The Boost team recently had the pleasure of attending both the HRDNZ and HRNZ conferences in Auckland as an exhibitor. These events gave us the chance to connect with incredible HR professionals and learn from their expertise.
To capture their insights, we asked attendees three key questions, and we’ve compiled their responses to share with you!
What’s the Best Thing a Manager Ever Did for You?
Great managers leave lasting impressions. Here’s what employees value most:
- Showing appreciation
- Empowered me to be myself
- Listened to me
- Let me work fully remote
- Told me I’d need to leave to progress
- Showed appreciation for when I had worked hard
- Not taken the team for granted
- Took the time to give constructive feedback so I could improve
- Advocated for my growth within the company
- Trusted me to make decisions
- Supported me during challenging projects
- Encouraged continuous learning
- Recognized my contributions publicly
- Created a safe space for open dialogue
- Helped me build confidence in my role
- Provided clarity during times of uncertainty
Takeaway for HR: Empower managers to lead with empathy, transparency, and trust. These behaviors drive engagement and retention.
What’s the Best HR Advice You Ever Received?
HR wisdom often shapes careers and cultures. These are the tidbits of HR wisdom successful managers have to share:
- Don’t burn your bridges
- Someone who knows you is watching
- Be kind
- Great vision without great people is irrelevant
- If someone is detracting from your culture, exit them immediately, don’t wait
- Always consider the other person’s context when communicating
- Set boundaries!
- Invest in your people
- Your reputation follows you everywhere
- Always document important conversations
- Culture starts with leadership
- Never compromise your values for a role
- Learn to negotiate for yourself
- Stay curious and keep learning
Takeaway for HR: Maintain principles that reinforce the importance of integrity, communication, and proactive culture management.
What Does Wellbeing in the Workplace Mean to You?
Wellbeing is more than perks -it’s about creating an environment where people thrive. These are facto
- Respecting each other’s boundaries
- Flexibility!
- An environment of trust
- Working with friends
- Maintaining work/life balance
- Having autonomy over my work
- Clear expectations and fair workload
- Opportunities for professional growth
- Support during personal challenges
- A culture that values mental health
- Celebrating achievements together
- Feeling included and respected
Takeaway for HR: Wellbeing is rooted in trust, flexibility, and inclusion. Policies should reflect these values.