Quick reads

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN HR: THREAT OR OPPORTUNITY

HRNZ’s recent survey on artificial intelligence (AI) reveals a division of perception surrounding AI’s role in HR processes.

The survey of HRNZ members and other HR professionals shows only 27 per cent of respondents were currently using AI in their HR processes. The most prevalent areas of use were in CV screening, learning and development and HR analytics. The benefits appear to be largely productivity related, with respondents indicating improved efficiency and streamlined administrative procedures were the main impacts.

The perceived lack of human interaction was listed as the biggest concern for respondents (56 per cent) and privacy and data security concerns were also regarded as challenges (40 per cent). Similarly, 26 per cent of respondents felt AI was negatively affecting the employee–candidate experience.

Overall, it seems some HR professionals still have a ‘wait and see’ approach while others are seeking to learn and actively build strategies to explore its use.

NEW GOVERNMENT EMPLOYMENT LAW CHANGES?

The National Party has received the largest share of votes at the October General Election and is likely to lead the next government. What employment policy changes are likely to occur under a Nationalled government?

National, ACT and New Zealand First have proposed reinstating the 90-day trial period for all employers. This would imply that organisations can incorporate the trial period provisions in their employment contracts and use them in the event of dismissing an employee within this timeframe.

The manifestos of National and ACT have also outlined abolishing the Fair Pay Agreements system. It is not yet apparent what will happen to those agreements in the process of bargaining at the time that repeal would take effect.

In addition, the National Party’s campaign manifesto set out that it would stop all work on Labour’s proposed income insurance scheme and amend current parental leave laws so it is possible for both parents to take paid leave at the same time.

Anne Wilson, Anthony Harper’s employment law Partner says strict requirements are still in place around trial periods imposed by the courts. Employers can start preparing by amending their employment agreements to include trial periods and making sure they have the right processes in place so they can rely on the trial period if things don’t go according to plan. “There have been a number of recent changes to employment law in the last few years so employers may also want to make sure their agreements are up to date,” says Anne.

Pay Equity Settlement For Health Workers

Around 16,000 health workers have accepted a pay equity settlement, resulting in an average 20 per cent salary increase, in a historic pay settlement adjustment with Te Whatu Ora.

The Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi represents 11,500 of roughly 16,000 allied, public health, scientific and technical workers across Te Whatu Ora.

In an unprecedented ballot, 99 per cent voted to accept the pay equity settlement with 82 per cent of eligible members having their say.

“This is a significant step toward a fairer future for healthcare where everyone’s work is valued for what it’s worth,” says PSA National Health Lead Sue McCullough. The settlement includes an interim pay adjustment backdated to 30 November 2022 and a lump sum payment of up to $10,000. People working in more than 120 professions are covered including social workers, hospital dental assistants and sterile sciences technicians.

“As New Zealand’s largest employer, gender pay discrimination has been a key priority for Te Whatu Ora, and this outcome, in addition to recent settlements for our nurses and midwives, is testament to that,” says Margie Apa, Chief Executive of Te Whatu Ora.

JOB ADVERTS RETURN TO PRE-COVID-19 LEVELS

After rising in August, job ads declined 2 per cent in September and are now 1 per cent higher than in September 2019.

Rob Clark, SEEK NZ Country Manager, says, “After four years, job ads volumes overall have returned to their pre-COVID normal levels. Some industries remain significantly higher than they were in 2019, such as Community Services and Development, Government and Defence and Mining, Resources and Energy.”

The trend is different between urban areas and the regions, with Auckland and Wellington seeing falling job adverts (since COVID-19), while all other regions are seeing job ad levels at 50 per cent and 60 per cent higher.

Rob says, “September recorded a 4 per cent drop in applications per job ad, perhaps an indication that they are starting to plateau after two months of record-level applications. With application levels still so high, the balance of power, which had been so strongly with candidates for much of the past two years, is shifting to hirers.”

Hopes And Fears Survey

PwC’s Asia Pacific Workforce Hope & Fears Survey, part of PwC’s Global Workforce Hopes & Fears Survey, asked nearly 19,500 respondents about their views on business viability, worker sentiment, workforce skills, emerging technology, work environment and climate action.

One thousand New Zealand respondents shared their views, helping us to understand the employee landscape across the country, and how it compares to sentiment across the Asia-Pacific region.

According to the survey, New Zealand employees are generally more optimistic than their Asia-Pacific counterparts, with 72 per cent believing their employer will still be in business in the next decade. New Zealand employees are less likely to ask for a pay rise, promotion or to change employers in the next 12 months. Only 25 per cent believe the skills they need for their current job will change over the next five years, and New Zealand workers are less excited about the impact and opportunities of AI in the workplace.

In the work environment, 57 per cent feel they are fairly and equitably treated, with 51 per cent finding their job fulfilling. However, a perception exists that workplace culture is less forgiving in New Zealand than across the Asia-Pacific region, with less than half of respondents agreeing that their manager tolerates small-scale failure, and only 28 per cent agreeing that their manager encourages dissent and debate in the workplace.

Although only 32 per cent of New Zealand workers believe their employer is taking appropriate steps to address climate change, they are less inclined than their Asia-Pacific counterparts to push their employer to take action.