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NZ HR Awards 2020
HR professionals from across New Zealand gathered together in February to celebrate and showcase their achievements of the past year. The NZ HR Awards celebrate the outstanding accomplishments of the country’s top HR leaders, companies and teams. Kathy Catton reviewed the glamorous and prestigious night.
After finalists of NZ HR’s prestigious awards were announced in December last year, the stage was set for showcasing New Zealand’s best examples of the HR profession, recognising the achievements of outstanding HR professionals, teams and organisations across 14 categories, ranging from HR Generalist of the Year to Best Wellness Programme.
With individuals representing more than 23 companies, these awards shine the spotlight on a true crosssection of the HR profession’s best. The awards have been running for 21 years, and, this year, ran in association with Principal Sponsor Lee Hecht Harrison (LHH). Sake Hitman, Country Manager, New Zealand, LHH, opened proceedings with a stirring reminder that the real job of HR leaders is to “take care of the people who work for us. To make a difference every day for the people you support, lead and inspire”.
According to the NZ HR Awards chief judge, Geoff Summers, the finalist selection process was more tightly contested than ever. “The numerous high-quality applications are testament to the great work happening in the field of human resources here in New Zealand. It took much deliberation and consideration to decide on the winners. There were so many deserving applications and finalists.”
To have the smartest, most resilient and passionate HR teams and professionals all together for one celebratory night was a fantastic occasion. Antonia Prebble, the muchloved actress and polished MC, hosted the event, held at the Cordis, Auckland. She sparked the audience with her ‘Are you a Westie?!’ quiz and led us through proceedings, which were punctuated by short videos profiling the finalists.
As well as recognising outstanding work, the NZ HR Awards are designed to provide individuals and HR teams with the opportunity to take part in a process of discovery, awareness, acknowledgement and achievement, which highlights the value that HR adds to organisations.
Debbie Kirby took the prize for HR Person of the Year, as well as the Leadership Award. Working as General Manager HR for Downer New Zealand, Debbie is the acknowledged leader in New Zealand for Corporate Social Outcome programmes, contributing both to Downer and wider New Zealand. Through constant innovation and working collaboratively with various partners over eight years, she has tackled the tough social issues such as drug usage, and the growing numbers of NEETs (young people not in employment, education or training). Her work affects not only employees of Downer New Zealand, but also their families, hapu and the communities they associate with.
HR Person of the Year – Debbie Kirby – Downer
Emerging HR Practitioner – Sophie Johns Cedenceo Foods
HR Specialist of the Year – Andrew Dennan
Debbie said, “I’d like to acknowledge all of Downer. We’ve been working away for several years, and it’s fantastic to be recognised by the wider HR profession.” Debbie was also appreciative of the work of others, saying, “There is so much great HR work going on across New Zealand, and it’s wonderful to see some of it on a night like this.”
The Emerging HR Practitioner of the Year Award went to Sophie John, who graciously accepted her award by thanking those who had inspired her.
“I’ve had the good fortune to be around inspiring people, and now I guess I’m one of them.”
Working at Cedenco Foods NZ Ltd, Sophie has gained a great deal of experience and exposure in many roles. She currently works within Operations and strongly believes in the ability to improve productivity and outputs through HR initiatives. Andrew Dennan, HR Specialist of the Year Award winner, gave thanks to his boss, stating, “Your mentoring and friendship are the reason I am here today.” Andrew works at Synlait Milk Ltd as the Group Talent Acquisition Manager. He is a global leader specialising in talent acquisition transformation and innovation, and has worked on building highperforming inclusive teams over the past 15 years.
Amanda Herron-Quan won the HR Generalist of the Year Award for her work as a much-loved Group Manager, People and Culture, at BCITO. Amanda was acknowledged for being central to the growth of BCITO, from 130 to 300 employees, and its navigation through the Government’s vocational education reform. “Thank you to HRNZ for acknowledging the work of these wonderful HR professionals,” said Amanda.
One of the big winners of the night was McDonald’s Restaurants (NZ) Ltd. The company took out the Learning and Development Capability Award and the Award for HR Technology. The restaurant chain won based on its work to introduce a station training app to support its restaurants with the training and rostering of frontline staff. With frontline crew being the bedrock of McDonald’s success, it was crucial in a fast-changing, geographically dispersed environment to keep training up to date and consistent across 10,000 staff members.
Another big winner of the night was Livestock Improvement Corporation (LIC). The company won the Award for Best Wellness Programme and the Award for Organisational Change and Development. LIC’s wellness programme was designed in response to a national issue surrounding mental health and its “Well Aware Mental Wellbeing at Work” programme. One of the outstanding outcomes from the workshops that LIC ran was that the number of men seeking EAP services almost doubled.
LIC was also congratulated for its work in the organisational change space. In just three years, LIC has transformed itself, shifting the thinking of its employees, and, in the year ending 31 May 2019, paid out a $15.6 million return in dividend to shareholders, the most significant dividend paid out since 2013.
