Best workplaces revealed: Is yours in the top 100?

New graduates have voted on their most favoured workplaces... is yours on the list? Photo / Getty

The graduates have voted - and public service is where it's at.

The list of New Zealand employers most coveted by newly-minted graduates has been released - with jobs in public service, accounting, and technology at the top of the list.

It's the first time the survey - for website GradNewZealand - has been held in New Zealand after successful rounds in Asia and Australia.

The research was conducted in 2019 to identify the most sought-after employers among New Zealand's university students and recent graduates.

The top 5 included Microsoft, Air New Zealand, accounting software company Xero, advisory, design and engineering consultancy Beca and PricewaterhouseCoopers.

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The Top 100 survey was compiled based on 2,200 votes from New Zealand students who took part in the survey online and on-campus.

The online survey was distributed to students via student societies, careers services, email and social media campaigns.

The results reveal that New Zealand's soon-to-be graduates are especially eager to enter the country's public service. There were 22 government organisations named among the
country's Top 100 graduate employers.

Topping the list at number six was the Ministry for Education, which offers a structured 18-month graduate programme designed to help new graduates enter careers in policy
development.

Also appearing in the Top 100 are the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade; New Zealand Police; the Ministry of Health; the Ministry of Social Development; the Ministry of
Business, Innovation, and Employment; Auckland Council; the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet; the New Zealand Defence Force; the Ministry for Primary Industries and Auckland Transport.

In total, seven government organisations made the top 20, making this the most popular industry for graduates.

Grant Robson from Prosple Group which oversees the survey said results of the survey would be of great assistance for Kiwi graduates looking for their first job.

GradNewZealand also provided job listings and information and articles.

"It's a great place for students to find out what a job, say like engineering, is actually like from someone doing it," he said.

NZME - which publishes the NZ Herald - was one of two in the media and communications sector to make the top 100. It came in at 74

The other was the advertising agency Clemenger Group at number 63.

Kylie Telford, Head of culture and performance strategy and employee experience at NZME, said the company put a strong emphasis on providing opportunities for students through work experience, open days and internships.

"We have a great track record of hiring a high percentage of the interns who come through our business," Telford said.

"This includes various areas from journalism through marketing to HR and digital development and we are working to ramp this up in 2020."

Grant Robson said the results of the Top 100 would also be available in a print edition of GradNewZealand - along with articles, career advice, and real-life stories.

The magazine would be available at student services at tertiary institutes throughout New Zealand.

Sector winners include:
● PwC (Accounting and Advisory)
● ANZ (Banking and Financial Services)
● Fletcher Building (Construction and Property Services)
● Beca (Engineering Consulting)
● Chapman Tripp (Law)
● Accenture (Management Consulting)
● Clemenger Group (Media and Communications)
● Powerco (Mining, Energy, Oil and Gas)
● Ministry of Education (Public Service and Utilities)
● Fisher & Paykel Healthcare (R&D and Manufacturing)
● Fonterra (Retail, Sales and Consumer Goods)
● Microsoft (Technology)
● Air New Zealand (Transport and Logistics)

For a full list go to: https://gradnewzealand.nz/