An Industrial Organisational Psychology (I/O) Approach to HR Advisory Services

Our approach is grounded in Industrial Organisational (I/O) psychology, because we reckon smarter, data-driven decisions are the best way forward for your people. We’re here to help untangle tricky employment relations issues, lift team performance, rethink your organisational design, or give your culture and engagement a bit of spark. We work right alongside you, rolling up our sleeves and getting stuck in, so your people and your business can get ahead together.

Services

A data-driven approach

Taking an I/O approach means we focus on making smart, data-driven decisions with you about your people. This way, HR practices become more effective, teams get stronger, and your culture becomes more performance-focused, ultimately helping everyone to flourish at work.

If you need extra support in HR, we’re here to help. Our expertise covers everything from resolving employment relations headaches to enhancing performance, redesigning structures, or lifting your team culture and engagement. Whatever the challenge, we’re ready to roll up our sleeves and provide the guidance and hands-on support you need.

Empoyment Relations

Stay on top of your employer responsibilities and create a great place to work with our employment relations expertise:

  • Employment Agreements: Drafting and updating contracts (permanent, fixed-term, casual); making sure agreements are up to scratch with NZ law.
  • Workplace Policies: Setting up and reviewing policies (H&S, bullying, leave, more); rolling out new policies and staff training.
  • Legal Compliance Checks: Making sure you tick all the boxes with NZ employment law.
  • Mediation & Disputes: Help resolving issues, from chats to MBIE mediation; support at mediation, or Employment Relations Authority. 
  • Union & Collective Bargaining: Support with union talks and agreements; helping management and unions work together.
  • Workplace Investigations: Independent investigations (bullying, harassment, etc.); clear reports and practical recommendations.
  • Change & Restructuring: Advice on change management, redundancies, and consultation; plans for effective comms and keeping your team engaged.

Stay on top of your employer responsibilities and create a great place to work with our employment relations expertise.

Organisational development

We create custom solutions for businesses of all sizes, tailored to your specific needs. We provide advice and help you with engagement, culture, change management, redundancies and consultation including:

  • Culture transformation – building workplaces where everyone feels at home.
  • Team engagement – keeping your people energised and connected.
  • Change management – ensuring shifts are smooth and well communicated.
  • Leadership coaching – helping leaders inspire and guide.
  • Continuous improvement – always finding better ways to do things.
  • Organisational structure and job analysis role clarity, workforce planning to optimise business performance.
  • Culture integration and process/policy streamlining.
  • Assistance with mergers, acquisitions, and restructures.

We create custom solutions for businesses of all sizes, tailored to your needs.

Performance management

While we're experts in driving high performance in your business, we can help with poor performance too.  Utilising an Industrial Organisation Psychology approach, we can help you with:

  • Goal setting and tracking – helping teams smash their targets
  • Development plans for high performers – keeping your stars shining
  • Support for underperformers – lending a hand to get folks back on track
  • Coaching for managers – guiding leaders to bring out the best in their team
  • Managing tough conversations – handling the hard stuff with respect and care
  • Performance improvement processes – fair, supportive, and transparent
  • Performance & Conduct: Sorting out underperformance or misconduct; advice on performance plans and process.
  • Disciplinary & Dismissal: Guidance on disciplinary steps and fair process.

We take a fair, evidence-based approach to help you manage your people and bring out their best, so your business can truly thrive.

What others say...

Symphony Research have worked with Lynne Allison for the past 14 years. During this time, we have received outstanding HR support, particularly in the recruitment of staff and ongoing employee relations. Lynne took the time  to understand our business needs when we were a start up operation and to this day continues to guide us through a thorough selection process, including psychometric testing for our staff of over 100, which has been invaluable in identifying the right candidates for our business. Lynne's support around HR and employment relations has been practical, responsive, and reassuring, giving us the confidence that we are managing our people fairly and effectively.  

Donna Willis, Research Director, Symphony Research - Auckland

I’m really grateful for Lynne’s support through some serious employment-related issues. 

She remained calm at all times and was fair and professional in her dealings with my employer, which made a difficult situation much easier to manage. 

Her strong knowledge of employment law, combined with her ability to anticipate what was coming next, gave me real confidence throughout the process. Her advice was clear and practical, and the outcome was better than I expected. 

I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend her to anyone needing knowledgeable, level-headed HR support.

Anneliese T, Officer Manager - Auckland