Bay of Plenty Times
  • Bay of Plenty Times home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport

Locations

  • Coromandel & Hauraki
  • Katikati
  • Tauranga
  • Mount Maunganui
  • Pāpāmoa
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Bay of Plenty Times

Are you missing out? What perks some bosses are offering

Carmen Hall
By Carmen Hall
Bay of Plenty Times·
29 Jan, 2022 12:00 AM7 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
1Comments
Save

    Share this article

    Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.

The job market is strong, but potential workers are being cautioned due to the uncertainty created by Omicron. Photo / Getty Images

The job market is strong, but potential workers are being cautioned due to the uncertainty created by Omicron. Photo / Getty Images

Employers are offering a wide range of incentives to retain staff as workers search for the best deal in a hot labour market.

Potential candidates were often focused on workplace culture, flexibility and higher wages.

However, a recruitment adviser is warning the uncertainty created by the arrival of Omicron means employees should consider job security before making career changes.

''You want to be with a company that is going to be around tomorrow.''

Tauranga Chamber of Commerce chief executive Matt Cowley. Photo / NZME
Tauranga Chamber of Commerce chief executive Matt Cowley. Photo / NZME
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Tauranga Chamber of Commerce chief executive Matt Cowley said staff retention was a key issue.

Open up the latest news from Bay of Plenty

Get daily Bay of Plenty headlines straight to your inbox.
Please email me competitions, offers and other updates. You can stop these at any time.
By signing up for this newsletter, you agree to NZME’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

''A strong team culture, where people enjoy working alongside each other and progressing towards a common goal, is the best way to keep good staff. Many request greater flexibility [both in location and hours], access the right tools to do the job, career progression and to work on more fulfilling projects.''

He said the greatest challenge for businesses was proving to people they're a great place to work.

Bay of Plenty Regional Council people and leadership director Karen Aspey. Photo / Supplied
Bay of Plenty Regional Council people and leadership director Karen Aspey. Photo / Supplied

Bay of Plenty Regional Council people and leadership director Karen Aspey said it had strong organisational values that embraced courage, trust and integrity.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

''We heavily invest in being an organisation that grows great leaders which in turn supports a great culture.''

Initiatives it offered included a gold-standard Workplace Wellbeing group, social clubs, flexible working options, Te Reo Māori classes and Te Ao Māori development opportunities.

There was support for annual eye tests, life insurance, five council days leave for staff a year, a sick leave bank that staff could apply to (made up of excess sick leave donated by staff) and long-service recognition including long-service leave.

Aspey said staff were provided with training opportunities according to their role.

It had six jobs advertised - for assets engineer, senior public transport planner, senior urban planner, biosecurity officer II, programme manager, and GIS analyst, emergency management.

She said the council actively reviewed its pay data every year against applicable remuneration surveys provided by experts.

''Our pay rates support internal pay equity which is important to us.''

The council had 487 staff (23 fixed term) and an additional 35 employees who were hired as part of its summer experience programme, which had been running for more than 20 years.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Rotorua Lakes Council people and organisation development manager Joe Akar said it offered learning and development opportunities for staff in a wide range of areas, including e-learning opportunities.

Staff received discounts for a range of local services like gym corporate discounts, free aquatic centre use, and staff policies that covered paid partners' parental leave, flexible working and sick leave gifting.

The council also offered employer contributions to superannuation over and above KiwiSaver and staff received five weeks' annual leave once they had been employed continuously for four years.

Akar said the council employed 357 staff members and had eight roles advertised - for a
data and insights manager, property manager, financial accountant, business support administrator – district development, digital technology support, communications adviser, systems engineer, and fixed-term senior communications adviser.

Tauranga City Council people and engagement human resources manager Tony Aitken. Photo / Supplied
Tauranga City Council people and engagement human resources manager Tony Aitken. Photo / Supplied

Tauranga City Council people and engagement human resources manager Tony Aitken said it had a range of initiatives focused on workplace culture and an extensive range of training opportunities.

The council had 18 advertised positions including library assistant, park ranger, scrum master, general manager, accountant, solicitor and planner.

''Candidates are doing due diligence about the organisation and being selective on where they want to work. Often recruitment interviews are a two-way interview, with it being as much about if the candidate feels comfortable with the people doing the interview as it is about us choosing the best person for the role.''

Pay rates were benchmarked against job evaluations, other councils and the general market using recognised and accepted processes.

''We are always looking at our employee value proposition and tweaking that where we can to attract people to work at council. At the same time, we are very conscious of the cost of salaries to ratepayers so it isn't always about the money.''

The council employed 830 staff, who filled 785 fulltime equivalent roles.

