EEO Trust NZ 2013 DIversity Survey

The first EEO Trust Quarterly Diversity Survey has surveyed 1468 respondents, was completed by AUT’s NZ Work Research Institute.  AUT's Professor Tim Bentley, EEO Trust diversity research head, reports that 31% of SMEs and 48% of large entities highlighted bias as a cause for concern.


The ageing workforce was identified as the top large entity issue, yet fewer than 40% of companies have either a policy or programme to manage this. Ms Cassidy-Mackenzie, CE of EEO Trust, said “With an aging population and shifting expectations for the age of retirement, we really need to understand why we’re overlooking this rich talent pool and what perceptions are driving this and then we can look at how to change it”.

60% of organisations have bullying and harassment policies in place. Disappointingly, fewer than 50% of respondents had established policies to address the other diversity issues identified in the survey; for example, disability policies at 45%.

Summary numbers:

• Well-being was the top concern for small (48%) and medium (55%) entities
• Aging most important issue for large entities (63%)
• Flexibility was an issue for nearly half of all respondents
• Ethnicity, gender, bias, bullying & harassment was a large entity issue

• Reference: EEO Trust (25 November 2013). Workplace Diversity Results. NZ: Equal Opportunity Trust. Retrieved 27 November 2013 from http://www.eeotrust.org.nz/news/index.cfm?cache=073908&utm_source=Events+and+Training+Update&utm_campaign=27.11.13+Survey+Results+&utm_medium=Email

Sam