New Herald-JRA partnership for workplace survey

The New Zealand Herald is to become the new media partner to the JRA Best Workplaces Survey.

JRA is at the forefront of research into employee engagement in New Zealand, and for the past 10 years its unlimited/JRA Best Places to Work in New Zealand Survey has enabled hundreds of New Zealand organisations to measure engagement levels, benchmark these against "best practice", and gain insight into factors contributing to and detracting from a productive workplace environment.

"We are very excited about our new partner, and the unprecedented media coverage and greater exposure and recognition this will mean for our rebranded JRA Best Workplaces Survey in association with The New Zealand Herald and our winners and finalists," said JRA managing director, John Robertson.

"This new brand will be the one we will also use when we launch a series of Best Workplaces surveys in Australia out of our JRA (Aust) Pty Ltd office in Brisbane in the next few months."

Robertson said the Herald would be involved in all of the activities associated with the Best Workplaces programme - the survey itself; an awards evening that would recognise and celebrate New Zealand's best workplaces; and a series of seminars that would provide an opportunity for others to learn from "best practice" organisations.

The New Zealand Herald and Herald on Sunday general manager, Chris Jagusch, is equally enthusiastic.

"The timing for this is perfect," he said.

"More than ever, New Zealand organisations need to exploit every competitive advantage they have - and clearly best workplace practices and the higher levels of talent retention, productivity, and service they engender are the key to this for many.

"We'll be looking to profile New Zealand's best workplaces in a special supplement we will be preparing in conjunction with JRA following completion of the survey, something we are sure will provide ideas and inspiration to other organisations."

The JRA Best Workplace Survey 2009 will be launched at a series of CEO breakfast sessions in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch during March and April, while the survey itself, which Robertson predicts will be their best ever and attract close to 250 organisations, will go live on June 1, 2009 and be available for completion through until the end of August 2009.