Article published in The New Zealand Herald on 2 July, 2008
The single greatest challenge facing New Zealand employers is the attraction
and retention of key talent, according to leading workplace analyst John
Robertson.
Robertson, the managing director of JRA (NZ) Ltd, said competition for
skilled workers was intense and employers needed to take active steps to
transform their workplaces into great places to work.
JRA supplies workplace surveys and analytical tools aimed at giving employers
the information they need to grow their businesses to meet client and employee
needs.
JRA this week announced it had signed on as the main sponsor of the
Great Places to Work pavilion at the New Zealand Herald Your
Career Expo, to be held at the ASB Showgrounds on September 27-28.
Robertson said he would run workshops at the JRA Great Places to Work
pavilion during the expo, which would be useful for people looking for a great
place to work and for organisations wanting to build one.
“We see the Your Career Expo and the JRA Great Places to Work pavilion in
particular as an outstanding opportunity to share the knowledge we have gained
over 15 years of surveying and analyzing the attitudes and perceptions of New
Zealand workers,” he said.
“As the founding partner of the unlimited/JRA Best Places to Work in New
Zealand Survey, JRA undertakes hundreds of surveys for clients of all sizes
from public, private, and not-for-profit sectors each year.
“The timing of the expo couldn’t be better. We’ve seen a surge in the
interest that organisations are showing in the concept of engagement, employment
branding and being seen as an employer of choice.
“This isn’t surprising, when we see attraction and retention of key talent
being consistently rated the issue of most concern for most organisations.”
There is much greater awareness now of the link between employee engagement
and bottom-line performance.”
The New Zealand Herald Your Career Expo will be the largest gathering of
careers professionals in the country. Exhibitors in four pavilions will provide
careers counseling and answer questions from potential future employees.
People wanting to attend the expo can pre-register at www.yourcareerexpo.co.nz for free
tickets, or pay $10 at the door on the day.
