Survive to Thrive

Survive to Thrive

What are thriving organisations doing in the people space?

One year after New Zealand's first lockdown, we were lucky enough to speak at Raygun’s Survive to Thrive event. The event galvanised technology leaders across New Zealand, sharing stories of resilience and success across the sector. We were asked to answer the following question: where are successful organisations doubling down when it comes to their people?

Here’s what we think:

Thriving organisations provide customer-grade experiences for employees

People are one of our greatest sources of performance potential. We’re seeing thriving organisations focus on their internal customer experience, their employee experience.

Thriving organisations are designing with people, versus for them; gathering insight, listening to different perspectives, and creating solutions with mutual value.

It can be as simple as figuring out what matters to employees, identifying where they’re coming unstuck, and understanding what they need to be successful. Together, finding the sweet spot where employee and business value meet.

Thriving organisations are investing in leadership

Leadership is hard and the pandemic did a great job of reminding us just how hard! Many leaders were expected to display deliberate calm, bounded optimism, and empathy, all while being highly engaged and fact-based in all decisions. As we moved out of lockdown, the increase in remote work added a heightened requirement for mature leadership skills. We’re seeing thriving organisations recognise leadership as a standalone skill and a critical one to invest in.

Thriving organisations understand the need for speed (and excellence)

Last year we saw how quickly we could move and now we’re seeing organisations transition from adrenaline-based speed to sustainable speed.

Many organisations are re-thinking their ways of working and re-imagining their structures with a specific focus on speed and excellence:

  • Flattening structures
  • Unleashing nimble and empowered teams
  • Making hybrid work, work
  • Speeding up decision-making cadence
  • Dialling up their performance culture

Last year, we saw the fruits of ruthless prioritisation and focus. At its best, we’re seeing this combined with employee input and deliberate comms that create the alignment required for executional excellence. We’re seeing organisations celebrating success and having fun along the way!

Thriving organisations are making hybrid work, work

We’ve seen organisations adopt hybrid working, unlocking significant value. This includes more satisfied employees, decreased real-estate costs, and increased productivity.

Hybrid working has other benefits including access to a broader talent pool, as well as attraction and retention of talent. It’s becoming an increasingly important edge in a competitive market.

Hybrid working has other benefits including access to a broader talent pool, as well as attraction and retention of talent. It’s becoming an increasingly important edge in a competitive market.

Thriving organisations are taking a deliberate approach to designing flexible working arrangements. They’re involving their teams, designing ways of working that truly work for all stakeholders, and continuing to seek feedback and iterate to ensure hybrid work continues to work.

The time is now

We’re excited about this opportunity for all leaders to leap into the arena and recognise that what worked in 2019’s organisational constructs need to be reimagined for 2021.

What worked well during COVID that you can reintroduce in your organisation? The time is now!

Subscribe and be the first to hear when we share ideas.

Other recommended reads
How Modica Scaled Globally Without Losing Their People-First Culture
11
August
2025

How Modica Scaled Globally Without Losing Their People-First Culture

This has never just been a client relationship, It’s a true partnership built on shared ambition, mutual investment and deep sense of trust between our teams. Over the years, we’ve walked together through big wins and hard calls. There have been urgent moments, celebratory moments, and countless hard-hitting conversations over lunch at Prego. We don’t just work with Modica - we proudly call ourselves Modicans.

Read more
Download
Inspire Day 2025
11
August
2025

Inspire Day 2025

We asked one of our newest team members, Sophie McLernon, to reflect on her first Inspire Day with us. A reminder of why we do what we do, who we do it for, and what makes Inspire Day truly special. "Day one at Humankind set a high bar. I arrived in Wellington for Inspire Day, our full-team offsite designed to live our Inspire value: to redefine, innovate, and stay ahead. For Humankind it’s not just about talking about the future, it’s about creating it...

Read more
Download
An update on employment law changes
11
August
2025

An update on employment law changes

In April 2025, we shared an article that explored proposed changes to New Zealand’s employment laws. Since then, things have progressed, and many employers are watching news headlines and wondering about the potential impact on their workplaces. In this article, we share: a snapshot of recent updates; what to expect in the coming months; and how you can prepare.

Read more
Download