Top graduate workplaces revealed: Is your company on the list?

Reporter·NZ Herald·

19 Mar, 2021 12:49 AM3 mins to read

Tech and public service workplaces have dominated the list of places graduates want to work. Photo / Getty Images

The best workplaces for graduates have been revealed - with the tech industry and public service dominating the top spots.

New graduates have voted on the most desired list of employers and tech, public service and engineering have topped the list.

The list of workplaces where graduates most want to work has been released this year with a new methodology that has shaken the landscape of top employers.

This shift has seen accounting software company Xero take first place for the first time ever - moving Microsoft to second.

The rest of the top five included the engineering consultancies Beca and Aurecon, as well as Air New Zealand.

This year, instead of using elaborate student surveys, the rankings combine metrics of employer popularity with data about employee reviews - accounting for the popularity and quality of employers.

The results reveal that overall graduates are most interested in public service, which had 17 organisations among the top 100, followed by tech, which had 14, then by engineering consultancies and consumer goods, each having 11 businesses listed.

This year also welcomed multiple newcomers, including tech company Intergen, space satellite organisation Rocket Lab, and global law firm DLA Piper.

Grant Robson, a director from Prosple group which oversees the results of the survey, said that this year's changes were incredibly exciting and notes how useful the data will be for Kiwi graduates looking for a job.

GradNewZealand also provides job listings, employer reviews and informational articles.

"It is great to see many new employers who invest in their graduate programmes getting such high ranks this year," Robson said.

"We help people get the best start possible to their career… with our resources students are able to see what life in tech or consulting would be like from the inside and how they could land a position in that sector."

NZME - which publishes the New Zealand Herald - was the sector winner for media and communications and the second best-reviewed company in the country.

Lucy Webb, engagement advisor for NZME, said the company was committed to supporting the next generation of talent in the media industry.

"After a challenging year we are delighted for the recognition of this award as Top Grad Employer for the Media & Comms category," she said.

"At NZME we've taken a proactive approach to engage with diverse talent including partnering with universities and external organisations to bring interns on board and equipping them with meaningful experience."

Sector winners include:

● EY (Accounting and Advisory)

● Bank of New Zealand (Banking and Financial Services)

● Downer Group (Construction and Property Services)

● Powerco (Energy and Utilities)

● Beca (Engineering Consulting)

● Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Government and Public Service)

● Duncan Cotterill (Law)

● Accenture (Management Consulting)

● NZME (Media and Communications)

● BP (Mining, Oil, and Gas)

● GSK (Research and Development and Manufacturing)