Development Archives

AI Will Take Work Off People’s Plates – But Leaders Must Manage the Shift

Let’s face it: very few people dream of spending their career buried in spreadsheets, toggling between tabs like a caffeinated octopus, or manually entering the same data 14 times. The good news? AI is here to save us from the drudgery.

Thanks to smart machines and algorithms that never get hangry or need coffee breaks, the workplace is changing fast. According to Gartner, CEOs are banking on a 17% productivity boost from AI. That’s not a tweak, that’s a full-scale shift.

But while AI can handle the grunt work, it can’t do what great leaders do: help people navigate change, feel safe, and stay inspired. That’s where people management comes in, not just to navigate the shift, but to own it!

AI Is Cleaning the Desk – Now What?

So, AI’s tidying up your to-do list. Admin tasks? Automated. Reports? Generated in seconds. Calendar invites? Handled by a bot with zero scheduling drama.

What does that leave us with? Well, ideally: more time for the good stuff. Strategic thinking, relationship-building, big ideas, the kind of work that actually makes us feel human and useful (imagine that!).

But here’s the spicy truth: people are nervous. Whisper “AI” in some workplaces, and you’ll see panic behind the eyes. Is it watching? Judging? Replacing?

This is not just a tech transition, it’s a human one. And it needs to be handled with empathy, clarity, and maybe a few memes to break the tension!

HR, This Is Your Moment!

If HR were a superhero (and let’s be honest, we think it is!) this would be our origin story. We’re not just implementing AI, we’re shaping how people experience it. And no pressure, but how this is handled now could make or break your company’s culture for years to come.

Here’s how we make the shift not only manageable, but meaningful:

1. Talk About It Like a Human, Not a Robot

People don’t need buzzwords. They need answers. Be honest, clear, compassionate and give ideas and examples of what they could now be focusing on.

Don’t say: “We’re leveraging synergistic AI capabilities to streamline efficiencies.”
Say: “AI’s going to help us ditch the boring stuff so we can focus on what matters.”

Keep communication two-way. Ask questions. Address fears. And no, sending one vague all-staff email does not count as change management.

2. Reskill Like You Mean It

You can’t throw people into a new AI-powered world and expect them to swim without floaties. If your team is suddenly expected to “collaborate with intelligent systems,” they’ll need support, not just a PDF and a prayer.

Offer training that’s practical, ongoing, and maybe even a little fun (we find pizza bribes are often a hit!). Help people level up, not just for today’s tools, but for the next wave of change too.

Because let’s be real: the robots aren’t going away.

3. Don’t Let AI Become a Biased, Creepy Weirdo

If you’re using AI for hiring, evaluations, or anything that impacts people’s careers, governance matters. Otherwise, you risk building hidden bias into your processes, and trust us, no one wants to end up in the news for algorithmic discrimination!

Make sure your AI tools are transparent, explainable, and fair. And always keep humans in the process, especially for decisions that affect people’s futures.

Treat AI like a very smart intern: helpful, but not quite ready to run the company unsupervised.

4. Lead Like You Actually Believe in It

If your leaders treat AI like a shiny new toy but don’t use it themselves, or worse, fear it, your people will sniff that out immediately.

Leaders need to walk the walk. Embrace the tools. Show curiosity. Get your hands dirty. And be willing to learn alongside the team, not just cheer from the sidelines.

The Bottom Line (With a Cherry on Top)

AI isn’t here to take your job; it’s here to take your worst tasks. The stuff you’d happily never do again. But the transition won’t manage itself. It needs thoughtful planning, real investment in people, and a leadership team that’s brave enough to make the messy middle a little less messy.

For HR, this is more than an upgrade, it’s a chance to build something better. A workplace where people feel empowered, supported, and maybe even excited about the future.

And hey, if a robot can do your admin, maybe you finally get to do that strategic project you’ve been putting off since 2021. Win-win

Ready to Tackle the Shift?

AI is shaking up the world of work, but you don’t have to navigate it alone. Whether it’s upskilling your team, managing change with confidence, or putting the right ethical guardrails in place — just add Spice.

The New Currency of Work: Why Skills Are Taking the Lead

Once upon a time, your job title said it all. “Marketing Manager.” “HR Coordinator.” “Accounts Ninja” (okay, maybe not that one). Your role was your identity. Your daily script.

But in today’s fast-moving, digitally driven world of work, conversations around talent are evolving. You’ve probably heard it: “Skills are the new currency!” And they are, kind of.

But let’s be clear right out of the gate: job titles and job descriptions still matter. They remain crucial for setting expectations, maintaining structure, and fulfilling legal and compliance obligations.

That said, if we only focus on what people have done in the past or what’s written in their job descriptions, we risk missing out on a bigger opportunity. What if, alongside those foundational elements, we also put the spotlight on what people are capable of, their transferable skills, hidden strengths, and untapped potential?

That’s the shift we’re seeing in the workplace: not “either/or,” but “yes/and.” Yes to job descriptions, yes to experience, and yes to a skills-based, strengths-led future.

Why Skills Are Gaining Ground

The reality is, work has become more complex, cross-functional, and fluid. Employees are increasingly asked to collaborate across teams, adapt to fast-changing priorities, and step into responsibilities that might not be covered in their original job description.

And so, organisations are evolving how they think about talent. Here’s how that’s playing out:

Skills-based talent management is being layered over traditional role-based structures. Rather than limiting talent decisions to what someone’s done before or what role they’re in now, employers are starting to ask: “What skills does this person have, and how else could they contribute?”
Hiring and career progression are expanding to include not just credentials and job history, but the potential to grow. It’s about valuing experience while also recognising the importance of adaptability, curiosity, willingness and capability.
Strengths are becoming strategic assets. People bring more than their résumés to work, they bring their natural style, communication preferences, and problem-solving approach. And those qualities are often invisible unless we actively explore them.

