Jayne Griffith
My HR Adviser

Area of expertise
Human Resources, coaching, team development, leadership

How long have you been working with family businesses?
7 years plus

What’s one of the most common mistakes you see in family businesses?

I’m not sure I would describe it as a mistake….but the reality of family business is that the family dynamic does influence all aspects of the business.  Often I hear people say that they need to raise an issue with a co-worker, but they feel disempowered due to the family relationship, whether it be a dominant father, or wayward younger sister.  But family dynamics can also work to the benefit of the business, in one family business the daughter used her travel time with her dad to broach some subjects in a casual and non-confrontational way, which worked well for them.

Often family businesses are guilty of taking for granted and even taking advantage of family members. As an HR adviser, I would always recommend that good Human Resources processes are used within a business, and they are applied equally to family members as the rest of the staff. It is especially important to have robust recruitment and selection processes so that everyone understands that the family member is there because of their merits. It’s also essential to have clear performance expectations and monitoring, and fair pay and reward systems. Under rewarding or over rewarding a family member will soon be seen as unfair by the rest of the staff.

What is your “uh ha” moment with your clients? When they realise…
That to get the best from their employees (and all relationships actually) they need to understand the other person’s beliefs and values – what makes them tick. Taking time to really listen to the other person, makes it much easier to build a common understanding to work from.

What gets you up in the morning (inspiration/motivation) ?
Helping business owners create a fantastic workplace – one that is engaging, stimulating and encourages everyone to succeed.

What’s the key benefit of your FBA membership?
Rubbing shoulders with amazing family business owners and listening to all their stories – sharing their triumphs and set-backs.  I find it energizing and inspiring.

Further information and contact
My HR Adviser offers all FBA members a free 30 minute HR Health Check.  Make sure you are compliant with Fair Work before the Commissioner comes knocking at your door! Contact Jayne on 0420 507008 or jayne.griffiths@myhradviser.com.au www.myhradviser.com.au