Stepping up
Why good governance goes a long way in developing SME directors in a rapidly changing business environment.
Why good governance goes a long way in developing SME directors in a rapidly changing business environment.
The thriving Māori economy and workforce are shaping New Zealand’s future, with professional development, leadership, and Māori values driving transformative opportunities across industries.
Kiwi workers’ confidence in the New Zealand economy has reached its lowest point on record, according to the latest ELMO Employee Sentiment Index. The proportion of workers rating the economy as ‘secure’ has fallen to just 14 percent while the proportion of workers who rate it as ‘not secure’ has grown to 35 percent. The ratings are considerably worse compared to the same period last year when 19 percent of workers rated the economy as ‘secure’ while just 20 percent rated it as ‘not secure’. Although workers feel the economy is less secure than it was a year ago, two thirds of workers (63%) anticipate they will receive a pay increase within the next year – the largest figure recorded
New Zealand businesses are being encouraged to embrace global technology trends to optimise workplace health and safety. With more New Zealand workplaces opening up at the Orange traffic light setting, following two years of Covid restrictions, the public and private sector is being encouraged to ‘up its game’ when it comes to on-site visitor, employee and contractor management. Auckland-based Kevin McAfee (pictured), who heads up HealthSafe, is encouraging organisations around Aotearoa to embrace software that will protect their people, mitigate risk, and meet their health and safety obligations at this crucial time. He says this is important at a time when more New Zealanders are returning to physical places of work and study, and medical facilities look for more efficient
It’s not that surprising to see New Zealand needs to upskill a million Kiwi workers with better digital skills, as covid has accelerated the drive to digital, says NZTech CEO Graeme Muller. Amazon Web Services (AWS) has launched a new research report which says the urgent need for Kiwi digital skills training became more acute during the pandemic. NZTech’s Digital skills for a digital future report released in 2020 highlighted the decreasing number of students learning digital skills in our education system and the growing need to have digital skills in many jobs. It also pointed to the lack of focus on upskilling workers and the rapidly growing tech sector, all factors contributing to this massive need for more focus on digital
Burnout became the catch cry of the pandemic working world. However two years on, people are feeling more burnt out and tired at work than ever before. New research this month by recruitment company Frog Recruitment surveyed more than 900 New Zealand workers to understand how their mental health is faring since COVID-19 emerged into our world. The threat is ever present, with 68 percent of those surveyed feeling more burnt out than they did 12 months ago. A strong desire to change jobs is also on the rise, with well over half (62 percent) saying they were either looking to change jobs this year or weren’t sure whether to or not. Only a third said they would stay in their roles,
The Hutt Valley engineering business has developed an innovative training programme to attract trainees amidst the current skills shortages. While Covid-19 has impacted immigration and worsened labour and skills shortages in the Hutt Valley, it has also challenged local businesses to think outside the box to attract and retain talent. In the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce’s Business Confidence Survey, completed at the end of last year, 56% of employers in the region said they were struggling to find quality staff. Chamber CEO, Patrick McKibbin (pictured below), is in ongoing conversations with local business owners and says the region’s manufacturers and trades are still struggling to meet customer demand and employ the people they need. “Talent has been a significant
New research has revealed that 64 percent of workers are concerned about being in the workplace as new Covid variants spread throughout the community.
Upcoming event
Thursday 30 July 2026 | 7:00am – 9:00am
📍 Covert Theatre, 51 Mackelvie Street, Grey Lynn, Auckland
Everyone talks about the importance of business strategy, but what does it actually mean in practice? Strategy trainer Ryan Sproull cuts through the jargon to give SME owners a clear, practical framework for thinking strategically about their business.
Latest issue
Practical AI insights, Kiwi tech innovators, and the tools helping Kiwi SMEs compete on a global stage. It’s all packed into this special tech issue of NZBusiness.
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