The road to HRNZ accreditation

Human Resources magazine caught up with Jackson Barber and Emma Bennett, to ask about their careers, their paths to HRNZ accreditation and their thoughts about the role of HR in Aotearoa New Zealand today.

Jackson Barber

What have been your career highlights to date?

Three experiences stand out for me so far in my career:

1) Along with my team, growing the Ministry of Education’s summer internship programme from fewer than 10 to more than 35 in two years and turning it into an award-winning programme. Seeing that many diverse young people get their first opportunity in a professional setting has been the most fulfilling experience in my career to date;

2) Serving as the Branch President of the Wellington HRNZ Branch for eight months, leading a great committee to deliver some fantastic events; and

3) Something I am doing right now, which is moving to Kuala Lumpur as part of a rotation programme with PwC to learn more about the workforce services we deliver in South East Asia.

What inspires and motivates you in your career and why?

My inspiration is derived from seeing others achieve their potential, and I get motivated by opportunities to empower people within the workplace. That’s why I initially pursued a career in HR. I believe we are in a unique position to positively influence people’s experiences at work no matter what part of the employee lifecycle we work in.

How has HRNZ membership helped your career?

Both of my jobs thus far in my career have been the result of connections I have made via my HRNZ membership. The ability to meet people within the profession, learn new skills and stay on top of industry trends has immensely benefitted me in my career. Being an HRNZ branch president and committee member has also taught me leadership and governance skills, which I continue to see the benefit of in my day-to-day career.

Please describe your journey towards becoming a Distinguished Fellow. How was the experience?

I’ve been a member of HRNZ since 2018, beginning as a student ambassador at Victoria University of Wellington. Through that opportunity I was able to be part of the Branch Committee, which I stayed connected with until I became President of the Branch in 2022, which I maintained for eight months. Earlier this year, I completed my Emerging Professional Membership with HRNZ, which has been a chance to demonstrate my commitment to the profession and my credibility in the field.

Emma Bennett

What have been your career highlights to date?

I am proud of lots of things both big and small. One of the biggest ones recently was responding to COVID-19. I was working in the hospitality industry, and we lost 90 per cent of our business overnight. We had 230 staff who also lived on-site. I’m very proud of the process we went through, the communication with our team and the care we provided for everyone through a very difficult time.

In my current role as People & Culture Leader in Construction, we have just been recognised as the Supreme winner at the New Zealand Women’s Empowerment Principles White Camellia Awards, also winning five out of the seven principles awards. A great team effort!

A personal highlight I still carry with me was a comment shortly after I joined the hotel. “I wouldn’t have picked you as HR; you’re not like any normal HR person I’ve met”. The view of HR is changing, and I love that I have helped someone’s view of that in some small way.

What inspires and motivates you in your career and why?

We all spend a large portion of our busy lives at work. I know what’s important to me and that’s what I try to provide for others and support our leaders in achieving. If I want to feel valued, be supported, have fun, be involved, learn, grow and work towards a shared purpose, then I’m sure others do too.

I love the part I play in supporting all areas of the business, from setting people strategies with the CEO to onboarding new employees, and the positive effect it has on the employee experience.

Good people practices have an impact on the whole business as does developing people strategies and objectives that are well aligned with the operational and commercial goals of the business. Seeing your ideas and contribution make a difference to an individual, a team or their leaders is incredibly rewarding.

What do you see as the challenges facing the industry and HR profession?

An area I am focused on at the moment is wellbeing, which is a vast-ranging topic but one that will become increasingly important to understand for the future workforce. We are seeing long-term impacts from the COVID-19 years, and, as an HR professional, having the tools to support leaders and team members through this will become more critical.

Another significant change is in workplace dynamics, with flexible and remote work now more commonplace. This creates several new challenges for HR: how do we maintain and develop culture, how do we effectively engage and communicate, how do we retain the sense of a team and purpose and how do we align generational thinking across this shift in what a workplace is.

How has HRNZ membership helped your career?

Coming to HR through other management and leadership roles gave me a point of connection and learning. The professional development opportunities are fantastic, and I regularly use their webinars and online learning to stay current and refresh my skills.

Because I have previously worked in remote areas, I couldn’t easily connect through the regional branches but, since moving to Christchurch, I have become part of the committee and am thoroughly enjoying being involved.

Please describe your journey towards becoming a Chartered Member. How was the experience?

The process was clearly laid out. I spent time looking at the requirements and did the self-assessment a few times before applying. This audit of my skills was very useful. I reached out to a mentor to review my self-assessment and challenge me on my scoring; this really helped me address the right areas.

The Path made it clear to follow, and I enjoyed the opportunity to reflect on my journey. I had always felt that, because I didn’t have a formal qualification, I was missing something or somehow I wasn’t as accomplished as others who did. The Path showed me that my experience is just as valuable. While I wasn’t missing any of the Core Capabilities, my career hadn’t exposed me to all the Domains of Knowledge, and that’s normal.

The interview was really enjoyable, and talking about some of my experiences made me realise not only how broad the role of an HR professional can be but also how much I have learnt and how much I have achieved. I found it a very empowering process.