This is where the magic happens: when you combine what someone’s done with what they do best, you unlock new energy, engagement, and impact.

Strengths-Based Development: The Missing Piece?

If experience is the foundation and skills are the currency, then strengths are the engine room. What do we mean by that? While experience provides the solid base, and skills are what individual’s use to navigate their professional landscape – their practical abilities and competencies – people’s strengths are what truly propel them forward and make them uniquely effective in their role.

But in many workplaces, people’s strengths remain under-used or overlooked entirely. That’s a missed opportunity, not just for individual development, but for organisational performance.

When people are encouraged to work in ways that align with their natural style, whether that’s leading, supporting, analysing, creating, or connecting, they don’t just perform better. They feel more confident, more resilient, and more fulfilled.

At Spice, we use Extended DISC to help teams and individuals uncover these strengths. Extended DISC offers insight into how people prefer to work and communicate, and how they can flex those preferences depending on the situation.

This isn’t fluffy. It’s practical, measurable, and transformational.

The Role of AI and Workforce Data

Another big player in the skills-based movement? AI and data.

Smart talent platforms are now helping HR teams and business leaders map the skills they have, the skills they need, and the gaps in between. It’s enabling more proactive workforce planning, more targeted learning and development, and more meaningful conversations about career growth.

But tech is only part of the story.

The real power lies in how organisations use these insights to create a culture where learning is continuous, feedback is constructive, and strengths-based leadership becomes the norm, not the exception.

Why This Matters: The Stress Connection

This shift isn’t happening in isolation. It’s happening in a context where stress-related unscheduled leave has increased from 40% to 50% between 2023 and 2024.

That’s huge.

When employees feel boxed into rigid roles, with no room to stretch or be seen for what they could do, it takes a toll, not just on performance, but on wellbeing.

Skills-based, strengths-led approaches offer a better alternative. They allow people to move, grow, and contribute in ways that are more aligned with their strengths, and far less stressful in the long run.

What Organisations Can Do Now

If you’re thinking, “Okay, this all sounds great, but how do we make it real?” here’s where to start:

1. Keep the structure, but build flexibility into it.

Yes, job descriptions still matter. But can they evolve? Can you write them in a way that invites stretch, development, and shared ownership?

2. Shift conversations from ‘What’s your title?’ to ‘What can you contribute?’

Make space for people to talk about their skills, passions, and aspirations, not just their current role.

3. Invest in strengths-based tools and frameworks.

Tools like Extended DISC can help your teams understand themselves and each other, and build more trust, clarity, and collaboration.

4. Create visible pathways for growth.

Whether it’s lateral moves, project work, secondments, or learning sprints, make it easier for people to grow without always needing a promotion to do it.

5. Use data wisely.

AI won’t replace human insight, but it can supercharge your people strategy. Use workforce analytics to guide decisions, not just guess.

The Bottom Line

We’re not replacing job titles, tearing up job descriptions, or throwing out experience.

What we are doing is widening the lens.

We’re recognising that in a dynamic, human-centred workplace, experience + skills + strengths = real, sustainable performance.

And that’s the future of work worth investing in.

Want to Take the Next Step?

At Spice, we help organisations future-proof their teams by blending the best of both worlds: structure and flexibility, experience and potential, clarity and curiosity.

Whether it’s Extended DISC, vision and values alignment, team chartering, or culture workshops, Spice HR are here to help you create a workplace where skills and strengths come to life.

Is Performance Measurement Shifting from “Me” to “We”?

Once upon a time (okay, like ten minutes ago in corporate terms), performance at work was all about you. Your KPIs. Your quarterly review. Your lone battle to impress your manager and maybe, just maybe, score a slightly bigger slice of the bonus pie.

But times are changing. Work is no longer a solo sport. It’s more like a relay race, with lots of passing the baton, and hopefully not dropping it.

So, here’s the question on everyone’s lips (or at least in every HR workshop):
Is it time to stop measuring performance as a solo act and start giving the whole team some credit?

Why “We” Might Just Work Better

Let’s be honest: the old-school annual review is about as exciting and useful as dial-up internet. According to research from CEB, a whopping 95% of managers aren’t satisfied with performance reviews. That’s not a typo, it’s almost everyone!

Why? Because these reviews are built for a world where people worked in silos. Newsflash: silos are for grain, not high-performing teams.

These days, work is wildly collaborative. It’s brainstorms, Slack threads, Zoom calls, and collaborations. They’re co-created and pressure-tested by teams. No one’s working alone anymore..

And yet, we’re still measuring success like it’s 1989.

From Star Performers to Winning Teams

Forward-thinking companies are turning the spotlight away from individuals and shining it on the entire team.

Instead of just asking:

“What did you achieve?”
They’re asking:

“How did your team do?”
“Did you help others succeed?”
“Are you a team player?”

Now, don’t worry. You’re still accountable. It’s just that accountability will be reframed within the context of collaboration, contribution, and culture.

Culture: The New KPI

Yes, culture. That fuzzy, feel-good word that’s suddenly muscling its way into performance reviews. And for good reason. Culture isn’t a poster on the wall. It’s how people actually treat each other when deadlines loom and coffee runs dry.

Ask yourself:

Are people lifting each other up, or elbowing for the spotlight?
Are teams working together or hoarding information like it’s the last piece of cake in the break room?
Are we living our values—or just listing them on the intranet?

When culture becomes measurable, it becomes meaningful. And that’s when the real magic happens.

