people & culture Advisory
For small businesses that are ready to take their people seriously.
What We Offer
We work with small businesses as an embedded people and culture partner. Not a helpdesk. Not a policy factory. A genuine advisor who gets to know your business and shows up when it matters.
Our support covers the full range of people management, from the day-to-day to the strategic. The advice you get is always specific to your situation, never generic.
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Making sure your business is meeting its obligations under the relevant Modern Award, identifying risk before it becomes a problem, and keeping you current as legislation and awards change.
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A structured review of how your team is classified against their applicable Award, with clear findings, recommendations, and updated documentation where required.
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Practical support for the full performance cycle; from setting expectations and running reviews through to managing underperformance and difficult exits. Frameworks you can actually use, and guidance through the conversations that matter.
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Support when things go sideways. Incident management, disciplinary processes, investigations, and the kind of advice that helps you handle difficult situations properly without making them worse.
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The questions and decisions that come up constantly when you are managing a team. Having an advisor who already knows your business means you are never starting from scratch when something comes up.
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Helping your people grow within your business so they choose to stay. Career planning, development frameworks, and the conversations that give your team a reason to invest in their future with you.
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Support thinking through the structure of your team as the business grows. When to hire, how to structure roles, how to balance leadership with delivery, and what good looks like at the next stage.
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A structured monthly session for business owners who want a trusted sounding board on their people challenges. Part coaching, part advisory, built around what is on your plate right now.
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Contracts, position descriptions, onboarding frameworks, and the documentation that protects your business and sets your people up well from day one.
who this is for
Plan with Purpose
You have a small but growing team and you are managing most of the people stuff yourself
Collaborate Openly
You know you need proper HR support but you are not ready to hire someone full time
Manage Confidently
You have had a people situation recently that made you realise you were figuring it out as you went
Help When You Need It
You want someone you can actually call, who already knows your business, when something goes wrong
Why Novo?
Kristine Cook founded Novo People and Culture Advisory to give small businesses access to the kind of HR expertise that has traditionally only been available to larger organisations.
With a Masters in Human Resource Management and over 20 years of experience across HR leadership, people management, and employment relations, Kristine brings formal qualification and real-world judgment to every engagement.
This is not a call centre or a subscription platform with a bolt-on advice line. It is a genuine advisory relationship with someone who has seen most people situations before and knows how to navigate them.
