The specific skills and experience sought by employers will depend on the role itself.

Junior or entry level roles don’t always require People and Culture experience, but beyond this level, our clients look for candidates with a background of experience that will be transferable to the vacant role.  Often this is described in terms of years of experience, for example  ‘X years of HR experience in a Business Partner or Manager role’.

For HR/People and Culture specialities, we look for skills and achievements in that area, so, for example, if you have built  and delivered a successful learning and development programme, make sure to highlight this when applying for these types of roles.

In the area of employment relations, specific knowledge of New Zealand employment law and regulations and experience working within this context is important, and highly desirable.

Employers look for relevant tertiary qualifications for most People and Culture roles,  which you’ll notice in the tertiary sector, is predominantly still referred to as Human Resources (HR).  Examples of desirable qualifications include:

Bachelor of Business with HR specialty, Bachelors of Applied Management, Graduate/PostGrad Diploma in HR management, or Masters in HR Management, or equivalents.

For specialities, additional qualifications may be required, for example, in health and safety management, employers look for qualifications such as the Graduate Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety – GradDipOHS

The short answer is yes!

Usually it is People & Culture that looks after policies and procedures around flexible work, and it’s fair to say there is a heightened awareness of  flexibility benefits in this sector, which emerged long before the pandemic accelerated this shift.  In our experience, talented job seekers in this area value flexibility very highly.

Many employers of People & Culture offer some form of flexible work. We see the hybrid, work-from-home/office blend most commonly, but we also see plenty of part time opportunities, flexibility in working hours, start & finish times, and a general openness and positive attitude towards flexibility.

Please ask your Madison consultant about flexible options for specific roles we are advertising.

When you choose Madison as your recruiter, you are in safe hands. Being in the People & Culture space ourselves, we have in-depth knowledge of not only recruitment, but the broader HR sector. We enjoy extensive networks, and excellent clients—meaning more exciting opportunities for job seekers like you.  Your Madison Consultant will be able to provide you with industry insights and advice, working alongside you to help you find your next career opportunity. Your Consultant will strive to truly understand your priorities for your next role, and will match you to employers and jobs that align with your career goals, expectations and values. 

Certainly our clients are open to non-New Zealander candidates—as long as the right-to-work with the correct visa is held. We don’t tend to actively recruit candidates based outside New Zealand, due to the need to meet recruitment timeframes—if you have a visa, we suggest you wait until you have relocated and are based in New Zealand, before applying for jobs.

For some employment relations work, because of the close connection with New Zealand law, we tend to require candidates with local experience.

If you like the idea of moving to New Zealand, and want to know more about visa options, we recommend visiting Immigration NZ.  We also have some great resources on this website.