Turning Ideas Into Action, with a Little Help from Spice HR

At Spice, we help organisations turn good intentions into great cultures. Because collaboration doesn’t just happen, it takes tools, trust, and a tiny bit of magic (okay, a lot of strategic planning).

🧭 Want everyone paddling in the same direction?
✔️ Try our Vision, Mission, and Values Workshops.
We’ll help your team lay the foundation for aligned, purpose driven teams.

💬 Sick of crossed wires and silent Zoom calls?
✔️ Our Team Charter sessions and DISC profiling tools decode the mystery of how people work and help people understand themselves, and each other, better

🚀 Ready to level up your culture?
✔️ Our Acentia-accredited Culture Workshops tackle the big stuff, like cross-team drama, leadership gaps, and turning nice teams into unstoppable ones.

Because let’s face it, high-performing teams don’t happen by accident. They’re built on clarity, connection, and a shared sense of “we’ve got this.”

The Bottom Line: Me + We = Success

The future of performance isn’t about the lone genius or the spreadsheet warrior. It’s about what we achieved, together.

The future of performance is collective, connected, and culture-powered.

So if you’re ready to stop measuring who ticked the most boxes and start rewarding the people who made real progress possible?

You’re ready for the “We” era.

And if you need help along the way? Spice is here to help you lead the charge, with purpose, with strategy, and yep, with a little extra heat..

Vision, Mission, Values: The Recipe for A Purpose-Driven Workplace

What truly sets a thriving business apart in a world of shifting priorities and endless to-do lists? Spoiler: it’s not just snazzy logos or ping-pong tables! The real game-changers are purpose, clarity, and culture; all wrapped up in three powerful words: Vision, Mission, and Values.

These aren’t just corporate buzzwords. They’re the beating heart of every organisation that knows where it’s going, why it’s going there, and how it’s going to show up along the way.

Vision: Our Dream Destination

Think of your Vision as your business’s dream holiday destination. It’s that amazing place you’re all trying to get to – big, bold, and maybe a little scary (in a good way!). Your Vision answers the question: “Where do we want to go?” It should be inspiring enough to light a fire under your team and clear enough to steer your long-term strategy. Bonus points if it makes people say, “Yes! I want to be part of that!”

Mission: Why We Get Out of Bed

Your Mission is the reason you show up every day (well, that and coffee!). It’s your “why,” your impact, your purpose. A solid Mission keeps everyone rowing in the same direction, even on the days when the waters get choppy. It tells your customers, your team, and even your dog (if you’re into that kind of thing!) what you’re here to do and why it matters. It answers the question: “Why do we do what we do?”

Values: How We Roll

Your Values are the vibe, the glue, the unspoken rules of the road trip. They guide how you treat people, make decisions, and handle success (and setbacks). But let’s be real: Values don’t mean much unless they come off the wall and into real life. That’s where the fun (and the work) begins:

Run Values Workshops to get everyone involved in shaping your culture. Bring your people on the journey with you.
Create a Team Charter to provide clear direction and alignment around expected behaviours. These become your Guiding Principles.
Put it all in a friendly Handbook, along with your policies. A good Handbook should clearly set your expectations around ‘what good likes like’, as well as guidance on ‘how you do things around here’, and (and here’s the tricky part!) it shouldn’t put people to sleep!
Use tools like Extended DISC to help your people understand the different personalities within the team, how to adapt to improve communication and boost collaboration.
Design a warm Welcome and Onboarding experience that helps newbies feel the love right away!

When Vision, Mission, and Values Click

When these three are singing in harmony, magic happens. Your team is engaged. Your customers feel it. Your culture gets stronger, not just shinier. Alignment here means fewer mixed messages and more moments of, “Yes, this feels right!”

Build Your Foundation with Intention (and a Bit of Fun!)

Whether you’re starting fresh or doing a brand refresh, keep it human. Get curious. Involve your people. Laugh a little. Ask the real questions:

Vision: What do we want the future to look like (and what would make it awesome)?
Mission: Why do we get up and do this every day?
Values: What do we believe in enough to never compromise on?

Because, in the end, businesses that live their Vision, walk their Mission, and breathe their Values aren’t just doing business. They’re building something meaningful and having a great time doing it.

At Spice, we’re all about bringing your culture to life in a way that actually works. Whether it’s shaping your Vision, giving your Values a refresh, rolling out a Team Charter (that people will actually use!), or helping your team understand each other better with Extended DISC, we’re here to help. We also make sure your onboarding hits the right notes from day one.

Whatever you need, we tailor practical, people-focused solutions that match your vibe and support your goals. Culture done right. Just add Spice!

So, if you’re ready to build a workplace culture with both heart and direction, get in touch. Anything great could happen!

An Army Of Leadership: Aligning For Workplace Culture

Workplace culture is the not-so-secret ingredient for the success of any organisation.

When a business has a positive workplace culture, then everything just works better.

But creating this positive environment can be challenging.

Especially if you don’t quite have the right recipe for success – too much spice and there will be conflict, not enough and everything becomes bland and unengaged.

It’s about achieving the right balance of ingredients.

The Acentia framework can help you achieve that balance. It offers a new and integrated approach to culture development and provides a practical strategy for fostering continuous culture growth.

Sounds pretty good, right?

Let’s discover more about how you can create a strong workplace culture using all the tools at your disposal.

Why Workplace Culture Is A Priority

In today’s business landscape, positive workplace culture is more than just a nice thing to have! It’s actually a critical component of an organisation’s success and a drawcard for attracting and retaining talented employees. A company’s culture is a vital aspect of its brand identity. A positive culture can translate into being viewed more favourably by your team members, customers and community as a whole.

There are positives within the business too. When you have a good workplace culture, you generally have higher levels of team engagement. Your employees are more likely to feel valued and respected, making them want to stay and grow with the company. You’ll also open the door for creative thinking, innovation and a natural increase in productivity levels.

