The Accidental HR Professional

The Accidental HR Professional



The All-in-One HR Guide From an HR Executive and Working Musician

By Trade Stevens, M.S., SHRM-SCP, PHR

Nobody grew up wanting to do HR. You were the organized one, the good listener, the person who got handed the personnel files. Now you are the HR department, and nobody gave you a manual.

Sound familiar?

I wrote The Accidental HR Professional because I landed in this work by accident myself, as a working musician who never planned a career in HR. This is the one book I wish I had been handed on day one.

This practical, conversational all-in-one guide covers what HR really is, your first ninety days, compliance, policies, handbooks and records, hiring and onboarding, pay and benefits, leave and accommodation, managers as your HR team, five generations on one team, performance conversations, complaints and investigations, discipline, exits and layoffs, retention and engagement, learning, data and AI, and protecting yourself with a twelve-month plan. Each of the five parts is named like an album: Intro, Verse, Chorus, Bridge, and Encore.

What's included?

·      112-page digital PDF ebook you can read on your computer, tablet, or other PDF-compatible device.

·      16 chapters organized in five parts.

·      Practical toolkit with 24 appendices, including: 30/60/90 plan, HR audit, compliance calendar, policy starters, hiring and onboarding checklist, interview question bank and scorecard, leave decision map and tracking log, performance conversation planner, complaint and investigation checklist, termination checklist, written warning form, performance improvement plan outline, exit interview guide, retention action plan, pay range worksheet, vendor scorecard, glossary, and a twelve-month plan.

This book is written for an accidental HR professional, a business owner or office manager who has been handed HR, a new HR generalist, or anyone who wants the whole picture in one book, and it gives you a practical starting point.

You do not need to know everything on day one. You need a clear map, a few good scripts, and someone in your corner.

I'm Trade Stevens, a senior HR executive with more than 18 years of CHRO-level experience across multiple sectors. I created this guide to share practical approaches to the challenges HR professionals and the people who work with them face every day.

Start learning HR the practical way, all in one book.

Please note: This ebook is an educational resource, not legal advice. Employment laws vary by location and change over time. Verify current requirements and consult qualified professionals when appropriate. This book covers a wide range of employment topics at an overview level. Laws vary by location and change often, so verify current requirements and consult qualified counsel for high-risk matters. Each chapter points to the full book in this series for deeper detail.