An award-winning HR leader talks to HRD about how to build resilience in workforces
As businesses grapple with constant change from the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence to changing workforce expectations, award winning HR leader Mark Lewis, believes the key to resilience lies in long-term thinking and staying true to core values.
“Especially in senior leadership positions, you’d hopefully have enough data to make really informed decisions based on signals and can make those decisions early to set the groundwork for the future,” said Lewis, the head of people and culture at Connetics, an electrical solutions and infrastructure business.
It’s a philosophy grounded not just in strategic planning but in cultural inclusivity and people-first policies.
“You also need your people to be taken on a journey and that’s how you effectively put these strategies in place. If we don’t have the means to reward people in a purely monetary form, how else can we make sure they feel valued and understand the context of what’s happening?” he said.
Enforcing cultural values
At the heart of Connetics’ approach is a deliberate embrace of whānau values – a departure from more traditional Western management styles.
“When we say family, we don’t mean it like you’ve probably heard in the West. We look after each other – and our policies reflect that. I, and certainly my managers, are not paternal in the way that you follow what I say because I’m right – but rather, thinking about what the family needs and how I can facilitate that,” Lewis thoughtfully outlined.
This people-centred approach also informs how the company builds engagement through autonomy and mutual respect.
“When you have a varied workforce, like we do – with people ending their career and some just at the beginning – they all want something different. Old doesn’t think like young, so why try and create a one-size-fits-all approach? By allowing them to come to you with suggestions you can facilitate what works for your people,” he said.
Lewis notes that in the New Zealand context, a top-down approach is often ineffective.
“New Zealanders, famously, don’t like being told what to do,” he joked. “But when you’re doing things from a place of whānau and doing it from a community approach, it’s less abrasive.”
Part of Connetics’ strategy for future-proofing lies in reshaping its workforce demographics. By recruiting for adaptability and growth mindset, the company aims to lower the average age profile and create a more dynamic, responsive team.
“We’re trying to level our recruitment, so we have enough short-term experience, coupled with the ability to adapt. By lowering the age profile of our workforce, that’s one way to combat that,” Lewis said.
“By doing this [upskilling] you’re reducing the gap between the different levels of your organisation. It’s a fine balancing act between helping develop your people and work to the needs of the business, but we’ve found that can be done through putting the right incentives into our system to draw talent through in a way that’s sustainable,” he added.
Connetics’ efforts haven’t gone unnoticed. The Christchurch-based company took home the Team of the Year award at the HRD Awards New Zealand 2024 – recognition that came during a critical phase of talent recruitment.
“When we won the award,” Lewis recalled, “We won off the back of some really good work in the recruitment space in a market that was really constrained in terms of talent.”
“We went from a period of reducing vacancy rates by 67% and we grew the company by 40 people, while also managing a high level of turnover.”
Nominations are now open for the HRD Awards New Zealand 2025, which celebrate achievements in leadership and innovation in the HR profession in the past 12 months.
Winners will be honoured across six individual and team categories:
HR Director of the Year
HR Manager of the Year
Rising Star of the Year
Employer of Choice (less than 200 staff)
Employer of Choice (more than 200 staff)
HR Team of the Year
Entries close June 27 and winners will be announced at the national HR Summit NZ on 19 November at The Cloud, Auckland.
