Our Story
We’re an Employee Experience (EX) consultancy built around one core belief: happiness.
Research has shown that happy people are more productive and engaged at work. The best bit is, this has a direct, positive correlation with retention, client satisfaction, innovation and most importantly, business growth. Companies that invest in their EX are four times more profitable than those that don’t. But you don’t have to be a Fortune 500 company or a Silicon Valley superstar to become a great place to work. Regardless of size, sector, location or budget, if there is an appetite for progress, it can be made through happiness.
Meet our founder
Clare Willenberg
Clare is an employee experience consultant with a background that’s anything but conventional. A former PR agency leader, Clare spent the first part of her career advising some of the world’s biggest brands on everything from corporate reputation to crisis communications. Along the way, she discovered her passion wasn’t just shaping public perception, but shaping culture from the inside out.
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She brings 15+ years of experience in brand building, stakeholder engagement, and internal communications to her mission: helping small business leaders create thriving workplace cultures where people actually want to work.
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Clare believes that happy teams build strong businesses—and life’s too short to be unhappy at work.
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Our Services
The Happy Hive Co is your plug-in EX partner providing on demand support where and when you need it.
We support startup founders and small business owners in knowledge-based industries who want to create a great place to work but don't have the capacity to handle it own their own,
Whether you want to attract standout talent, boost performance, or keep great people around for longer, our productised service offering is designed to provide targeted support that delivers impact. We customise an EX program around your business priorities and resources, without the need for a full-time Chief EX Officer or expensive software.
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Real human support that builds happy teams so you can focus on growing your business. Win-win.
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Sticky Onboarding Program™
Transform your onboarding process into an exceptional welcome experience that makes new hires stick.
We create a custom end-to-end workflow that automates the admin and elevates the human touch. New hires will reach productivity faster and enjoy higher engagement.
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Happy Hive Foundations
Our core strategy service is designed to build a solid foundation for your people and business to thrive. We create a customised Employee Experience (EX) strategy and a detailed 12-month roadmap that aligns with your business priorities, addresses employee needs, and takes the competitive environment into account.
The Hum
Our signature employee listening program is designed to embed feedback and action in your company culture.
It enables you to anticipate and address your employees’ needs and concerns in real time, uncovering blind spots and opportunities that will drive engagement with your employees, and in turn, your business, forward.
Sticky Offsite
Let us help plan your next company away day to ensure the benefits of strategic alignment, team building and engagement have lasting impact. We’ll guide you through a comprehensive planning process that covers everything from the big picture goals to logistical details, ensuring your company offsite delivers an unforgettable experience that everyone will look forward to each year.
Buzzworthy EVP
A strong Employee Value Proposition (EVP) is your most valuable recruitment asset, signaling that your company is a great place to work and attracting candidates who will thrive in your business.
We offer expert guidance on your market positioning and benefits, and facilitate a new positioning statement co-created with your employees.
Fractional EX
​Get strategic EX expertise without the full-time commitment. Perfect for startups and growing businesses who need regular guidance or project support but aren't ready for a dedicated hire. Whether you're scaling rapidly, building your team, or navigating transformation, our flexible approach gives you cost-effective access to specialised expertise when you need it most.
Blog
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What is employee experience?Employee experience (EX) is everything your people encounter, feel, and observe throughout their time with your business — from the first job ad they see to their last day on the team. It includes how they’re hired, onboarded, managed, supported, recognised, developed, and communicated with along the way. Think of it as the human side of your business operations. A great employee experience doesn’t happen by accident — it’s intentionally designed to help your team do their best work and feel valued while doing it. And when you get it right? You don’t just improve engagement and retention — you drive better performance and business growth, too
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What problems can you help solve?We help fix the hidden people problems holding your business back. These are the big ones: Low Engagement: Disengaged employees = low productivity, high absenteeism, and a fast track to turnover. We help you boost connection, motivation, and output. High Turnover: If your best people keep leaving, it’s usually not about the money. We design employee experiences that make them want to stay. Productivity Gaps: Clunky processes, unclear expectations, and lack of support kill momentum. We streamline the experience so your team can thrive. Reputation Damage: Unhappy employees talk — and not just to each other. We help you build a culture worth talking about (for the right reasons). Struggling to Attract Talent: Today’s talent wants more than a paycheque. We help position you as an employer of choice. Siloed Teams & Poor Comms: Miscommunication and ‘us vs. them’ mindsets stall progress. We reconnect your people and break down the walls. Lack of Innovation: People don’t share ideas in toxic workplaces. We create the conditions for creativity and collaboration. Ineffective Onboarding: The first 90 days make or break retention. We turn your onboarding into a launchpad, not a landmine.
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What types of businesses do you work with?We typically partner with startups and small businesses with 10–50 employees — especially those in professional services like media, marketing, PR, accounting, law, finance, tech, engineering, and architecture. If your business is growing and you want to build a team that sticks around, performs at their best, and actually enjoys coming to work, we’re a great fit.
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Can you work with our existing HR or People team?Absolutely — we love plugging into existing HR and People teams (or team-of-one!). Think of us as an extra set of hands (and brains) to help you move faster, think bigger, and bring fresh energy to your employee experience strategy. Whether you need support on a specific project or a thought partner to help shape the bigger picture, we work alongside your team — not over the top of it.
