Madeline Pitkethley APHRNZ

What led you to a career in HR/the position that you are in currently?   

HR/People Management was recommended to me by my career counselor when leaving high school, I was always the “mediator” in group situations and have strong moral values around equality and fairness for all. I felt HR aligned with this well and in 2018 I graduated from the University of Waikato with a Bachelor of Social Sciences majoring in Human Resources, to support my studies, I worked as a duty manager at my local supermarket and loved the people aspect side of the job! I quickly picked up HR matters for the business and when I graduated, I was promoted to a full-time HR role. Since then, I have worked in both the private and public sectors and now currently working in the HR Business Support team at Hamilton City Council  
 

What do you love about working in HR?   

Supporting managers and employees in all aspects of HR.  I love the opportunity to make people’s working lives better, even if it’s just in a small way.  
 

What is an achievement so far in your career that you are proud of?   

Seeing staff, I’ve helped to hire/develop/manage start to exceed in their role always makes me feel proud of my work and ability to build and foster relationships between the employer/manager and staff members.   

What are your thoughts on the Emerging Professional Member process?   

Straightforward and fast! It was a great exercise to reflect on my achievements and abilities.   

Do you plan to now work towards becoming a Chartered Member?   

Absolutely, the HRNZ professional pathway is a great recognition and development tool for the HR Community.   
 

What are your next steps in terms of your career?   

I am currently working with a great team of Business Partners and Advisors at Hamilton City Council, they are a wealth of knowledge and have mentored me in the Advisor space, my aim is to grow my skills more especially around the ER and Change Management space and eventually step into a Business Partner position