What's your job about?
I am a graduate at Auckland Transport (AT). AT is the council-controlled organisation responsible for the public transport network and majority of the transport infrastructure in and around the Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland) region. My areas of responsibility include supporting the achievement and commitment to Māori Outcomes, AT’s Statutory Obligations under the Treaty of Waitangi, Diversity & Inclusion initiatives and organisational Wellbeing. As well as, supporting and getting involved in our graduate programme and community – Ngā Kaihoe.
I’m lucky to have the opportunity to work on different projects with different teams and divisions within AT. I currently sit in the Culture & Transformation division which encompasses HR, Leadership, Diversity & Inclusion, Organisational Effectiveness, Learning & Development etc. but the area I’m working in specifically is Wellbeing and Diversity. In this role I help support and lead out D&I and wellbeing initiatives that engage staff from all over the organisation and help us meet our outcomes in our D&I and wellbeing strategies. An exemplary week in the team consists of daily check ins – work in progress, how we’re feeling, our capacity for more work/ability to help with other things and anything interesting we’ve learnt and can share. Then most of the days are spent scheduling meetings or workshops with other teams/key people and checking in with our ‘squad’ to share any progress. In between these meetings I like to get involved in our graduate programme events, do research or note taking that can help towards creating content for feedback. I love to talk with different people about the work to get different perspectives, lenses and ideas that can make projects more inclusive and fit for purpose.
What's your background?
Ko Rahera Wharerau tōku ingoa, he uri whakaheke tēnei nō ngā maunga o te whare tapu o Ngāpuhi. I tipu ake au ki Kaikohekohe – Te Pū o Te Wheke.
Ki te taha o tōku pāpā, nō Tautoro, nō Waima, nō Waimate anō hoki. Ki te taha o tōku māmā, nō Kaikohe, nō Waima, nō Whirinaki hoki. He tātai whakapapa anō nō Ngāti Tararā.
Kia ora, my name is Rahera, I was born and bred in the far north among the beautiful mountains of Ngāpuhi and Te Hokianga-nui-ā-Kupe (Hokianga Harbour). I grew up in the small town of Kaikohe alongside my whānau and have had the privilege of being immersed in Te Ao Māori my whole life. I went through bi-lingual schooling from primary through to intermediate before moving from Northland to Auckland for high school, where I continued my bi-lingual education at Massey High School. I went straight into uni after school and studied towards a Bachelor of Business in Management and Market Insights at AUT and graduated in 2019 also as the first grandchild in my whānau. I think the biggest influence on my career journey that landed me in a government organisation has come from my whānau. Most of my immediate family work in government organisations. My dad’s been in the Police for over 40 years, my granddad, mum, sister and aunties work at the Department of Corrections and I also have whānau at Auckland Council and Work and Income NZ. It’s been funny to look back on how instinctive it was for me to be interested in government organisations having seen them work in that area my whole life, but, I’ve also been able to explore a different industry of the sector working at Auckland Transport. However, I didn’t actually gun for AT, I went through the TupuToa programme and was matched with AT for a summer internship in 2019. I remember replying to the TupuToa navigator’s email like “what does AT even do?” (as I’m sure many people think too) and I actually wanted to work at Auckland Council or the banks. They told me to give AT a chance as it’s not just busses and trains, so I did, and they were right! I ended up really loving the work and people and decided to stay and move into the graduate programme which has now been redesigned as “Ngā Kaihoe” paddlers of the AT waka. I’ve now been at AT for 1 year and 4 months.
Could someone with a different background do your job?
Yes. I think anyone could do my job, but nobody can do my job the way I do. My job itself is perfect for anyone who’s curious and willing to learn new things and learn more about themselves and how the diversity & inclusion, wellbeing and Te Ao Māori spaces intertwine within a corporate environment. But I think the approach I take and my values help me to do my job differently to explore opportunities and be proactive about our outcomes and outlook into the future. Other characteristics and skills that would help anyone do my job great are: Manaakitanga (care), growth mindset, good communication/networking skills, initiative and kindness.
What's the coolest thing about your job?
One of the most interesting and empowering parts of my work is being encouraged to apply a Te Ao Māori lens to any aspect of my work – my culture is a core part of my identity and I’m valued for that part of me – meaning I am able to bring my most authentic self to work. It also goes a long way in aligning the work with our Māori Outcomes measures and statutory obligations. I love learning about others and sharing in kōrero to learn more and see things from a different perspective.
What are the limitations of your job?
The limitations of my job are mainly around time and resourcing. I’ve found that even though the time might feel good for a certain initiative or project to occur, it’s not always the right time in the wider context of the business or the sector. Resourcing is the same, as a government organisation we are accountable to tax payers and the public so our funding and resourcing needs to be allocated carefully. Sometimes this means a really cool and interesting project that’s really beneficial for everyone might not be prioritised when you hope. But there’s still always lots of other interesting things to get involved in!
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