Media Voted New Zealand’s Most Attractive Industry

Media release
 
Media Voted New Zealand’s Most Attractive Industry
to Work For: Randstad Award
What Are the Generational & Gender Preferences?
 
30 April 2013: The media industry has again been revealed as New Zealand’s most attractive industry to work for in the 2013 Randstad Awards, even after slightly dropping in terms of its relative attractiveness from 2012 to 2013.
 
The results were revealed as part of the annual Randstad Award employer branding research, which highlights the largest Kiwi organisations (by employee size) perceived as the most attractive by 7,000 New Zealanders (of working age). The research examines the factors Kiwis consider most important when looking for a new employer, as well as the industries deemed most attractive.
 
The media industry received top marks for its provision of interesting job content, competitive salary and employee benefits.
 
TVNZ has been revealed as the most attractive company in the media sector, as well as being recognised as the fourth most attractive employer in the country overall. The research shows TVNZ is attractive to a wide demographic, with particularly high scores coming from females between 25 and 39 years of age.
 
Other industries which performed well in New Zealand were education & training services, which received top marks for its provision of good work-life balance and pleasant working atmosphere, and the fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector, which is considered attractive for its strong management and leadership, and the financial health of the industry.
 
Director of Randstad New Zealand, Paul Robinson, says the media industry has done particularly well to maintain its position as the most attractive to Kiwis, considering recent shifts within the sector.
 
“It’s no doubt that Kiwis across the country perceive a job in the media sector to be an attractive choice, and it’s clear media companies do a great job in maintaining this momentum.
 
“We’ve seen significant changes within the media industry over the past couple of years, especially with online growth dominating the sector and the move toward an integration of services. Now, more than ever, the media boundaries are blurred and user-generated content is becoming more mainstream and accessible – and this has had a drastic effect on employment and staffing levels. Despite this change and uncertainty, media organisations have performed particularly well to show jobseekers that the industry is dynamic, exciting and remains an employer of choice,” says Robinson.
 
“There’s something to be learnt here for other organisations who are struggling to attract and retain good talent, even during challenging market conditions. A clear focus for management should be on listening to employees, shaping internal policies and benefits to boost engagement and productivity, and importantly, remaining agile and innovative to keep ahead of the trends. Building a strong employer brand will help all organisations maintain a powerful advantage over competing organisations and industries.
 
Education and FMCG sectors: Competition strong for top spot
While the media industry scooped up the top spot as most attractive industry for Kiwi employees, with its high name awareness and relative attractivity, the education and training services sector was not far behind. Obtaining the top marks for good work atmosphere, work-life balance and training and development opportunities, Education was also seen as the top performer in environmentally and socially aware initiatives. Massey University placed fifth overall, also taking out the sector award for the most attractive organisation in the education sector. AUT University, Victoria University of Wellington and The University of Auckland all featured in the Randstad Award Top 20.
 
The FMCG industry also fared well, and improved in attractiveness from 2012. This industry showed good results in having financially healthy organisations and strong management.
 
Generational priorities
While the Randstad Award research reveals both younger and older Kiwis have the same top five priorities as the country average when looking for an employer, there are some factors which are prioritised over others.
 
Potential employees aged 40 - 65 prioritise over younger workers, companies that offer high quality products and services; are financially healthy and offer interesting job content. This demographic also place greater importance on a company which has a strong image and values and ensuring they have a good work-life balance. Pleasant work atmosphere and management support are still important to older workers, with 35% and 47% respectively noting these would be a major motivating factor to leave a company.
 
Meanwhile, younger employees, more so than older workers, are attracted to companies that offer strong career prospects and quality training and development opportunities. Poor remuneration packages and a lack of career progression opportunities are more likely to make young employees leave an organisation, with 67% of younger workers noting lack of compensation as the biggest turnover factor.
 
What do men and women prioritise?
While women may still be from Venus, and men from Mars, both sexes agree on the top five most important factors influencing their employment decisions this year.
 
Despite these similarities in terms of ranking, men and women do prioritise differently, placing greater emphasis on certain factors. The research shows that females place 16% greater importance on flexible working arrangements and 9% more around pleasant working atmosphere than men.
 
Alternatively, male employees place greater importance on an organisation being financially healthy, with 18% more men prioritising this over women. Strong management and long-term job security are also important, with 8% and 7% respectively more men than women listing these factors.
 
There was also a divide between the sexes when it came to factors affecting workplace turnover, with 21% more women than men likely to leave a job because they do not feel challenged. Twenty-seven percent more men than women will leave a job because of the organisation’s poor image and 20% more men will leave due to their lack of confidence in the future.
 
The top 10 most attractive industries to work for in New Zealand for 2013 are:
 
Rank
10 most attractive industries for 2013 in New Zealand
1
Media
2
Education & training services
3
Fast moving consumer goods (FMCG)
4
Public Administration & Safety
5
Banking & Financial services
6
Public Sector
7
Professional Services
8
IT & Telecommunications
9
Transport & Logistics
10
Healthcare
 
 
ENDS

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