From the editor

We went into production of this issue before the latest lockdown hit us! Hence our articles this issue focus on the long-term post-COVID world. Not so long ago, HR managers looked very different than they do today. In my early days in human resources (which admittedly was over 20 years ago), I heard people refer to us as the ‘tea and Tampax’ department. How awful!

Now, HR managers are still focused on the people, helping both the strugglers and the stars, but they are also becoming more essential than ever to business analytics and strategy.

This issue looks at the challenges ahead for the HR profession. Just as the workforce and economy have dramatically changed, so too have our HR teams. Tomorrow’s HR leaders will need to be bigger, broader thinkers, tech-savvy and adaptable enough to deal with an increasingly agile workforce. Maybe they will become workforce advisers, who knows? In this issue, our experts share their thoughts on how the world of HR in Aotearoa will look in the next few years.

We look at ways we can uplift Māori culture and values in our workplaces – a topic that is centre stage in HRNZ’s strategy for the future. We delve into the subject of artificial intelligence and what role this will play in HR, and we take a closer look at what the HR departments in three New Zealand organisations are doing today to shape their future.

Alongside our regular columnists, to whom we are forever grateful, this issue is sure to provide food for thought and a healthy dose of challenge and stimulation. Time to grab a cuppa!

Kathy Catton Managing Editor Kathy.Catton@hrnz.org.nz