Regional Roundup: Taranaki Branch

With a population of around 110,000 and employment of 58,000 filled jobs, Taranaki boasts an enviable balance of work opportunities and lifestyle. Whether you want to be out there completing Mount Taranaki’s oneday Pouakai Crossing, surfing the excellent breaks or joining a group of friends on the somewhat tamer but no less beautiful walk along the waterfront walkway, you are spoilt for choice here in Taranaki. It’s the type of area that when recruiting for your business there are plenty of candidates who want to “come back to the Mountain”.

It's the type of area that when recruiting for your business there are plenty of candidates who want to "come back to the Mountain".

Our HRNZ team consists of around 70 members who come from a huge variety of organisations. Agriculture, oil and gas, banking, logistics, electricity, water and waste as well as retail. All these sectors add to our economic growth as a region. We recognise that the size of many of our members’ organisations means that they may not actually have the title of 'HR' but they are still the ‘go-to’ person in their team to lead people decisions. When you attend our events, you may be sitting next to a general manager HR, a specialist in organisational design, a dedicated ‘can do’ administrator who takes on many HR functions, or even one of our HR students who attends our local technical institute, the Western Institute of Technology at Taranaki.

The HRNZ Taranaki team’s focus is on sharing practical ideas and experiences as well as ‘what’s new’. We use some of our amazing talent locally as well as bringing speakers from across the country. Our last event featured Chris Boggs, Executive General Manager People and Culture at TSB. Chris shared with us lessons on how to successfully create a line of sight from your Board and CEO level strategy to your practical HR deliverables. He highlighted what his view was of what Boards and executives of today need from their HR teams and shared practical hints and tips on how to develop pragmatic solutions and effective workforce strategies. His key message – Keep it Simple! Earlier this year we ‘went academic’ and were fortunate to have special guests Dr David Brougham PhD and Prof Jane Parker from Massey University to learn more about today’s research on the impact of digital solutions. They discussed with us the potential scope of change, what roles or tasks may be focuses for automation and the implications for employment relations, job design, work and job flexibility, turnover, performance and more.

We were also very proud to have our first ever Taranaki Student Ambassador in the region this year. Our national support team heard our plea and responded to facilitate more Student Ambassador placements around the country, and especially to have some within the more ‘far flung’ regions. Nicole Chamberlain was appointed earlier this year and we have valued her being part of our committee. We are already thinking up ways to engage with our wider student population.

What’s next for the HRNZ Taranaki team?

We have several items on our agenda for the remainder of the year. We are on a mission to help promote Chartered Membership. This is an opportunity to promote the professionalism of our field of work and to be recognised for the skill and experience we bring to the table. For those of us who are not yet chartered, it can seem a daunting prospect, however, with a bit of team work, our aim is to support each other with our applications. Keep an eye out for these in the next few months. We also have planned a workshop on understanding cultural diversity for later in the year.

Very excitingly, we also have another first – the national professional development workshop on Workforce Analytics is coming to Taranaki in October. Please don’t miss this opportunity if you are local, and for those of you who would love to find an excuse to spend time in the world's number two region to visit (as voted by Best in Travel 2017 yearbook), come and join us here in Taranaki and enjoy our region and some warm hospitality – we would love to see you!

Catherine Lo-Giacco is an HR Manager at Port Taranaki Limited. As the Branch President for the Taranaki Branch since April 2018, she credits the passionate and dedicated HRNZ committee for the delivery of a diverse range of workshops, Café Connects and professional development opportunities in the region. Anyone interested in joining the committee, please do make contact!