19 May 2020
Ref: DOIA 1920 1516
Tania Te Whenua
Email: [FYI request #12681 email]
Dear Tania Te Whenua
Thank you for your email of 22 April 2020 to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE)
requesting, under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act), the following information:
Over the past three years:
a) How many Maori women (and what percentage of the total number of applicants) applied for
Tier 2 roles or above?
b) How many Maori women (and what percentage of the total number of successful applicants)
were successfully appointed to the jobs which they applied for at Tier 2 or above?.
With regard to our response below, please note that it is not mandatory for applicants to provide
information on their ethnicity or gender when applying for a role at MBIE. The information MBIE is
providing in response to your request relates only to the information held, when an applicant has self-
identified as a Māori woman using the options available, and provided that information to MBIE as part of
a voluntary questionnaire.
MBIE has recruited for a total of 10 positions in tier two roles between January 2017 and February 2020. A
total of 267 formal applications were received across the 10 advertisements and, from this, a total of seven
applicants self-identified as a Māori woman. The percentage of those identifying as Māori women from the
total number of applicants is therefore 2.5 percent.
Of the 10 advertisements made, I can advise that no applicants who self-identified as a Māori woman were
successful in securing an appointment.
MBIE is committed to an inclusive culture and attracting, supporting and growing our people to reflect the
communities they serve. The key outcome that MBIE would like to achieve is that expectations and actions
support this inclusive culture and are driven by our values that celebrate our people, their perspectives and
backgrounds.
Our recently refreshed inclusion and diversity strategy includes active and proactive engagement with
different population groups to better understand their employee lifecycle experience,helping to identify
and address casual factors in gender and ethnic pay gaps.
MBIE1376631
MBIE is also developing a programme to specifically target the development of Māori and Pasifika
leadership across the organisation, with a view to significantly grow its numbers at all levels and grow the
number of potential leaders from these communities.
MBIE has a recruitment policy that all recruitment and selection decisions are open, honest, consistent, fair
and merit based, hiring the best person for the role. All appointment decisions are documented and based
on relevant and specific selection criteria which is disclosed to applicants through the vacancy advertising
and position description for the role.
Our recruitment processes encourage and support candidates with a wide range of backgrounds,
experiences and perspectives to apply. MBIE’s recruitment team also works with managers to think broadly
around their role to encourage a diverse range of applicants (i.e. different locations, flexible hours, working
from home etc.).
I have been advised that the State Services Commission will respond to you directly concerning your
request for applications and appointments in relation to tier 1 roles.
I trust that you find the information helpful.
Yours sincerely
Sarah Ball
Acting General Manager People & Culture
