The HR Connection Podcast with Sabrina Baker

Compensation problems in small businesses don't announce themselves. They build quietly, starting with offer-time decisions that made sense at the time and were never revisited, until pay gaps have compounded long enough that someone finds out and tells everyone. This episode is for HR practitioners who need to do comp work without a dedicated team, a purpose-built tool, or a large budget. Sabrina and Marie walk through where to find reliable free market data, when it actually makes sense to pay for a comp tool, how to run a basic equity review with nothing more than a spreadsheet, and how to bring a pay gap to leadership in a way that moves them to act. One distinction that shapes everything else in this episode: there is a difference between historical inequity and current inequity, and they require different responses on different timelines. And once you have documented that a gap exists, inaction is no longer neutral. It is a decision, and a liability. A note for longtime listeners: this is Marie's second-to-last episode. After the next episode, The HR Connection will continue in a solo format with Sabrina.

This episode of the HR Connection addresses the breakdown of performance management in small businesses and the cost of avoidance. Many organizations fall into two patterns: leaders who avoid difficult conversations entirely or leaders who escalate too aggressively. Both create risk, damage culture, and lead to reactive decision-making instead of structured management. Sabrina Baker and Marie Rolston outline a practical framework designed for real use—not compliance. The focus is on early, clear, and consistent communication so employees are not blindsided by feedback months after issues begin. The four-step structure—coaching conversation, counseling memo, written warning, and separation—emphasizes progression and opportunity for course correction at each stage. The episode also reinforces that process alone is insufficient. Manager capability is the failure point. Without training, managers default to avoidance or emotional reactions. HR’s role is to coach managers before conversations happen, ensuring they are factual, specific, and grounded in clear expectations. Resources mentioned: Counseling memo template Performance coaching conversation guide Conversation starter library All resources available at Acacia HR Solutions’ website.

Recruiting in a small business rarely lives in a neat, dedicated function. More often, it gets layered on top of an already full HR workload. In this episode, Sabrina and Marie break down what that actually looks like in practice—and how to make it manageable. The conversation focuses on how to approach recruiting when time, resources, and structure are limited. Instead of trying to build a perfect process, this episode walks through how to prioritize what matters, simplify where possible, and create just enough structure to keep things moving. In this episode, we cover: The “two jobs” problem and why recruiting often feels like a second full-time role Why recruiting starts to feel broken (and what’s actually causing it) A practical triage framework for managing open roles What “minimum viable” recruiting infrastructure looks like in a small business Where recruiting tends to break down as companies grow How to push back on leadership when expectations don’t match capacity Resources mentioned: Templates and tools are available at: acaciahrsolutions.com You can find our previous episode on recruiting by browsing the podcast feed

If your most popular episode told you what intentional HR looks like, this one tells you how to actually build it. Sabrina and Marie get tactical with the HR audit process Acacia uses with every new client, no matter what the client thinks they have in place. In this episode, they walk through the three-pillar audit framework (compliance, infrastructure, and strategy), explain why the order of those pillars isn't arbitrary, and share the exact three questions that drive every audit they run. They also talk through how to build a risk map before you build a to-do list, why sequencing matters more than speed, and how to communicate your findings to leadership in a way that actually gets you the runway to fix things right. Whether you're a solo practitioner trying to figure out where to put your hands first, or someone who walked into a role and quickly realized what you inherited wasn't what you were sold, this episode is your starting point. The HR audit checklist Sabrina and Marie reference, the actual document they use with clients, is available on the Acacia website and linked in the show notes.

Finding reliable HR tech reviews for small businesses is nearly impossible — most resources are built for enterprise, and the comparison sites are either outdated or pay-to-play. In this episode, Acacia's Payroll and Operations Manager Penelope walks us through the HR Tech Guide she's been building specifically for small employers: what she's testing, how she's scoring it, and what she's already finding that might surprise you.

Eight years in the making. In this episode, Sabrina and Marie pull back the curtain on the HR Department of One Cohort which is a 10-week live program built specifically for HR professionals running solo inside small and growing companies. They talk through why they built it, what the survey data told them, and what makes this different from every webinar or self-paced course you've already forgotten to finish. You'll hear the full curriculum breakdown, why they're capping it at 15 to 20 people, and what they actually want participants to walk away feeling. If you're managing HR alone at a company with 10 to 500 employees, this episode is for you. Enrollment is open now. Early bird pricing ($247 with code EARLYBIRD) expires March 21st. Standard pricing is $297 and enrollment closes April 4th. Cohort kicks off April 17th at 11 AM Pacific. Registration link is www.acaciahrsolutions.com/cohort

DIY HR gets the job done, until it doesn’t. In this episode, Sabrina and Marie break down the difference between reactive HR and intentional HR, share six common mistakes they see with real clients every day, and explain why small businesses actually carry more risk per employee, not less. You’ll leave with a clear picture of what intentional HR looks like in practice and one question to help you figure out where to start.

Why does HR always end up being the “bad guy”? In this episode of The HR Connection, Sabrina and Marie dig into a reality almost every HR professional in a small organization knows too well: being asked to deliver bad news you didn’t decide, enforce unpopular policies you didn’t create, and step into tough conversations leaders avoid. From benefit changes and return-to-office mandates to performance conversations and terminations, HR often becomes the default messenger—and the one who takes the blame. Sabrina and Marie break down why this dynamic is especially common in 1–500 employee organizations, how immature leadership and close working relationships make it worse, and the real cost this takes on HR’s credibility, trust, and burnout. Most importantly, they share practical ways to shift out of the “enforcer” role and reposition yourself as a strategic partner and trusted advisor—through better boundaries, clearer communication, and coaching leaders to handle their own hard conversations. If you’re an HR department of one (or feel like one), this episode will feel very familiar—and hopefully a little relieving. You’re not alone, and you don’t have to stay stuck as the messenger everyone wants to blame.

This episode is about the invisible work of leadership: the days you’re tired, unmotivated, and still decide to show up anyway. Marie reflects on a year of growth and the ripple effect that comes from staying with what matters.

Every small business says they want an HR strategy, but most don’t realize their “strategy” is really just a list of HR tasks. In this episode, Sabrina walks through five diagnostic questions that reveal what’s actually standing between your business goals and your people, your real people dependency.

PEOs promise peace of mind — one invoice, one system, one solution for all your HR headaches. But what if that convenience is quietly costing your business tens of thousands of dollars a year and holding you back from growing through your people? In this episode, Sabrina Baker breaks down the real PEO price tag — what you’re paying for, what you’re losing, and how to know when it’s time to move away from a one-size-fits-all HR model toward a tailored approach that supports growth, control, and culture.

Sometimes, the biggest threat to your company’s growth isn’t who you haven’t hired — it’s who you’re afraid to let go. In this episode, Sabrina Baker unpacks how small businesses can make tough people decisions with clarity, legality, and compassion, and why holding on too long often costs more than letting go.

Not every messy workplace is a toxic one — but when it is, HR often sees it first. In this episode, Sabrina Baker reflects on 14 years of small-business HR experience and the lessons learned from surviving (and helping fix) toxic work environments. From learning the difference between dysfunction and true toxicity to figuring out how to influence change without authority, this episode blends real stories with practical advice for HR pros caught in the middle.