Though it can be concerning bringing someone on board that you have never met in person, virtual recruitment is a solution in this case and onboarding is not a completely new idea for many, it may now be the way forward with flexible working becoming a stronger possibility for businesses following the COVID-19 lockdown period.

In the past couple of years, since returning to NZ, I’ve had the privilege to meet with a wide range of repatriates and hear their stories. And, as I’ve collected more stories, my inner-academic has started to group these into a kind of ‘typology of returners’ – each of which reflect a common experience, and similar relationship to NZ.

The short answer is yes. The long answer is more complex and takes into consideration a number of different perspectives. Firstly, a reference is just one tool to assist in the decision-making of a recruitment process of 30 steps – if the process is being done well.