Red Stag Group chief executive Marty Verry. Photo / Supplied
Red Stag Group chief executive Marty Verry. Photo / Supplied

Red Stag Group chief executive Marty Verry said potential employees were asking about overtime opportunities, staff functions, and how the company contributed to the community and environment.

He said Red Stag facilitated a lot of staff social and sporting events and donated more than $500,000 annually to charities.

Good work culture was at the heart of business success, Verry said.

''It means employees are motivated, engaged, loyal and turnover is lower, productivity is higher and the site is safer.''

Leading by example from the board and senior management was important.

''We work hard on fostering a workplace culture of safety, healthiness and team fun, and doing the right thing right and on time. It helps to be a family-owned company that shares profits through bonuses too when you are up against corporate competitors which tend to think shorter term about relationships.''

Read More

  • Bay of Plenty job listings up 43%: Tauranga businesses ...
  • Thousands of new jobs, more businesses: Tauriko Business ...
  • New kiwifruit testing lab at Te Puke to create 80 jobs ...
  • The big reason 39% of Kiwis are looking to change jobs ...

Red Stag employed more than 400 employees and fulltime contractors. It had jobs up for grabs including machine operators, fitters, engineers and forklift operators.

Incentives it provided were $200 vouchers for gym memberships and sports events, $3000 to stay up to date with Covid vaccinations, and yearly bonuses.

Zespri chief people officer Edith Sykes said it had a team of about 850 people based across many global locations including its head office in Mount Maunganui.

''Our culture and purpose are really important parts of Zespri's identity, helping lift the performance of our global team as we focus on continuing to deliver value for growers and make positive contributions to our communities.

''We also invest in training and development, and talk to our team about how we can further support them.''

Phil Van Syp is the managing director at the Mount Maunganui-based 1st Call Recruitment. Photo / NZME
Phil Van Syp is the managing director at the Mount Maunganui-based 1st Call Recruitment. Photo / NZME

1st Call Recruitment managing director Phil van Syp said it was loaded with jobs, ''it's crazy, we can't keep up''.

He agreed workplace culture was the biggest drawcard for potential employees and staff retention was a major issue.

Businesses were open to discussing aspects of their job packages ''and you only have to ask, you can swap things out''.

However, in his view, the job market was very volatile due to uncertainty and some companies had retrenched and downsized.

''At some stage, the market will slow down. Somewhere along the line, Omicron will hurt companies and it's really up in the air at the moment in terms of potential job subsidies.''

''You want to be with a company that is going to be around tomorrow and sustain your wage and incentives.''

Save

    Share this article

    Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.

1

Comments

Latest from Bay of Plenty Times

Bay of Plenty TimesUpdated

Boat in perilous position in Tauranga Harbour

08 Jul 01:04 AM
Bay of Plenty Times

'Risk to the public': Police search for wanted man

07 Jul 11:57 PM
Bay of Plenty Times

'Unique challenges': Fresh ideas sought for Mount Maunganui parking woes

07 Jul 08:39 PM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Recommended for you
All Blacks captain ruled out for remainder of French series
All Blacks

All Blacks captain ruled out for remainder of French series

07 Jul 11:42 PM
Watch – 'I have a PhD': Labour's Russell fires up at former judge over contentious bill
Politics

Watch – 'I have a PhD': Labour's Russell fires up at former judge over contentious bill

08 Jul 12:27 AM
Dame Valerie Adams, Simran Kaur and other famous Kiwis front new Air NZ initiative
Travel

Dame Valerie Adams, Simran Kaur and other famous Kiwis front new Air NZ initiative

08 Jul 12:25 AM
Govt to ease anti-money laundering checks for family trust house sales
New Zealand

Govt to ease anti-money laundering checks for family trust house sales

08 Jul 12:24 AM
Texas flash flood toll passes 100, including 27 at summer camp
World

Texas flash flood toll passes 100, including 27 at summer camp

08 Jul 12:10 AM

Latest from Bay of Plenty Times

Boat in perilous position in Tauranga Harbour

Boat in perilous position in Tauranga Harbour

08 Jul 01:04 AM

Police were alerted to a sinking boat in Tauranga Harbour at 2.45pm.

'Risk to the public': Police search for wanted man

'Risk to the public': Police search for wanted man

07 Jul 11:57 PM
'Unique challenges': Fresh ideas sought for Mount Maunganui parking woes

'Unique challenges': Fresh ideas sought for Mount Maunganui parking woes

07 Jul 08:39 PM
Sea pods revitalise Tauranga waterfront with marine habitats

Sea pods revitalise Tauranga waterfront with marine habitats

07 Jul 08:19 PM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Bay of Plenty Times e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Bay of Plenty Times
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP
search by queryly Advanced Search