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HRNZ has developed resources to support Members on their journey to craft the employee experience. The Basics is a series of guides that runs through the fundamentals of human resource management.

The HR Guides include Te Ao Māori and te reo Māori, Flexible Working and Culturally Safe Workplaces. These guides are just one of the many benefits of joining HRNZ. Members also have access to the latest guidance and best practice on all areas of employment law, including the Fair Pay Agreements system, Holidays Act Review and the Accredited Employer work visa system.

HRNZ is a great place to start if you are looking to uphold employment standards in Aotearoa and also want guidance and advice on all workplace matters.

Cyclone Gabrielle: employment guidance

New Zealand’s government declared a national state of emergency in February following the devastating floods and slips caused by Cyclone Gabrielle. During and after a disaster, the health, safety and security of people should be the main concern of all employers and employees.

Back to Work grants are open to Auckland businesses that incurred losses and are unable to operate due to the flooding in early February. This is part of the government’s $50 million package of emergency support.

Employment New Zealand offers employment guidance and support on its website,and HRNZ has a comprehensive article and list of resources on its website. The article covers working from home options, what to do if the employee is unable to work and a checklist for employers to follow.

Young New Zealanders want Māori language and tikanga honoured at work

Anationwide survey of almost 5,000 Kiwis has uncovered fascinating data on our cultural competency, that is, our understanding and application of te reo Māori, tikanga Māori and Te Tiriti o Waitangi principles in the workplace.

Young New Zealanders (aged between 18 and 25) are the most willing to support te reo, tikanga and Te Tiriti at work and show the most confidence when incorporating Māori perspectives and using te reo Māori in written communication. And women, the survey shows, are more inclined to broaden their knowledge and embrace te reo Māori and tikanga than men are.

The research was undertaken by insights organisation AskYourTeam, in partnership with Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori | Māori Language Commission, Te Puni Kōkiri | Ministry of Māori Development, Tatauranga Aotearoa | Stats NZ, Te Hiringa Hauora | Health Promotion Agency and Maurea Consulting. Over two years, 4,900 employees in executive and non-executive roles across 30 organisations took part. The goal, says AskYourTeam’s pou tikanga (cultural advisor) Conrad Waitoa, was to develop a snapshot of New Zealander’s cultural capability at work and help organisations across the motu as they improve their understanding of, and implement or progress, their cultural capability plans.

“What these insights tell us are essentially three things. Firstly, that there is certainly a desire from Kiwi employees to learn more and improve cultural competency. Secondly, that most of us see te reo Māori as a great doorway to take us through to the wider concepts of equity and better engagement with

Māori. And thirdly, that it’s our young colleagues leading the way – shining a light on the gaps and demanding that we do better.”

Implications for employers’ reputations

Astudy of more than 1,000 New Zealanders has implications for the reputations of organisations currently assessing how, where and when their employees should be working, and for attracting new employees.

The study (discussed in this podcast), commissioned by communications agency Anthem and undertaken by Talbot Mills research, revealed 78 per cent of respondents could not name any companies that they admire for their commitment to flexible and remote working policies. With 46 per cent of Kiwis in paid employment considering it extremely important to have the choice to work from home when seeking a new job, Anthem’s co-founder and executive chair, Jane Sweeney says organisations are missing an opportunity.

“In this war for talent we are in the midst of, our business community needs to be telling the story of how post-pandemic, emerging flexible and remote working options make companies and organisations desirable places to work. They need to jump on the very real reputational and employee value proposition opportunities arising from flexible and remote working policies they offer to their staff, and how they engage their staff in developing these policies.”

The survey found that Kiwis were split on their perceptions of remote and office working, with 27 per cent thinking people are more productive working from home, while 30 per cent think people are less productive, and 31 per cent think about the same. Conversely, employers were seen to trust their staff to be as productive at home as they are from an office by 79 per cent of the respondents.

Employee experience inequality between leaders and teams

There is a concerning disconnect between how senior and executive leaders in Australia and New Zealand rate their own employee experience, compared with the teams they lead, which directly affects the ability to attract, retain and enable talent, according to new research released by Qualtrics.

Findings from the Qualtrics 2023 Employee Experience Trends Report, based on 2,400 responses from workers in Australia and New Zealand, show 55 per cent of senior and executive leaders say their expectations at work are being met, compared with a third (33 per cent) of middle managers and junior employees.

Meanwhile, middle managers and junior employees report lower levels of wellbeing (67 per cent versus 80 per cent), engagement (66 per cent versus 79 per cent), inclusion (71 per cent versus 78 per cent) and intent to stay (54 per cent versus 63 per cent) than their leaders. Satisfaction with pay also varies between the two groups, with 61 per cent of middle managers and junior employees saying they’re paid fairly for the work that they do, compared with 79 per cent of senior and executive leaders.

“Against the backdrop of increasing rates of burnout, financial stresses caused by the rising cost of living, and evolving employee needs, the

Qualtrics findings must serve as a wake-up call for business and HR leaders across the countries. There is a clear gap in the experience organisations think they’re delivering to their teams and what’s actually being provided. Failure to address it can have serious implications –from struggling to retain top talent, cultivating employee wellbeing, and maintaining productivity and performance,” said Dr Crissa Sumner, Employee Experience Solution Strategist, Australia and New Zealand, Qualtrics.