Who got that job?

Were you one of the 18 people who applied for Human Resources Adviser at Norske Skog and wondered who got it?


Keith Fraser knows he will need steel-capped boots in his new job - but he can't wait.

Mr Fraser, aged 26, is the new human resources adviser for Kawerau newsprint manufacturer Norske Skog, and has come from a similar position at a Fletcher Challenge sawmill 30km south of Rotorua.

Forestry is a heavy and often dangerous industry whose industrial strife has made headlines. The forestry problem of drugs in the workplace, mainly marijuana, has also contributed to what Mr Fraser describes as a poor [safety] record.

But the 1996 Waikato University management studies graduate sees plenty of room for improvement in the way people work together.

Gaining more experience in human resources issues was one of his prime reasons for applying: "That's something that's been a little light in my experience so far."

He will report to the human resources team leader, and his role will involve coaching and advising managers, giving them the help and tools to manage their staff effectively.

He will be alongside, offering support: "As coach and adviser," reads the job advertisement, "you'll need to be careful not to take ownership of managers' problems."

One of the job's other attractions was the lifestyle it will offer. Mr Fraser's partner lives at Ohope Beach, and although he thinks he will move from Rotorua to Whakatane once he starts at Norske Skog on June 18, he won't hear a word against Kawerau.

Mary-Jane Richards, of KPMG Consulting, says 18 people applied for the job, adding: "Personality fit was crucial."