EMA Connect Hamilton (May 2026): Transformation and Change

New data from the 2025 Best Places To Work™ Employee Insights Report signals a shift in the past year, with trust and connection weakening under change pressure. Change happens fast and, encompasses more than restructuring. People leaders are braced for workplace change every day, from integrating a new hire in a small team, to system switches and adopting new innovations. As a leader, how do you bring people on the journey, while managing your own resilience in the face of continuous change?   

Waikato HR and business leaders, we invite you to join us on Thu 21 May for the next EMA Connect session in our Hire to Retire series, led by EMA consultant Chris Longman. This workshop will be collaborative, engaging, and hands-on, where your experiences are the case studies that you can unpack with your peers.    

Julie Gill, BPTW™ CEO, will set the scene by sharing stats on leadership, team connection, and innovation. With this quick overview, you’ll hear what’s shifting in workplaces nationwide, and why it matters for your change readiness. Chris will then lead you through interactive discussions as you unpack why transformation matters for small and medium-sized businesses, including:   

• Building a change-ready culture – how do you identify the capabilities needed? 
• Diagnosing problems before the change is needed 
• Making it stick – going beyond embedding change  
• The impact of continuous change on your people – and you 

Plus, you’ll get practical change models and take-away tips so you can communicate and lead change with clarity and credibility – whatever shape it may take in your business.   

Chris brings 20+ years of experience in partnering with businesses for HR and employment relations support and will be no stranger to Waikato/BOP EMA Members. These workshops regularly hit capacity, so register now - and bring your stories.  

Why Hire to Retire?

From the 30,000+ people who receive our monthly HR newsletter, or the hundreds of monthly AdviceLine calls, we know our members lead people, drive workplace culture, and carry the responsibility for policies and procedures. We also know that with 2000+ cases appearing before the ERA annually, and compensation for damages from the Employment Court can range up to $50,000. Getting HR right at every stage of the employee lifecycle is crucial – which is where the Hire to Retire series comes in.

Registering for EMA events:

In our updated system, everyone needs to create a new profile, even if you’ve attended events with us before. This two-minute process means you can register for any EMA events and courses, and access our resource library. Simply hit the REGISTER button, click “Sign up now”, then follow the instructions before you register for our events. Any issues? Email events@ema.co.nz  or your EMA Membership Manager and we’ll get you sorted.