Working at WSP

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Benefits of working for WSP

LEAVE

Parental Leave

WSP is committed to providing a work environment which is supportive of people who are starting or growing a family. WSP offers eligible employees a top up of government-funded leave to full salary for 26 weeks, a provision of four weeks paid Partner Leave, an enhanced value of annual leave upon return from parental leave and flexible return to work arrangements.

Unspecified Sick Leave

Permanent employees are entitled to sick leave on an unspecified basis in accordance with the Sick Leave (unspecified) Policy, which are significantly above the minimum entitlements provided for in the Holidays Act 2003.

Purchased Leave

WSP is committed to providing flexible work arrangements by enabling its employees to increase their work life balance through the option of purchasing additional leave to help them manage their home and work commitments. You can apply to purchase up to four additional weeks of leave on top of your four weeks of annual leave.

Graduation Leave

Graduates who are part of the Graduate Programme and Cadets receive one day of paid leave to attend their graduation ceremony.

Special Paid Leave

In special circumstances, WSP may, at its sole discretion, grant paid special leave on such conditions as the company may determine.

Community Day

Permanent and fixed term employees can apply for paid leave for one day per year for working and using their skills in the local community on a voluntary basis. This may involve supporting a local school event, community collection programme, charity event, work for a not-for-profit organisation or a tax-exempt organisation.

WORKPLACE

Flexible Working

WSP acknowledges that individuals, at all stages of their lives, work best when they can achieve an appropriate balance between their work life and personal life. We have a flexible working policy that is based around daily ‘core hours’ that meet the local client and business needs.

Sustainability

Devising solutions to help the communities of tomorrow can open up a wide spectrum of career paths. We’re future-focused experts who propose innovative ideas for our clients – so you’ll be at the cutting edge, building and honing your skills and knowledge. This is fascinating, absorbing work where you’ll enjoy the professional and personal rewards that come from solving truly complex issues.

Public and Active Commute Contribution

In addition to our commitment to our strategic focus on accelerating decarbonisation, the objective of the Public and Active Commute Contribution (PACC) is to encourage our people to be in the office using active or public transport choices wherever they can. If you travel to work via one of the prescribed methods for three or more days per week, you can claim the contribution of up to $750 gross annually.

Employee Share Purchase Plan

Become an owner and vested partner in our collective success by purchasing WSP shares through your pay. You'll also benefit from a generous employer match. The ESPP will enable eligible employees to purchase WSP Global shares through regular payroll contributions that are easy to set up and change at any time. In addition to benefiting from a 50% employer match (up to a maximum of $2,400 NZD per calendar year), you’ll enjoy immediate ownership of your shares, including those purchased with the company’s matching contribution.

The Matariki Awards

The Matariki Awards is our employee recognition programme, and offer three ways to acknowledge and celebrate high performance. From an everyday 'thank you', to monthly micro bonuses of $150 gross for excellent performance, through to the pinnacle of the awards calendar, the annual Matariki Awards event, where the best of the best will be celebrated at an event that everyone can attend.

Employee Discounts

As a WSP employee, you can get access to various discounts from local and national retailers from car rentals, office supplies, Koru Club membership to banking packages.

Sports and Social Activities

We enjoy our work and work hard to create great teams. There are many company sports and social clubs throughout the country that organise a wide range of sporting and social activities (indoor and outdoor) for you and your family.

CAREER GROWTH

Mentoring

Mentoring is one of the tools available at WSP to assist you with your learning and development. Mentoring is a relationship in which someone with identified abilities or competencies enables another person to develop their own abilities and talents. It encourages and supports the development of professional knowledge, competence and high standards of performance.

Study Awards

We believe in developing our people to their full potential and offer a study award programme for those who wish to complete further study. The study award contributes to course fees, materials, travel and provides for paid study leave. Applications are open in the last quarter of the calendar year.

Professional Accreditation

We recognise that our people are experts in a range of specialist fields each with its own accreditation governed by a professional body. We help employees to achieve their registration and licensure where possible.

Pathways

Pathways is the Young Professionals Group at WSP and has been created to advance the development and progression of graduates and to allow emerging professionals (years 0-10) to get to know each other and share their knowledge.

Professional Fees and Registration Support

WSP provides financial support for up to two professional memberships of industry institutions (or equivalent awarding body) per financial year. We’ll provide ongoing opportunities for you to develop your consulting skills as well as your personal and technical skills. We recognise the importance of ongoing professional development and we are keen to support you every step of the way.

