Air NZ 'most attractive' employer third year in a row

Air New Zealand has been voted the country’s most attractive employer for the third year at the annual Randstad Awards.

Two government departments were second and third.

The awards were presented in front of senior executives from 150 of New Zealand’s largest employers last night and recognise the organisations New Zealanders find the most attractive to work with.

Randstad New Zealand director Paul Robinson says it is no surprise Air NZ outshone again this year, given how incredibly hard the airline works on fostering a strong, positive company culture.

“Air New Zealand is one of the first companies to recognise the importance of a powerful employer brand and every one of their 10,000 or so employees strives to achieve exceptional results, which leave their customers walking away with a good experience,” he says.

Award research reveals Air NZ has outstanding name awareness, with 86% of Kiwis knowing it well enough to have a strong opinion and positive perception about the brand. More than half of Kiwi respondents who know airline say they would like to work there, and the brand is attractive to a wide demographic – both males and females, across all age brackets.

Air NZ has become the first inductee into the Randstad Awards Global Hall of Fame after being the first company worldwide to win the award for three consecutive years.

“We are so proud to crown our national carrier with the prestigious Randstad Award Hall of Fame status – this is an inspiring achievement, and a testament to all employees of Air New Zealand,” Mr Robinson says.

Chief executive Christopher Luxon says Air NZ strongly believes in investing in its people and developing a winning team from within.

“We have long acknowledged our people are one of our greatest assets in the competitive airline market.

Accolades also go to New Zealand Customs Service – awarded the second most attractive employer in New Zealand for 2013, as well as the most attractive employer in the public sector.

The third spot on the podium for this year’s most attractive employer went to the Department of Conservation.

Massey University took the title of most attractive employer in the education sector.

Mr Robinson says it will be important for organisations to continue investing in their employer brand in order to remain an attractive option for jobseekers in 2013.

“An organisation’s brand is one of the most valuable and reputable assets any employer can have as it will naturally help to attract top talent, and this is of great benefit in a highly competitive marketplace.

"As our economy and our job market continue to gain momentum, the stakes for New Zealand organisations are high. Business leaders need to ensure they’re looking after and investing in their people, because if it’s not seen as a priority, employees won’t stick around, especially if there’s a more attractive option available to them."

The Randstad Award, together with the employer branding research, makes a third appearance in New Zealand this year, in addition to 17 other countries across Europe, Asia Pacific and the Americas.

First launched in Belgium in 2000, the awards have become a coveted industry accolade and have grown exponentially since their inception, adding credibility and reputation every year. 

The scale of the Randstad Award employer branding research is unrivalled internationally. The study, on which the award is based, is the largest piece of employer branding research in the world. This year award research has gathered data from more than 160,000 people globally, 7000 of whom are New Zealanders.

Randstad Award Top 20 most attractive organisations in New Zealand for 2013 are: