Feature - Wellbeing of the Māori health workforce

Karli Te Aotonga completed her Master’s research in 2020, asking, “How does HRM impact the wellbeing of the Māori health workforce?”. Human Resources magazine summarises her findings and discusses where to go from here.

As HR professionals, we are becoming increasingly aware that different cultural contexts are at play within the organisations we serve. These cultural contexts, including te reo Māori and tikanga Māori, intersect with a predominantly Western-centric view of employment law, policy and procedures on a daily basis in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Making a difference

Karli Te Aotonga was interested in providing evidence of how this Western-based HRM service and delivery affects the Māori workforce within the health sector. In addition, Karli wanted to address how HR practitioners can support the wellbeing of the Māori health workforce of Aotearoa, within a Māori cultural context, and so improve the experience of all Māori accessing health services across the country.

Her research included a literature review that looked at the Māori worldview. For example, the work of Spiller, Craze, Dell and Mudford (2017) discussed the five touchstones of whakapapa (genealogy), wairua (non-physical spirit and part), mana (prestige/influence), mauri (life force) and hau (vitality of a person), and how, together with ancestral leadership strengths and narratives, they can nourish multiple life energies and revitalise relationships. Spiller et al (2017) described this as a means to support an organisation to thrive. The work is published as a Guide to help managers, leaders and HR practitioners with their decision making, management and leadership practice.

Tā Mason Durie provided us with a Māori model of wellbeing in the form of Te Whare Tapa Whā, whereby optimum wellbeing for Māori can be achieved by finding a balance within the four dimensions of the model: taha tinana (the body and the physical state), taha hinengaro (the mental and emotional state), taha wairua (the spiritual state) and taha whānau (the family and socially connected state). Durie outlined that the non-Māori ideal is about being able to stand alone and independently as individuals, yet this is an unhealthy position within te ao Māori, where collective identity, responsibility and reciprocity underpin notions of cultural wellbeing and health.

Karli’s work extended to her creating a HRM model.

The model opposite shows how exercising good faith through HRM in the workplace could raise the status of te ao Māori and elevate the wellbeing of the Māori workforce by:

1. centring wellbeing through Te Whare Tapa Whā

2. uplifting the mana of Māori and place through the touchstones of the tangible and intangible

3. providing a korowai (cloak) of protection, grounding Māori truth, values and knowledge (mātauranga Māori) through a three-dimensional worldview of Māori

4. the white void surrounding represents the boundless aroha for all things and everlasting mātauranga acquisition.

Findings

Karli researched each of the elements of human resources and conducted her own research by drawing on the voices and experiences of Māori professionals in the field. What Karli found was alarming. She found that current HR practices in the health sector can marginalise Māori and seriously affect their physical, emotional, social and cultural wellbeing.

“Current HR practices in the health sector are in direct conflict with the Māori view of the world and are leaving Māori employees feeling isolated, alone, hurt, oppressed, angry, misunderstood and disrespected in their work,” says Karli.

Karli reinforced that HR must change the narrative, addressing this through a tikanga-led approach to move away from using only a ‘traditional and contemporary’ Westernled HRM.

Where to from here?

The data gathered has allowed Karli to make recommendations and provide a strong case to evolve HRM practice within the health workplace context, so as to offer more support for Māori and their wellbeing.

“This research shows that organisational changes are needed in Aotearoa to develop genuine bicultural workplaces, which incorporate the best of western HR practices and te Ao Māori,” says Karli.

Recommendations

Karli’s research led to various recommendations under each area of human resources. Although these recommendations were targeted at the health sector, she believes they are equally relevant to all workplaces.

Talent, attraction and recruitment

Karli suggests checking the content of job advertisements. If you are using te reo Māori, make sure it is used correctly. Karli recommends engaging with Māori HR consultants or a local marae or other Māori organisations for guidance. If asking for help internally, consider asking those with strong cultural competency and make sure the person wants to be involved in that way. They may prefer to refer you somewhere else. Her advice is to always ensure you are compensating people for their services as you would for any other non-cultural service.

“Think about where you advertise. Could you share job adverts with your local marae and Māori agencies? To avoid Māori selecting themselves out, are you actively seeking recommendations? Do you ask if there are any special requirements throughout the recruitment process?” asks Karli.

Karli’s research also recommends that all HR teams have culturally confident practitioners who can accurately implement biculturally appropriate recruitment processes, for instance, with the appropriate use of te reo Māori and tikanga Māori.

