Emma Bennett CMHRNZ

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

I can’t say a career in HR was ever on my radar; I didn’t have a good understanding of what the wide and varied world of HR involved beyond the basics.

I moved to New Zealand and worked in the ski industry, starting out in customer service and moving into a Shared Services manager position. I loved the variety and challenge of that position, looking at ways to continually improve all aspects of the business. It was this role that made me understand what HR that was all about and that what I loved was improving things for the team and making their experience with us better. 

From there I moved into a dedicated HR & Safety manager role in the hotel industry, which really helped me develop into a well-rounded HR generalist. While there were some additional challenges, remote location, young international workforce, and staff living on site, I had lots of support which confirmed for me that I was passionate about working in HR.

Last year, I moved to Christchurch and became the People & Culture Leader for a national construction company. I love my job (even on the tough days) and I have really found my groove – not only with the variety the role brings but also working across all areas and levels of the business. 

What do you love about working in HR? 

I know what’s important to me when I go to work, if I want to feel valued, be supported, have fun, be involved, work towards shared goals and have the opportunity to learn and grow, then I’m sure others do too. 

I love the part I play in supporting all areas of the business, from setting people strategies with the CEO to onboarding new employees, and the positive impact it has on the employee experience. 

It’s about balancing people's experiences with the wider business goals. Developing people strategies and goals that are well aligned with the operational and commercial parts of the business. Seeing your ideas and contributions make a difference to an individual, team or leaders is incredibly rewarding. Good people practices have an impact on the whole business which is something I love being part of.

Are there any specific highlights of your career that you wish to share? 

I don’t think I can pick out one highlight, there are lots I am proud of achieving and lots of people I have really valued working with, from seasoned HR professionals who took the time to coach and mentor me to supporting members of my team starting out in their HR careers.

From the challenges of managing my first restructure process with 200+ staff due to COVID to a simple thank you for listening from one of the team members dealing with some personal challenges. 

One comment that sits with me, which I take as a compliment (and I was assured it was meant as one!) was "I wouldn’t have picked you as HR, you're the least like an HR person I have ever met". The view of the HR role in a business is changing and I love that I have in some small way I helped someone’s view of that.

What are your thoughts on Chartered Membership? How do you feel about being a Chartered Member? 

To be honest I approached it as a reflection tool to understand what areas I needed to grow and develop and wasn’t expecting to achieve it on my first round. I knew I would get some great feedback in order to continue building my career. I was over the moon to achieve Chartered membership and thoroughly enjoyed the process. 

What motivated you to work towards becoming a Chartered Member? 

My career in HR was organic, without a formal study pathway; I pulled from my own experience, using my knack for systems and processes and my EQ. That can create feelings of doubt when comparing yourself to all these amazing, trained professionals out there.

Reflecting on your personal journey and understanding your own career development pathway is very powerful. So for me it was about understanding and recognising where my HR career and knowledge were and where I wanted to go next.

What are your next steps in terms of your career now that you are a Chartered Member? 

I have recently joined the Canterbury branch committee and look forward to supporting the region while making connections with people in similar roles to me along with those just starting out on their HR journey.

I’ve always enjoyed mentoring and supporting people entering the world of HR so I'd love to get more involved with that through HRNZ. It has also provided me with pursuing.