It’s not just about benefits for the organisation either. When your team feels supported by the workplace culture, their mental and physical health can improve. You’ll also find that job satisfaction significantly increases, especially if your team is able to formulate a strong work-life balance.

Creating The Positive Culture

So, how can you work to create this positive culture? Well, the road to a better culture starts with your leaders. “Culture cannot be developed, grown or improved by leaders that are not ready for it or properly aligned.” These wise words were spoken by the team at Acentia, specialists in developing a healthy workplace.

The Acentia framework is all about equipping leaders with the knowledge and skills to foster the right kind of workplace culture within their organisations. This is particularly important in today’s turbulent world. In 2024, the workplace landscape has evolved beyond the 5 days a week, 9 to 5 in the office structure. Now, leaders must build a cohesive culture while navigating economic uncertainty, fear of the unknown and a team that could be working flexible hours or remotely.

Safe to say, that can be a challenge!

That’s why The Spice Gals are excited to announce that the Acentia framework is now part of our extensive toolbelt of resources, enabling us to bring highly valuable leadership and culture workshops to your business!

Perfect for businesses of all sizes and stages, this unique leadership training helps to simplify the way your business can achieve continuous cultural growth.

The Importance Of Leadership In Workplace Culture

You will have heard the saying that change has to come from the top. That’s because it does! Your leaders are in a position to guide everyone towards a culture of excellence and deal with any behaviours that go against the success of that initiative.

Leadership is the foundation on which a positive workplace culture is built. When your leaders are not prepared or well equipped, then it is unlikely you will be able to maintain any positive change on the workplace culture front.

However, if they are empowered with the skills and confidence to lead the charge from the start, they will be far more likely to stay the course to nurture and preserve an amazing workplace culture. Without this leadership, your organisation will likely struggle to make positive, long-lasting change.

How Can You Prepare Your Leaders

There are three key steps to follow when preparing your leaders for cultural change. They are:

1: Create an Army of Leaders

When you have aligned leadership goals across your entire organisation, you create an army of leaders! Including ALL levels of leaders will create a shared responsibility for cultural change. Many businesses make the mistake of only focusing on the generals, but it is the sergeants that are on the ground working directly with the people of your organisation. That means they have the most direct influence for creating change.

Fill your army of leaders with all the people that lead teams, but also consider including suitable individuals like senior team members who may not formally lead people, but still have the respect of their peers and strong influence over them.

2: Get the Army into Formation

The right foundation of leadership is achieved when your army is aligned in formation. While the individual development of each leader is still important work, that’s not what we are looking to achieve in this instance.

This battle plan is all about getting everyone into formation with a shared goal and leadership approach. Each leader should know how important their contribution is to this mission and the critical role they play in creating the appropriate culture within your organisation.

3: Consider the Hierarchy

While you will need every leader on board to make the mission a success, the work always needs to start from the top. Getting the buy-in of your CEO and upper management team is essential. Often, this team will do extensive pre-work before rolling the blueprint down to the lower levels of leadership to ensure everything is planned well.

But, by doing this work and having your top team own and lead the development, you’ll have the ultimate role models for everyone else to follow. They can also support their direct reports in maximising the opportunities to lead as the mission rolls out to all levels of your team.

Time To Take Action?

If you are ready to align your leadership team to build a healthier culture within your business, then now is the time to do it.

With the modern workplace looking very different than it did even three years ago, workplace culture is suffering. Getting your leaders onto this important work will benefit your business immensely.

But it can be hard to do without support.

Luckily, the Spice Gals are here to help. Armed with the powerful Acentia framework, we can help transform the culture at your workplace so that you can reap the benefits long term.

Reach out to us today to find out more about the revolutionary programme.

Understanding The Compliance And Ethics Involved With AI

Let’s talk AI.

One of the most impactful business innovations of the last few years, you are probably already enjoying some of its power in your workplace.

But, like Uncle Ben said to Spiderman, with great power comes great responsibility!

Yep, it is your responsibility to ensure your business is utilising AI without breaking any rules, laws or regulations.

It’s time to consider whether you are using AI ethically and in compliance with privacy legislation.

Let’s look into these key aspects to see if you are playing by the rules.

What Is Considered AI?

What exactly is considered to be AI? In the workplace, artificial intelligence (AI) is the use of computer systems or software that perform tasks that typically require human intelligence. Because they are designed to mimic human behaviour and automate processes for efficiency, they improve accuracy and overall business performance.

These are some common examples of the kind of AI found in a standard workplace:

Chatbots or AI-powered Assistants: The components that handle routine customer or internal queries and admin tasks.
Automation: Software solutions that handle mundane or repetitive tasks like data entry, calendar management, triggered communication and more.
Machine Learning: Software that focuses on the use and analysis of data, along with algorithms to learn in the same way a human would, to improve its accuracy over time. Examples of machine learning can be as simple as product recommendations based on previous purchases, or as complex as talent acquisition and employee retention software.
Data Analysis: By using certain algorithms, AI can analyse large amounts of data quickly and accurately to identify patterns and trends that can be used for business improvement.
Predictions: The analysis of historical data can help to form predictions or forecasts for the future, allowing for insight into staff turnover, financial performance, or inventory management.

Your Responsibilities

By utilising AI in your business, it is your responsibility to ensure it is being used both ethically and legally. That means paying attention to these areas in particular:

Privacy

New Zealand has very strong privacy laws under the Privacy Act 2020. Among other things, the Act regulates how you collect, use and handle personal information. This applies to the data belonging to every individual who interacts with your business, including employees, team members, contractors, suppliers, clients, guests and inquiries.

