In our latest HRNZ Podcast Kōrero, we sit down with Chris Maika (Te Arawa, Ngāpuhi) for a powerful and deeply personal conversation exploring assimilation, identity, and belonging in Aotearoa’s workplaces.

Chris shares his journey of assimilation and the moments that led him to rediscover his cultural identity, and what it truly means to show up authentically at work. Drawing on over 20 years in learning and development — including his mahi through Ruku ki te Ako — Chris offers valuable insights for HR professionals on how we can create environments where people feel seen, safe, and connected.

How can organisations move beyond awareness to real action when it comes to neurodiversity? In this episode, Te Radar sits down with Dr. Dana Ott and Associate Professor Miriam Moeller to unpack why neuroinclusion matters, the challenges companies face, and the practical steps leaders can take to better support neurodivergent employees.

Drawing on years of research and practical tools like the Autism Employment Playbook, Dana and Miriam share fresh insights on how organisations can unlock the strengths of neurodiverse talent, foster inclusion, and build workplaces where everyone can thrive.

About Dana:

Dana L. Ott (MSc, PhD) is a Senior Lecturer in International Management at the University of Otago. Dana’s research seeks to enhance global mobility experiences for individuals pursuing international careers and to provide guidance for organisations in effectively supporting neurodivergent employees and leaders. She is deeply committed to advancing DEI initiatives, particularly championing neuroinclusion, fostering cultural intelligence, and promoting gender equity.

About Miriam:

Miriam Moeller (MBA, PhD) is Associate Professor in International Business at The University of Queensland Business School, Australia. Miriam takes particular interest in and regularly publishes about human resource management, global mobility, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. Her award-winning work fosters social cohesion and drives economic productivity by promoting the development of neuroinclusive workplace practices, in Australia and across the globe.

Click here to download a copy of the Autism Employers Playbook

HR Chats with Jessica Pillow, Global Head of Total Rewards at DEEL.

Pay transparency is one of the most talked-about topics in HR right now — but what does it actually mean for New Zealand workplaces? With new legislation on thehorizon and employees demanding greater clarity, organisations are under increasing pressure to move beyond “pay gag clauses” and start building open, sustainable approaches to remuneration.

In this HR Chat, Te Radar speaks with Jessica Pillow, Global Head of Total Rewards at Deel, who oversees pay, benefits, and mobility across 100+ countries. Drawing on her global experience, Jessica explains why true pay transparency goes beyond publishing numbers — it’s about creating a clearcompensation philosophy and strategy that aligns with business goals, builds trust, and strengthens retention.

Together they explore:

• What pay transparency really looks like in practice.
• Why some employers remain hesitant, and how to address those concerns.
• The foundational elements every organisation needs for an effective pay transparency policy.
• Lessons from Deel’s approach to compensation across borders.
• What New Zealand businesses can learn from overseas markets already operating under strict pay transparencylaws.

If your organisation is grappling with shifting employee expectations, this episode offers practical insights into how to set the right foundations and provides a roadmap for building trust and clarity in pay practices.

About Jessica Pillow
Jessica Pillow is the Global Head of Total Rewards at Deel, where she leads compensation, benefits, equity, and mobility across 100+ countries. With a career spanning diverse industries, Jessica brings the perspective of a “mini-compensation economist, forecaster, and fairness architect” to her work. She is passionate about building transparent, sustainable reward strategies that simplify complexity and drive positive change. Jessica is a Certified Compensation Professional (CCP) and Global Remuneration Professional (GRP), and is known for her ability to deliver results with speed, clarity, and a collaborative spirit.

Deel | Global Payroll, Compliance & HR Solutions | HRIS

HR Chats with Georgia Murch, Author, Speaker, Facilitator and Founder of CanWeTalk.co

If you lead people, you’ve probably noticed it: feedback is getting trickier. We’re more reluctant to give it, more sensitive when receiving it, and more fearful of the impact it might have. It’s a dynamic that can quietly erode performance, culture, and trust.

In this episode, Te Radar sits down with Georgia Murch—author, speaker, facilitator and founder of canwetalk.co and expert in building feedback cultures—to explore why feedback feels so difficult in today’s workplaces and what leaders can do to turn this around.

Together, they unpack:

• Why feedback is becoming harder in modern organisations.
• The ripple effects fear of feedback has on performance and culture.
• How generational differences shape feedback conversations.
• What stands out about the New Zealand workplace context.
• What a thriving feedback culture actually looks like.
• One practical step HR leaders can take to improve feedback immediately.

Whether you’re navigating intergenerational teams, wrestling with feedback avoidance, or trying to build a culture of openness, this conversation offers timely, practical insights for HR leaders and people practitioners alike.

