Natasha Holloway CMHRNZ

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

When I got my first summer job in hospitality, I really enjoyed helping all of my colleagues with learning and developing and making sure they were treating people fairly – I used to go home and tell my mum all about how I had helped someone or how excited I was for my colleagues to get promoted and she said “you can get a job in that!” so I managed to secure an apprenticeship with a local HR team, I have loved it ever since!   

What do you love about working in HR? 

One of the main things is the unpredictability of it. No two days are ever the same, no matter what role you are in. Anything could happen and it keeps things fresh and exciting – it also doesn’t matter what you are doing, you are always helping someone in some way. 

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

My biggest highlight would be winning the HRNZ HR Generalist of the Year in 2021. While I knew I was a finalist, I never once thought I would win it! A lot of hard work went into the initiatives that won the award, so it was so nice to be recognised for that, and that what we were doing for our people was award-winning! 

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

I am very excited to finally be a chartered member, this is something I have wanted to do for a long time however I needed to develop in some other areas of the profession. This helped me with tweaking my career plan to ensure I was getting exposure and development in different areas. 

What motivated you to work towards becoming a Chartered Member? 

Seeing all the other HR Practitioners becoming chartered definitely motivated me. We have some outstanding HR people in New Zealand and its great reading about them and their career. 

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

Now that I am Chartered, I will continue to develop in the areas I have not had much exposure or experience with, to ensure I am maintaining my skills as a generalist. I am also looking forward to being a part of the HRNZ mentoring scheme and supporting others with growing their careers.