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Useful experience for human resources advisers includes:

• any work in human resources
• administrative or legal work 
• advisory or management support work
• coaching, teaching or social work
• work involving negotiation.

Human resources advisers may do some or all of the following:

• deal with HR queries from management and staff
• advise and train managers on recruitment and selection strategies
• advise on staff career development or training needs
• negotiate terms and conditions of employment with staff
• review and update job descriptions
• develop and assist with recruitment campaigns
• review and update HR policies so they are in line with current legislation
• provide advice on employment legislation and health and safety regulations.

Strong competition for entry-level roles

Opportunities for entry-level human resources advisers are average due to strong competition for positions and limited growth in human resources jobs.

You can increase your chances of getting an entry-level role by:

• having a human resource management qualification
• being prepared to start in a basic role in a human resources team.

Chances increase with experience

Chances are better for human resources advisers with experience and expertise in:

• internal recruitment
• change management
• learning and development
• culture and diversity management
• remuneration (pay) and rewards
• employment relations.

According to the Census, 5,127 human resources advisers worked in New Zealand in 2018.

Types of employers varied

Human resources advisers may work for:

• large organisations
• government departments
• human resources consultancies.

Self-employed human resources advisers usually work on contract for small to medium-sized businesses.

Human Resources New Zealand (HRNZ)

0800 247 469 - membership@hrnz.org.nz - www.hrnz.org.nz

Human resources advisers may move into managerial positions such as:

• human resources manager
• training and development manager.

They may also specialise in an area of human resource management such as:

Employee Relations Adviser

Employee relations advisers help management, staff and union members to work together co-operatively, and manage the negotiation of employment agreements, personal grievances or disputes, and other employment issues.

Health and Safety Adviser

Health and safety advisers monitor workplace health and safety hazards, train employees on health and safety procedures, and investigate accidents.

Organisation Development Adviser

Organisation development advisers improve staff capabilities such as leadership, skills and culture.

Recruitment Consultant

Recruitment consultants work with candidates (people looking for work) and clients (employers looking for people to hire) to help match candidates to jobs.

Training and Development Adviser

Training and development advisers identify the learning needs of organisations and plan training based on these.

• Health and safety adviser job information
• Recruitment consultant job information

Human resources advisers need to be:

• good at listening and communicating
• trustworthy, with high levels of integrity
• able to keep information private
• skilled at networking and relationship management
• able to negotiate and solve problems
• able to relate to a wide range of people.