Compensation without structure
Offers were made one at a time, in good faith, and now people doing similar work are paid differently for reasons that are hard to explain. Common, fixable, and far easier to address early than once someone else raises it.
Someone isn't working out
Handled well, an exit protects the person leaving, the team watching and the company. Handled poorly, it harms all three. The difference is almost entirely in the preparation, and we've done a great deal of it, reductions in force included.
You've hired into a new state
Pay transparency, leave, final paycheck timing and notice rules all change at the state line, and often. Getting it right early is inexpensive; getting it wrong is not.
New managers are struggling
Someone excellent at their craft was moved into a genuinely different job, and nobody taught them how to do it. Not a hiring mistake, and the most fixable item on this list.
An investor or acquirer is asking
Org charts, retention, classification, equity, compliance history. Much calmer when the answers already exist, and we've sat on both sides of diligence, integration and an IPO.
Everything depends on one person
Often someone who has quietly carried HR alongside another full-time role, and carried it well. A real risk for the company and an unfair weight for them. The fix is usually structure and support, not replacement.
Administration is crowding out the real work
Onboarding, PTO, reviews, offer letters. Much of it can be automated properly in a few weeks, which is what frees the time for everything above.