The Privacy Act states that you need to gain consent from the people whose data you are using and only use the data for the purpose that it was collected. You also need to protect that data. So, you need to ensure that any AI tools comply with these principles.

Be mindful that simply uploading people’s private information into an AI data system may breach privacy laws. Before doing anything, check the security and privacy parameters for each individual AI tool to confirm it complies with NZ privacy standards. You might have to gain consent to use any personal data within AI technology systems.

Intellectual Property

One of the major things individuals use AI for in the workplace is content creation. Emails, marketing posts, images – all these things can be created by AI. But is it ethical to do so?

By the nature of what AI is, it draws information from many sources on the internet to form your content. That means, it harvests thoughts and ideas, even direct quotes, from content that has already been written and published. What takes seconds to pull together with AI took the original authors hours to craft. You are benefiting from their hard work before you.

Not only is this ethically questionable, it also puts you in danger of potentially breaching copyright. While New Zealand does not yet have specific laws relating to content created by AI tools, it’s important to recognise how the content is formed. Rather than copying and pasting the content that is generated by a tool like ChatGPT, it is best to use it for idea generation or a content starting point.

Business Assets

Speaking of intellectual property, it is vital that you take steps to protect your business’ own intellectual property when using AI. As many AI software solutions are new to the market, we don’t fully understand how they process the data that is input or who can access that information in the future. That’s why you and your team should be cautious about what you load into AI programs.

It’s best to avoid inputting extremely sensitive business information. Translation: don’t put your trade secrets into AI as you don’t know where they might end up! After all, we highly doubt the Colonel is going to be loading his secret ingredient blend of 11 herbs and spices into ChatGPT! That info is just too precious to risk getting into the public space.

Using AI Responsibly

How can you ensure you are using AI responsibly in your business? These are some of the ways:

Policies

Rather than blindly using AI in your business, you need to form policies around what tools you will utilise and how they will be used. Think consciously about which ones you intend to use and how they will impact the data you have an obligation to protect. Are there any risks that need mitigating or could a non-AI tool be used instead?

Then, choose tools that do not jeopardise privacy laws and be transparent about their use by documenting everything in an AI-specific policy. Once the policies are in place, the job is not done. Technology evolution always moves at a lightning fast pace, so you need to instigate human reviews regularly to ensure your AI tools are not retaining or disclosing data incorrectly.

Team Training

Your policies are only going to be effective if your people understand them! So, you will need to arrange training for your team members to ensure they are aware of their obligations when using AI tools. They need to be able to use the tools effectively and responsibly and understand their limitations.

Training should be practical, showing your people how to physically use the tool, such as inputting data and examining the results generated, along with the AI-generated decisions. But training should also delve deeper, highlighting that AI should still respect an individual’s privacy rights, their intellectual property and that it should avoid discrimination and harm.

If they feel that AI is creating any negative impact within your business, encourage your people to speak out so that it can be remedied.

Help And Support

In the greater scheme of business, AI is a relatively new technology that we are all learning to navigate. If you have concerns about the potential impact on your business, now is the time to take action. Reach out to our team if you would like assistance in forming the policies and training program surrounding AI in your workplace.

Extended DISC®: The Secret To A Better Workplace Environment

Wouldn’t it be great if you could have insight into who your team members really are?

To understand their behaviours and how you can make them gel as a harmonious team.

Well good news, Extended DISC® can provide you with this information and more.

A form of psychometric testing carried out through a simple self-survey process, you can learn everything you need to create a fantastic working environment as well as establish how new candidates might fit into that dynamic.

Nope, it’s not witchcraft. Such a tool does exist!

Read on to find out more about it.

Extended DISC®: The Secret To A Better Workplace Environment

What Is Extended DISC®?

Extended DISC® personality assessments can help you maximise the performance of your business by giving you a greater understanding of the personalities within your team and how they might work together. Sounds pretty fancy, right?

As Extended DISC® practitioners, we can help you delve into who your people are and how they approach their work. Using a short self-assessment tool, current or potential employees answer a number of questions. The answers to those questions will reveal helpful insight into their unconscious behaviours and the adjusted conscious traits they have in the workplace.

Knowing more about your team’s personalities can help you manage them better and maximise the key skills they possess. DISC profiling can also be helpful as a recruitment tool to give an indication of how someone might fit into your existing team dynamic.

What Does DISC Mean?

DISC is an acronym created by the four primary personality types that the psychometric testing reveals. It stands for:

D – Dominance

When individuals present with the Dominance characteristic, it means that they show assertiveness, competitiveness, and are direct in their communication and decision making. Many D type personalities are results oriented and like to be the ones in charge.

I – Influence

If Influence is the main characteristic of someone’s personality, then they are people oriented, sociable, enthusiastic and persuasive. They love to make social connections in the workplace and often relish collaborative opportunities where they can work with others.

S – Steadiness

Having Steadiness produces individuals who are patient and dependable, preferring stability in their working lives. They tend to be very loyal and trustworthy team players who can listen well and work autonomously. They have a good balance between being task oriented and people oriented.

C – Compliance

If Compliance is the main trait, then people tend to be analytical, logical, and conscientious. That means they like structure and rules! But they are also excellent problem solvers, able to think deeply about challenges and issues that arise.

While most people will have a dominant trait, they will also have signs of the other traits in their working behaviour too. That’s why DISC reports can be so insightful.

Where Can Extended DISC® help?

The Extended DISC® process is really helpful in two main areas of your business:

Recruitment

One of the biggest challenges of recruitment is establishing whether a candidate is going to be a good fit for your existing team. They might have the right skills and experience on paper, but paper doesn’t tell you about their personality. Well, unless that piece of paper is a printout of a DISC report!

