Are These 5 HR Mistakes Costing You Thousands?

If you're focused on growing your business this year — but struggling with high turnover, misalignment, or inconsistent results — I want to tell you something most consultants won't:

People problems are profit problems.

In my 20+ years of experience helping businesses scale, I’ve seen firsthand how the wrong HR strategy (or no strategy at all) quietly costs you in ways you don’t even notice:

• Team disengagement that leads to silent exits

• Leaders who don’t know how to lead

• New hires who underperform because they were never set up for success

That’s why I created the DVHR Methodology — a people-first, profit-driven approach that transforms HR into your most valuable growth tool.

This month, I’m sharing the 5 biggest HR mistakes I see small and mid-sized companies make — and how you can fix them fast using the same framework I’ve implemented across dozens of businesses like yours.

Let’s dive in

FEATURED INSIGHT: 5 Costly HR Mistakes That Are Silently Costing You Thousands

Your business might be growing on the outside, but if you don’t have the right people systems in place, it could be bleeding money from the inside. As a business owner or leader, it's easy to focus on sales, marketing, or operations — but your people strategy is just as critical to your bottom line.

Here are five common HR mistakes I see (often unknowingly) — and how the DVHR Methodology helps fix them for long-term success:

1. High Employee Turnover Cost: $20K–$50K per lost employee Why it happens: Lack of career path, poor leadership, no retention strategy DVHR Fix: Retain & Elevate™ We help you conduct stay interviews, identify flight risks, and create growth plans so people stay and perform.

2. Weak or Nonexistent Onboarding Cost: Lost productivity, early resignations Why it happens: No structure or support for new hires DVHR Fix: Activate & Align™ We design 30-60-90 day onboarding roadmaps that build clarity, confidence, and culture from Day 1.

3. Poor Communication Across Teams Cost: Missed deadlines, wasted time, team conflict Why it happens: Lack of feedback systems, unclear roles DVHR Fix: Communicate & Connect™ We implement structured team rhythms like 1:1s, check-ins, and reviews that keep everyone aligned and accountable.

4. No Leadership Development Cost: Burnout, micromanagement, underperformance Why it happens: Promoting based on performance, not readiness DVHR Fix: Lead & Multiply™ We coach your leaders with real-world tools to inspire, delegate, and deliver results — without chaos.

5. Ignoring Employee Feedback Cost: Disengagement, quiet quitting, low morale Why it happens: No structured feedback systems or action DVHR Fix: Listen & Transform™ We create feedback loops and train leaders to act on insights to improve culture and retention.

Quick Tip of the Month: Stop Waiting for Annual Reviews

Don’t wait until Q4 to tell your employees how they’re doing. High-performance teams are built through weekly conversations, not yearly checklists.

Start with these 3 questions in your 1:1s:

1. What’s going well?

2. Where are you stuck?

3. What do you need from me?

This builds trust, accountability, and faster results.

Upcoming: Speaking on Psychological Safety

I’ll be speaking this month on psychological safety and leadership culture — how to create environments where people feel safe to speak up, take risks, and innovate.

Let’s Build a High-Impact HR Strategy for Your Business

If any of the 5 mistakes above sound familiar — now’s the time to shift from reaction to intention. I offer a free 30-minute discovery call to explore where your business might be leaking profit through HR.

Let’s uncover your biggest people opportunities together.

To your growth,

Diana Valenzuela

Founder, DV HR Solutions