with Sally Humphrey from Hybrid Legal
From people problems to performance wins: Practical HR tips for growing businesses
Let’s be honest, HR can often feel like the tricky bit of running a business. Most founders didn’t go into business to manage performance reviews or deal with difficult conversations. But as Ryan Lisk, Founder of Hybrid Legal, and HR expert Sally Humphrey explain in the latest episode of The Hybrid Legal Loop, getting your people stuff right can make or break your business.
In this episode, From People Problems to Performance Wins: Practical HR Tips for Growing Businesses, Ryan sits down with Sally to unpack some of the biggest issues facing UK employers, from underperformance and tricky team dynamics to dismissals, redundancy, and everything in between.
Here’s a taste of what you’ll learn:
1. Performance problems don’t fix themselves
Sally talks about how ‘quiet quitting’ and disengaged team members can drag down morale and how the first step is to understand why it’s happening. Is it burnout? A lack of direction? Something going on at home?
Rather than jump to conclusions, Sally advises business owners to have honest, human conversations. “The more you know your team, the more likely they’ll open up,” she says.
2. Don’t fear difficult conversations – prepare for them
Most employers worry about saying the wrong thing, but Sally’s role is to coach them through it. Whether it’s addressing poor performance or long-term absence, it’s all about being fair, clear, and consistent, and having things documented from the start.
As Ryan puts it: “Procrastinating doesn’t help anyone. It just lets the issue fester.”
3. Redundancy isn’t your only option
With rising costs, redundancy is on many employers’ minds but Sally shares a powerful example of a business that avoided job cuts by exploring reduced hours and voluntary exits instead. The key takeaway? Don’t rush. There are often other solutions, and it pays to talk to your team.
4. Culture clashes? Don’t lose a star player too quickly
What do you do when your best performer is clashing with others? Sally suggests stepping back and helping your team understand each other’s working styles. “You don’t need to be best friends,” she says, “but you do need mutual respect.”
5. Big changes on the horizon
New employment laws mean employees will soon have full rights from day one. That means dismissing someone will become riskier, and probation periods will matter more than ever. Sally urges businesses to sharpen up their onboarding, training, and documentation practices before these changes kick in.
If you’ve ever had sleepless nights over a team issue or just want to be a better employer, this episode is packed with practical insights.
Watch the full episode: From People Problems to Performance Wins
Got questions or need a hand with a people challenge of your own? Just drop us a message . Sally’s always happy to chat.
Ryan has helped a vast number of businesses protect and control their intellectual property as well as drafting and advising on consumer and commercial contracts.
