Answering Te Tiriti and Cultural Capability Questions in New Zealand Executive Interviews
Executives interviewing for senior roles in New Zealand, particularly in the public sector, are often asked about Te Tiriti o Waitangi and their ability to work with Māori. For candidates who have grown up and worked in New Zealand, these questions are familiar. For candidates coming from Australia or overseas, they can be unexpected, and a weak answer can undermine an otherwise strong interview.
This guide explains why these questions are asked, what panels are usually looking for and how to prepare an answer that is honest, specific and respectful. It is a starting point, not the final word. If you are preparing for a role where this will be assessed, talk with people who have the knowledge and standing to guide you, including Māori colleagues, advisers and the organisation itself.
Why panels ask these questions
Te Tiriti o Waitangi, signed in 1840, is a founding document of New Zealand and sets out the relationship between Māori and the Crown. It has a significant place in New Zealand’s law, public policy and public life.
For the public service, the Public Service Act 2020 states that the role of the public service includes supporting the Crown in its relationships with Māori under the Treaty, and it places responsibility on public service leaders for developing and maintaining the capability of the public service to engage with Māori and understand Māori perspectives.
Many Crown entities, state-owned enterprises, councils, health and education organisations also have their own obligations, commitments or strategies relating to Te Tiriti and to Māori. Some private sector organisations, particularly those with Māori shareholders, partners, customers or staff, also ask about cultural capability.
Expectations and the way they are expressed can change over time, including through changes in government policy. Always read the position description, the organisation’s strategy and any Māori or Te Tiriti strategy it publishes, so you understand what this particular organisation expects now.
What panels are usually looking for
Panels are rarely testing whether you can recite history. They are usually looking for:
Understanding. A basic, accurate understanding of Te Tiriti, its place in New Zealand and what it means for the organisation you are joining.
Relevance. An understanding of how Te Tiriti and Māori interests relate to the role and the organisation’s work.
Experience. Evidence of how you have worked with Māori, iwi, hapū or Māori organisations, or with other communities in ways that show relevant skills.
Commitment. A sincere willingness to keep learning and to lead in a way that supports the organisation’s obligations.
Humility. Awareness of what you do not know, and openness to guidance.
The questions you may be asked
Common questions include:
What does Te Tiriti o Waitangi mean to you?
How would you give effect to this organisation’s Te Tiriti obligations in this role?
Tell us about your experience working with Māori or iwi.
How would you build the cultural capability of your team?
How have you ensured that Māori perspectives were considered in a decision?
How have you built your understanding of te ao Māori?
The last question is about your own learning. Answer the substance of it: what you have learned, how and what you are still working on.
How to prepare a strong answer
Learn the basics properly. Understand the history, the two texts, the principles often referred to in public policy and how Te Tiriti relates to the organisation’s work. Use reliable sources, such as material from government agencies, the Waitangi Tribunal and Māori organisations.
Understand the organisation’s position. Read its strategy, annual report and any Māori or Te Tiriti strategy. Know its obligations, its relationships with iwi and Māori organisations and how it describes its commitments.
Connect it to the role. Think about how Te Tiriti and Māori interests relate to your specific role. For a CFO, that might include funding decisions, procurement, investment, reporting, partnerships or service delivery. For a CEO or other senior leader, it may be more strategic.
Draw on real experience. Describe specific situations where you worked with Māori, iwi or Māori organisations, or supported Māori staff or communities. If your experience is limited, be honest about that, and describe related experience, such as working with other communities, leading inclusive teams or building partnerships.
Show what you are doing to learn. Te reo Māori courses, cultural capability programs, reading and learning from colleagues all count. Describe what you have learned and what you plan to do next.
Speak in your own words. Panels can tell when an answer is rehearsed or borrowed. Use your own language and be sincere.
A simple structure for your answer
Under pressure, even well-prepared candidates can lose their thread. A simple structure helps you stay clear and calm. One approach is:
Start with your understanding. In a few sentences, say what you understand about the organisation’s commitments, in your own words.
