Best Places to Work™ has officially announced the organisations shortlisted for the 2026 Best Places to Work™ Awards, recognising workplaces across Aotearoa New Zealand that continue to invest in their people, strengthen workplace culture, and lead their teams successfully through change.

At a time when many organisations are balancing economic pressure, productivity demands, workforce change, and the rapid emergence of technologies such as artificial intelligence, this year's shortlisted organisations share one common characteristic: they have continued to prioritise investment in their people.

Insights from the Best Places to Work™ programme suggest that while organisations are becoming more innovative with technology and improving how they communicate their purpose, the human experience of work continues to be top of the agenda.

In the most recent BPTW™ Insights Report, employees identified stronger encouragement to innovate and greater clarity of organisational purpose, while trust in leadership, connection across the wider team, confidence in workplace technology, and workload pressures remain ongoing challenges.

For Best Places to Work™ CEO Julie Gill, the findings reinforce a broader shift in how organisations are thinking about workplace performance.

"The organisations shortlisted this year are leading by example. Despite continued change and uncertainty, they've continued to invest in their people because they understand that strong leadership, employee experience, and organisational performance are all connected.

"For a long time, investing in people was seen as the right thing to do. Increasingly, we're seeing organisations recognise it's also one of the smartest business decisions they can make. Organisations that continue listening to their people, developing leaders, and strengthening workplace culture are building the resilience they'll need for the future."

While artificial intelligence continues to reshape the way we communicate and work, Best Places to Work™ believes technology is only part of the story.

Recent research from Deloitte found that 93% of AI investment is directed towards technology, while only 7% is invested in preparing people to use it effectively.

Gill says organisations that achieve the greatest long-term value from AI will be those that invest in people alongside technology.

"AI will continue to transform how we work, but technology alone doesn't create high-performing organisations. The organisations that succeed will be those that invest just as deliberately in leadership, capability, communication, and helping their people adapt with confidence."

The shortlisted organisations earned their place through the Best Places to Work™ Annual Employee Experience Survey, where employees provide confidential feedback identifying how their workplace performs against the BPTW™ Pillars of Workplace Experience. They now progress to the BPTW™ Awards submission stage, where they'll demonstrate how their workplace practices contribute to employee experience, organisational performance, innovation, and long-term success.

The Foundation Partner of Best Places to Work™, EMA, sees these trends reflected across New Zealand businesses.

EMA Chief Executive John Fraser-Mackenzie says investing in people remains fundamental to organisational performance.

"As Foundation Partner of Best Places to Work™, the EMA is proud to support initiatives that help lift workplace performance across New Zealand. Creating high-performing workplaces is central to what our members are focused on every day, and it’s encouraging to see organisations investing in their people, strengthening capability, and lifting productivity."

Winners will be celebrated at the 2026 Best Places to Work™ Awards Gala Dinner on 22 October at Cordis Auckland.

Workplace trends identified through the 2025 Best Places to Work™ Insights Report

The latest Best Places to Work™ Insights Report highlights several workplace trends that reinforce why investing in people continues to matter.

• Innovation is accelerating, with more employees saying they're encouraged to explore better ways of working and contribute new ideas.
• Purpose and organisational direction are becoming clearer, with employees reporting stronger understanding of their organisation's vision and goals.
• Leadership and connection remain critical, with trust, communication, and connection across teams continuing to be key areas influencing employee experience.
• Technology is changing the way we work, but organisations are recognising that successful adoption depends on building employee confidence, capability, and engagement, alongside new tools.
• Workload and wellbeing continue to be important challenges, highlighting the need for organisations to balance productivity with sustainable ways of working.