Agile HR Newsletter November 2025

Facing your fears – how to influence your opponents!!!

Healthy disagreement isn’t a nuisance – it’s fuel for better decisions. But when your team or your colleagues push back, it can feel a bit personal and hard to demonstrate your perspective.  Afterall, you don’t want to fall out – but you do need them to listen!  Here are a few tips from our HR experience to help you influence with confidence whilst keeping the team motivated.

Listen First, Talk Second

Real influence starts with curiosity. Ask questions, check your assumptions, and genuinely listen. Most pushback comes from valid concerns that deserve your time to consider.

Anchor to Shared Goals

You’re not rivals – you’re on the same team. Bring the conversation back to the organisation’s priorities and the outcome everyone wants.  Shared goals are a great way of defusing tension!

Be Open and Straightforward

People back ideas they understand and trust. Be clear about your thinking, explain the “why” and communicate honestly. Respect goes further than pressure.

Offer Options, Not Ultimatums

Don’t bulldoze your view through. Invite ideas, explore alternatives, and co-create solutions. Influence sticks when people feel ownership.

Stay Calm, Stay Professional

Emotions can spark conflict; composure steers collaboration. A measured tone signals confidence and keeps conversations productive.

Pick Your Battles

Not every disagreement needs resolving today. Sometimes you influence best by stepping back and letting time and evidence do the work.

Bottom Line

Disagreement isn’t a roadblock- it’s a chance to build trust, crystalise ideas, and drive smarter decisions. Influence isn’t about overpowering others; it’s about bringing people with you.

You’ve got this!  Need any help please contact [email protected]

Stay Interviews: A Tool for Stronger Engagement & Retention

What Is a Stay Interview?

A stay interview is a confidential conversation between an employee and HR or their manager. It’s designed for high-performing, long-serving, or high-potential team members and focuses on two simple principles:

• What is working well for you?
• What could make your experience even better?

A stay interview is designed to understand why your top talent stay with your business. These insights help to uncover what truly matters to the people who contribute most to the success of your company. We recommend having these conversations annually.

Why are Stay Interviews Valuable?

Instead of relying on assumptions about what employees value in the workplace, stay interviews uncover genuine, actionable data. They reveal the everyday experiences that shape and drive your team’s satisfaction, commitment, and performance.

Benefits for Your Business

The true benefit of a stay interview comes from what happens once the information from the meetings has been collated, reviewed and acted upon. Positive actions can include improving processes, providing additional benefits or wellbeing options, offering further development opportunities or removing barriers.

When a business acts upon the feedback, employees can see they have been listened to and their insights have led to meaningful change within the business. This creates an environment of openness and support leading to increased motivation and commitment.

To summarise, the benefits to your business can be:

• Learn why an employee remains with your company
• Clearer insight into employee needs and trends within the workplace
• Uncover any issues or concerns an employee may have (that could ultimately lead to their exiting the business)
• Higher employee satisfaction and engagement
• Improved retention

If your business is interested in introducing stay interviews or refining your current approach, our team would be happy to support you, please contact [email protected]