About Karen Hillen
Tapping into more than 30 years’ experience in Human Resources, staffing & payroll, Karen loves helping you get the best out of your people while providing you, the business owner, with peace of mind.
Karen partners with you to assist in proactively managing your people, providing the tools you need to enhance productivity & maximise profit. With her friendly, approachable & professional manner, she ensures you feel comfortable & confident in her services. Just knowing you can speak with Karen & receive the right advice, eliminates the concern of HR issues – providing welcome reassurance for busy business owners.
About Karen Hillen
Tapping into more than 30 years’
experience in Human Resources, staffing & payroll, Karen loves helping you get the best out of your people while providing you, the business owner, with peace of mind.
Karen partners with you to assist in
proactively managing your people, providing the tools you need to enhance productivity & maximise profit. With her friendly, approachable & professional manner, she ensures you feel comfortable & confident in her services. Just knowing you can speak with Karen & receive the right advice, eliminates the concern of HR issues – providing welcome reassurance for busy business owners.
By working with Karen, you’ll have the right HR contracts and policies in place, your business is compliant with employment law and you’ll know you’re paying the correct rates of pay to your staff. She is skilled at analysing complex HR issues, able to quickly adapt to a variety of situations and offer a choice of viable, practical solutions.
Karen is an HR Consultant with a Diploma in Human Resource Management, Graduate Diploma in Public Administration, Graduate Certificate in Public Sector Management, Certificate IV in Training and Assessment and Certificate IV in WHS. She also is a member of the Australian Human Resources Institute (AHRI), the Industrial Relations Society of Queensland & the Industrial Relations Society of New South Wales.
Why not benefit from Karen’s vast level of HR expertise and experience? To discuss your HR requirements book in for a call.
By working with Karen, you’ll have the
right HR contracts and policies in place,
your business is compliant with
employment law and you’ll know you’re paying the correct rates of pay to your
staff. She is skilled at analysing complex
HR issues, able to quickly adapt to a
variety of situations and offer a choice
of viable, practical solutions.
Karen is a Certified HR Coach with
a Diploma in Human Resource Management, Graduate Diploma in Public Administration, Graduate Certificate in Public Sector Management, Certificate IV in Training and Assessment and Certificate IV in WHS. She also is a member of the Australian Human Resources Institute (AHRI) & the Industrial Relations Society of New South Wales.
Why not benefit from Karen’s vast level
of HR expertise and experience? To discuss
your HR requirements book in for a call.
About My HR Partner
My HR Partner – Mission
At My HR Partner, we empower small to medium businesses with flexible and expert HR solutions. We offer a fresh approach, delivering clear, cost-effective support without the rigid contracts you don't need. From our unique online membership and comprehensive retainers to a la carte services, we simplify compliance and management, giving you the confidence and freedom to grow your business.
As your on-demand HR Manager, we deliver competitively priced, reliable & practical HR solutions for professional service business owners and teams across Australia. By tapping into our comprehensive industry experience, My HR Partner actively supports you with expert HR advice & assistance, whenever you need it, while ensuring you are compliant with current workplace legislation.
We have trusted Employment Law partners to assist with any employment law issues outside of our scope.
You speak directly with one of our HR experts, not a call centre or generic phone advisory service. We provide tailored,
personalised service & advice, and vitally, we deliver consistent information throughout our relationship with your
business. We’re proactive in offering a range of potential options and solutions, so you never have to worry about
an HR problem while you’re working with us.
Most business owners & managers don’t have the time, knowledge or skills to manage HR themselves. Our role is to
help you eliminate the worry of dealing with HR issues, wasting hours of valuable time waiting on the phone for Fair
Work or trying to determine whether you’re doing the right thing by your employees.
My HR Partner provides a higher level of support and advice than many similar services. While we happily answer
questions, providing advice and guidance quickly and efficiently, we also offer for your employees to speak with us
directly, once authorised by you. This can help resolve staff concerns before they even become an issue.
Engaging our service is like having an HR manager on staff, at around 10% of the cost of employing one. Consider
us to be an insurance policy for your HR requirements, with great return on investment.
About
My HR Partner
As your on-demand HR Manager, we deliver competitively priced, reliable & practical HR solutions for professional service business owners and teams across Australia. By tapping into our comprehensive industry experience, My HR Partner actively supports you with expert HR advice & assistance, whenever you need it, while ensuring you are compliant with current workplace legislation.
We have trusted Employment Law
partners to assist with any employment
law issues outside of our scope.
You speak directly with one of our
HR experts, not a call centre or generic
phone advisory service. We provide tailored, personalised service & advice, and vitally, we deliver consistent information throughout our relationship with your business. We’re proactive in offering a range of potential options and solutions, so you never have to worry about an HR problem while you’re working with us.
