SYDNEY, (June 5, 2015) – Chorus New Zealand Ltd has claimed the title of Aon Hewitt Best of Best Employer 2015 at an awards ceremony held in Sydney.

In its fourteenth cycle, the Aon Hewitt Best Employer study is Australia and New Zealand’s leading research and accreditation program looking at the people practices of high performing organisations. In 2015, a total of 15 Australian and New Zealand organisations have been accredited by Aon Hewitt as Best Employers.

The 2015 Aon Hewitt Best Employers are (in alphabetical order):

Bristol-Myers Squibb
Chorus New Zealand Ltd
Eden Brae Homes
FedEx Express (New Zealand)
Frucor Beverages New Zealand
Hilti Australia
Marriot Hotels & Resorts – Australia
Microsoft Australia and New Zealand
Millward Brown Australia
Peoplebank Australia Limited
Renault Australia
SEEK Limited
Swinburne Online
Wood & Grieve Engineers Ltd
Z Energy

“I’m so delighted that the sustained effort by all of us to make Chorus the best place we’ve ever worked has been recognised. The value of engaged employees is reflected in our business results, and we’ve been working towards the same level of engagement with all our stakeholders,” said Mark Ratcliffe, CEO, Chorus.

The latest Aon Hewitt Best Employers Australia and New Zealand study revealed Best Employers are characterised by the way they drive increased discretionary effort from their workforce as a result of more effective, outcomes-focussed people management practices.

The report also highlighted the effective management of change as an overarching theme for Best Employers, with the ability of companies to deal with change shown to be a major driver of staff engagement and business performance.

While over 70 per cent of the 92,500+ employees covered in the study recognised the need for organisations to continually evolve and adapt to changing market forces, Best Employers stood out for their successful execution of change. Almost nine out of 10 (88 per cent) of employees at Best Employers believe change is well managed in their workplace and that change initiatives help to improve business performance. Comparatively, only 66 per cent of employees at other organisations provided this response.

“Chorus was named the Aon Hewitt Best of Best 2015 for its outstanding people practices, which was exemplified when its organisation was facing change. Effective change management strategies are crucial in fostering and maintaining an engaged and productive workforce,” said Stephen Hickey, Partner and Head of Talent, Aon Hewitt. “In today’s dynamic business environment, there is significant value in organisations using employee engagement as a way to drive performance outcomes, both within the business and externally.”

“This year’s report revealed that Best Employers have the ability to navigate change in their business whilst delivering on performance targets at the same time. This not only improves employee confidence and performance, but also offers a significant competitive advantage in a rapidly evolving market,” Mr Hickey added.

The study also revealed that Best Employers successfully equip their senior managers to effectively manage changes within the organisation. Amongst Best Employers, 81 per cent of senior managers believe major change initiatives are well managed and improve performance, compared to only 58 per cent at other organisations. Echoing this trend, 74 per cent of those reporting into senior management at Best Employers feel change is handled well and improves performance, compared to just 42 per cent of employees at other organisations.

“Data shows us that engaged leaders stabilise their teams by implementing people practices to ensure staff strive for the best even during times of organisation change and volatility,” Mr Hickey said. “In particular, middle managers are pivotal to change execution and want to see initiatives managed more effectively. This is vitally important, as this year’s Best Employers report reveals a direct link between change management and business performance.”

Other key findings from the 2015 Aon Hewitt Best Employers Australia and New Zealand Study:

- Best Employers have more than twice as many ‘highly engaged’ employees than any other organisations, driving increased discretionary effort across the organisation
- Best Employers understand that leaders must be engaged to create high levels of engagement and performance inside their teams
- Best Employers maintain consistently high levels of employee engagement, regardless of age group. However, there is growing concern for the 25 to 44-year-old age  demographic who are the least engaged, despite representing the future of their organisations

The full insights from the Best Employers research can be accessed here.

ENDS

About Aon
Aon plc (NYSE:AON) is a leading global provider of risk management, insurance brokerage and reinsurance brokerage, and human resources solutions and outsourcing services. Through its more than 69,000 colleagues worldwide, Aon unites to empower results for clients in over 120 countries via innovative risk and people solutions. For further information on our capabilities and to learn how we empower results for clients, please visit: http://aon.mediaroom.com.

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Media Contact:
Krissie Vitasa, Hill+Knowlton Strategies +61 2 9286 1206, krissie.vitasa@hkstrategies.com