Background
Taranaki Mounga is a 34,000-ha restoration project of the mountains, ranges and islands of Taranaki. The project is being delivered by a partnership including the Taranaki Iwi Chairs Forum, NEXT Foundation, Toi Foundation and the Department of Conservation. Their success relies heavily on partnerships across the Taranaki region.
Taranaki Mounga engaged with Strategy Collective to provide support in recruiting for a newly created Operations Manager role, searching for the right person to lead their people through the next phase of the project and beyond.
The Project
Our approach to Recruitment and Selection at Strategy Collective sees us partnering with our clients to provide them with a customised level of support based on their individual needs as an organisation. Given this, we initially determined with Taranaki Mounga what support they were looking for and where they would like to be involved in the process directly, ensuring that their engagement with Strategy Collective was designed to fit them.
We met with Taranaki Mounga to determine the scope of the Operations Manager role, as well as the required skillset and attributes of someone in the position. From there we were able to craft a meaningful position description and build an engaging and attractive advertisement to take to market. We then reviewed all applications, completed phone interviews, and managed any candidate enquiries throughout the process.
Working alongside Taranaki Mounga, we determined a shortlist of candidates to interview, and supported them through the interview process, developing questions, scheduling interviews, and accompanying Taranaki Mounga on the interview panel. We also notified all applicants who were not progressed to interviews as to the outcome of their applications.
After interviewing was complete, we then supported a conversation with Taranaki Mounga to help them explore their thinking and identify a preferred candidate to progress with. We then kept in touch with them as they progressed with the preferred candidate right through to the offer stage.
The Result
We look forward to seeing the successful candidate join the team at Taranaki Mounga, and hearing more about the amazing work they’re doing as an organisation for our taiao.
In late 2022 Taranaki Mounga Project recognised that a new Operations Manager role was required to support the evolution of the project into the future. In our mind this was a unique role looking for a particular skillset and leadership ability. We approached Strategy Collective to assist with this process, from consolidating our thoughts around the role and how to describe it, the creation of a job description, advertising the role and guiding the interview and appointment process.
The clarity Erin, Tracey and the Strategy team provided of the job market, how this role should be articulated and the process through which our eventual successful applicant was critical to reaching our successful appointment.
Erin and the team took the time and care to understand the ‘flavour’ of Taranaki Mounga, and how this was able to be maintained through the entire recruitment process. The careful attention and prioritisation of relationships through that process being standout. Anyone looking to work with Erin, Tracey and the Strategy team can expect the same; just great people!
