those decisions were made.

𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿'𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻.

What's one thing you're going to tackle today? Follow Kate McCarthy (FIRP) for daily leadership inspiration.

great leaders

Your team is terrified to make decisions without you.

And you think that's good leadership.

They wait for your approval on everything, even things they've done successfully before.

Mistakes get buried instead of discussed openly because people are afraid of your reaction.

Your turnover numbers are quietly climbing, but you tell yourself it's just the market.

Meanwhile, the talent you want to keep is already mentally checked out.

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁. 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗳𝗲𝗮𝗿.

And fear-based leadership creates teams that survive, not thrive.

Inspirational leaders build confidence, not dependency.

They create environments where mistakes become learning opportunities, not career-limiting events.

They develop people who can think independently, not wait for permission to breathe.

I've put together an infographic that breaks down the warning signs - because sometimes we need to see the patterns laid out clearly to recognize them in ourselves.

Fear-based leadership is often unintentional. But the impact on your team is very real.

Which of these signs do you recognise in your own leadership? And more importantly, what's one shift you could make this week?

Share to your network♻️ and follow Kate McCarthy (FIRP) for insights on building leadership that inspires, not intimidates.

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The Battle

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