4 September 2002
Who is New Zealand's best employer?
Organisations vie for the Unlimited Best to Place Work
Who is New Zealand's best employer? A bank? A software company? A burger chain?
Large banks, small tech companies, city councils and burger chains are among those vying for the top 20 slots in this
year's Unlimited Best Places to Work. With one month still to go, the survey has exceeded the number of organisations
participating in last year's survey - and involves almost 10,000 employees.
"We've already got 105 organisations completing the survey and expect to get many more as the deadline of September 30
approaches," says survey author John Robertson, of human resources specialists John Robertson & Associates. In its first year, the survey attracted 45 companies; 87 in its second.
How it works Now in its third year, the survey is the largest of its kind in New Zealand, surveying 7000 employees last
year. A joint initiative by Unlimited magazine and John Robertson & Associates - and sponsored by Haines Ltd and David Forman Ltd - the survey ranks companies according to their
"performance index".
This index is created by an internationally recognised statistical method based on the results of an employee
questionnaire. Employees complete the 50-question survey privately and online. The survey asks questions about topics
such as leadership, job satisfaction, colleagues and remuneration.
The results Last year, BTFunds, Holmes Consulting and Microsoft NZ were the top three winners. Included in the top 20
were organisations as diverse as McDonald's, AMI Insurance, Waikato District Council, Toyota, Lion Breweries and West
Coast timber company Westco Lagan.
Also identified in the survey are the factors that go into making great workplaces. The top six factors that seem to
affect employee morale are surprising. "Unlike what many would think, pay and benefits is not top of what people say is
important to a great workplace," says Vincent Heeringa, publisher of Unlimited.
Employees ranked the following as the most important determinants of staff morale:
Fun, pride, success, care & well being, pay & benefits, and confidence in leadership.
"The results of this survey are consistent with what we find in all our work with companies. The pay and benefits need
to be fair (not generous) and they form only one part of the overall mix," says John Robertson.
Results for this year's survey will be published in the February 2003 edition of Unlimited magazine.
Contact us To enter the survey simply visit the web site:
unlimited.co.nz/bestplaces
For more information about the survey and its results contact:
John Robertson 09 307 8629
Vincent Heeringa
09 302 8759
The Unlimited Best Places to Work 2002 survey is sponsored by Haines Ltd and David Forman Ltd