Website Reviews

Human Resources Institute of New Zealand

www.hrinz.org.nz

The Human Resources Institute of New Zealand is the professional organisation for people who are interested or involved in the management and development of human resources in that country. Its website allows access to the different resources and tools that the HRINZ offers.

HRINZ represents 1,500 individual members who work in private and public sector organisations throughout New Zealand, and provides them with education and information services, conferences and seminars, publications, representation at government and official levels, and networking opportunities. The site allows access to professional development, representation, strategic alliances and all other functions available through the HRINZ.

Through the 'Events' section of the site it is possible to source conference, exhibition and award information and also locate and contact different divisional branches around NZ. Perhaps one of the handiest areas of the site is accessed buy the 'HR Info' prompt, beyond which lies news reports, academic journals and the 'HR Knowledge Base'. This handy tool provides a huge glossary of HR terms, some of them quite obscure.

Following another link brings the visitor to the 'HR Senior e-Forum'. The forum has been created to provide senior human resource practitioners with a means to discuss topical issues of interest specifically to leaders in the profession. Although you need to be a member to actively participate in it, casual visitors can still read and learn what's going on. This area also provides links, both local and global, to other Web locations likely to be of interest.

The 'IT work' section of the site- sponsored by Morgan and Banks- allows access to a comprehensive listing of NZ job vacancies and provides recruitment personnel the availability to advertise their positions. It also provides information on how to become a qualified HR practitioner and even outlines the steps one needs to take to make it as an HR professional. Unfortunately though, the other sections in this area- 'HR Mentoring', 'Consulting', 'Education' and 'CVs'- were still under construction at the time of reviewing.

There is also a myriad of information in the (restricted) member's sections of the site, ranging from member's directories and codes of professional behavior through to business and marketing plans and branch committee details.

All in all, the site was user-friendly (although I did find myself the 'back' button constantly- a few 'home' prompts scattered around the site wouldn't go amiss). In view of the amount of information it provides to NZ HR professionals, it certainly holds it own…and is good enough to make it worthwhile for Australians to have a look to see how they're doing things on the ot6her side of the Tasman.

A few complaints, though. While the general layout allows the eye and the mouse to move around the site quite happily, the constant display of sponsor icons requires a deal of tolerance for the commerciality. And in certain areas it is apparent that the site may not be updates as frequently as it needs to be.

readability: 7/10
legibility: 8/10
surfability: 6/10