By understanding the behaviours of candidates or internal applicants, you can ensure they are placed in the right roles within your company. Set them up to succeed in the role and you will enjoy greater staff retention and better productivity from your whole team.

Ongoing Business

When you understand your team better, you can achieve more. Communication, conflict resolution, development, and workplace culture can all be improved with greater insight into your team’s behaviours. You can even enhance sales and customer service strategies by adapting them to appropriately fit the behaviours of your sales and service teams.

The Benefits Of Using DISC

Better Recruitment

Truly establish who is the best fit for the role by having the Spice Gals link your Job Description to an Extended DISC® Recruitment Report. This can help you to shortlist the right candidates by measuring the values and competencies that are non-negotiable for your business during the recruitment phase.

Couple that with other assessments like skill and cognitive ability testing, along with matching their job-relevant competencies based on their personality traits, and you will position yourself to find the ideal candidate every time.

Better Team Culture

When everyone understands each other better, it helps to create a positive team culture. People feel more valued, so become more invested in their roles and in creating good outcomes for the business. This positivity reduces conflict and creates a better working environment. And when people are happy in their work, they are more productive and give a consistently better performance.

All of this adds up to increased staff retention, better engagement from individuals, and an overall positive team culture.

Better Development

Ongoing development is essential for good business performance. DISC can help you identify the areas of development that are going to be most beneficial for your individual team members.

Not only can you help your team develop better communication and increase their skill and knowledge base with ongoing learning, coaching and leadership development, but you can also boost team dynamics.

Finally, you can be consciously aware of the common stress triggers for each of your team, allowing better leadership development and people management.

Time To Be Better?

Extended DISC® can help your business be better in so many ways. And if you’d like access to this amazing tool, we can bring it to you.

As Extended DISC® Accredited Practitioners, we can use the Extended DISC® system to help with recruitment, personal growth, team building and leadership at your workplace.

We have a number of different DISC reports that can give you the insight we’ve just discussed. So, we’d love to get to know you and your business better so that we can recommend the best option for your organisation.

Chat with the Spice Gals today.

Ideas to Help You Create an Employee Value Proposition (EVP)

Being an employer of choice can help you attract the best kind of candidates and turn them into loyal team members, and in the current market that’s got to be a business goal!

But, it isn’t something that happens by accident and there is one key strategy that will help you drive your approach – a rock solid, values focused Employee Value Proposition (EVP).

So, firstly what is an employer of choice, why is it important to be one and how can a well-crafted and thought through EVP help you achieve it? That’s what we are going to discuss right now.

What Is An Employer Of Choice?

When it comes to employment, there are many choices that a candidate can make. The most important choice is probably which company they will work for. Lots of things can drive that decision, but one thing will put your organisation at the front of the list before any others.

That is, being recognised as an Employer of Choice via your EVP.

An employer of choice is a business that has a reputation for being a preferred place to work. Basically, it means people want to work for your organisation as they perceive it to be a highly desirable employment opportunity.

A business can earn this title for many reasons, but the main ones that stand out in an EVP are having a positive workplace culture, offering attractive compensation and benefits, providing opportunities for career development, and displaying values of diversity, inclusion and a focus on employee wellbeing.

Why Is It Important?

Why is it important to be an employer of choice and have an enticing EVP? Well, put quite simply, it will make it easier for you to attract and retain top talent, helping your business thrive in any market.

Because your employees are fully focused on your business and not looking for other opportunities, they will be motivated and productive in their work. They will have your business’s best interests at heart, and because they also usually share your company values, they will work in alignment with your company mission.

Being an employer of choice does not only serve you on an employment front. A positive employer reputation will set you apart from your competitors. It can also be a key differentiator when potential clients, partners or investors are considering working with you.

Key Strategies To Creating a Rockstar EVP to Become An Employer Of Choice

Becoming an employer of choice should be your ultimate goal but the roadmap to get you there will be defined by your EVP. Here are some key strategies you can use in your EVP to position yourself in this space:

Work/Life Balance

This is the elusive balance that every worker is looking for! Achieving it is not simply about correctly splitting your time between home and the office. True balance is about far more than that.

Flexibility is a really important aspect of your EVP. Allowing your team to work from home is definitely part of it, but you’ll also want to consider flexibility in working hours and working location. Then, there could be the option for job sharing and flexitime.

Basically, it is about allowing your employees to have job control. That is, providing the autonomy to recognise an agreed output and empowering your people to focus on that, rather than clock watching the specific hours worked in a set location. And because you have this fantastic reputation as an employer of choice, your employees are not likely to abuse this privilege.

Defined Business Values

Values can help to shape your organisational culture and are an important inclusion in your EVP. When your employees understand, embrace and most importantly share your set of values, it fosters a sense of belonging and unity. A strong, shared culture can improve teamwork, morale, and overall job satisfaction.

Those values also serve as a compass for decision making, helping leaders and team members to make choices that align with the company’s core principles. A consistency in decision making can lead to better business practices – another reason that people will consider you to be an employer of choice. And you’ll attract customers who share the same values.

Valuable Employee Benefits

It makes sense that you need to offer competitive remuneration to be considered an employer of choice. But you don’t want to stop there when it comes to your EVP. Attractive employee benefits can help to support your company values and enhance your overall workplace culture and EVP.

Yes, you can offer traditional benefits like insurance, enhanced KiwiSaver contributions and performance bonuses, however, to really enhance your EVP it doesn’t need to cost the earth. Why not embrace and take advantage of new and relatively inexpensive trends like:

Digital recognition platforms where your team can interact with each other, you can celebrate key milestones and identify top performers.
Gamification which allows fun activities or training modules where employees can score points, participate in competitions and top leader boards.
Peer-to-peer recognition where colleagues and teammates can recognise each other, rather than managers simply handing out rewards.