Practice Area Networks (PAN)

The PANs are internal professional networks available to all employees at WSP - there are currently 100+ technical and advisory PANS available for you to join. This engaging platform allows us to foster collaboration across our organisation and ultimately deliver more value to our clients by bringing our best expertise to the forefront across all our projects.

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HEALTH & WELLNESS

Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)

Through an external provider, OCP, we provide 24 hours, seven days a week confidential advice and support service from an experienced person who has been trained in assessing a range of issues, including work, financial, family and relationships. The EAP is completely anonymous and WSP covers the cost for three sessions.

My Balance Wellbeing Hub

Wellbeing is a top priority at WSP and we are committed to improving the wellbeing of our people. We know that people work best when they can strike a good balance between work and other aspects of their lives. My balance hub is a place for you to engage with wellbeing activities, challenges, information, services, campaigns, benefits of working for WSP, win prizes, gain points and sync your device. How you engage with the platform is up to you.

Southern Cross Health Insurance

Deciding to get health insurance gives you access to private medical treatment for qualifying conditions in a shorter timeframe than you may receive otherwise. We understand that healthcare costs can be a concern, so WSP is pleased to be able to provide you with peace of mind through a subsidised Health Insurance Scheme through Southern Cross, so that you know that you are covered in case of unexpected medical issues.

Company Sponsored Occupational Health Services

WSP’s company sponsored occupational health services include annual influenza vaccinations, occupational overuse survey, workstation assessments with an occupational therapist and corporate sport activities.

Hearing Accredited Workplace Programme

WSP is committed to becoming a Hearing Accredited Workplace by taking steps to create a positive and inclusive environment for employees, suppliers and clients with hearing loss. Included in the programme are hearing awareness workshops, yearly hearing screening for all employees, access to online training modules and support from the National Foundation for Deaf & Hard of Hearing.

Life as a WSP Engineer

WSP NZ Stats

Years in Aotearoa New Zealand

150+

Global Office Locations

550+

Global experts

65,000+

Randstad top employer

2023

Countries of the world

Aotearoa New Zealand offices

INTERVIEW TIPS

Competency Based or Structured Interview

The word competency is widely used in business and refers to the behaviours that are necessary to achieve the objectives of an organisation. A competency can be measured and lists of competencies form a common language for describing how people perform in different situations. Every job can be described in terms of key competencies. Behavioural interviews are based on the idea that past behaviour is the best predictor of future behaviour. The interviewer will ask for specific examples of when and how the candidate demonstrated particular behaviours. Each position is assessed for the skills/competencies and characteristics that an applicant needs to possess to be successful in that role. Interview questions are then developed to probe into these areas. All applicants are asked the same questions and notes are taken to evaluate candidates.

Structured Interview Questions

What are your strengths?
What are weaknesses?
What can you bring to this role?

Example Behavioural/Competency Based Questions

Tell me about a time you have built effective working relationships with your peers. How did you do it? (Interpersonal Skills)
If I observed you for a month at work, what would I see you doing that highlighted to me that you are a team player? (Team)

What follows is a brief guide to help you prepare for your interview. Not all this information will be relevant to your situation or your recruitment process but hopefully there is enough here to ensure that you are confident, comfortable and ready.

General Interview Tips

Ensure that you have a detailed understanding of the position description, the team environment and the organisation.
Conduct additional research on the organisation by reading annual reports and researching on the internet. Understand the organisation's products and services, size, locations, financial situation and growth potential.
Know the exact place and time of the interview, the interviewer's full name and the correct pronunciation of their title. Always be on time.
Pay attention to all aspects of your dress and grooming.
Spend time reviewing your resume and experience and its relevance to the position. Identify the specific examples in your background that are directly relevant to the position description and demonstrate your ability to do the job.
Refresh your memory on the details of present and past employers and your work history for each. You will be expected to know a lot about a company for which you have previously worked. Pay particular attention to how you will describe your most important achievements.
Be prepared to communicate why this role appeals to you, why you should be considered for this role and what sets you apart from other candidates.
Prepare the questions you will ask during the interview. Remember that an interview is a two-way street. The employer will try to determine if you have the qualifications necessary to do the job. You must decide whether the company will give you the opportunity for the growth and development you seek.

The Star Model

When completing a structured interview, you will be asked to identify particular situations and experiences will demonstrate that you have these skills and traits. Competency focused, well-structured answers are extremely powerful and will give the interviewer an accurate description of the applicant’s behaviours and abilities. When responding to competency based questions, applicants should structure their responses using the star model (as shown below).