Infrastructure NZ Members Recognised for Excellence

“Infrastructure New Zealand is proud to see infrastructure organisations leading the way in workplace diversity, but urges organisations across the sector to continue pushing for positive outcomes,” says Paul Blair, CEO of Infrastructure NZ.

The awards, run by Diversity Works New Zealand, are in their 22nd year and celebrate best practice in workplace diversity and inclusion. Click the names of each member for a link to a video summarising their work.

Infrastructure NZ member Vector took home the Supreme Award at last night’s 2019 Diversity Awards NZ™, for their work in driving a diverse and inclusive culture throughout their organisation.

Vector also won the Empowerment Award, in recognition for their work to have their workforce match the gender diversity of the NZ population, and for their efforts to develop women leaders across the organisation. The electricity distribution business also won the Diversability Award for their work in supporting equitable hiring and support for employees with disabilities.

Fellow Infrastructure NZ members Air New Zealand won Cultural Celebration award for training their staff about the culture behind their well-known brand.

“It’s wonderful to see infrastructure businesses leading the way when it comes to driving diversity in their workforce and building a culture of inclusion,” says Blair.

“Diversity and inclusion aren’t just about being more marketable or earning social license to operate. A diverse workforce has more and better ideas and is making full use of New Zealand’s diverse labour force.

“When organisations drop the ball on diversity, they are leaving money on the table. If there’s one sector that should be striving for every advantage and opportunity, it should be the infrastructure sector in New Zealand.

“Ultimately, it’s just the right thing to do.

“Organisations ought to represent the customers they serve, being aware of the unique advantages and challenges that different users have,” says Blair.

Infrastructure NZ is delighted to acknowledge the growing number of member organisations nominated as finalists for the 2019 Diversity Awards NZ™, demonstrating the increasing importance the infrastructure sector is placing on diversity and inclusion to help build a future-focused industry.

This year, Infrastructure NZ members Downer NZ and HSBC NZ were finalists in the Cultural Celebration Category, where they were commended for their responses to cultural and ethnic engagement in the workplace;

Spark was a finalist in the Emerging Diversity and Inclusion Category which honours a diversity and inclusion initiative that is less than two years old;

Kensington Swan was a finalist in the Empowerment Category which celebrates innovative responses to empowering women in the workplace;

GHD was a finalist in the Positive Inclusion Category, for their innovative response to inclusivity of the LGBTQI community in the workforce;

Downer NZ and GHD were finalists in the Tomorrow’s Workforce Category, which celebrates innovative responses to a changing workforce demographic

Glen Cornelius from Harrison Grierson and Shane Morgan from Watercare Services were finalists in the Walk the Talk Category, which celebrates leaders who exemplify excellence in promoting and managing a diverse workforce.

Infrastructure NZ also acknowledges the success of industry association partners Engineering NZ, who were finalists for the Emerging Diversity and Inclusion Category for the transformational work they are leading across the industry.

As a member of Diversity Works New Zealand, Infrastructure NZ is a strong advocate for member organisations developing diverse and inclusive workplaces by publicising clear targets and metrics on diversity, prioritising action and reporting externally to stakeholders.

“One of the five requirements for world class infrastructure is the skill base of our industry. Future proofing our industry through diversity, inclusion, and hearing all the voices of our best and brightest minds is critical,” notes Blair.

“These awards recognise some strong and positive efforts by the infrastructure industry, but there is still more to be done.

“We look forward to seeing more infrastructure organisations succeeding in this space next year and in the years to come.”

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