Previously, Gourmet Blueberries Limited in Hastings employs blueberry pickers by taking the first 200 walk-in applications per day during their 2-Day Employment Open Days. This employment system was changed in 2017 and this time, applicants need to register online in order to receive an application form and proceed with the next step of the employment process.
My fiancé, Tony was one of the successful applicants who got the job after following each and every single step throughout the entire employment process. Hurray! 😀
2017-2018 Season Blueberry Picking Online Registration & Application Form
As mentioned above, anyone who wishes to work as a blueberry picker with Gourmet Blueberries Limited for the 2017-2018 season will have to register online to receive an application form and proceed with the next employment process.
So, following the instructions given, Tony emailed his name to blueberry@nzg.co.nz during the given dates or timeline posted on Gourmet Blueberries Limited’s Facebook page. Several days later, he received an application form which he completed and emailed it back to them as soon as possible.
In order to facilitate the process, Gourmet Blueberries Limited limits each person to one email per person. Do note that those who send multiple names per email will not be able to progress to the next step, and registering your name does not guarantee a job.
A pre-screening process still applies and during this time, no walk-in applications will be permitted or entertained, so please do not go to the Gourmet Blueberry Limited’s office and bug them.
Pre-Registered Employment Open Days
Once the registration form is completed and submitted, Gourmet Blueberries Limited will then allocate a specific time and day for applicants to go to the office and submit the required original documents:
- Passport
- Birth certificate with photo ID (for NZ residents/citizens only)
- Work visa conditions
- Entry date into New Zealand (stamp in passport)
- Printed bank account number with your name e.g. bank statement
- Printed IRD number with your name e.g. letter from IRD
Please note that no photocopies or handwritten documents will be accepted. Also, anyone without their documents cannot finish the application process.
Induction Invitation & It’s Off to Work!
By now, Tony had successfully registered and submitted his application form along with the required documents to the employment team at Gourmet Blueberries Limited, Hastings. The next step was to be invited for an induction.
About a week later, he received an email with the scheduled date and time of his induction. He was also reminded to arrive at least 10 minutes before the given time and bring a valid photo ID for identification. Due to the high volume of applicants, this process might take at least 1-2 weeks to be processed.
On the day of his induction, I accompanied Tony to Gourmet Blueberries Limited, Hastings for support and encouragement. There, we parked our car at the picker’s car park and Tony went to join the rest of the people waiting at the gates. Minutes later, someone from the office greeted them and took them in for the induction.
In a Nutshell
The induction session took about an hour where he received his picking card with a red ribbon (beginner’s level) attached to it. With that, Tony was able to start work – picking blueberries the very next day. And so, my fiancé and I were able to pick blueberries together at Gourmet Blueberries Limited, Hastings for the entire 2017-2018 season.