Caitlin Hardy
People & Culture Advisor, Hawkins
Bachelor of Health Science in Psychology
She loves the variety of her role and getting to see the amazing projects Hawkins staff build all around the country, says psychology alumna Caitlin Hardy who now works at construction company Hawkins, which is part of Downer New Zealand.
“My role is focused on supporting our people – from recruitment, onboarding, learning and development, to offering support and HR policy advice, analytics and understanding the impact we have on the business.
“I’m lucky to work in a tight-knit HR team, in a business of approximately 550 staff, with plenty of opportunities to get out and meet people across our various offices and project sites. It’s the people that make it happen, and my role is about supporting them, which I’m really passionate about.”
Caitlin joined Hawkins in 2020, after working in recruitment and human resources roles for Graham Consulting and Downer New Zealand. She is proud of what she has already achieved in her role as HR advisor.
“One year into my role here at Hawkins, I was recognised as an HR rising star at the Downer HR Conference. This took me by surprise and meant the world to me. I felt extremely proud to be recognised by such a big organisation, in an HR team with so much talent behind them. Recently, Hawkins also won the Employer of the Year 2021 – that was an amazing achievement I was honoured to help celebrate.”
A passion for psychology
She has been interested in psychology since she was in high school, says Cailin who graduated from AUT with a Bachelor of Health Science in Psychology in 2016.
“I was intent on finding out more about how the mind works, and how I could apply this in my day-to-day life. I became really passionate about seeing how I could apply this in a human resources role, and using what I had learnt to contribute to wellbeing, learning and development in an organisation. AUT stood out as a university that valued creativity and collaboration, with a hands-on approach to learning and some amazing lecturers – enrolling at AUT was a no-brainer really.”
She particularly appreciated AUT’s collaborative approach to university education.
“It meant that I got valuable time with my lecturers. I still remember meeting with Associate Professor Jason Landon and his advice about setting my sights high and applying myself. I think that’s stuck with me the most throughout my career so far.”
Advice for other students
Caitlin – who is proud of receiving the award for the Outstanding Bachelor of Health Science in Psychology Student in 2016 – has some great advice for other students thinking about university study.
“Seize every opportunity given to you and have fun doing it! AUT is an amazing place, with great lecturers who have a huge amount of knowledge to share. Enjoy the ride, and set yourself up for success.”
She wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the Bachelor of Health Science in Psychology.
“All of my courses gave me a well-rounded grounding in psychology theory. I liked the fact that I didn’t feel like just a face in the room; the staff really took the time to get to know you and help you on your education journey. A huge bonus was that I got to meet some amazing friends along the way who I’m still super close with – and it’s great to follow them on their journey post-AUT too.”
