Induction alignment rewards Housing New Zealand staff

Housing New Zealand are actively looking for ways to recognise and reward the hard work of their residential property management teams. Having worked with Skills over a number of years, a conversation began on the best way to achieve this goal.

Skills carried out an analysis exercise of the tenancy management induction programme used by Housing New Zealand, and proposed that providing staff with a qualification would provide significant career development benefits.

The exercise looked at their existing processes, systems, and workplace training. Specific elements of the programme were then aligned to a national qualification. The system gave staff the opportunity to achieve the New Zealand Certificate in Residential Property Management (Level 4) as a part of their induction programme. It included practical skills such as resolving tenancy conflicts, establishing and maintaining relationships with tenants, professional management of a residential property rent roll and knowledge of key terms and acts relating to tenancies.

Because much of the programme involved recording naturally occurring evidence of tasks that the team were already doing in their roles, the programme had less impact on their day-to-day workload than if they’d done a qualification with an institution.

Key Outcomes:

• Management has given feedback that staff have shown a lift in enthusiasm, increased ownership of their work as well as improved planning and scheduling.
• Management noted that skills staff learned throughout the programme followed through into their everyday work and had a positive impact on performance.
• Following the successful introduction of this programme in 2017, Housing New Zealand will be offering the opportunity for staff to undertake the qualification as part of a 2018 cohort.

“I felt proud of myself for doing the work. At the beginning it seemed like a huge mountain, but by the end it had gone from being Everest to being rolling hills. Thank you to my manager for investing in me.” – Lois Buchanan, Senior Tenancy Manager, Housing New Zealand

Feedback from graduates is that working together throughout the process made course completion easier and more enjoyable. Many staff commented that they were thankful to have the opportunity to develop career skills that could be used in both the public and private sectors in the future.

“I am so proud of the two from my team that took part. They showed outstanding commitment and have done so well with their achievement.” – Karen Hema, Area Manager, Housing NZ