The Award for Diversity and Inclusion recognises excellence in identifying and acting in a way that achieves fairness and equity of opportunity for everyone. Downer New Zealand acknowledges the special place that tangata whenua hold in Aotearoa and strives to be an employer of choice for Maori. The company has been on a deliberate journey over the past five years to create an environment where Maori culture is recognised, and the flow-on effects from this have created a significant change in the Downer culture, from the executive team through to frontline employees.
“This award is huge for Downer,” said Craig West from Downer New Zealand. “Downer is now known as an employer where Maori can thrive and be authentic in the workplace. We are seeing the impact on people’s lives – they are really life-changing.”
2degrees won the Award for Talent Acquisition and was recognised for its outstanding initiative into its employer branding. The initiative was designed to help 2degrees attract and retain the best people, to show people authentically what it’s like to work at 2degrees.
The Christian Dahmen Memorial Award for HR Innovation recognises applicants who have introduced a new product, service or HR practice not previously seen in New Zealand. Christian Dahmen was an independent director and HRNZ Fellow who challenged individuals to see new ways of working. This award went to Canterbury District Health Board (DHB) in his honour. The Christchurch-based DHB HR team introduced a fully digital service for all hospital orderlies, enabling them to accept, respond to and fulfil work requests on the go.
“Sometimes it’s the people who we think nothing of, who do the most amazing work,” said Chief People Officer, Michael Frampton, on accepting the award. “CDHB is all about health. By combining people and digital technology in new ways, we are giving people back their time and allowing them to serve others with their health.”
Hawkes Bay Branch won the HRNZ Branch of the Year Award for its work in rebuilding an almost dormant branch. Kerry Tattersall, Branch President, accepted the award on behalf of its members and acknowledged the tremendous amount of work that the committee has done to reinvigorate the branch.
Geoff Summers was the very welldeserved winner of the HRNZ Lifetime Achievement Award. This award is the most significant recognition and highest honour that HRNZ can bestow. This year it acknowledges the outstanding and ongoing contribution of Geoff to the HR profession in New Zealand.
Kerry Tattersall Hawkes Bay Branch President & Sophie Johns – Emerging Practitioner
Geoff’s career in HR spans over 30 years. Denise Hartley-Wilkins, HRNZ National President, presented Geoff with his award, stating, “Geoff is one of New Zealand’s foremost human resource management specialists, and one of the country’s leading specialists in remuneration management. From starting his career with the New Zealand Fire Service, Geoff rose to the rank of Senior Fire Commander. In the 1980s Geoff led the process to amalgamate all the country’s firefighters’ unions into a single national union. He went on to become Director of Personnel for the Fire Service and subsequently moved to become Director of HR at Victoria University of Wellington. He firmly believes in giving back to the community and has served on many not-for-profit boards. I see him as a personal role model who I, and many others, hold in very high personal and professional regard.”
Geoff accepted the award with grace and humility, saying, “There are a lot of amazing HR people out there doing amazing HR work. Thank you to HRNZ for making these events bigger and better each year so we can celebrate our people and our profession. Being awarded the HRNZ Lifetime Achievement Award is a great honour because it is awarded by my peers and that is what makes it so special. HR is such a great profession, and I am ecstatic that I am worthy of receiving such a prestigious honour.” Building on the profiles of the finalists, HRNZ has produced an e-book, which is a collection of HR best practice accumulated from the HRNZ 2020 awards submissions. This provides an excellent resource for individuals considering implementing HR projects and initiatives to learn from the best.
Learning & Development Capability Award winners – McDonald's Restaurants (NZ) Ltd
Find out more about the finalists and winners in the upcoming E-Book Shaping the Profession. Available exclusively to HRNZ Members in March. As the Maori proverb professes, it is the people who are the most important thing in this world. The 2020 NZ HR Awards evening recognises that.
Diversity & Inclusion Award winners – Downer New Zealand
Organisational Change & Development Award winners – Livestock Improvement Corporation (LIC)
HRNZ AWARDS WINNERS
Emerging HR Practitioner of the Year Award: Sophie John
HR Generalist of the Year Award: Amanda Herron-Quan
HR Specialist of the Year Award: Andrew Dennan
Leadership Award: Debbie Kirby
HR Person of the Year Award: Debbie Kirby
HRNZ Lifetime Achievement Award: Geoff Summers
Christian Dahmen Memorial Award for HR Innovation: Canterbury District Health Board
HR Technology Award: McDonald’s Restaurants (NZ) Ltd
HRNZ Branch of the Year Award: Hawkes Bay
Best Wellness Programme Award: Livestock Improvement Corporation
Diversity and Inclusion Award: Downer New Zealand
Learning and Development Capability Award: McDonald’s Restaurants (NZ) Ltd
Talent Acquisition Award: 2degrees
Organisational Change and Development Award: Livestock Improvement Corporation
