In this episode of Buzzing About HR, host Kate Underwood tackles a familiar challenge for many businesses: what happens when your best doer becomes your newest manager.

You know the story. Someone’s brilliant at their job, so you promote them… then watch them drown in rotas, one-to-ones and tough conversations they’ve never been trained for. Kate walks through a fair, practical way to grow real managers without losing your top talent along the way.

She starts with the big tension every business faces: promote your star and risk a wobbly team, or hold them back and risk losing them. The answer? Two clear career paths — one for managers, one for specialists — both with proper recognition and pay progression.

Kate shares how to build a simple, transparent framework you can use right away, including:

• Clear criteria that anyone can understand

• Acting-up trials that prove skills before you commit

• Light training and mentoring that set new managers up to succeed

• Realistic goals like running a solid team huddle or improving one process that’s been creaking for months

She also shines a light on the traps that quietly trip businesses up: double-hatting new managers, popularity promotions, and barriers that block quieter or part-time talent. Expect plain, practical advice on keeping things fair, compliant and human — from following ACAS guidance to documenting decisions properly and avoiding bias in who gets a shot at leadership.

By the end, you’ll have a repeatable way to spot future leaders, protect your culture and grow managers on purpose, not by accident.

If you’re ready to stop guessing and start building confident, capable managers, book a free HR Health Check to see how your people processes stack up.

You can also visit www.kateunderwoodhr.co.uk for more tools and templates.

Subscribe to Buzzing About HR for more down-to-earth HR advice for small businesses — and as always, keep buzzing and take care of your people. 🐝

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Have questions or need HR advice? Reach out to Kate Underwood HR & Training at www.kateunderwoodhr.co.uk, email us on buzz@kateunderwoodhr.co.uk or follow us on social media for more tips, resources, and updates.

Until next time, keep buzzing and take care of your people!