Marie Tovio Consulting

Marie Tovio Consulting Marie Tovio Consulting can assist with human resources and strategic planning. She has worked across a wide range of industries, businesses and sectors.

Marie has worked in the field of HR and employment relations for over 28 years (including the past 10 years as a Consultant). Marie is degree qualified, is a registered private investigator and also has governance experience. Marie assists businesses and organisations with all aspects of human resources, taking the stress out of meeting HR requirements for owners, managers and Board members. Contact her today to see how she might assist you.

Q&A with MarieOne of the workplace questions I get asked most often is:“How do I know if this is performance… or whether...
12/06/2026

Q&A with Marie

One of the workplace questions I get asked most often is:

“How do I know if this is performance… or whether something else is going on?”

Sometimes it is performance.

Sometimes there may be wellbeing, health, personal circumstances, confidence, capability, communication, or something else sitting behind the issue.

The key is not jumping too quickly to one conclusion - but checking in early enough so concerns can be addressed in a low-key, supportive way before frustration starts building.

I’ve written a short Q&A post on this, which you can read here:

👉https://a0ec51ac-7ebe-493e-8532-8898a1ed0b80.filesusr.com/ugd/1a0d3a_0862c460be8c49ce8252468f00385b85.pdf

11/06/2026

A policy might tick every legal box…
But if people don’t understand it, can’t relate to it, or don’t know how to apply it in real life - is it actually helping anyone?

Good workplace policies should be:
✔ clear
✔ practical
✔ easy to understand
✔ realistic for day-to-day work

🎧 Want the full conversation? Watch or listen to Episode 20 of The HR PI Podcast - The Policy Playbook here: https://youtu.be/Id4wpxFOpVM

Sometimes what looks like an HR issue… isn’t just an HR issue.A workplace matter might also involve:• vulnerable persons...
08/06/2026

Sometimes what looks like an HR issue… isn’t just an HR issue.

A workplace matter might also involve:
• vulnerable persons requirements
• health-related considerations
• privacy obligations
• tenancy obligations
• or industry-specific legislation

And often, understanding those wider obligations helps determine the right employment approach and process.

No one person can know everything - which is why good HR/ER support often involves working alongside specialists, managers, and HR/P&C teams to find a practical and legally defensible way forward.

I’ve written a short post where I talk about why some workplace issues require a wider lens than just employment law - and why involving the right people, at the right time, can make a real difference.

👉 Read the full article here:https://a0ec51ac-7ebe-493e-8532-8898a1ed0b80.filesusr.com/ugd/1a0d3a_126a2101ded84aeb807be338f7841ada.pdf

Sometimes workplace conversations are exactly what’s needed.Sometimes they help uncover that something else may be going...
07/06/2026

Sometimes workplace conversations are exactly what’s needed.

Sometimes they help uncover that something else may be going on.

And sometimes, managers quietly start wondering:
“Is this still a conversation… or does it now need to be more formal?”

There’s rarely a one-size-fits-all answer - and often the key is understanding what’s really sitting behind the issue before jumping too quickly to one conclusion.

04/06/2026

Many employers assume policies and employment agreements are basically the same thing.

They’re not.

Employment agreements set out contractual terms and conditions.

Policies help guide expectations, standards, and workplace processes - and they usually evolve over time.

Getting the balance wrong can create confusion, inconsistency, or unnecessary risk.

A practical reminder for employers, HR teams, and managers.

🎧 Watch or listen to the full episode here: https://youtu.be/Id4wpxFOpVM

03/06/2026

Most exit interviews are done at the end of the process. But timing and approach can make the difference between surface-level feedback… and insights that actually improve retention.
Exit interviews aren’t just an admin step. Done well, they’re a structured way to understand what’s really driving turnover - and what needs to change.

🎧 Watch the full episode here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=19MdIVmFptg

01/06/2026

When someone resigns, most organisations complete the process and move on.
But what if departures were one of your most valuable sources of insight?

In the latest episode of The HR PI Podcast, Marie explores how exit interviews can move beyond a tick-box exercise and become a tool for identifying patterns in culture, leadership, workload, and the employee experience.

The key? Asking the right questions.

