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The Perks of Being A Ground Breaker

Toni Lea • Apr 27, 2023

We might be small, but we're mighty.

Some may think that large organisations offer safety and security, but it can also mean a lot of bureaucracy and slow decision making.


We're lucky. We have the safety and security that comes from being closely linked to our parent company but we can adapt quickly and easily because we have a flexible organisational structure and the decision-makers are in the trenches working alongside the team on a daily basis. Our innovative thinking and ability to respond to your needs quickly is something we take pride in and we've had excellent feedback from both clients and jobseekers that benefited directly from our entrepreneurial culture and willingness to try something new and different.


For example, when we worked alongside a client that had set themselves a goal of increasing diversity on a large scale with these specific objectives:

  • To engage with local iwi and generate their support for a new facility being built in their area
  • To target rangatahi (youth) and encourage them into work
  • To increase female representation in leadership roles in this traditionally male industry


These objectives were daunting but we were determined to do our best to help our client achieve them. We knew that things can only be changed when you change the way you do things so we put our "outside the box" thinking hats on.


Three Ways We Did Things Differently


  1. Iwi were approached very early on in the process and their concerns/questions were listened to with appropriate responses given.

  2. Frequent open days were held in the region and iwi were always involved and made their presence known. Our client and the AJ Construct team became familiar faces to the local people.

  3. Whānau interviews were implemented (an industry first for a recruitment consultancy!) which meant that young and/or inexperienced jobseekers felt supported and encouraged by their nearest and dearest.


As you can imagine, this process required time, energy, and focus from the AJ Construct team and our client's internal hiring team but it helped knowing that we had each other's backs - we both wanted each other to succeed.


And that's another benefit of choosing to partner with a small but mighty team; you get to build genuine relationships and get stuff done better and faster.


Ngā mihi

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