Telecommunications company One NZ is recruiting for voluntary redundancies due in part to the expanding adoption of AI technology.
In the leaked emails Chris Lynch Media One NZ chief people officer Jodie King sent an email to staff, except for retail and care teams, offering voluntary redundancy.
The move comes as the company seeks to balance operational costs with investments in new technology.
“As you’ve heard our leadership say many times, we work in an industry that’s constantly changing, and we’ll continue to change with it,” King wrote. “Change often brings opportunity, and for those who enjoy working in a fast-paced environment and being on the forefront of new technologies, this is a great thing.”
“You will also have heard our recent financial reports which outline the need to contain operational costs so that we can continue to invest in the technology and solutions our customers value most and continue to grow One NZ’s market position over the long term,” the email said.
“We understand this may be unsettling for some, but this is also an opportunity for you to consider whether you want to commit to working for One NZ or whether now is the right time to explore your career and future,” Mr King said.
“We offer robust severance packages to support those who choose to leave voluntarily.
“As you know, we’re streamlining our priorities and are moving forward with Transforming One (T-One), a major enterprise-wide project that will reshape our organization for the future, including leveraging new AI tools to drive productivity improvements and enable us to serve our customers in different ways,” King said.
“Where possible, we want to minimise the impact of any future changes on our employees and by offering voluntary redundancies we hope to be able to achieve a mutually beneficial change.”
The EOI process will be open from July 22 until midday on August 2. Mr King said not all expressions of interest would be accepted but encouraged anyone considering a future with One NZ to get involved in the process.
“We won’t accept all expressions of interest, but we would like to hear from anyone considering a future with One New Zealand.”
A One New Zealand spokesman said: Chris Lynch Media “One New Zealand joins many other organisations offering or considering voluntary retirement schemes.
“In this challenging economic environment, we are reducing operational costs and adopting productivity-enhancing tools such as AI technology to continue to provide our customers with great connectivity at sustainable prices.
We are offering robust severance packages to those who wish to take them and are committed to supporting our team through this process.”