Defined Career Pathways

Part of being happy in your work is knowing that there is a chance for progression or new challenges. Seeing potential for growth within a business from the outset via an EVP could also be extremely important to a potential team member when they’re making their employer decision . Clearly defining the career pathways within your organisation helps people recognise where they could move to next.

Offering internal advancement opportunities can only help the reputation of your business. It demonstrates that you value your existing team members because you are willing to promote from within.

As part of the pathway definition, you should also include the training and development opportunities for your employees to obtain the necessary skills or knowledge to progress along the pathway.

Support The Important Things

Your people are the lifeblood of your business and clearly showing this within your EVP will pay dividends in attracting high calibre team members. You can demonstrate that you acknowledge and understand their value by supporting the things that are important to them:

Wellbeing programmes show that you value good mental health and help your team members maintain a positive mindset.
Advocating for diversity and inclusive workplace practices demonstrates that every team member is valued equally.
Your local community will support your business, so show your social responsibility by supporting your community through involvement, participation and support.
We only have one planet, so adopting sustainable business practices where possible will help to show you care.

Become An Employer Of Choice

Is it time to give your business brand a boost and really become an employer of choice? Then, you’ll want to make sure you are backed by a skilled and knowledgeable HR team.

That means you need the Spice Gals on your side. If you wannabe an employer of choice with a strong and attractive EVP, then we can definitely help you make that happen. Chat with us to find out how we can help you create a team culture that attracts and retains THE best talent around.

How To Become An Employer Of Choice (And Why You Should)

Do people want to work at your organisation?

Or probably the bigger question, rather than just wanting to work there, do they want to stay long term as it’s just a fantastic environment that can’t be beaten elsewhere?

If you can answer yes to both of those questions, then you have conquered an immense challenge and become an employer of choice.

If you think you might have some work to do or simply want to delight your staff, then this is the article for you.

We are going to discuss how to become an employer of choice and how to stay one so that your business can reap all the benefits that come along with this. Let’s dive in!

How To Become An Employer Of Choice (And Why You Should)

What Is An Employer Of Choice?

Being an employer of choice means being a company that is highly regarded by job seekers and employees. It is a place that stands out from other businesses as a preferred place to work due to the positive work culture, opportunities available and strong employer brand.

If you have managed to be recognised as an employer of choice, it means you have successfully created an environment where your team are engaged, motivated and satisfied with their work.

Ultimately, as an employer of choice, you will be able to attract and retain top talent, have low employee turnover rates, and have a great reputation in the job market. As well as that, you’ll typically enjoy greater productivity and loyalty from your team. You will be seen as a desirable employer and people will actively seek you out, aspiring to work for you.

Sounds pretty good, right? So, here are some of the ways you can foster this feeling at your workplace.

Your Brand, Their Choice

When it comes to being an employer of choice, reputation is everything. So, you want to develop a strong brand highlighting your company ethics, employee growth opportunities, a great culture, and stable finances.

How can you do all of that? Try some of these tactics:

Core Values

What makes your organisation different from other companies? It is your value proposition. So, part of building a strong employer brand is articulating what is unique about your business and why people will want to work with you.

Identify your core values, mission and vision and weave them into everything you do. Develop strong communication channels and ways to recognise your team’s achievements when they demonstrate these core values and help your business work towards your collective goals.

Purpose

A strong HR team can help to shape a company’s purpose. A purpose is about more than generating productivity and the work that your team will output. A purpose is about building a strong employer brand, displaying your ethics and giving your team something to connect with.

When the company and the team align behind strong values and a purpose you all become invested in something you believe in.

Connecting your company’s purpose to environmental, social and business goals and making those goals a part of your employer brand gives your company a powerful way to make an impact on the world and attract better talent along the way.

Growth Opportunities

Becoming an employer of choice will help you to retain quality team members. But, in order to retain those people long term, you will need to provide opportunities for growth and development. That can mean the chance to enhance their skills in certain areas, work on projects in their field of interest, and even ways to advance their careers.

Make sure your business offers training programs, mentorship and clear paths for progression.

Remuneration And Reward

It is important to back up your strong company culture and values with attractive remuneration. Obviously, you want to offer competitive salaries that align with (or better) industry standards. But it’s not all about money. There are other ways you can give your employees great benefits, such as flexible working conditions, rewards programs, and tailored incentives.

Being A Modern Employer Of Choice

In your quest to become an employer of choice, it’s vital to take stock of the current market conditions and what people are looking for in 2023. As we mentioned above, one of the fundamental changes we’ve seen is the importance of purpose in today’s organisations.

There are several driving forces behind this:

Demographic Changes

Both Millennial and Gen Z employees prioritise values and purpose more than the previous generations have. It’s not simply about the work they are doing, it is about the impact the business can have.

Meaning is becoming a key differentiator for company’s to retain and attract talent. A clear purpose not only helps to attract the right kind of talent, but it helps to engage your existing talented employees and boosts productivity.

Automation

We’re sure every one of you could list a boring or mundane task that you have had to complete in your working career that drove you up the wall. Thankfully, with the advancement of technology and the rising popularity of automation, those tasks might just be off your plate now.

Automation allows for repetitive, manual tasks to be handled by technology, rather than team members. And as these tasks are generally the first to be automated, they leave behind the more meaningful and rewarding tasks. Again, this gives your team the opportunity to work for a stronger purpose than data entry!

COVID

Yep, we mentioned the C word. While Covid provided a rather tumultuous season in our working careers, it actually helped a lot of people to realign their priorities when it came to their personal lives and career. As a result, the dramatic shift in feeling is that a company should have a purpose to make working life more meaningful.

