It all comes down to culture – with Lee Turner and Kim Dovey at Skillpod
Business resilience was top of mind at our recent SME Summit in Auckland. How do we build it? What does it look like in real workplaces? One standout answer was that it starts with culture.
Skillpod’s Lee Turner and Kim Dovey gave us a practical, people-first look at what culture really means, and why it matters more than ever when things get tough, at their standing-room only session, It all comes down to culture.
Grow your career with The Pillars Competency Framework
We’re excited to share with ACE members our digital workbook for The Pillars Competency Framework, our guide to the most critical non-technical skills and competencies required to thrive as a professional services consultant.
Benchmark your performance with the 2025 Business Insights Report
A new initiative for 2025, the ACE New Zealand Business Insights Report is designed to help members gain a sense of where your business sits in relation to other engineering and consulting firms, allowing you to benchmark your performance and inform your decisions.
How SMEs can adapt to a changing workforce – with HainesAttract
The workforce is changing – are you ready?
Although the recent slowdown in recruitment might be masking it, New Zealand’s engineering sector is in the middle of a massive shift. With an ageing workforce, increasing global competition for skilled talent, and changing candidate expectations, HainesAttract says SMEs can’t afford to keep doing what they’ve always done.
When the market picks up again and tenders are won, work starts to build and talent is needed, it says the old “post and pray” approach to sourcing will no longer cut it. However, the good news is that there are practical, low-cost ways SMEs can stay competitive and attract the right people.
We asked HainesAttract Lead Consultant Carly Ford to explain what’s happening in the current market and how SMEs can prepare now for when the tide turns.
Adventures at sea: remote working, parenting, and sailing across the world
Do you have a dream? Are you living your best life or waiting to action your wish list until you reach that next career rung or even retire? Well, Charlotte Philpott didn’t wait. The BMC chartered structural engineer believes life is meant to be lived.
It was this mindset, following Covid interruptions to the original travel itinerary of Charlotte and her husband, Daniel, that led to their family trip of a lifetime with a twist. Remote working while sailing for 2 ½ years from Croatia to Tahiti with a baby on board anyone?
And, while many might shudder at the prospect, Charlotte, who along with Daniel, grew up on the water sailing small one-person boats, says prior experience isn’t always a prerequisite.
“We prepped for our first ocean crossing next to some people who had no sailing experience. We were worried about all of these things and prepping for many different situations because we knew what could happen, whereas they were so relaxed because they probably didn’t know. In some ways the naivety is good – provided you make it.”
We asked Charlotte how she made flexible working and an ocean-crossing adventure a successful reality, and if she had any tips for others wanting to jump on board the remote-working dream.
Employer Accreditation Renewals – renewal process and accreditation requirements
Employer accreditations will begin to expire in July 2024. We asked Immigration Director – New Zealand Arno Nothnagel of Absolute Immigration to tell us about the renewal process, including when and how to renew your employer accreditation, and what happens if it expires.
International fraud in the immigration sector – current risks and how to manage them
International fraud is increasing in the immigration sector with the latest issues affecting both employers and migrant employees. We asked Immigration Director – New Zealand Arno Nothnagel of Absolute Immigration to tell us about the fraudulent activity they are seeing and what businesses should do if targeted.
Attracting key talent in an ever-changing market
Uncertainty remains rife in the job market and there’s no sign of this changing soon. HainesAttract’s Head of Partnerships Ben Tinker says people are eager for the market to return to normal following the pandemic, but volatility is still very present. We are living in a world where situations constantly change so the need to adapt rapidly and effectively is essential.
Over twenty years of experience in global talent acquisition enables Ben to provide direction about how businesses, teams and individuals can attract, engage, onboard and nurture the talent they need without wasting precious time and resources. ACE is delighted to announce that he will share this knowledge at our inaugural ACE New Zealand SME Summit on 8 May in Auckland.
Over and out – why do female engineers exit construction careers?
Kat Jackson’s concern at the fast departure rate of female engineers in the construction industry stems from personal experience. The Mott MacDonald technical director – advisory progressed fairly quickly in her career once she left construction.
She started working for construction companies nearly twenty years ago but her experience within the sector predates her formal employment following graduation. Since the late 1990s, when she undertook work experience as a teenager, she has worked in engineering in numerous capacities.
This journey, which offered much observation of “watching women come and go…often faster than they arrived”, has culminated in the recent completion of her thesis researching how women proceed in construction careers.
How to overcome the main challenges when preparing an AEWV application
Licensed Immigration Adviser Andy O’Dell talks us through the process of recruiting migrant candidates using the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) and highlights three key areas for employers to be aware of.