Those of you who have started recruiting new staff for the winter season have likely seen an influx of fresh faces to Queenstown. Some of these brand-new staff members may not have been to Queenstown – or New Zealand – before; so as well as adjusting to working in your business and learning the ropes when it comes to working in your organization, they’ll also need to adjust to life in Queenstown.
Although it’s not strictly an employer’s job to introduce new staff to the town or to ensure their staff are in adequate housing, helping new-to-town staff members understand the ‘lay of the land’ can avoid headaches later down the line.
1. Encourage staff to search for housing early, using resources like the Lakes Weekly Bulletin, Trade Me, or Facebook pages like ‘For Rent in Queenstown’. Flatting with other staff members can work out well too, enabling ride shares to work (which is great when parking is limited!).
2. As traffic is an increasing issue in Queenstown, it may help to encourage new staff to use public or other methods of transport. You might find that many former ‘city-dwellers’ are used to using public transport – let them know about Orbus, or provide space for bike parking at work if you can in order to encourage greener methods of transport where they’re less likely to be stuck in traffic (...and late to work!).
3. Encourage responsible drinking and ensure that new staff understand that drinking rules are stricter here than countries like the UK. Though most people are responsible, the mix of new friends, a new environment and a lack of understanding of the rules has caught out individuals in the past.
Above all - nurture a friendly, helpful and fun working environment for your staff that will encourage loyalty and commitment, instead of frustration and disappointment, this will help you to create happier workplaces and retain staff when you find and attract the right people to your business.
Queenstown Media Group - Lakes Weekly & JobFix