Most business owners & managers
don’t have the time, knowledge or skills to manage HR themselves. Our role is to help you eliminate the worry of dealing with HR issues, wasting hours of valuable time waiting on the phone for Fair Work or trying to determine whether you’re doing the right thing by your employees.
My HR Partner provides a higher level of support and advice than many similar services. While we happily answer questions, providing advice and guidance quickly and efficiently, we also offer for your employees to speak with us directly, once authorised by you. This can help resolve staff concerns before they even become an issue.
Engaging our service is like having an HR manager on staff, at around 10% of the cost
of employing one. Consider us to be an insurance policy for your HR requirements, with great return on investment.
Our Latest Blog Post
Managing Employee Issues Without Making Things Worse
A calm, practical approach to performance management.
Managing employee performance can sometimes feel tricky especially when you genuinely care about doing the right thing.
A lot of business owners tell me they hesitate when it comes to managing employee performance because they don’t want to:
Damage the relationship
Say or do the wrong thing
Be seen as unfair
Accidentally create risk
That hesitation is completely understandable. But when performance issues are left unaddressed, they rarely improve on their own and they often become bigger issues, and more stressful over time.
But managing underperformance doesn’t have to feel confrontational or complicated. With the right approach, it can actually be fair, supportive, and clear for everyone involved.
Let’s go through when to step in, what to document, and how to stay fair and compliant without making things worse.
When Should You Step In?
As a general rule, it’s time to step in when underperformance is:
Ongoing rather than occasional
Affecting work quality, clients, or the wider team
Creating frustration or tension
Something you’ve already noticed more than once
Stepping in early doesn’t mean jumping straight to formal action. In most cases, it starts with a simple, respectful informal conversation about expectations and what support might be needed.
Addressing things early is often the kindest option - it gives the employee clarity and a genuine opportunity to improve.
Why Avoiding the Issue Can Create Bigger Problems
It’s natural to hope performance issues will resolve themselves, but avoiding them can lead to:
Confusion about expectations
Frustration from other team members
Inconsistent standards across your business
Clear, timely conversations help protect your business and your people.
What Should You Document?
Documentation often sounds more daunting than it needs to be.
You’re not building a case against someone, you’re simply keeping a clear record of what’s happening and how it’s being managed. The objective is for the employee to improve their performance.
Helpful documentation usually includes:
What the performance issue is, based on facts
When it occurred and whether it’s ongoing
What expectations were explained
What support, training, or guidance was offered
What was agreed as the next steps
Good records show that you’ve acted reasonably, communicated clearly, and given the employee a fair chance to improve.
How Do You Stay Fair and Compliant?
Fairness isn’t about getting everything perfect, it’s about following a reasonable and consistent process.
To stay fair and compliant:
Apply the same approach to all employees
Focus on behaviours and outcomes, not assumptions
Give the employee an opportunity to respond
Allow reasonable time and support for improvement
Follow a clear, structured process
Even valid performance concerns can lead to claims if they’re not handled well. Having a clear framework removes a lot of uncertainty and stress.
A Clear, Supportive Way to Manage Underperformance
One of the biggest challenges for business owners is feeling like they’re making it up as they go and not knowing what they can and can't do.
That’s why the Performance Management Toolkit inside the My HR Partner HR Hub exists.
It’s designed to give you:
A step-by-step approach to managing performance issues
Guidance on what to say and what not to say
Practical templates and checklists for documentation
Confidence that your process is fair, reasonable, and aligned with best practice
It supports you to handle issues calmly and professionally.
HR Support That Fits Where You’re At
Every business is different, which is why there are flexible options:
Subscribe to the HR Hub for ongoing access to HR tools and resources
Purchase the Performance Management Toolkit if this is your immediate challenge
Combine resources with an HR advice call if you’d like reassurance along the way
You don’t have to do everything at once just take the next right step.
You Don’t Have to Avoid Performance Conversations
Being a good employer doesn’t mean avoiding difficult conversations.
It means handling them with clarity, fairness, and care.
👉 Explore the Performance Management Toolkit for practical, supportive guidance
👉 Or subscribe to the HR Hub for ongoing HR support as your business grows
With the right tools, managing employee performance can feel far more manageable, and much less stressful.
Ready to Feel More Confident About HR?
You don’t need to navigate HR alone — and you don’t need to overcomplicate it either.
👉Explore the HR Hub and new toolkits to see what support looks like when it’s practical, calm, and genuinely helpful.
👉Subscribe for full access, or choose the toolkit that fits your current challenge.
Sometimes, having the right resource at the right time makes all the difference.
For further expert advice on human resources or if you have any questions about anything HR related, get in touch.
