Quick reads

Celebrating Our Excellence

The NZ HR Awards 2024 celebrates those within the HR profession who are excelling in their fields. Award submissions in total increased by 50 per cent this year. This year’s awards highlighted the importance of learning and development, wellness programmes and talent acquisition, and the dedication of organisations to create a positive work environment, engaging with te ao Māori and making a difference in their respective industries.

To find out more and see the winners, go to page 12 for our full review.

Changing Trends

The latest research from Deloitte shows the way we work is changing, influenced by new technology such as generative AI, virtual worlds and neurotechnology. With change comes uncertainty but also an opportunity to focus on what people do best – being empathetic and curious – which can lead to better outcomes.

Deloitte’s 2024 Global Human Capital Trends research reveals that a pivotal focus on the human factor is emerging as the bridge between knowing what shifts are shaping the future of work and doing things to make real progress towards putting them into action to create positive outcomes.

Over 14,000 respondents across 95 countries stated that the more boundaryless work becomes, the more critical uniquely human capabilities become. According to the research, this is because the degree to which the organisation creates value for people rests on humans being able to exercise their capabilities to the highest degree to drive business performance and to shape and adapt to the ever-evolving future of work.

The Human Capital Trends 2024 report highlights the emerging trends that will define the future of the workforce as:

• embracing human sustainability

• moving beyond productivity to measure human performance

• balancing privacy with transparency to build trust

• overcoming the imagination deficit

• creating digital playgrounds to explore, experiment and play

• cultivating workplace microcultures

• making the shift to boundaryless HR.

Law Updates

The adult minimum wage will increase from $22.70 to $23.15 per hour from 1 April 2024. The starting-out and training minimum wage will also rise from $18.16 to $18.52 per hour.

If you have employees on the minimum wage, let them know about the increase they will be getting. Make sure your payroll provider or finance team are ready to implement the change. If any employment agreements (contracts) are not current, now is an ideal time to discuss with them in good faith. For more information, check out our HR Guides.

The independent external review into the Accredited Employer Work Visa has been released. Check it out here.

The new median wage rate of $31.61 an hour has been adopted into parts of the immigration system as of 28 February 2024. Read more here.

New Hr Guides Out Now

HRNZ’s ‘The Basics’ aim to provide HRNZ members with comprehensive and easy-to-use materials that support your daily HR operations. The Guides cover off the essentials of fundamental HR processes and procedures, and provide simple guidelines, frameworks and templates.

HRNZ continuously reviews and updates the suite of (currently 23) HR Guides to keep them current with changes to employment legislation and other relevant trends. Topics include Managing Performance Issues, Investigation and Disciplinary Process and Health and Safety at Work. Most recently a new 90-Day Trial Period Guide has been published along with a Guide on Pacific Island Employment Legislation.

To access these guidelines, join up to HRNZ, or log in to access the content if you are already a member.

TAKE A BREAK – READ AND LISTEN

Ready for a mini break from your desk? These two books and one podcast provide valuable guidance to help you in your HR role.

Employee Experience Strategy by Ben Whitter

This book is a practical guide to designing, building and implementing a compelling employee experience strategy to improve workforce performance, develop a peoplecentred culture and drive business results. It also includes guidance on how to get stakeholder buy-in from the rest of the business and make sure that the EX strategy works for remote, hybrid and in-person working. Author Ben Whitter was recognised by Thinkers50 in 2021 specifically for his work in employee experience. This book is underpinned by primary data, research and global case studies for organisations including L’Oréal, Sanofi and Unilever.

People-Centric Organizational Change by Julie Hodges

This book explains how to achieve successful business change by engaging employees and making the transformation people-centric. Written by a leading voice in the change management industry, who has both academic and practitioner experience, this book is a practical guide for change professionals and students. Using evidence-based research, this book fully explores the human dynamic of change, explains how to promote collaboration between colleagues and shows how to involve line managers in the change process. It also includes discussion of the impact of change on employee wellbeing as well as the relationship between equality, diversity and inclusion and change.

Leading organisational change (Ep021: In Good Company with Impact International)

This episode looks at how to lead organisational change in unprecedented change. Darren Evans was less than six months into his role of CEO at Calder Stewart when the ultimate curveball of COVID-19 arrived. This podcast has plenty of insights and tips on how to lead effective change, what leadership is required across an organisation and how to make that a reality.