From the Editor

We have reached that time of year when the pace of life ramps up another notch. On the horizon, you might catch a glimpse of your annual holiday, but mostly we are consumed with Christmas festivities, secret Santas, and ensuring employees have a safe and enjoyable Christmas party. One thing is for sure, we are just weeks away from 2020, and most of us are wondering how the year passed so fast.

It’s fair to say that the future is upon us before we can take a second look. This issue of Human Resources magazine explores the future of work and the role HR can play in this evolving world.

As we heard at the HR Summit in Queenstown at the end of October (featured on page 20), HR has an excellent opportunity to be at the forefront of bold, progressive business decisions. With a focus on the ‘H’ in HR, the summit helped over 65 HR professionals build a practical vision for the future of HR. We share insights here.

In addition, we are lucky enough to have Gihan Perera, futurist and consultant, share his thoughts and research on the future of the workplace (page 6). And, because our lives are always changing, we have two new columns in this issue. At HRNZ, we are committed to supporting charities and will feature a different one in each issue,

focusing on an HR topic. This issue is the turn of The Neonatal Trust, and how it supports parents’ return to the workplace after the birth of a premature baby.

More and more operational managers and leaders are reading our magazine. So, to appeal to this changing readership, we are running a regular column, titled ‘Am I Managing?’, which offers a lighthearted look at real, everyday HR challenges that line managers are facing. Thanks to Natalie Barker of Southern Cross Health Insurance for providing her delightful spin on the world of HR.

As hectic and harried as pre- Christmas is, I hope you find a quiet moment to put your feet up and enjoy this read. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the HRNZ team. We look forward to seeing you next year.

Kathy Catton, Managing Editor, kathy.catton@hrnz.org.nz