The 7 HR Problems Costing Small Businesses Money — Before They Ever Call HR

Most small businesses don’t think about HR until something goes wrong. By then, the problem may already be costing the organization time, money, productivity, or talented employees.

In this episode of The Resolution Room, Robert Holmes breaks down seven common HR risks that growing businesses often overlook—from untrained managers and weak documentation to outdated policies, inconsistent employee decisions, and waiting too long to address performance concerns.

You’ll learn why simply having someone “handle HR” isn’t the same as having an effective HR strategy, what business owners should be reviewing before a workplace issue becomes a crisis, and how the right HR support can help protect both your people and your organization.

In this episode:

• Why managers may be your biggest HR risk
• The documentation mistakes that hurt employers
• Why waiting to address poor performance gets expensive
• How outdated handbooks create false confidence
• The importance of consistency in employment decisions
• HR risks growing companies often don’t see coming
• When an HR consultant makes more sense than hiring a full-time HR leader

If you’re a small business owner, nonprofit leader, or growing employer wondering whether your HR foundation is strong enough, this episode is for you.

Need help strengthening your HR practices? Visit The Resolution Room to learn more about HR consulting, HR risk assessments, employee relations support, and practical solutions designed for growing organizations.

🎙️ Follow The Resolution Room for conversations about HR, leadership, workplace conflict, and building better organizations.

#HumanResources #HRConsulting #SmallBusiness #SmallBusinessOwner #Leadership #EmployeeRelations #HRStrategy #WorkplaceCulture #BusinessGrowth #TheResolutionRoom

AI is already changing Human Resources—but how do we use it without losing the human side of the work?

In this episode of The Resolution Room, I discuss how HR professionals can responsibly navigate artificial intelligence, especially in healthcare, behavioral health, mental health, and substance use treatment environments.

We explore how AI can support HR with drafting, organization, training, recruiting, and administrative work—while also addressing the risks involving confidentiality, employee medical information, discrimination, investigations, accommodations, and overreliance on automated decisions.

In this episode:

• Appropriate and inappropriate uses of AI in HR

• Why AI should support decisions—not make them

• Protecting employee and patient information

• AI risks in recruiting, discipline, and accommodations

• Practical green, yellow, and red zones for AI use

• How HR can automate paperwork without automating humanity

AI can make HR faster, clearer, and more consistent—but it should never become an excuse to make HR less human.

Subscribe for more conversations about leadership, workplace conflict, employee relations, and creating healthier organizations.

#HumanResources #ArtificialIntelligence #AIinHR #HealthcareHR #BehavioralHealth #EmployeeRelations #Leadership #MentalHealth #WorkplaceCulture #TheResolutionRoom

In this episode of The Resolution Room, we celebrate National Video Game Day by looking at video games through a different lens: not as distractions, but as unexpected teachers of patience, strategy, communication, resilience, and conflict resolution.

From learning how to lose without quitting, to working with teammates, adapting under pressure, and understanding the difference between reacting and responding, video games offer real lessons that apply far beyond the screen. This solo episode explores how gaming can help us think differently about workplace conflict, personal growth, leadership, and the way we handle difficult situations in real life.

Whether you grew up with a controller in your hand or you still do not understand why people yell at the TV during online matches, this episode will help you see the positive side of gaming and how the skills developed in virtual worlds can translate into healthier conversations, stronger relationships, and better conflict resolution.

In this episode of The Resolution Room, Robert Holmes breaks down one of the most misunderstood words in the workplace: harassment.

Not every uncomfortable conversation, difficult supervisor, or moment of accountability is harassment, but that does not mean those issues should be ignored. This episode explains the difference between unlawful harassment, poor leadership, personality conflicts, retaliation, and everyday workplace accountability.

Robert shares practical examples employees and managers can use to better understand conflict, document concerns, communicate clearly, and know when an issue should be escalated to HR. The conversation also applies beyond the workplace, offering a simple framework for separating facts from assumptions in everyday relationships.

If you have ever felt targeted, misunderstood, corrected, or frustrated at work, this episode will help you slow down, ask better questions, and respond with clarity instead of confusion.

After a brief hiatus, The Resolution Room is back.

In this episode, host Robert Holmes shares a personal update on what has been happening behind the scenes, including a recent move, a new professional chapter, and the lessons learned during a season of transition. Robert reflects on the importance of growth, adaptability, and staying connected to the work that matters most.

He also introduces the new direction for the podcast. For the remainder of the year, The Resolution Room will focus on employee relations topics that impact leaders, HR professionals, and employees alike. From workplace conflict and difficult conversations to performance management, investigations, trust, accountability, and culture, future episodes will provide practical insights and real-world perspectives on navigating today's workplace challenges.

Whether you're a manager, HR professional, executive, or employee looking to better understand workplace dynamics, this episode sets the stage for the conversations ahead.

Silent agreements tend to lurk in the background, shaping behavior without ever being named. In this episode, we dig into how to identify these unspoken norms by observing team patterns, listening to fringe voices, and asking the right questions. Whether it’s the awkward pause when someone challenges leadership or the universal shrug at missed deadlines, these quiet agreements are powerful—and sometimes toxic. I’ll walk you through practical strategies for surfacing them, evaluating their impact, and preparing your team for change.

This episode builds on ideas from my new book, Human Resources for the Soul: Managing the Human in You, available now on Amazon. If you're ready to lead with more clarity, courage, and emotional intelligence, it's a must-read.

Stay tuned for Part 3, where we’ll bring these ideas to life with real-world case studies from the field—messy, eye-opening, and refreshingly honest.

Ever walked into a meeting and just knew not to speak up — even though no one told you not to? Welcome to the world of silent agreements: the unspoken rules that shape everything from who gets promoted to who makes the coffee. In this episode of The Resolution Room, host Robert Holmes peels back the layers of these hidden norms, exploring how they form, what impact they have on workplace culture, and why they often go unchallenged. With real-life examples from corporate, nonprofit, and government settings, you'll learn how to spot these stealthy behaviors, understand their influence, and — most importantly — renegotiate the rules to build healthier, more transparent teams.

Grab a coffee (and remember to refill the pot), because this one’s a culture check you didn’t know you needed.

In this episode of The Resolution Room, host Robert M. Holmes—HR strategist, coach, and author of Human Resources for the Soul—dives into the complicated space where mental health language and HR buzzwords get twisted into tools for dodging responsibility.

From “I’m protecting my peace” to “This place is toxic” and “I’m burnt out,” we explore how valid concepts like boundaries, burnout, and psychological safety can be misused in ways that paralyze teams and frustrate leaders. Through real-life stories, expert insights, and a few HR horror tales, Robert breaks down the difference between self-care and self-sabotage, and why compassion and accountability must go hand in hand.

If you’ve ever felt stuck between honoring someone’s well-being and holding them accountable—or wondered how to lead a team where “wellness” doesn’t become a weapon—this episode is for you.