Now open for 2027

Recognising organisations where strong workplace practices shape positive employee experiences.

BPTW™ Certified brings together employee feedback, independent benchmarking and evidence of workplace practices and policies to give organisations a clear view of where they stand.

Understand what’s working, see how you measure up to best practice, identify where to focus next, and earn independent recognition for the standards you demonstrate.

Listen to your people. Benchmark where you stand. Strengthen your workplace. Earn recognition.

Listen to your people.

Credible, confidential insight from your people through the BPTW™ Employee Experience Survey.

Benchmark where you stand.

See how your results compare across the pillars of workplace experience and against best practice.

Strengthen your workplace.

Confirm the practices and policies behind a strong employee experience.

Earn recognition.

Certification at Silver, Gold or Diamond, valid for 12 months.

What BPTW™ Certified looks at

BPTW™ Certified considers the workplace practices and policies that sit behind a strong employee experience, across six key areas.

Leadership & Purpose

Trust in leadership, clarity of purpose and values reflected in everyday decisions.

Culture & Team Connection

Belonging, psychological safety, strong relationships and an inclusive employee experience.

Wellbeing

Practical wellbeing support, flexibility, safe and healthy work, and sustainable ways of working.

Innovation & Technology

Tools, capability and practices that support better ways of working, responsible innovation and AI readiness.

Performance & Growth

Fairness, recognition, autonomy, development and opportunities to grow.

Sustainability

Responsible long-term outcomes for people, communities and the environment.

How BPTW™ Certified works

Open to New Zealand-based organisations with 10+ employees, across all industry sectors. Valid for 12 months.

Step one

Employee feedback

Your people complete the BPTW™ Employee Experience Survey. A minimum of 60% participation is required. Participation and overall engagement score determine your tier.

Step two

Practices and policies

Confirm your practices and policies through the BPTW™ Portal and upload supporting documentation.

BPTW™ Certified tiers

Silver

Survey participation: 60%+

Average score across all pillars: 75%+

Practices in place (of 6): 3+

Policies: All mandatory

Gold

Survey participation: 65%+

Average score across all pillars: 80%+

Practices in place (of 6): 4+

Policies: All mandatory

Additional: Awards shortlist fast track

Diamond

Survey participation: 70%+

Average score across all pillars: 85%+

Practices in place (of 6): 5+

Policies: All mandatory

Additional: Mid-year Pulse Survey + Awards shortlist fast track

What’s included

BPTW™ Employee Experience Survey results and benchmarking report
Official BPTW™ Certified badge showing your tier, valid for 12 months
Marketing and storytelling pack
Recognition in BPTW™ channels
Awards shortlist fast track for Gold and above (conditions apply)
Exclusive access to partner consultants, BPTW™ events and masterclasses

What BPTW™ Certified gives you

Credible recognition

Independent recognition based on employee feedback and evidence of workplace practices.

Clear benchmarking

Understand where your workplace stands and where there are opportunities to improve.

A practical improvement pathway

Use the framework to strengthen workplace practices over time.

Recognition you can share

Use your official BPTW™ Certified badge to recognise your culture and workplace environment, and communicate your achievement.

Connection to the wider BPTW™ programme

Exclusive access to relevant events, masterclasses, partners and opportunities to keep learning.

Best Places to Work™ Awards pathway

Gold and Diamond organisations may qualify for an Awards shortlist fast track, subject to the programme criteria.

"The review process and recommendations provided were thoughtful, practical, and highly relevant to our business. The combination of employee feedback and external assessment gave us a much clearer understanding of both our strengths and the opportunities available to further improve our workplace practices."

Auckland Roofcraft

BPTW™ Certified and BPTW™ Awards

BPTW™ Certified validates high workplace standards. The BPTW™ Awards recognise and celebrate the very best. You can take one pathway, or both.

BPTW™ Certified

What it is: Confirmation of exceptional workplace culture, employee engagement, and people practices.

How it’s earned: Based on survey scores + confirmation of workplace practices and policies

Recognition: Tiered certification: Silver to Diamond

Purpose: Benchmarking, credibility, continuous improvement, talent attraction and employer brand

Eligibility: Open to any organisations meeting survey requirements + policy confirmation

BPTW™ Awards

What it is: A programme recognising top performers across all workplace size categories and spotlight categories, best in class

How it’s earned: Based on survey scores + award submissions + judging panel review

Recognition: Finalists and one winner per workplace size category

Purpose: Recognition of best-in-class practices and outcomes

Eligibility: Shortlisted organisations submit for awards consideration

FAQ

Who can become BPTW™ Certified?