Connect it to the role. Explain where you see this role making a difference to those commitments.
Give one real example. Describe a specific situation, what you did and what you learned from it.
Say what you are still learning. Name one or two areas you are working on, and how.
Close with what you would do. Briefly describe how you would continue to build your own capability and your team’s once you are in the role.
Aim for an answer of around two to three minutes. That is long enough to show thought and short enough to leave room for follow-up questions.
If you have limited experience, the same structure still works. Your example may come from a related setting, and your answer about learning may carry more weight. What matters is that the answer is sincere and specific.
Linking your answer to the specific role
A generic answer is one of the most common weaknesses panels notice. The fix is preparation that is specific to the role.
Before the interview, read the position description closely and note every place it refers to Māori, partnership, communities or cultural capability. Then read the organisation’s own published material and note the language it uses.
Ask yourself:
Which decisions in this role affect the communities the organisation serves?
Which relationships will I be responsible for, and who will I be working alongside?
What would success in this part of the role look like after the first year?
Where would I need advice, and who inside the organisation could give it?
For example, a CFO might prepare by thinking through how the finance function supports the organisation’s partnerships and programs, and how they would make sure the right people are involved in relevant decisions. A people leader might focus on how they would support their team’s learning. The aim is to show the panel you have thought about this role, not roles in general.
Practising your answer
This is not an answer to memorise word for word. A scripted answer can sound hollow, which works against you on a question about sincerity.
Instead:
Practise out loud. Say your answer several times until the structure feels natural, then let the wording vary.
Get feedback. Ask someone with relevant knowledge to listen and tell you what is unclear or missing.
Prepare for follow-up questions. Panels often ask “Can you tell us more about that?” or “What did you learn?” Have more detail ready for your example.
Check your pronunciation. If your answer includes any te reo Māori, including names of organisations or places, check you are saying them correctly.
Practise listening. Some panels frame the question in their own way. Listen to the exact question and answer that, rather than delivering a prepared speech.
Our guide to executive panel interviews covers wider preparation for panel formats.
If you are coming from Australia or overseas
Candidates from Australia or overseas may have less direct experience. That is understood. What panels want to see is that you have made the effort to learn, that you understand the importance of Te Tiriti in New Zealand and that you will continue to learn once you are in the role.
Avoid comparing Te Tiriti to arrangements in other countries unless you understand both well. Australia, for example, has a very different history and legal framework for its relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Our piece on moving between the Australian and New Zealand executive markets covers other differences to be aware of.
Using te reo Māori
Many panels welcome candidates who use te reo Māori appropriately, such as a greeting. If you do, make an effort to pronounce it correctly, and use it naturally rather than as a performance. If you are unsure, ask for guidance beforehand. A simple, sincere greeting is better than an elaborate introduction you are not comfortable with.
Some interviews begin with a mihi or karakia. Follow the panel’s lead, and ask the organisation in advance if you are unsure what to expect.
What to avoid
Treating the question as a box to tick
Giving a generic answer that could apply anywhere
Overstating your experience or knowledge
Using te reo Māori you cannot pronounce or do not understand
Speaking about Māori rather than showing how you have worked with Māori
Becoming defensive if you have limited experience
Show it on your CV too
If you are applying for a role where cultural capability matters, reflect it in your CV. Include relevant experience, partnerships, learning and programs. Our guide to executive CVs in New Zealand covers what New Zealand panels expect from the document.
Get advice before your interview
Because this area is important and personal, get advice from people who know it well. Talk with Māori colleagues or advisers, use the organisation’s own guidance and practise your answer with someone who can give honest feedback.
If you want help preparing for a New Zealand executive interview, see executive interview preparation.
If you have a New Zealand executive interview coming up, book a complimentary Clarity Session and we will look at the questions you are likely to face and how to prepare for them.
