Experts in human resources and recruitment, Intepeople shareholder and general manager Melisa Kappely sits down with Nelson Magazine to discuss the many roles the business plays in the New Zealand workplace.
Why did you become involved with Intepeople?
Intepeople is a highly reputable company that has been working nationally for over thirty years. Entering a partnership with the major shareholder Paul Bell allowed our family to continue to be based in the Nelson Tasman region and enabled me to have a great career working with a highly capable team of HR practitioners.
What are the main services you offer?
Intepeople offers a diverse range of people-centric services. We partner with businesses to find talent to fill key roles on both a temporary and permanent basis. We also have a team who act as outsourced HR managers. They provide speciality advice services to businesses in areas like strategic workforce planning, culture surveys, change management, employment investigations, collective bargaining, leadership development, workplace conflict resolution, and remuneration advice. We deliver these types of services to clients across Aotearoa in a broad range of sectors.
Have you noticed much change in remuneration offered and is there more room for negotiation than there used to be?
There is much more room for negotiation these days. Candidates considering job opportunities are looking very carefully at the packages they are offered, including non-financial benefits, while also making sure that the environment is right for them to thrive.
Some companies are offering rewards such as mental health and well-being options, personal development opportunities and reduced or flexible working weeks. Companies are also expected to deliver more on their corporate social responsibilities, with employees asking for time to give back to the communities they are part of. We are going to continue to see more of these non-financial
factors being important for employees.
What should organisations be focused on in the current environment?
It is a challenging environment for employers with high wage increases, inflation, and low unemployment. And although it may ease to some degree this year, it will continue to be tough. Successful companies are navigating this by transforming their people practices, such as taking a more strategic approach to planning what capabilities they need now and into the future, reviewing how they attract and retain key people, and developing leaders to lead the different generations.
A key consideration for any business, though, is really ensuring that they spend time on getting their culture right. People have a range of channels that they use to understand a company’s culture, and they use this to determine who they choose to work for.
What do you love about your job?
I enjoy working with great companies and adding value. My role is really diverse so one day we might be working with a company to identify the best talent, and the next day planning what capabilities a business might need for the future, providing advice on how to navigate complex people situations or making recommendations on how to improve their culture. It is interesting and challenging work, and you can feel like you are really making a difference to a business’s success.
