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Nicki Raffills CMHRNZ

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

Love. I moved to Otorohanga for love. I gave up my Auckland lifestyle and corporate career and moved to a dairy farm, had a baby, and became a step mum to two pre teen daughters and lived my best life. 

In 2014 I met Kylie Mouat, she also moved to Otorohanga for love. Kylie’s background is in recruitment and HR and she had just started eight73 consulting. She wanted someone to do some admin and nine years later, we are still together and I’m now a Chartered HRNZ member. 

My HR experience has been through making the most of each work experience and taking advantage of the opportunities that came along the way. 

I’ve been fortunate to have worked in some of the top corporates – Lion Nathan / Lion Breweries, Telecom, Westpac and Fonterra. I worked with some of the greatest minds at a senior executive level, and with all corporates comes big budgets, amazing projects, fresh new people initiatives and ongoing change. 

My role now as an HR Consultant means I in-house at a civil construction company two days per week as their HR Manager, this gives me that feeling of belonging to an organisation and is a company about to embark on some huge changes, with an amazing culture so it is my biggest challenge. 

On the other two days of the week, I work with clients who range from electricians to farm owners, childcare centres and Women’s Refuges across the country. 

Within these partnerships, I have become a part of the clients business, throughout the years I have developed a keen understanding of our clients challenges and business needs. We are also an ‘on tap’ HR resource for ad hoc clients and job seekers. We have grown the business to over 200 clients in the past 10 years in the little old King Country. 

Importantly for me, I have complete flexibility with eight73 Consulting. We are both working mums who share values of family, we make it a priority to be at every school event, we work around our family time and we openly let our clients know that’s how we operate. 

 

What do you love about working in HR? 

The variety of my work as a consultant is what I love – I have learnt about many different businesses and interact with all sorts of people which is a hugely rewarding and enjoyable experience for me. 

 

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

I started out working with a local Women’s refuge through a transitional period. This then became a referral to another refuge, in another town, and that kept building. Now I work with refuges across the country, remotely mostly. We developed a performance review framework, which has been rolled out nationally. What makes it a highlight is the most amazing people who work at these organisations and being able to be a part of what they do. 

 

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

Being a chartered member is my commitment to ongoing development, confirmation of my experience and recognition of my professionalism. The process was really easy and enjoyable. 

 

What motivated you to work towards becoming a Chartered Member? 

I’ve never been that person that got a degree or formal qualification. My experience comes from working. I’m proud of my career, I had almost retired 10 years ago to become a farmers wife, so now I’m really proud to be recognised for my work in HR. I have huge support from my colleague, Kylie, who also completed her chartered membership last year. She is encouraging and supportive, a motivator! 

 

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

We will always support the HRNZ branch events, webinars and activities where they fit in with my busy life, as well as continue to coach others in the HR arena.