IR’s success is built on the capability, commitment and collaboration of our people, supported by the systems and processes we use. It’s through our people that we deliver effective and efficient services to our customers.
Over the past year, we’ve continued to focus on enabling a productive, high-performing workforce—one that embraces innovation to improve how we work today, while building the skills IR needs for tomorrow.
Our approach to attracting, developing and retaining talent is grounded in a clear understanding of what our people value about working here. We actively listen throughout the year about their experiences via regular people experience surveys and engagement at key moments such as when we’re hiring, and when people are joining or leaving IR.
Internal survey results show that 85% of our people are advocates for IR, citing the flexibility we offer, development opportunities and a supportive, inclusive culture as the top reasons.
Managing our workforce
IR’s fixed and permanent workforce grew by 142 this year. This was planned growth from the funding we received through Budget 2024 to invest in additional compliance activities.
Unplanned turnover was 7.3% (compared to 7.2% in 2023–24), a result partly driven by the employment market, as well as our approach to development and retention.
A high-performing workforce
Aligned with our priority—and that of our Minister—to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of our operations, we’ve maintained a strong focus on workforce performance. Key initiatives to improve it include:
- targeted recruitment to ensure customer-facing teams have the right capacity and capability to deliver Government priorities
- new learning programmes to equip our people with the skills, knowledge and support needed to carry out compliance work and deliver new services such as FamilyBoost
- ongoing leadership development, with a particular emphasis on strengthening decision-making in hiring and leading performance, as well as supporting adoption of change and enabling innovation.
Access to learning and development opportunities is critical to ensuring IR has the capability to deliver effective services. It is also something our people value highly.
Our learning approach supports diverse learning needs from day 1. It is supported by a real time approach to performance, which happens through regular coaching conversations between people and their leaders.
An updated induction programme for people and leaders has been in place for 2 years. Our surveys confirm it’s providing a positive experience for people joining IR by helping them to understand how we work from the start. Staff responding to our ‘Joining Experience’ surveys gave an average rating of 4.5 out of 5 for overall satisfaction after their first 3 months here.
Building capability for the future
IR updated our workforce strategy this year to help ensure we can attract, develop and retain the capability we need to deliver now and in the future.
One aspect of the strategy involves helping IR people build their capability to use evolving technology effectively to deliver the right outcomes for our customers and organisation. This builds on the investment IR already made in technology through our completed business transformation.
IR-specific results in the 2025 Te Taunaki Public Service Census showed that most of our people (82%) agree that IR takes advantage of technology to deliver better services to the public. This compares to the Public Service-wide average of 42%.
IR has developed and delivered a suite of learning to enable safe, secure use of AI, with an emphasis on efficiency benefits. We have also focused on ensuring the use of data and technology is in areas with the greatest return, including identifying and addressing compliance risks.
Career development is highly valued by our people. Under the workforce strategy, we are targeting our approach to talent management and succession planning to critical capabilities for now and the future. This will support more proactive people planning, and retention of high performing staff.
Reflecting the communities we serve
We recognise the need to ensure our people represent the communities of New Zealand. There is a high level of diversity in customer–facing roles at IR, but diversity is lower in leadership roles and roles that design policies and services.
IR is committed to equal opportunities, identifying and mitigating the impact of bias in decision making and eliminating discrimination in our policies and practices.
Our workforce strategy and efforts across diversity, equity and inclusion and Māori Crown relations are designed to ensure that everyone receives fair and equitable treatment.
We have a diversity, equity and inclusion-focused roadmap and action plan to help ensure our workplace is free from inequalities. You can read more about progress here in the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion report, available at ird.govt.nz. An updated plan will be available in November 2025.