Sheffield has a long history of advising New Zealand leaders in the field of Search and Selection, and Organisational Development. Founded in 1961, in 2011 we celebrate 50 years of service to New Zealand’s public and private sectors. Our roots are in organisational psychology. One of the first psychological consulting jobs that our founder, Malcolm Sheffield, carried out was to assess and benchmark the characteristics of successful salesmen and managers. This knowledge then informed clients’ hiring decisions.

As well as Search and Selection services, we have always offered development programmes for executives. Bespoke programmes for clients including Air New Zealand, DB, Auckland Airport, and Russell McVeagh demonstrate the long-standing relationships and trust we have developed with New Zealand business.

Though our roots have always been in psychology, over 50 years they have been stress-tested. Psychological profiling became unfashionable in the 1970s, and the firm diversified into management consultancy. In addition, services in Industrial Relations, Remuneration, Outplacement, and Governance have come and gone in the mix, according to the country’s economic cycle.

Global economic changes over the last three decades have meant that much of our best talent must now go offshore to achieve greater career opportunities in organisations of scale. Equally, New Zealand continues to offer lifestyle and more niched leadership and management opportunities for top global talent, particularly as our focus on trade/export activity requires a more refined skill set. Sheffield plays a leading role in finding and attracting that type of talent to New Zealand.

Our 50th birthday year is a valuable opportunity to reconnect with clients and staff, who have been associated with Sheffield - in the past, and today.