Not yes/no questions. Not procedural questions. But open, thoughtful questions that surface real insight.
On their own, exit interviews are just individual perspectives. But when you step back and look across multiple conversations, patterns start to emerge - often pointing directly to things such as leadership, onboarding, communication, or workload issues.

The right questions don’t just explain why people leave - they help you understand what will keep the next ones.

🎧 Watch the full episode here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=19MdIVmFptg

Workplace Questions I’m Hearing Most Right NowSome workplace questions seem to come in waves - and at the moment, there ...
01/06/2026

Workplace Questions I’m Hearing Most Right Now

Some workplace questions seem to come in waves - and at the moment, there are a few I’m hearing repeatedly across organisations.

Questions like:
• “How do we know if this is performance… or something else going on?”
• “How much flexibility is actually reasonable?”
• “When should we step in - and when should we take a bit more time to understand what’s really happening?”

The reality is, many workplace issues are not black and white. Often there are wider factors sitting behind what first appears to be a straightforward people issue.
In this month’s newsletter, I’ve pulled together some of the workplace questions I’m hearing most often right now - along with practical thoughts on approaching them in a way that is fair, workable, and legally defensible.

Sometimes the biggest difference comes from asking the right questions early, before frustration starts building for everyone involved.

👉 Read the full Q&A article here:
https://a0ec51ac-7ebe-493e-8532-8898a1ed0b80.filesusr.com/ugd/1a0d3a_0862c460be8c49ce8252468f00385b85.pdf

“Vibe issues” are one of the most common early descriptions of workplace tension.In many cases, that “vibe” is picking u...
28/05/2026

“Vibe issues” are one of the most common early descriptions of workplace tension.
In many cases, that “vibe” is picking up on something real - a shift in tone, behaviour,
or how people are experiencing the work environment.

Those signals matter.

They’re often the first indication that something isn’t quite right.

The challenge is that while they’re useful, they’re not always immediately actionable
on their own.

Employment Relations work often relies on translating that initial sense of discomfort
into observable, specific conduct:
• What exactly is happening?
• When is it happening?
• What impact is it having?

Because once you can describe it clearly, you can address it - in a way that is fair,
reasonable, and able to be managed constructively.

So, while it may start as a “vibe”, the real value comes from working through what
sits behind it.

The “vibe” is often the starting point - not the solution.

🎙 𝗡𝗘𝗪 𝗣𝗢𝗗𝗖𝗔𝗦𝗧 𝗘𝗣𝗜𝗦𝗢𝗗𝗘 𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗡𝗢𝗪𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗥 𝗣𝗜 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗲 𝗧𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗼🕵️‍♀️ 𝘌𝘱𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘥𝘦 19: "𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘌𝘹𝘪𝘵 𝘐𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 𝘌𝘯𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘳𝘺”When someon...
27/05/2026

🎙 𝗡𝗘𝗪 𝗣𝗢𝗗𝗖𝗔𝗦𝗧 𝗘𝗣𝗜𝗦𝗢𝗗𝗘 𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗡𝗢𝗪
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗥 𝗣𝗜 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗲 𝗧𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗼
🕵️‍♀️ 𝘌𝘱𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘥𝘦 19: "𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘌𝘹𝘪𝘵 𝘐𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 𝘌𝘯𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘳𝘺”

When someone resigns, most organisations move straight into process mode: paperwork, final pay, replacement hiring. But every departure is also data - about leadership, workload, culture, onboarding, and the real employee experience..

In this episode, Marie explores how exit interviews can move beyond a compliance exercise and become a genuine learning tool for organisations.

When done well, they help identify patterns across culture, leadership, and workload. When done poorly, they become defensive conversations that add little value.

Key themes covered include:
• Asking the right open-ended questions
• Creating psychological safety so people will speak honestly
• Looking for patterns, not isolated comments
• Turning feedback into meaningful organisational change

Exit interviews aren’t the full picture - but they are an important piece of it when combined with other engagement and performance data.

Departures don’t just close a chapter - they often explain the rest of the story.
🎧 Tune in now on YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=19MdIVmFptg

Address

Nelson

Telephone

+6421932332

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Marie Tovio Consulting posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share