The SME Stream

Why are burnout rates still so high years after COVID, and what can leaders actually do about it?
In this episode of HR Unlocked, Lisa Oakley sits down with Professor Jarrod Haar, one of New Zealand’s leading workplace researchers, to explore burnout, workplace loneliness, leadership, wellbeing, and the future of work.
Drawing on decades of research and data collected across New Zealand workplaces, Jarrod shares why severe burnout continues to affect around one in five workers, the surprising role workplace loneliness plays in employee wellbeing, and how leaders can better manage workload, change, and performance pressures.
The conversation also explores AI, productivity, organisational culture, Māori perspectives on work, and the leadership behaviours that make the biggest difference to employee wellbeing.
This episode challenges many of the assumptions organisations make about performance and offers practical insights into creating healthier, more sustainable workplaces.

What You'll Learn
Why burnout remains one of the biggest workplace challenges in New Zealand

The connection between workplace loneliness and employee wellbeing

How workload design and job creep contribute to burnout

What leaders can do to identify and prevent burnout earlier

Why productivity and long hours are not the same thing

The impact AI is having on performance, workload, and employee wellbeing

How Māori perspectives can influence workplace culture and leadership

The role connection, belonging, and community play in workplace success

What great leaders do differently when supporting wellbeing and performance


Key Takeaways
Workplace loneliness is one of the strongest predictors of burnout

Burnout is often caused by workload design and organisational systems, not individual weakness

High performance should not be confused with long working hours

Organisations need to prioritise workload, not simply add more initiatives

AI may improve efficiency, but can also increase workload expectations

Strong leadership improves wellbeing, engagement, and performance simultaneously

Connection and belonging are critical to creating healthy workplaces

Small, consistent leadership behaviours often have a greater impact than large wellbeing initiatives


About Jarrod Haar
Professor Jarrod Haar is Dean’s Chair and Professor of Management and Māori Business at Massey University.
He is one of New Zealand’s most respected workplace researchers, specialising in employee wellbeing, burnout, leadership, workplace culture, and Māori business.
Jarrod has published more than 170 academic journal articles, secured numerous research grants, delivered over 140 keynote presentations, and has been ranked among the world’s top 2% of scientists since 2021.
His research regularly informs business leaders, government agencies, and organisations seeking to better understand the future of work and employee wellbeing.

Why This Episode Matters
Burnout, loneliness, and workplace pressure are affecting organisations across every sector.
For leaders, HR professionals, and business owners looking to create healthier, higher-performing workplaces, this episode provides evidence-based insights into what is really driving employee wellbeing and what practical steps can be taken to improve it.

Resources & Links
Massey University

Prof Jarrod Haar, PhD, FRSNZ, CFHRNZ | LinkedIn

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Queenstown has long been associated with jet boats, ski fields and postcard-perfect mountains.
But if veteran entrepreneur and online travel heavyweight Roger Sharp has his way, the resort town’s next big export won’t be adrenaline, it will be software.
Sharp, who has spent decades at the cutting edge of online travel with companies like Webjet, Lastminute.com.au and WebBeds, is on a mission to diversify Queenstown’s tourism‑heavy economy by turning it into the southern hemisphere’s go‑to hub for travel technology.
His vehicle for doing that is Technology Queenstown, which has a 20‑year plan to grow a billion‑dollar tech economy in the region, lifting tech from 1.5% of local GDP to as high as 15–20%.
Travel tech conference as a catalyst
In the latest episode of The Business of Tech, Sharp makes the case for why a town built on tourism must now become equally famous for tech. Next week’s Web in Travel (WiT) conference, which Sharp secured the rights to host, will see a who’s who of travel innovation descend on the lakeside town, including senior leaders from airlines, hotel tech, payment platforms, online travel agencies and B2B marketplaces.
For Sharp, hosting them is about giving Queenstown critical mass and visibility as a testbed for new travel technologies. He tells me how he’s been building the scaffolding needed for a true cluster, convincing Queenstown Resort College to teach data and machine learning, coaxing the University of Otago to establish a digital tech campus, as well as recruiting a roster of long‑term corporate backers from Accenture to Genesis Energy and One NZ.
Learning from tourism towns
He’s borrowed lessons from North American mountain towns like Bend and Boulder, which successfully layered high‑value tech jobs on top of lifestyle economies.
But this isn’t a Silicon Valley clone play. Sharp is well aware of the risks of creating “a two‑class society” where tech workers thrive while hospitality workers are squeezed out of housing. His vision is growth with guardrails: higher‑paid, lower‑footprint jobs that ease pressure on roads, emissions and infrastructure, and give local kids a reason to stay rather than leave for Sydney or London.
Listen to the full episode, streaming on iHeartRadio, Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
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The Official Cash Rate has risen for the first time in three years — but does that mean mortgage rates are about to climb too?
Tamsyn Parker is joined by NZ Herald Wellington Business Editor Jenée Tibshraeny to unpack the OCR hike, the risk of inflation becoming embedded and why fixed-term borrowers may not feel the impact immediately.
They also examine an OECD report suggesting New Zealand’s real wages are near the bottom of the developed world, why workers are struggling to negotiate pay rises, and whether restrictive employment contracts are holding back productivity.
Plus, thousands of properties could carry a hidden natural-hazard warning that may affect insurance claims, renovations and even the ability to secure a mortgage.
The Economy of Everything is brought to you with the help of CMC Markets.
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The Minister of Agriculture and Trade is sitting in for the Prime Minister this week, and again, he has to defend the Indian Free Trade Agreement from Winston Peters’ criticism.
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RBNZ's Chief Economist tells Herald NOW Business how inflation expectations will shape path of interest rates.
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