This column was contributed by Beth Looney, MPA, SHRM-SCP, who is a Senior HR Consultant with Leath HR Group. 

Do you remember getting ready for a new school year? 

There was something exciting about brand new school year. Clean notebooks, newly sharpened pencils, all the same length, with no stubby one hiding in the pouch, and, if you were lucky, a perfectly organized Trapper Keeper.  

You believed this was going to be your best year yet. That feeling wasn't really about new school supplies. It was about being prepared. 

Right now, parents across our community are checking school supply lists, labeling backpacks, and getting their kids ready for a successful year. I think business leaders should be doing the very same thing. 

September, not January, is the best time to think strategically about human resources. By the time January arrives, budgets are approved, hiring needs have become urgent, and leaders are often reacting instead of planning. 

September is the perfect time to ask, "Are our people strategies ready for next year?" 

Here are six conversations I encourage every leadership team to have this month. 

Compensation: Is Your Pay Strategy Still Competitive? 

Compensation shouldn't become a conversation only when an employee resigns or presents another job offer. 

At Leath HR Group, we've recently completed compensation benchmark studies for several clients, and almost every one of them discovered something they didn't expect. Some positions had fallen behind the market. Others had internal pay compression that had developed over time. 

If you haven't looked at your compensation strategy in the last few years, you're probably making decisions with outdated information.  

Good compensation decisions aren't made on instinct. They're made with data. So, begin conducting an annual or bi-annual compensation benchmark study. 

Succession: Who Has the Answers? 

Every organization has that one employee everyone depends on. 

You know the one. They know every password, every vendor, every annual deadline, every customer, and every unwritten process. If they won the lottery tomorrow and moved to Bali, would your business keep running? 

Your leaders should create a simple one-page business continuity sheet: Contacts. Passwords. Annual responsibilities not listed in a job description. Important deadlines. It isn't glamorous, but it's one of the smartest pieces of homework you'll ever assign. 

Institutional knowledge is one of your most valuable assets. Don't let it walk out the door. 

Performance: Keep It Simple 

Performance management trends change almost as often as jean styles. 

Rating scales, quarterly check-ins, goals-only conversations, continuous feedback, 360 reviews—every few years there's another "best" system. 

Here's my advice: don't overcomplicate it. 

Employees simply want to know two things: "Am I doing a good job?" and "How can I get better?" 

Those conversations don't need complicated scorecards. They need good managers who are willing to coach, encourage, redirect, and hold their employees accountable.  

Leadership coaching continues to be one of Leath HR Group’s most requested consulting service. We help leaders gain the confidence to have all types of conversations. 

Training: Invest Before You Need It 

The best organizations don't wait until a manager is struggling before investing in professional development. 

Many supervisors are promoted because they were exceptional in their previous role; and many have never been taught how to lead people. 

Leadership development remains one of the best investments an organization can make. One of my favorite training courses we offer at Leath HR Group is our Buddy to Boss program, which helps first-time managers confidently transition from coworker to supervisor.  There are books, webinars, courses, industry specific training, and executive coaches. Find something and invest in it because better managers create better teams, and better teams create better businesses. 

Recruiting: Plan Before You're Hiring 

Stop waiting until someone resigns to begin recruiting. Instead, be proactive and dig into your workforce data. 

Which departments have the highest turnover? Are retirements coming? Is growth planned for next year? How long do employees typically stay in each role? 

If your customer service representatives typically stay four years, don't be surprised when someone leaves after four years. Use the data. Strengthen your retention efforts and keep your recruiting pipeline full. 

The strongest employers are building relationships with future talent. Always be recruiting. 

Benefits: Don't Wait for Open Enrollment 

Benefits are often an organization's second-largest expense after payroll, yet many employers don't start thinking about them until just weeks before open enrollment. 

You don't have to make every decision in September, but you should start the conversation. Meet with your benefits broker early to understand market trends, anticipated rate increases, and any new plan options worth considering. It's also a good time to gather employee feedback about what they value most. 

As an HR consultant, one of the hardest conversations I have is with a client after learning their health insurance premiums are increasing. Last year, one client saw a 54% increase. While those increases can't always be avoided, starting the conversation earlier gives organizations more time to explore options, adjust budgets, communicate with employees, get creative, and make thoughtful decisions instead of rushed ones. 

Like most things in HR, planning ahead won't eliminate every challenge, but it will give you more options. 

Looking Ahead 

Businesses that begin the new year with confidence usually start planning in September. 

Leath HR Group partners with organizations to help them plan their human resources. Whether it's compensation studies, recruiting strategy, leadership development, succession planning, HR assessments, training and elevating an HR team, or serving as an outsourced HR department, our role is to help business leaders prepare. 

Just like the beginning of a school year, success rarely happens by accident. It starts with being organized, prepared, and intentional long before the first bell rings. 

Beth Looney, MPA, SHRM-SCP is a Senior HR Consultant with Leath HR Group. She is a former small business owner who has called Wilmington home for 23 years. She supports small businesses and nonprofit organizations with practical HR solutions, compliance, and people strategies.