Bay of Plenty Business News November/December 2018

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24 BAY OF PLENTY BUSINESS NEWS November/December 2018 HR, MANAGEMENT AND RECRUITMENT Do women bear the heavier load in collaborative work environments? By CATHY HENDRY In collaborative projects, women may be more likely to take on additional work and experience burnout. Women are more likely to voluntarily assist colleagues, nurture new recruits, and take on jobs such as meeting preparation on behalf of the wider team, according to a study undertaken by the Harvard Business Review. Men are inclined to focus on achieving their own goals, while women work toward the aims of the team, with little in the way of recognition or compensation. This can result in women feeling overworked and at risk of burnout, which raises questions around whether it is necessary to look at the impact of collaborative work on specific individuals, both in the short term and going forward. It may be important for companies to cross-examine their own policies and practices. What affect does it have on the workplace and female colleagues? In the study, women were tending to end up with fuller loads and not actually getting what they needed to get done because they were trying to help everybody else at the same time. This can generate issues around the opportunity and desire for promotion. If women are experiencing burnout at their current level, they may be less inclined to go after a promotion or ask for remuneration increase on the basis their workload will get worse. It's possible this could impact conversations around too few women in high-level positions too. On a broader level, it affects the efficiency of team projects, could impact levels of sick leave, and may be part of a wider company culture. How should a company address the issue? Uneven workload and its associated issues is likely to be very specific to individual workplaces and more of a problem in organisations where collaborative working is the norm. Where people are working individually, these issues are less likely to come through. The task for management is to identify overload by being on the lookout for how projects are being divided and for colleagues who are working late or not hitting deadlines. It's also important that colleagues who feel they are overworked recognise the issue and learn to constructively address it. Organisations can also consider policy around working style. Working uninterrupted for an hour to 90 minutes every day without monitoring chats, emails or phone calls so that everyone has time to deal with their own workload can be implemented at management level. It is also worthwhile looking at the pros and cons of different working styles when it comes to collaborative projects and looking at how performance is reviewed. Cathy Hendry Senior Consultant, Tauranga P: +64 7 834 6581 M: +64 27 498 9812 E: cathy@strategicpay.co.nz HELPING ORGANISATIONS SUCCEED THROUGH THE PERFORMANCE OF PEOPLE Strategic Pay is New Zealand’s largest source of remuneration knowledge We have a team of nationwide experts and solutions to suit every New Zealand Business. As your local Senior Consultant based in Tauranga, Cathy Hendry is an experienced HR Consultant who has worked with a range of public, not for profi t and private sector clients in New Zealand and overseas. Contact Cathy today: Cathy.Hendry@strategicpay.co.nz 07 834 6581 027 498 9812 Specialising in remuneration consulting for over 10 years, Cathy’s experience includes: • market benchmarking • equal pay audits • job analysis • incentive design • pay structure design • pay equity concerns • job mapping • job evaluation www.strategicpay.co.nz | info@strategicpay.co.nz Auckland | Hamilton | Wellington | Christchurch | Dunedin StrategicPay
HR, MANAGEMENT AND RECRUITMENT Crossing Christmas party lines HUMAN RESOURCES > BY KELLIE HAMLETT Director, Recruitment & HR Specialist, Talent ID Recruitment Ltd BAY OF PLENTY BUSINESS NEWS November/December 2018 25 The office Christmas party is an occasion many Kiwis look forward to all year. It’s the ideal opportunity for employees and employers to get together in a more relaxed environment and toast the year that has been. For some though, the grey area between social outing and work function can easily become blurred. Especially when sun and alcohol are in the mix. It is the employer’s job to ensure everyone knows the behavioural guidelines of the event and how attendees are expected to behave. Unfortunately, without guidance, some can take the relaxed feel of the event too far. Sometimes the result is just Monday morning gossip. But sometimes the outcome can be much worse and can include disciplinary processes and occasionally even dismissal. Which means that setting Hydrographers recognise Bay man’s 30-plus year career By DAVID PORTER Greg Cox’s decades-long career in hydrography was acknowledged by international peers at the Australasian Hydrographic Society’s HYDRO18 Conference in November. The Mount Maunganuibased hydrographic survey expert and director of Discovery Marine (DML) recently received the society’s Award of Merit for Career Achievement in Hydrography. The award is presented to people who have made significant contributions to the industry and related sciences. Cox said