Open to New Zealand-based organisations with 10+ employees, across all industries. EMA membership is not required.

How much does it cost?

Pricing depends on organisation size. Register your interest and we’ll send you the details for 2027.

When can we start?

BPTW™ Certified is open for purchase from early November.

What policies or practices are required to be confirmed as part of the certification process?

Organisations will be asked to confirm and show the existence of core practices, and policy areas. These may vary slightly by organisation size, but include:

Practices:

Trust in Leadership + Connection to Purpose
Culture & Environment + Team Connection
Wellbeing
Innovation + Tools & Technology
Performance & Growth
Sustainability

Policies:

Human resources
Legal and compliance
Health, safety and wellbeing
Remote work and flexibility
Learning and development
Sustainability and CSR
Employee value proposition (for larger firms)

A full list is available in our Certification Practice and Policy Checklist upon request.

Who evaluates and certifies organisations?

The BPTW™ team reviews your survey results alongside your practices and policies submission and confirms your tier. Documents may be spot checked.

What if we don’t reach Silver?

As part of the BPTW™ Certified programme, you receive a gap analysis and an Insights Review Session with one of our expert partner organisations to help you figure out your next steps.

Do I have to choose between BPTW™ Certified and the Awards?

No - they’re designed to be complementary.

What are the key differences between BPTW™ Certified and the BPTW™ Awards?

Certification validates high workplace standards. The Awards recognise and celebrate the very best. They’re complementary, and designed to work together.

BPTW™ Certified

What it is: Confirmation of exceptional workplace culture, employee engagement, and people practices.

How it’s earned: Based on survey scores + confirmation of workplace practices and policies

Recognition: Tiered certification: Silver to Diamond

Purpose: Benchmarking, credibility, continuous improvement, talent attraction and employer brand

Eligibility: Open to any organisations meeting survey requirements + policy confirmation

BPTW™ Awards

What it is: A programme recognising top performers across all workplace size categories and spotlight categories - best in class

How it’s earned: Based on survey scores + award submissions + judging panel review

Recognition: Finalists and one winner per workplace size category

Purpose: Recognition of best-in-class practices and outcomes

Eligibility: Shortlisted organisations submit for awards consideration

Am I automatically entered into the BPTW™ Awards if I achieve BPTW™ Certified?

All organisations certified to the Gold tier level or above may qualify for the BPTW™ Awards Shortlist (conditions apply).

Note: the BPTW™ Awards submission process is still a requirement for BPTW™ Awards entry, and certification does not guarantee your organisation will be a BPTW™ Awards finalist or winner.

What do we receive as part of being BPTW™ Certified?

Certified organisations receive:

BPTW™ Employee Experience Survey results and benchmarking report
Official BPTW™ Certified badge showing your tier, valid for 12 months
Marketing and storytelling pack
Recognition in BPTW™ channels
Awards shortlist fast track for Gold and above (conditions apply)
Exclusive access to partner consultants, BPTW™ events and masterclasses

How confidential is the process?

All information submitted is treated as confidential.

Your partner in continuous improvement

The BPTW™ programme has been designed to support a continuous programme of improvement over three key services, to help organisations across Aotearoa New Zealand grow, evolve, and create positive business outcomes. In addition to the Certified programme, you may also be interested in:

Survey

Is your organisation one of New Zealand’s Best Places to Work™?

The Best Places to Work™ Employee Experience Survey provides an assessment of how your people experience work and a benchmark against other similar-sized organisations. It is the ideal tool to help drive innovation and consistency across your business, as well as identify opportunities for growth and improvement.

Learn More

BPTW™ Awards

The BPTW™ Awards recognise and celebrate New Zealand’s Best Places to Work™: organisations that are creating positive employee experiences by building culture that supports innovation, values wellbeing, and empowers people to do their best work.

Learn More

Masterclasses

We have some of the world’s most brilliant minds right here in New Zealand who are raising the standard of employee experience and shaping the future of work. BPTW™ Masterclasses are all about sharing the passion and insight that goes into creating the Best Places to Work™, to motivate and inspire us all to go further.

Learn More