About Georgia Murch
Georgia Murch is Australasia’s leading expert on feedback and building workplace cultures people love. A best-selling author of four books, she has worked with organisations for over 25 years to embed feedback that actually shifts culture. As founder of Can We Talk, Georgia helps leaders andteams move beyond the status quo and create environments where people thrive. She’s also a sought-after speaker and media commentator, known for her straight-talking, practical approach to making feedback work.

HR Chats with Terry McCaul, Thought Leader in the development and leadership of sustainable High Performance Organisations

In the latest episode, Te Radar sits down with Terry McCaul to explore why traditional organisational models are becoming obsolete and why leaders need fresh thinking to meet today’s workplace challenges. Drawing on insights from his new book, The Triple Knot – Designing and Leading Sustainable High Performance Organisations, Terry shares a practical yet innovative model for creating organisations that can thrive in a world of shifting employee expectations,societal demands, and constant change.

With a career spanning four decades across CEO, C-suite, and advisory roles, Terry offers real-world examples of how these principles have worked in practice, challenges popular myths about HR and leadership, and explains why he chose to present his ideas through a novel format. This thought-provoking conversation is packed with insights for HR professionals, leaders, and anyone involved in shaping the future of work.

About Terry McCaul

Terry McCaul is a recognised expert in designing and leading sustainable high-performance organisations. With over 40 years’ experience as a CEO, senior executive, and advisor across the public and private sectors, he has led majorculture change programmes and guided leaders at the highest levels. A Chartered Fellow of HRNZ, Terry is also an award-winning international presenter and author, passionate about helping leaders apply new thinking to meet the challenges of today’s rapidly changing world of work.

DEI Under Pressure: HR'sCrucial Role in creating an inclusive future for organisations in Aotearoa

In this episode of HR Chats with Te Radar, Lisa Mulligan, Founder and CEO of The Culture Ministry,explores whether Aotearoa is experiencing a Diversity & Inclusion (DEI) backlash and what HR leaders can do in response. She discusses the global and local drivers of resistance, the importance of maintaining momentum, and how HR can position DEI as a strategic business priority. The conversation highlights HR’s crucial role in building inclusive, resilient workplaces — even in challenging times.

About Lisa

Lisa is the founder and CEO of The Culture Ministry, offering pragmatic and experienced Diversity & Inclusion consultancy.

She works with CEO's and Leadership teams to build financially successful and inclusive businesses.

Lisa brings over 25 years’ experience in humanresources leadership, organisational change and development, and diversity & inclusion, in multinational businesses.

She has lived and worked across Australia, NewZealand, Asia and Europe with organisations in the retail, distribution, insurance, FMCG, logistics, manufacturing, pharmaceutical and engineering consulting, with over 15 years focusing on Asia.

Her passion and focus is developing people, and inparticular, leaders in organisations to help them create an effective organisational culture that drives business outcomes.

www.thecultureministry.com

In this session of HR Chats with Te Radar, we chat to Lynda about Organisational Culture:

As the world becomes more interconnected, borders no longer constrain talent. Traditionally, global mobility meant a company’s efficiency in moving employees to different countries as expatriates or for business trips and assignments. Today, global mobility has evolved to mean a company’s ability to support a global workforce, fulfil workers’ preferences, and win the war on talent.

In this HR Chat, Shannon Karaka will draw on his industry experience and real examples to explain how the concept of working while living and traveling abroad extends well beyond the traditional ‘OE’ or expat assignments, and now forms part of a modern employee development and retention strategy.

Many of the recruitment tools we use today were created during the industrial revolution. Our workforce has changed dramatically since then and the trends that are continuing to shape it give us an insight into some great ways we can futureproof our businesses.

Te Radar chats with Izzy Fenwick, founder of Futureful, New Zealand’s first values-led and skills-based recruitment platform. They discuss why now is the ideal time to consider how we can futureproof our work, along with the trends that are shaping the direction of the workforce. Izzy will also explore the challenges people face when thinking about the future and how Futureful aims to assist businesses in securing their future.

Izzy's expertise lies at the intersection of human behaviour and corporate

She is the founder of Futureful, New Zealand’s first values-led and skills-based recruitment platform. Futureful is on a mission to mainstream corporate sustainability by including ESG (environmental, social, governance) commitments in the recruitment process.

With her background in human-centred design, she previously served as the Sustainability Design Principal at DNA Design.

Izzy also serves on the board of The Aotearoa Circle; an organisation that brings together public and private sector leaders to pursue sustainable prosperity and reverse the decline of New Zealand's natural resources. Izzy is a fellow of the NEXT Foundation and has spent time speaking about sustainability and the future of work on local and global stages.

The Future of Work | Implementing a four-day week in New Zealand – WHY you would be silly not to!