Emma Ellison is Kaweka Health’s recruitment manager. Emma is Hawke’s Bay born and bred and has worked in recruitment for most of her adult life. She is excited about both her new role and also about building a team that’s just as enthusiastic about ‘making it better’.

What’s your career background?
I’ve worked in both corporate and industrial recruitment and in agency, private and public sectors. For the last 6 years I’ve been working in health so I have a really solid understanding of the roles and their intricacies and demands which is a huge help when you’re having conversations about positions and trying to do a good job of playing match-maker! I choose to work in health because I genuinely want to help my local community – I can’t fix you, but I can help find and recruit the people who can

Please describe what you do in your role?
Health in Hawke’s Bay has changed massively in the years I’ve been involved – culture, diversity and values have been given a much stronger focus which is huge when you’re considering the patient journey. The more actively involved staff are and understand that every role is health is as important as another, the better the outcome will be for patients and their whanau.

What are you most excited about with being involved in a establishing a new elective surgery facility?
After deciding to take a break from work earlier this year, I met with Nick and Anouk and they explained Kaweka Health and their vision for Making it Better and I was completely sold!. What I loved about the Kaweka Way was the genuine desire to make the facility mean as much for their staff as it does for their patients. It’s proven that a well-supported, respected and empowered workforce will lead to better outcomes – Kaweka Health knows that and puts it at the front of every decision they make, from the planning of the physical building to the policies and ways of working.

What has been a highlight so far…
It’s a real honour to be working alongside the team and part of the drive for change in Hawke’s Bay. I couldn’t be prouder!