Arotahi Spotlight Series 2024 – Mahia Recruitment

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Spotlight on Mahia Recruitment: Empowering Māori and Pasifika in Tech

Hassana Kirkwood founded Mahia Recruitment with a clear vision: to build a recruitment agency that would go beyond the transactional nature of the industry and do more for people. Guided by the whakataukī “Mahia te mahi hei painga mo to iwi”, (do what is necessary for the wellbeing of the people). Mahia focuses on adding value beyond simply filling roles. The company prioritises the personal and professional growth of both candidates and clients, creating connections that are meaningful and enduring.

For Hassana, recruitment is about more than matching technical skills to job descriptions. It’s about understanding the cultural and community aspects that lead to lasting success. Mahia is dedicated to empowering Māori and Pasifika talent, ensuring that they find roles where they can thrive and contribute not only to their workplaces but also to their communities. This commitment to people-first recruitment is what sets Mahia apart in New Zealand’s tech sector.

Alongside Mahia, Hassana is the Co-Founder of Tech Taniwha, a community initiative designed to help Maori people find their inner taniwha – their unique strengths, resilience, and potential. Through mentorship, knowledge-sharing, and support, Tech Taniwha creates a space where individuals are encouraged to grow and lead in the tech industry.

Hassana believes that by fostering this sense of capability and confidence, Tech Taniwha is helping to shape a future where Māori voices are not just present in tech but are leading the way. Both Mahia Recruitment and Tech Taniwha are dedicated to creating an inclusive and supportive environment in tech, where diversity is celebrated and empowered not just talked about. 

Click the image below to watch Hassana share her experiences and why she was driven to found Mahia Recruitment.

Arotahi Spotlight Series 2024 – Beca

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Founded in Aotearoa as a family-owned engineering company more than 100 years ago, Beca is one of Asia Pacific’s largest independent advisory, design and engineering consultancies, employing more than 4,000 people in 25 offices around the world.  At Beca, our creative people are our greatest asset – our vision is “Creative people together transforming the world.” We know that the more diverse we are, the better our ideas, strategies and client solutions. Inclusion underpins our creativity and innovation, enabling us to bring greater value for our clients and our communities.  

In 2022, Beca founded Te Ahi Tūtata, its Māori business team. Te Ahi Tūtata works externally on enriching relationships, nurturing those connections and delivery to Beca clients in the context of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and partnership with Māori. This external mahi is backed by the work that Te Ahi Tūtata does internally, to give everyone at Beca in New Zealand the opportunity to learn more about te ao Māori. 

In June of 2023, Beca was offered the opportunity for 18 kaimahi Māori to take part in a pilot leadership programme, which would be fully funded by Te Puni Kōkiri, through the training provider Indigenous Growth Limited. The course is called Māhuri, to reference new growth, a sapling or shoot. Following the success of the 2023 pilot, Beca ran the course again in 2024.

Beca also has an employee-driven Pasifika Network which aims to “create an environment that empowers Pasifika people to thrive”. It allows Pasifika people within Beca to connect and celebrate their identities, support external Pasifika-focused initiatives as well as collaborate and build relationships across the Pacific countries that Beca works in. 

Software Engineer Dallas Watene (Ngāti Maniapoto) took part in Māhuri in 2023. Digital Consultant Punahamoa Walker (Whakatōhea) completed the course in 2024.

Click the images below to watch videos from Puna and Dallas as they share their experiences working in technology related careers.