The popular Arts Village Café in Rotorua has benefitted from employing John Harvey, a remarkable young man who is living his dream of working in the hospitality industry. What began as a volunteer placement for a few hours a week quickly turned into a paid position as the staff recognised his many positive character traits. “We love having John working for us at Arts Village Café!” says AVC chef, Alex Smith. “He’s a diligent and reliable employee who obviously takes pride in his work. He cares about people and their health and safety.”

John works behind the scenes, washing dishes and keeping the atmosphere positive. “We also love his good sense of humour,” Alex says. “He’s great company to have a chat and a laugh with in the kitchen.”

We couldn’t be more pleased with this positive outcome. It’s a great success story about how matching the perfect person with the right role benefits both employer and employee.