When applying for an internship with the "big four" accounting firms, University of Auckland commerce and science student Jade Crawford had her hopes pinned on one in particular.
She wanted to work for a firm with a long-term sustainable business model and culture that was diverse and connected to her Ngāpuhi ancestry and te ao Māori (the Māori world).
When Deloitte offered her a place on its internship programme, she accepted instantly.
"They don't just say they value diversity, their structure indicates they are acting on it," Jade says.
Graduates like Jade who seek workplaces with an indigenous value system are likely to become increasingly common.
Statistics New Zealand projects that 30 per cent of the country's workforce (people aged 15-64) will be Māori or Pacific by 2038.
Tongan student Jacinta Taliauli, in her second year of a commerce degree majoring in information technology, sees a "disruption" happening in the business world, especially in the post-Treaty settlement environment.
"Economic gain is not enough any more. Business is also about social good, protecting the environment and helping other people better their lives," she says.
Dr Chellie Spiller, Associate Dean of Māori and Pacific at the University of Auckland Business School and whose iwi is Ngati Kahungunu, says indigenous graduates want to use their business and indigenous knowledge in the work place.
"They are set to make large contributions to indigenous, New Zealand and global economies, at the same time re-shaping what it means to be successful in business; it's really exciting to see."
Large New Zealand organisations, and professional services firms in particular, are already securing Māori and Pacific talent. Last year EY launched a new Māori advisory firm Tahi, which has four North Island offices and operates under EY's global professional services umbrella. PwC offers Māori business services as well as advisory, assurance, private business and tax services.
The need for businesses to provide a people-orientated workplace gives companies more than just the ability to attract the growing indigenous workforce.
Millennials or Gen-Y (people born between 1980 and 1995) also place more importance on being part of cohesive teams, and less on pay, according to PwC's NextGen: A global generational study 2013. PwC recommends organisations encourage younger staff to connect, collaborate and build their networks.
PhD student Abigail McClutchie, whose iwi are Te Rarawa and Ngāti Porou, has focused her research on Māori entrepreneurship, business education and kaupapa Māori.
She says incorporating indigenous values could also be a way to help modern organisations develop a more community-centred approach to business.
"Māori and indigenous values are universal. They have a lot of valuable gifts to share with the business world. With these gifts everybody benefits," McClutchie says.
"It starts by having a vision for a better humanity, and putting people first - a movement away from humans being objectified as resources.
"Additionally, for Māori, when people work collectively on a vision it potentially expands for the greater good. "As the whakataukī goes: e hara taku toa i te toa taki tahi, engari he toa taki tini (success is not mine alone, but the success of many)."
PhD student Mariaelena Huambachano, who is Andean (indigenous of Peru), says literature reveals "sustainability" is not a new concept, but rather an enduring principle that requires ongoing attention to maintaining a balance between ecological, economic and social systems.
"There is lots of evidence of successful indigenous economies such as Māori and Andean peoples of Peru who have succeeded in safeguarding a sustainable living for their peoples through centuries and even millennia."