Unveiling the emerging themes of award-winning HR leaders
2023 has proven to be a defining year for HR leaders, as they steered their organisations through unprecedented challenges a new narrative that transcends conventional practices emerged, unveiling new themes that are reshaping the future of HR.
The Commemorative Guide for the 2023 New Zealand HR Awards reflects on the ceremony's victors, exploring the prevailing themes that currently influence leadership decisions.
As we look ahead, the emerging themes of HR leaders in 2023 signal a departure from convention, embracing a future where people, co-creation, inclusive culture, flexibility, and well-being take centre stage.
Read the full New Zealand HR Awards 2023 Commemorative Guide here.
At the core of this transformative journey is the commitment to putting people first. The winners of the 2023 HRD Awards are great examples of organisations that have seamlessly integrated this principle into their DNA. Ceri Rowland, General Manager of People and Culture at Douglas Pharmaceuticals, emphasises this, saying that “happy, healthy people deliver sustainable high performance.”
Co-creation and employee experience: catalysts for change
The winds of change are being supported by the innovative approaches of leaders like Holly Gibson, winner of the HR Manager of the Year award. Gibson's people experience (EX) design, puts emphasis on collaboration and co-creation with staff at Assurity Consulting.
Its success underlines the power of involving employees in shaping their own work environments. The approach saw a pilot branch grow by 12 people and added half a million dollars to its bottom line following an employee co-designed program.
Heather Polglase, Chief People Officer at Spark, emphasises the role of an inclusive culture in achieving high performance. “Spark's success relies on a diverse team that feels connected to the organisation's purpose,” she said.
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HR resilience
Elizabeth O'Brien, Chief People Experience Officer at Author-it, highlights the resilience demonstrated by HR leaders throughout a year of unprecedented challenges.
“Throughout a year of change, we have persevered through the wellbeing challenges that COVID's arrival in New Zealand created; we have continued to build up our team’s capabilities both locally and offshore and have started to infuse our leaders with the mindsets they need to create an exceptional employment experience for our people.”
At the National HR Summit, the dialogue shifted towards the future where flexibility emerged as a key theme. extending beyond flexible working arrangements. Rowland challenges the status quo, urging practitioners to embrace context-specific approaches for each scenario.
Read the full New Zealand HR Awards Commemorative Guide here.