Karen Hillen is your HR Partner, she helps businesses by providing HR support and advice services.
For the right HR support and advice, book a My HR Partner HR Advice call with Karen Hillen.
We provide HR advice and support. We have trusted partners to assist with any employment law issues
outside of our scope.
More info
Get HR Advice from our HR expert
Our Latest Blog Post
Managing Employee Issues Without Making Things Worse
A calm, practical approach to performance management.
Managing employee performance can sometimes feel tricky especially when you genuinely care about doing the right thing.
A lot of business owners tell me they hesitate when it comes to managing employee performance because they don’t want to:
Damage the relationship
Say or do the wrong thing
Be seen as unfair
Accidentally create risk
That hesitation is completely understandable. But when performance issues are left unaddressed, they rarely improve on their own and they often become bigger issues, and more stressful over time.
But managing underperformance doesn’t have to feel confrontational or complicated. With the right approach, it can actually be fair, supportive, and clear for everyone involved.
Let’s go through when to step in, what to document, and how to stay fair and compliant without making things worse.
When Should You Step In?
As a general rule, it’s time to step in when underperformance is:
Ongoing rather than occasional
Affecting work quality, clients, or the wider team
Creating frustration or tension
Something you’ve already noticed more than once
Stepping in early doesn’t mean jumping straight to formal action. In most cases, it starts with a simple, respectful informal conversation about expectations and what support might be needed.
Addressing things early is often the kindest option - it gives the employee clarity and a genuine opportunity to improve.
Why Avoiding the Issue Can Create Bigger Problems
It’s natural to hope performance issues will resolve themselves, but avoiding them can lead to:
Confusion about expectations
Frustration from other team members
Inconsistent standards across your business
Clear, timely conversations help protect your business and your people.
What Should You Document?
Documentation often sounds more daunting than it needs to be.
You’re not building a case against someone, you’re simply keeping a clear record of what’s happening and how it’s being managed. The objective is for the employee to improve their performance.
Helpful documentation usually includes:
What the performance issue is, based on facts
When it occurred and whether it’s ongoing
What expectations were explained
What support, training, or guidance was offered
What was agreed as the next steps
Good records show that you’ve acted reasonably, communicated clearly, and given the employee a fair chance to improve.
How Do You Stay Fair and Compliant?
Fairness isn’t about getting everything perfect, it’s about following a reasonable and consistent process.
To stay fair and compliant:
Apply the same approach to all employees
Focus on behaviours and outcomes, not assumptions
Give the employee an opportunity to respond
Allow reasonable time and support for improvement
Follow a clear, structured process
Even valid performance concerns can lead to claims if they’re not handled well. Having a clear framework removes a lot of uncertainty and stress.
A Clear, Supportive Way to Manage Underperformance
One of the biggest challenges for business owners is feeling like they’re making it up as they go and not knowing what they can and can't do.
That’s why the Performance Management Toolkit inside the My HR Partner HR Hub exists.
It’s designed to give you:
A step-by-step approach to managing performance issues
Guidance on what to say and what not to say
Practical templates and checklists for documentation
Confidence that your process is fair, reasonable, and aligned with best practice
It supports you to handle issues calmly and professionally.
HR Support That Fits Where You’re At
Every business is different, which is why there are flexible options:
Subscribe to the HR Hub for ongoing access to HR tools and resources
Purchase the Performance Management Toolkit if this is your immediate challenge
Combine resources with an HR advice call if you’d like reassurance along the way
You don’t have to do everything at once just take the next right step.
You Don’t Have to Avoid Performance Conversations
Being a good employer doesn’t mean avoiding difficult conversations.
It means handling them with clarity, fairness, and care.
👉 Explore the Performance Management Toolkit for practical, supportive guidance
👉 Or subscribe to the HR Hub for ongoing HR support as your business grows
With the right tools, managing employee performance can feel far more manageable, and much less stressful.
Ready to Feel More Confident About HR?
You don’t need to navigate HR alone — and you don’t need to overcomplicate it either.
👉Explore the HR Hub and new toolkits to see what support looks like when it’s practical, calm, and genuinely helpful.
👉Subscribe for full access, or choose the toolkit that fits your current challenge.
Sometimes, having the right resource at the right time makes all the difference.
For further expert advice on human resources or if you have any questions about anything HR related, get in touch.
Karen Hillen is your HR Partner, she helps businesses by providing HR support and advice services.
For the right HR support and advice, book a My HR Partner HR Advice call with Karen Hillen.
We provide HR advice and support.
We have trusted partners to assist with
any employment law issues outside
of our scope.
More info
PO Box 1079
Coolangatta QLD 4225
ABN 30 644 527 015
Get HR Advice from our HR expert