it was “very humbling” to receive the award. But he also praised his team’s work. “We have a great team at Discovery Marine so I really see this award as acknowledgement of the work they do and the teamwork we bring to each of our projects.” Hydrographic surveying is the science of measuring and describing marine features. The information provides to end-users, typically those involved with marine navigation, coastal engineering, construction, and monitoring. It usually involves surveying the sea bed, lakes, rivers, shorelines, tides, currents, and submerged objects. Naval background Cox started DML in 1998 after 13 years in the Royal New Zealand Navy, where he was assistant hydrographer navy and achieved the rank of lieutenant commander. He has since built the company from a start-up to a team of 12 full-time staff and additional seasonal contractors. The team works on a variety of hydrographic survey projects throughout Australasia and the Pacific Islands. Their diverse client base includes central government, regional councils, engineers, coastal scientists, public utilities, infrastructure and port authorities. We work in a relatively small and niche industry, so one of our goals has always been about growing the skills of our staff. – Greg Cox DML is also a panel supplier to Land Information New Zealand, New Zealand’s nautical charting authority. Cox and his team’s work in collecting bathymetry - the measurement of water depth - and other related data is used to help ensure safe ship operations in New Zealand waters. The information also assists with coastal erosion monitoring, tsunami modelling, marine construction projects and port operations. “The technology in this industry is always evolving, and with that we are constantly evolving and learning too,” said Cox. “I’ve been doing this work for more than 30 years and I still don’t know everything there is to know about hydrographic surveying – this definitely isn’t a job where you stay static.” Ongoing professional development is a priority for Cox, as is helping the next generation of hydrographic specialists come through the ranks. “We work in a relatively small and niche industry, so one of our goals has always been about growing the skills of our staff so they’re equipped to take on whatever the job throws at them.” And while there is a big technical component in the work, Cox said that soft skills were just as important. “You’re out on the water dealing with the elements so you need a certain amount of adaptability and the ability to make decisions on your feet and that’s something we really encourage from our team.” Recent projects for DML have included surveying the East Cape of New Zealand, including areas around White Island, for navigational safety purposes. In the past couple of years they have collaborated with NIWA in the delivery of New Zealand’s first multidisciplinary survey of Queen Charlotte Sound, and in 2017 worked with navigation solutions provider iXBlue to survey the entire Kaikoura coast post-earthquake. Annual surveys of the Port some simple rules in advance and sharing these with all who are attending will help to ensure everybody’s their safety of Tauranga and local marinas continue to keep Cox and his team busy, and they’re also considering options for a survey project of Pelorus Sound, in the Marlborough Sounds, in 2019. Cox said New Zealand was better for private hydrographers than some countries, where the type of work DML carried out was constrained to government departments. “There’s a lot of opportunity for us and I’m looking forward to seeing what that looks like in the years to come.” and enjoyment. Providing food, itineraries, safe transport options and leading by example are the basics of a strong plan of action that will help the event run smoothly. Many employers choose to give their staff a little leeway during the Christmas party. But it is vital that they can read the signs when an employee is edging towards crossing Christmas party lines, and that they know when to interfere. Tactfully removing people from the situation can often be the best way to diffuse an issue. Morally, the safety of staff is within the hands of the employer. Be aware of when an employee is feeling uncomfortable, unsafe or unwell, and aid them so their situation doesn’t get uncomfortable or dangerous. The employer doesn’t need to necessarily view their role as that of a baby-sitter. But they do need to see themselves as ensuring everyone is safe and comfortable when bringing everyone together in a carefully planned out event that represents their brand and company ethos. Team building and bonding activities, with family invited, can be a great alternative to the classic office party’ So remember that an occasion that can be the year’s highlight for some, can be problematic for both employers and employees. Management, guidelines and action plans will ensure the office Christmas function runs as smoothly as possible this year and make sure it something every employee looks forward to for years to come. The DML team: Award an acknowledgement of the team, says Greg Cox (far left, front). Photo/Supplied.
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Bay of Plenty Business News November/December 2018

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