How to apply
Stage One – online application form
Go to 'Job Search' and click on ‘Apply now’ or go to 'Register your interest' and the online application form will step you through the information that you need to provide. Attach your CV if you have one. You'll be asked to provide things like your contact details, your experience level, whether you've had any credit rating or criminal history issues, and whether you've the right to work in New Zealand.
Make sure your CV is up to date and error-free! Include the dates you were employed in each role, as well as a summary of responsibilities and key achievements. And remember to include your contact details.
We would recommend that you include a cover letter with your application as it may help you to stand out by highlighting important elements from your CV. It should briefly outline the relevant skills and experience you can bring to the position, and explain why you're the best person for the job.
Stage Two - interviews
Interviews are a key step in our selection process and you're likely to have at least one interview for most of our positions. This not only gives us the opportunity to understand you but for you to find out about Higgins and ensure it’s the right fit for you. Don’t be intimidated by the interview process, we take a relaxed approach and you'll be able to ask lots of questions.
Often we’ll need to ask some competency based questions which focus on role-specific or technical skills, knowledge and experience. Competency based interviews ask you for examples of when and how you have demonstrated a particular skill, knowledge or ability. They're important because they enable us to better understand your strengths.
When answering competency based questions, you may find the STAR technique useful:
Situation - describe the situation
Task - describe what you had to achieve
Action - describe what steps you took
Result - describe what the outcome was
We're looking for people who are proactive and show initiative, so think about STAR before coming in to see us.
Stage Three - other assessments
a) Psychometric testing
For some of our positions, we may need you to complete an ability assessment and/or personality profiling. This is completed by an external organisation and, in most cases, it can be done online at a time that suits you.
b) Reference checks
We like to speak to at least two referees, including your current employer where possible.
Stage Four - offer and final checks
As soon as we are able we will contact you to tell you the outcome of the interview(s) and whether or not we're going to make an offer. If we don't, we will provide you with feedback as to why.
We usually make a verbal offer first and follow this up with a formal written offer in the mail.
If you have any questions about your application or our recruitment process please email
For construction field and driving positions, you will be asked to complete a drug and alcohol assessment prior to your employment. Failure to pass will mean we are unable to offer you a position with our company.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I keep track of my application?
We’ll send you an automatic confirmation email after you have submitted your application.
You can then keep track of your application by logging in to our system at your convenience. We’ll inform you if you’re successful in progressing in the recruitment process.
It’s important that you make sure your contact details are correct as all of our correspondence is by email and phone. Please update your profile if any of your details change.
If you have made an application you can follow the progress of your application. You can edit any application up to the point where we start processing your application.
Can I submit a general application?
No. If there aren’t any current vacancies that suit you, we suggest you set up a job alert, which will notify you of any future jobs that match your employment preferences once you’ve made a search or filtered results. This will match any future positions with your job preferences. You will be informed of any future matches by email.