“It’s all about having a mixed (bicultural) model of traditional HR techniques and tikanga Māori activated within your recruitment processes,” says Karli.

Onboarding or induction

It’s critical to recognise the unique Aotearoa culture, the awareness of the lifeforce of the organisation and how HR can practice family centric values, embrace the wholeness of the person, and speak to their wider environment and relationships. “A pōwhiri or mihi whakatau may be appropriate on day one, so that children and whānau are welcome in the workplace,” says Karli. “This forges the relationship between employer and employee. It might be just about encouraging a sharing and exchange of cultures through shared kai at the welcoming event,” says Karli.

“In addition, it’s about honouring the network of relationships that each person brings with them to an organisation and ensuring correct process is implemented to welcome new recruits and their whānau into the organisation,” says Karli. That means designing systems and processes that support whakawhanaungatanga (relationship building). It’s helpful to seek the guidance of local and tribal communities to support the induction of a new recruit into the organisation.

Diversity and inclusion

From a Māori perspective, it’s crucial to develop and implement policies and strategies that uplift the status of the Māori language and tikanga and the principle (and article) of tino rangatiratanga (self-determination). “You could establish working groups that represent the rich diversity of all employees, including Māori, to develop and steer diversity and inclusion. It’s worthwhile dedicating time to regularly bring people together to celebrate the diversity of cultures within an organisation, including Māori,” says Karli. The ultimate moemoeā (aspiration) for Karli is that Māori are not a diversity and inclusion portfolio, because she considers Māori should not be a minority, given they are the first nations people of Aotearoa, therefore, they should be the majority (not based on population, rather on status or mana) from that perspective.

For Māori, it’s important to acknowledge significant events in a meaningful way, such as the passing of loved ones, health challenges, graduation and birthdays.

Performance development

In the words of Tā Mason Durie, “Diverse realities require diverse solutions”. Those in the Māori workforce may not be comfortable speaking of their own successes when it comes to a performance review. “Instead of asking ‘what’s gone well?’, change the language and ask instead ‘what project have you enjoyed working on, what else can you do, what else would you like to contribute?’,” says Karli.

You may also need to develop and implement a process that allows employees to bring whānau tautoko (support people) to the performance review meeting.

Learning and development

Sharing, growing and developing in areas together is a great way to engage everyone. Encourage employees to think diversely. And don’t assume every Māori employee wants the same thing. Learning and development for Māori could also include wānanga (higher learning), marae and community-based development activity.

Remuneration or reward

Consider the cultural capability of people in your remuneration and reward strategies, including job sizing and position descriptions. “I would suggest that all people managers engage in cultural development initiatives and that this is embedded into their individual development plans and key performance indicators, and that a strategy is developed to develop cultural competency across the total workforce,” says Karli.

People challenges in the workforce

Most importantly, when people challenges occur in the workforce, it’s about seeking to achieve a restorative outcome before the issue grows. If the matter requires an alternative, more culturally appropriate resolve, consider and be open to moving the case to the marae (where formal greetings and discussions occur), involve Māori leaders on request, or apply tikanga and other culturally friendly processes with the support of Māori cultural advisors.

“Encourage pono (truth) in the workplace and allow people to express themselves openly, encouraging reciprocal respect and kindness,” says Karli.

Final thoughts

To improve the retention and wellbeing rates of the Māori health workforce, Karli recommends that a complete overhaul of existing HRM practices is required. This overhaul has already started, with Karli leading a Transforming HRM in Aotearoa programme for HRNZ. This threeday workshop is now in its third cohort. Upcoming workshops are happening from 6 to 8 July and 2 to 4 November in Wellington. For an insight into this course from a student’s perspective, turn to PD Spotlight

This is an exciting time to be an HR professional in New Zealand. Human resources is the core function that drives workplace wellbeing. Karli’s work reveals the huge amount of work that is needed to transform organisations into values-led organisations that uplift tikanga Māori and bicultural HRM. “New Zealand is leading in this space globally,” says Karli. indigenous community development. It was life-changing and building these global indigenous networks, the opportunities and potential feel limitless.”

Karli is now focused on her doctoral research, which focuses on tikanga Māori and restorative people processes through employee relations in the public service. She is drawing her inspiration from the legacy of Moana Jackson’s work in restorative justice, as well as the tikanga of her iwi; Ngāti Awa, Te Arawa (Ngāti Kea Ngāti Tuara and Ngāti Whakaue) and Ngāti Tāwharetoa ki Kawerau.

Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari, he toa takatini

My strength is not as an individual, but as a collective.