In the face of the challenges that come with an economic downturn, maintaining a positive and supportive company culture becomes not just a luxury, but a necessity. Recessionary periods like the one New Zealand is currently experiencing with its far-reaching impacts on both households and businesses, can exacerbate stress, diminish morale, and strain relationships within the workplace. However, with the right approach businesses can not only weather the storm but emerge stronger than ever. In this blog post, we’ll explore effective strategies to improve company culture during a recession, fost ..read more

30/05/2024 - 8:00 am - 10:00 am Business East Tamaki Boardroom Level 1, Sir William Avenue, East Tamaki Auckland ..read more

21/05/2024 - 8:00 am - 10:00 am Business East Tamaki Boardroom Level 1, Sir William Avenue, East Tamaki Auckland ..read more

Annual performance reviews where staff have their performance assessed and rated are traditionally how businesses measure how well staff are doing their jobs – but, like most things ‘traditional’, a shift in thinking is necessary to cater to dynamic workforces. With some employees working from home, some in the office, and some doing a mix of both, managing performance in the modern workplace might seem like a juggling act. In a hybrid working situation, regular two-way communication is key to ensuring everyone is on task and working to their optimal potential – and managers must also be prepa ..read more

With all the recent disasters and disruptions, most New Zealand households now have some form of emergency kit on hand – but is your business prepared to keep moving through a crisis? When standard communication channels are down and ‘work-as-we-know-it’ has come to a halt, it is important to have a strategy in place to keep your business ticking over. It’s also paramount for the health of a business to ensure communication lines with both staff and clients are kept open through a crisis. For big corporations, this is often taken care of by a designated Crisis Management Lead. In the hour of n ..read more

Chances are you are now firmly back in ‘the real world’, with children back at school and holidays done and dusted. While summer can be an easy time to stay active for some (perhaps not for Aucklanders this year, but that’s another story!), it can be hard to keep it up as the cooler weather creeps in and the work keeps piling up on your desk. There’s many good reasons to make sure you get those steps in though, beyond stepping outside to hang out the washing. Here’s some whys and hows for getting exercise into your week. Thankfully, it’s been a long time since most of us have been on a ‘lockdo ..read more

Underperforming staff members can really let the team down, both in terms of the slack they leave behind, and the associated drop in morale. Similarly, a toxic employee can wreak havoc on the office vibe.  This often results in other high performing, non-toxic staff (in other words, your talent) becoming disengaged and leaving! It’s important that you stop this behaviour quickly, so let’s look at how to assess and manage the situation safely and effectively.   Step 1: Assess the employee’s performance or behaviour Before you approach an employee about their performance, ensure you’re ..read more

A recent report by real estate experts JLL on the changing nature of office spaces found that 56% of surveyed senior HR professionals were planning to undertake a renovation or refit of their offices in the coming year to accommodate new ways of working. The report asks the question: does the office still have a place in this new world of working? Although the pandemic appears to be (touch wood!) waning, it seems the hybrid mode of working is here to stay, with 78% of surveyed respondents saying they expect to still be working with a hybrid or remote model in 2023. With this in mind, it may be ..read more

Freerange Works has been named a finalist in the Westpac Auckland Business Awards – South & East. We are absolutely buzzing to be recognised in the Best Emerging Business category for the 2022 awards, alongside five other amazing local businesses. The organisers tell us there were 1,191 entries – so we could not be prouder to have come out on top. Just getting this far is like a huge pat on the back for our passionate team, who have put in so much effort to get where we are today. Saying that, we all have our fingers crossed for the regional awards Gala Dinner in December, which is bound t ..read more

According to reports from the 2022/23 Hays Salary Guide, the skilled professional has become something of a unicorn, indicating a need for change across the New Zealand and Australian job markets. In a world that seems to be in a constant state of flux, it is perhaps no surprise to hear that the employment market has also transformed over the past few years. This year’s Hays Salary Guide reports a skills shortage unmatched in the company’s 46 years in recruitment. “Today, 91 per cent of employers are experiencing a skills shortage. The insufficient supply of local skilled professionals hinders ..read more