Kinetic New Zealand Celebrated As A 2025 HRD 5-Star Employer Of Choice

[AUCKLAND, New Zealand, April 10, 2025] — Kinetic New Zealand is delighted to be named an HRD Employer of Choice 2025, a first for Kinetic Group and the only bus operator in New Zealand to receive this reputable gold award.

Kinetic New Zealand — which includes Kinetic Urban, Go Bus, Johnston’s, and SkyBus — has been recognised in the annual HRD Employer of Choice Awards. As the country’s largest passenger transport operator, with over 4,500 team members across both the North and South Island, this award highlights the strength of our people-first culture and the experience we offer as an employer.

The HRD Awards celebrate New Zealand’s top workplaces, recognising organisations that go above and beyond to create exceptional employee experiences in a competitive market. Following a far-reaching analysis of the human resources industry, HRD recognised Kinetic New Zealand as one of the standout performers in Aotearoa with outstanding professional abilities and expertise.

Kinetic New Zealand’s Managing Director, Calum Haslop said while it might sound cliché, this genuinely is an award that belongs to everyone in the team.

"We’re incredibly proud to be recognised as an HRD 2025 5-Star Employer of Choice—a first for Kinetic New Zealand and a testament to our people first philosophy. By building a stronger, more connected, and inclusive workplace, where everyone can thrive, we believe we’re setting ourselves up for success. From fostering a diverse workforce to offering industry-leading wages, reward and recognition programs, and long-service awards, we invest in our people every day.

“A key highlight of the past year has been the launch of our Women Up Front program, which has already welcomed 100 new female drivers across New Zealand—driving us closer to our goal of 40% female drivers by 2030. Redressing the gender imbalance in our workforce is key to building a more sustainable commercial business long-term. It’s a clear demonstration of the decisive steps we’re taking to create a more inclusive and equitable workplace and solidifying our status as the employer of choice in our industry”.

As part of its ongoing commitment to workforce diversity and inclusion, Kinetic New Zealand is actively addressing barriers to employment in the transport industry. Nicky Harrison, Director of People, Culture & Safety at Kinetic New Zealand, adds:

“Our research shows that the key limitation to recruiting female drivers is simple – it’s often not considered at all. Our Women up Front campaign is all about changing that. We’re creating training and development opportunities, paying a market competitive wage (depending on region) and offering a variety of shift options that are designed to bring a greater variety of people into our workforce.

“Our commitment to inclusion isn’t one dimensional. We’re also making strides in LGBTQI+ inclusion and allyship, ensuring that Kinetic New Zealand continues to be a place where everyone feels valued and supported”

Chris Sweeney, Managing Editor for Special Reports at HRD shared his insights on the selection process, stating, “Employees shared their valuable insight and honest feedback to determine the 5-Star Employers of Choice. Kinetic New Zealand was recognised for fostering an inclusive and supportive working culture. They also led the way in delivering for their staff by placing an importance on key issues such as employee development, benefits and compensation.”

HRD’s 30+ strong Intelligence Unit compiled the final winners list after the completion of a rigorous 3-months process, canvassing the opinions of objective industry experts and collating leading-edge research. The prestigious list of honourees was then matched with the 5-Star Employers of Choice’s precise criteria.

This award is testament to the professionalism and commitment Kinetic New Zealand brings to the industry and additionally showcases its desire to maintain first-rate standards. Kinetic New Zealand is thrilled to be included among the human resources industry’s top performers.

About Kinetic

Kinetic is the largest bus operator in Australasia and a leading multi-modal mass transit operator globally through its subsidiary Go-Ahead. Kinetic’s network includes 12,000 buses, 36,000 people and 200 depots. Kinetic proudly operates 1,200 zero-emission buses (ZEB) across 33 ZEB depots worldwide and is the leading ZEB operator in Australasia and the UK. Kinetic’s mission is to enhance the communities in which it operates, and this is achieved through delivering on its sustainability priorities.

About Kinetic in New Zealand

Kinetic New Zealand is the largest bus operator in the country and proudly the largest operator of zero-emission buses in the region, with over 320 electric buses and 13 electrified depots. It employs over 4,500 people across its Kinetic Urban, Go Bus, Johnston’s, and SkyBus brands.

Kinetic New Zealand is a trusted transport partner for local councils and is the largest provider of school transport services for the Ministry of Education. The company also delivers premium charter and tourism services nationwide.

In 2025, Kinetic New Zealand was named an HRD 5-Star Employer of Choice, recognising its strong people-first culture and commitment to creating an exceptional place to work.

About 2025 HRD 5-Star Employers of Choice:

The entry process forHRD 20255-StarEmployer of Choice comprised two steps: an employer submission followed by an employee survey. First, organisations had to complete an in-depth submission to explain their various offerings and practices. Next, employees from nominated organisations were asked to fill out an anonymous form evaluating their workplace on a number of metrics, including benefits, compensation, culture, employee development, and commitment to diversity and inclusion.

To be considered, each organisation had to reach a minimum number of employee responses based on overall size. Organisations that achieved a 75% or greater average satisfaction rating from employees were named5-StarEmployers of Choice for 2025.

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