It’s a new year and we hope you all enjoyed some great time off with your family and friends! As we all head back to work we need to remember to stay safe on the job. It’s super important to keep an eye out for new hazards, and be aware of what’s around us.
Did you know that 75 people per year die on the job in New Zealand, 1 in 10 is harmed and 600-900 die from work-related diseases?
Nothing beats an ice cold can of Coke on a hot summer’s day, and here at Agoge, our relationship with the leading beverage company just got a little bit sweeter - we’ve been announced as Coca-Cola Amatil (CCA) New Zealand 2014 Supplier of the Year.
Continue reading "We won! Coca-Cola Amatil Supplier of the Year" »
Guest blog: Agoge CEO Andrew Nicol shares what being encourgaed by a complete stranger taught him.
I was fading. The motivation to finish strongly had all but gone. My pace had already faded from run to jog, and I was on the verge of walking home.
At just the right moment I saw a middle-age Māori guy waiting for his bus. As I jogged toward him, we lift our heads to acknowledge each other, as guys do. As I continued to labour toward him something profoundly unexpected happened.
While it’s normal for the central bus depot to be bustling with the noise of rowdy school kids and grumbling engines, on a recent rainy afternoon, the hustle and bustle took on a more tuneful note.
In the centre of the depot sat a decrepit, brightly painted piano with an open invitation, “Play me, I’m Yours.”
Guest Blog: Agoge CEO Andrew Nicol shares why sometimes it's right to be wrong.
I love being wrong.
No actually that’s a lie! Being wrong, is no fun, frustrating, and outright embarrassing. Yet, I don’t hate being wrong either.
Let’s be honest, for most guys, “He’s really caring” is something you want that special woman in your life to say, rather than your mates. We don’t look at the All Blacks just before they play a game and think “now there’s a bunch of caring guys.” Similarly, ‘Caring’ just doesn’t seem to fit into the traditional competitive business world.
Continue reading "What's Love got to do with it? Being Caring at Work." »
Pincushions are rarely considered controversial, but when high street retailer Marks and Spencer declared the product "too dangerous" to sell, the humble sewing accessory became the subject of heated debate.
Continue reading "Why you should rethink Health and Safety" »
I had just passed the Huntly Power Station in the big green Falcon, that seemed to waddled more than cruise north. Heading to Auckland for work, while plotting my escape from corporate life, and planning my start-up, Agoge. As I drove to Auckland that day I knew that I wanted to build a company where "people matter" was central to all it did.
Over my years I have seen many corporates, try and fail to really value their people. I have known many great leaders who care deeply about people, only to see those below them dilute their vision. On that day I became determined to try and build a company where people matter trickles down to every person we come in contact with.
10 years ago, in a small Hamilton office with Agoge’s first employee, we celebrated our first candidate placement with Provincial Freightlines. After 4 months of planning and preparation we finally got to bill our first customer. The driver was assessed by TC, who we are grateful to still work with to this day.
This week Agoge Recruitment (which started out as Logistics Personnel) turns 10 years old. It has been a wild 10 years as we grew significantly in the early years, launched our second business Agoge Training and were 28th in the Deloitte 50 Fastest Growing Companies in NZ.
