Policies & Practices

​Cobalt Cares

As a built environment recruitment specialist operating across multiple geographies and specialisms, we’ve earned our reputation as the trusted recruitment partner of choice by authentically representing the best and brightest professionals, placing high-quality specialists, managers and board-level executives in permanent and interim positions across the entire life-cycle of the built environment and beyond.

Across the globe, our core values remain the same. This means that we treat our clients, candidates, colleagues and community the way we want to be treated ourselves.

This culture of caring fosters a passion and commitment which means we take responsibility for delivering results and making a positive difference to the world around us.

‘Cobalt Cares’ is our global commitment to make a positive difference to the world around us. We are active members of industry bodies, like APSCo and the RCSA, and regularly support charities, like Ronald McDonald House and Eat My Lunch, to name just a few.

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Our Commitment to Equal Opportunities and Diversity

As a global organisation, at Cobalt recruitment, we understand how important it is to recognise the life experiences, different backgrounds and cultures among our workforce and within the communities we work for.

Equality, diversity and inclusion are essential elements of our corporate culture. We strive to create a work environment in which all individuals are treated fairly and with respect, have equal access to opportunities and resources.

Recruiting and retaining good employees is critical to the success and survival of every organisation and we value and recognise the diversity of our candidates and employees and initiate to challenge all forms of discrimination whether it is based on age, gender, gender reassignment, disability, pregnancy and maternity, marriage or civil partnership race, religion or believe, sex or sexual orientation.

We work hard to attract a diverse pool of applicants, assist people to find career opportunities where they can thrive, and support our employees to build long-term careers. Our goal is to be the preferred choice of candidates, clients, employees and suppliers.

Embracing equality, diversity and inclusion also helps us better serve the needs of the job seekers and hiring managers we work with each day. We anonymously monitor the gender, age, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity and disability of applicants across all roles and levels that we recruit for. These statistics can be provided to clients on request in order to help them achieve their own organisational aims.

Age Discrimination

Cobalt has ensured that all current and new consultants are made aware of the requirements relating to age discrimination enforced by the Employee Relations Act 2000 and the Human Rights Act 1993 through training and monitoring of their work. This has included how we manage the registration process, a fully compliant database and ensuring that our advertising does not contravene the legislation.

Equal Opportunities and Diversity Resources

The following link provides a variety of sources of information and advice on the subject of equal opportunities & diversity in the workplace. Cobalt Consulting accepts no responsibility for the content of external sites.

NZ Employment Diversity Information

As part of our commitment to adhere to the Employment Relations Act 2000 and the Human Rights Act 1993, Cobalt recognises it has a responsibility to take a robust approach to ensuring that our workplace is free from discrimination of any form, both internally and with those we work with.

Environment

Whilst this may be perceived as a minor contribution to our local community, we are aware of our corporate expansion plans for the future and what the impact will be on our immediate environment. We are strong believers that for a company the size of Cobalt, it is the minor contributions to our environment that make a difference in the long term. Examples of our contribution to our local community are:

  • It is Cobalt’s policy to return all printer cartridges to the manufacturer for recycling.

  • We use method recycling bins to encourage, and ensure correct disposal of rubbish in our building

  • Cobalt has installed a water filtration system so to reduce the purchase of single use plastic bottles which are a major landfill issue.

  • Cobalt provides usage of a coffee machine to reduce the necessity to buy coffee in single use takeaway coffee cups, we also provide free re-useable cups for employees to use when buying coffee to reduce waste.

  • Showers are provided in our Auckland office to encourage cycling and running to and from work, along with secure bike racks to lock your bike in during the day or overnight if needed.

Wellbeing and Health and Safety

Cobalt is a strong advocate of a healthy work/life balance and accepts its responsibility in ensuring that individuals achieve this. We do this through:

  • Discouraging any additional hours being worked, whether it be before or after the core working day or at weekends, which is communicated at the outset of their careers here and continually reinforced throughout the business.

  • Encouraging employees to run, walk or cycle to work where possible so that individuals can, in turn, reduce environmental damage by unnecessary use of taxis or private transport. To make this a viable and realistic option, we provide on-site showering facilities.

  • Encourage that full holiday entitlement is exercised each year, by not carrying forward annual leave.

  • Introducing incentive schemes which centre on taking time off or relaxing trips abroad, often including partners.

  • Encouraging sporting activities, including football, netball, running, cycling and golf weekends.

  • Free flu vaccinations annually for all staff, administered by a qualified health professional at the office.

  • Flexible working is available to all employees.

We take the health and safety of our employees very seriously, with our health and safety policy being communicated to all new employees through the employee handbook.

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  • An annual, thorough internal and external audit programme.

  • Awareness and training as appropriate in relevant changes to employment and emigration legislation which affect our markets.

Our quality policy is included in the staff handbook. We require all employees to read the policy and implement it in their practices.

The Managing Director is ultimately responsible for quality but all employees are encouraged to be responsible for the quality of the service within their direct responsibility. We also have a Quality Assurance Representative based in our London office.

Our policy is reviewed annually.