WSP's Rotorua team.
It admits a lot of people do not know what it does, but that has not stopped engineering consultancy WSP from being named among the best companies to work for in New Zealand.
WSP made fifth on the list of New Zealand’s top 20 Most Attractive Employers, according to recruitment agency Randstad’s latest Employer Brand Research. The HR and recruitment specialist surveyed 4302 Kiwis, with the market’s 150 largest employers eligible for the recognition.
The company came after arguably better-known players Air New Zealand, Customs, the Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment, and the Department of Conservation.
WSP’s Bay of Plenty regional manager Dion Collier said it was fantastic to be recognised in that way.
“We put a lot of time and effort into our work environment and the opportunities our people get,” he said.
“I think it is a fair representation of our reputation in the market.”
Collier said they were “pretty stoked” to be on the list because not a lot of people knew what WSP did.
“We are a very quiet company. If you know what we do, you know who we are,” he said.
“There are a lot of people who don’t know what we do. So to be recognised in this way is pretty special. It is actually quite a big milestone for us.”
The company has 22 locations in New Zealand, including two in Tauranga and one each in Rotorua, Whakatāne and Paeroa, together employing about 140 people.
WSP has worked on infrastructure projects across the country.
In the Bay of Plenty, that included the Pāpāmoa College redevelopment, local playgrounds, as well as various city council projects, and “making everyone’s daily lives a little bit better really”.
“We are one of the bigger water infrastructure designers for Tauranga City Council, we run a roading contract for the Western Bay of Plenty District Council called WestLink. Our team are out there doing the mahi [work] and helping keep the traffic moving.”
Collier said the feedback it received highlighted the company’s “employee value proposition”.
“We get teams highly involved in extra-curricular activities. We just had a team go through the corporate cycle challenge in the Velodrome in Cambridge. We have a team of people who get stuck into the Whaka100 in Rotorua.
“Work-life balance and flexibility of working days are fantastic. We have an alternative transport subsidy, so if you catch the bus, bike, walk, scooter, the company looks after you with a few pennies in your pocket.”
The work was “pretty cool” too, he said.
“We get involved in a whole bunch of things that directly impact our local communities and we get stuck into and are helping create better things for them.”
There were also a lot of career progression opportunities for staff, he said, with a lot of internal promotions.
Collier said he had been with the company for 12 years and he was not the only one who had been around for years - they had just celebrated an employee who had been there for 40 years. He said about four to five people started last week.
Collier said WSP was a knowledge-based business.
“We sell the smarts of the people that we have. Therefore if we don’t have our people, we have next to nothing.
“We want people to bring their whole selves to work, their real selves. So there is a lot of time spent in making sure that environment is created where they can come in and be themselves. That is a huge part of what we do.”
He said the company was “very proud” of its top five placing.
“We need to thank everybody. It is all the people in our business.”
Another company with strong Bay of Plenty links, Oji Fibre Solutions - manufacturer of pulp, container-board and sustainable packaging products for fruit, meat, dairy and other produce - was named 15 on the list.
Chief executive Jon Ryder said it was encouraging to make the top 20 list two years in a row.
“I think it indicates we may be doing the right things but there is more to do.”
Ryder said the company employed about 1800 people across New Zealand and Australia.
The company directly employed around 270 people in the Bay of Plenty.
It operated the Tasman pulp mill in Kawerau, a packaging distribution centre and corporate office in Mount Maunganui, and the Lodestar shipping and logistics service.
Ryder said the company’s sustainability report indicated 39 per cent of its workforce have been with it for more than a decade, with New Zealand employees staying almost 12 years on average.
He said the company did well in surveys because it had been operating in New Zealand for many years and was known as a responsible manufacturer.
“We don’t have a high public profile compared to some of the other organisations in the survey, but I think people recognise Oji Fibre Solutions is a safe, secure place to work, and they will be aware we make sustainable products,” he said.
“We are proud to be powering the circular bioeconomy, using renewable energy and making products from wood residues and recycled paper.”
Ryder said the company understood attracting and retaining employees required continuous effort and commitment to people.
“We don’t believe we can be satisfied with scoring well in surveys like this, we need to get better at many things, including listening to our people and working with them on our challenges.
“I believe we still have a lot of work to do to make Oji Fibre Solutions a great place to work, and I’m committed to making this a priority for the business.”
Air New Zealand was named New Zealand’s Most Attractive Employer for the seventh time.
While Air New Zealand bumped last year’s winner, Evolve Education, it could be seen as a continuation of its dominance in the category, given Randstad does not allow an organisation that wins the accolade three years in a row to be eligible for the award for a period of three years.
The airline previously held the title between 2017 to 2019 and 2011 to 2013.
Randstad said the national carrier achieved the most attractive employer accolade based on its reputation, interesting job content and financial health.
Air New Zealand chief executive Greg Foran said: “We’re humbled to have been named the country’s most attractive employer for the seventh time. This distinction reflects the resilience and commitment of our people and the hard mahi and dedication they demonstrate every day.
Randstad country director Richard Kennedy said Air New Zealand’s achievement recognised its commitment to moving on from the Covid-19 pandemic.
In February, the airline reported an after-tax net profit of $213 million for the six months to December 31, compared to a loss of $272m in the previous period.
Covid-19 paralysed the aviation industry and delivered a near-$1 billion blow to Air New Zealand that same year - and further heavy losses - which forced the Government to step in and help in the form of a loan.
“We’ve had a tough time over the past few years, and I especially want to thank our customers who have stood by us, even though we struggled at times to deliver the standards we pride ourselves on,” Foran added.
“The key reason we got through it was because of the unwavering support of our people. We will continue to foster a welcoming culture where our staff can be authentically themselves and feel part of the Air New Zealand whānau.”
New Zealand Customs Service and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) were second and third in Randstad’s research respectively.
“I would also like to congratulate NZ Customs and MBIE who continue to perform exceptionally well every year, which is no mean feat in the current economic climate,” Randstad’s Kennedy said.
Nigel Foster, Customs’ deputy chief executive people and capability, welcomed the recognition alongside its key airline partner.
“Customs is here to protect and promote Aotearoa New Zealand across borders and shares a great sense of pride and camaraderie in not just protecting our country and interests, but also looking after our people and those we interact with,” Foster said.
“Many Customs officers who join stay with us for decades, finding the culture and purpose aligns with their own. This is testament to our values and who we are as an organisation.”
Additional reporting: NZ Herald
New Zealand’s Most Attractive Employers, according to Randstad’s latest Employer Brand Research:
Zoe Hunter is an assistant news director covering business and property news for the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post. She also writes for NZME’s regional business publication Money and has worked for NZME since 2017.
Local Democracy Reporting obtained the decision through the court.