Globalisation

Geography is no longer the barrier it once was. In days gone by, you had to live locally to the company you worked for or be willing to travel there. Now, it is easier than ever for companies to recruit staff or to have staff work from anywhere in the world. And there are compelling reasons to do so.

Globalisation means greater international collaboration and being able to work for an even wider purpose. So, this should be incorporated into your communication, onboarding, engagement and management strategies if you can make this happen.

Becoming An Employer Of Choice

As you have probably gathered, a strong HR presence is going to be key to becoming an employer of choice. The people are your company’s’s most important asset. And creating a strong purpose for them to unite under is the first step to becoming an employer of choice.

It can seem like an imposing task if you aren’t sure where to start. Luckily, the Spice Gals are here to help you. As experienced HR professionals and business owners ourselves, we understand the importance of uniting your team under a collective purpose.

Let us help you define and implement that purpose so that you can become an employer of choice. Book a time to chat with our team and take the first step towards purpose now.

When Automation Meets Human Leadership

It’s no secret that we are living in a world of developing technology.

And one of the biggest advancements in recent times is automation.

Incredibly helpful for streamlining processes and creating capabilities, automation is a useful tool that can aid with HR functions in your business.

However, it is important to remember that ‘Human’ is right there in the name when you are talking HR!

So, let’s explore what happens when Automation meets human leadership and how you can strike the right balance in your workplace.

When Automation Meets Human Leadership

What Is HR Automation?

HR automation refers to the use of technology and software to streamline and automate various Human Resource processes. This can include tasks such as record management, employee onboarding, performance management, payroll, and other administrative tasks.

There are a variety of HR automation tools available, with the most popular being an HR Information System (HRIS). These tools can help businesses save time and reduce errors by automating routine HR tasks, enabling employees to self-serve certain HR functions, and providing managers with better insights into employee performance and engagement.

Some of the benefits of HR automation include improved efficiency, increased accuracy, reduced administrative burdens, and better compliance with employment laws and regulations. Additionally, by automating certain processes, businesses can free up their HR team to focus on more strategic initiatives, such as employee development and engagement.

How To Use HR Automation

HRIS can help enhance engagement and productivity when it comes to the HR functions in your organisation. An HRIS can offer transparency and real-time data to allow for better feedback and reward and recognition.

Here are some of the benefits of using an HRIS in your business:

Easier onboarding

An HRIS can help to streamline your onboarding process as many of the manual tasks (like paperwork, orientation scheduling and sending welcome emails) can be automated. This can save your HR team time and creates an efficient process where nothing is missed. Onboarding progress can also be tracked, ensuring new team members are always fully onboarded and ready to start work.

By having a central platform that employees, managers and new hires can communicate through, it reduces confusion and ensures everyone is on the same page. Generally an HRIS also integrates with your other HR systems, such as payroll and recruitment platforms, so it makes it easy to have your new team member accurately set up in all the necessary systems and onboarded effectively.

Better training experiences

Even though automation is a big part of an HRIS, you are still able to personalise training programmes within the system, allowing managers to create tailored learning plans for individual team members based on their roles, skills and development needs. This is especially helpful as it means each training module is then relevant and useful to the individual employee, creating a more effective learning experience.

Having an HRIS that your team can log into means training material is easily accessible in one location, and everyone’s progress can be monitored.

Performance reviews

The automation capabilities of an HRIS can streamline your performance review process. Automate the tasks of scheduling review meetings, sending reminders to employees and managers, and collecting feedback from the right people to create an efficient, consistent and standardised review process.

Your system can also help you deep dive into performance data to identify high performing employees and areas of improvement. This helps with remuneration and creating plans for additional training and support where needed. Helpfully, this can also integrate with your payroll system too!

Having the review process standardised allows for timely feedback to be provided.

Staff engagement

You can use an HRIS platform for sharing employee appreciation and recognition. You can also track and monitor employee engagement outside formal review times via pulse surveys.

A wealth of data

Over time, an HRIS becomes a repository of HR documentation and employee history. It means you will always be able to lay your hands on specific HR detail when you need it.

It also allows for quick and easy reporting on HR data, creating the opportunity for analysis and prediction of trends that might influence your people strategy.

This data portal is not only of benefit to HR, it also has self-service elements to ensure leave requests and employee information remain up to date.

Keeps people connected

Workplaces have evolved in the last few years. While we used to all sit side by side in the office, things are quite different now. So, your HRIS can be used as an internal communication hub. This provides a seamless connection for all team members, whether they are in the office, working remotely, or a hybrid of the two.

Considering Human Leadership

Technology is clearly a massive part of our daily functions. But, we can’t rely solely on robots yet! There are simply some things that AI and automation systems cannot do. We still require strong human leadership to complement technological advancements.

Employees still want to be able to connect with their leaders on a human level. They don’t want leaders who are emotionally distant. They need connected, empathetic leaders who value investing in relationships with their team members.

Part of that is creating an environment of positive role models. It’s also about creating a great team vibe and leaders who provide personal and timely feedback on employee performance. Finally, today’s team members don’t simply want to work for managers, they want to collaborate on projects together and work for common business goals.

Leaders may need further training in soft skills to facilitate all of this. This will help them to develop trust and share accountability with their team. Remember that “Human Leadership” prioritises employee wellbeing and corporate culture. There is no longer a cookie-cutter approach to managing humans.

Balancing Humans And Automation

Creating the perfect working environment is about balance. You want to incorporate the benefits of automation that an HRIS offers, but ensure that your team is still backed by strong human leadership.

Need some help striking that balance?

Then the Spice Gals are here to help you do it. Have a chat with our team today!