Winner is AA Insurance in JRA Best Workplaces Awards 2011

November 17, 2011

Winner is AA Insurance in JRA Best Workplaces Awards 2011

AA Insurance is living proof that tough times can only make you stronger, after being named New Zealand’s best workplace at the JRA Best Workplaces Awards for 2011 last night.

After a year spent dealing with the fallout of the Christchurch Earthquake, employees at the large insurance firm went on to give feedback placing their workplace at the top of 237 organisations across the country which entered the survey.

AA Insurance was named the Overall Winner, as well as winner of the Large Workplace category, at a black tie awards ceremony held at the Langham Hotel in Auckland last night.

The insurance firm, which employs 479 workers across the country, was heavily involved in responding to the earthquake, organising mobile homes as offices in Christchurch to enable people to make claims in person instead of over the phone.

Although it has been a finalist now for four years running, this is the first time that AA Insurance has won an award at the event.

It was awarded top spot after being ranked above 34 other finalists after employees answered questions across categories such as culture and values, learning and development and communication and co-operation.

Other winners on the night included the Electricity and Gas Complaints Commissioner in the Small Workplace category, Brother International (NZ) in the Small-Medium Workplace category and Mars New Zealand in the Medium-Large Workplace category.

Most Improved Awards were also presented in each category and included Arneg New Zealand, Dispute Resolution Services, The Laminex Group and Yellow.

Awards were also presented to seven organisations in the Five-Year League for appearing as a finalist consistently in the last five out of six years and went to Flight Centre (NZ), Inspire Group, Mars New Zealand, Maven International, Obex Medical, Overland Footwear and Vero Insurance New Zealand.

Now in its 12th year, the survey uses confidential feedback from organisations’ employees to rate their employers. As the largest survey of workplace climate and employee opinion in the country it has become the benchmark for best workplace practices nationwide.

This year a record number of employees gave feedback on their workplaces, with more than 31,700 Kiwis responding to the Survey from a wide range of sectors and regions across the country.

Troy Kanter, President and Chief Operating Officer of Kenexa, presented the Overall Winner Award and said it was a tremendous achievement for AA Insurance to be rated so highly by staff, given the challenges the company had faced this year.

Despite a challenging year, several insurance firms received votes of confidence from their employees with Southern Cross Medical Care Society, Vero Insurance New Zealand and Wellington-based FMG all joining AA Insurance as finalists in the awards.

Managing Director of Kenexa|JRA, Sanchia Yonge, said it was encouraging New Zealand’s overall employee engagement scores have reached their highest-ever point.

“Over a third of employees surveyed in the JRA Best Workplaces Survey 2011 have been identified as “engaged”, and willing to go the extra mile at a time when it’s never been more important to sustain commitment to maximise business performance.”

As well as taking the prestige of being the country’s best workplace back to the office, the winning organisations will be featured in a special New Zealand Herald supplement and throughout other media and they’ll enjoy a boost to their employment brands.

The survey, which invites employees to give valuable feedback on what their organisation is like as a place to work, takes employees just ten minutes to complete and covers aspects of workplace climate including culture and values, common purpose, communication, learning and development, and reward and recognition.

For more information on the JRA Best Workplaces Survey and Awards please visit www.bestworkplaces.co.nz

JRA Best Workplaces 2011 Awards Winners:

Overall Winner- AA Insurance

Small Workplace category:
Winner: Electricity and Gas Complaints Commissioner
Most Improved: Arneg New Zealand

Finalists: ADInstruments, Auckland Radiation Oncology, Dricon, Entertainment Publications, Inspire Group, Mansons TCLM, Maven International, Optimal Usability and Porter Novelli New Zealand.

Small-Medium Workplace category:
Winner: Brother International (NZ)
Most Improved: Dispute Resolution Services

Finalists: Aviation Tourism and Travel Training Organisation (ATTTO), Cardinal Logistics, footsteps education, Giltrap City Toyota, GrabOne, Hyundai Motors New Zealand, Mercy Hospice Auckland, Obex Medical and Soltius New Zealand.

Medium-Large Workplace category:
Winner: Mars New Zealand
Most Improved: The Laminex Group

Finalists: Arrow International (NZ), DraftFCB New Zealand, Duncan Cotterill Lawyers, FMG, New World Te Rapa, Overland Footwear, South Taranaki District Council, The Laminex Group and Trade Me.

Large Workplace category:
Winner: AA Insurance
Most Improved: Yellow

Finalists: Flight Centre (NZ), Southern Cross Medical Care Society, Warehouse Stationery and Vero Insurance New Zealand.

Five Year League:
Flight Centre (NZ), Inspire Group, Mars New Zealand, Maven International, Obex Medical, Overland Footwear, Vero Insurance New Zealand.

ENDS

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