Online investing platform Sharesies has been named Overall Winner at the 2025 Best Places to Work™ Awards, held tonight at Cordis Auckland before an audience of around 400 leaders from organisations of all sizes across New Zealand.

This recognition cements Sharesies’ reputation as one of New Zealand’s most progressive employers; a company that continues to grow its business by investing deeply in its people, culture, and purpose. Sharesies was also the winner on the night for the  Medium-Large Workplace Award for organisations with between 150 and 199 employees.

Best Places to Work™ (BPTW™) celebrates and supports organisations that shape workplaces where people and performance thrive together. Through a year-long programme that includes employee engagement surveys, masterclasses, business services, certification, and annual awards, BPTW™ is lifting the standard of workplace experience nationwide.

From emerging tech and national brands to remarkable regional businesses that often operate under the radar, this year’s winners have demonstrated the high and productive standard for Kiwi leadership. Trust, purpose, and wellbeing are all fundamental to daily practice, proving that prioritising your  people-first powers performance.

“Every organisation recognised tonight has chosen to lead with courage, clarity, and care. Culture isn’t a poster on a wall; it’s a daily practice that shows up in how people feel, grow, and perform. Our winners prove that high-performing workplaces don’t happen by chance, they happen by choice, through continuous effort and team commitment,” said Julie Gill, CEO of Best Places to Work™. “The 2025 winners set a new benchmark for workplace culture in Aotearoa New Zealand, and it’s a privilege to recognise the organisations setting the standard for the future of work.”

John Fraser-Mackenzie, CEO of the EMA and Foundation Partner of BPTW™ said:  “New Zealand’s strongest workplaces are led by people who lift others up - and share what works so others can follow. This programme is about continuous improvement and collective impact. As Foundation Partner, the EMA is proud to stand with Best Places to Work™. Our mission is to lift New Zealand’s prosperity through better business, and partnering with BPTW™ showcases leaders who put that into practice- lifting people, performance, and the bar for everyone.” 

2025 Best Places to Work™ Award Winners

Overall Winner – Presented by EMA
Sharesies

Large Workplace (200 + employees) – Presented by Cordis Auckland
House of Travel

Medium-Large Workplace (150 – 199 employees) – Presented by Ecosystm
Sharesies

Medium Workplace (100 – 149 employees) – Presented by Smartly
Petdirect

Small-Medium Workplace (50 – 99 employees) – Presented by LEAD Executive Search
RUSH

Small Workplace (21 – 49 employees) – Presented by Flux B2B
Tax Traders & Taxi

Micro Workplace (5 – 20 employees) – Presented by Unstoppable Force
Visir AI

Spotlight Award Winners

Community & Regional Impact – Presented by Extraordinary
Topflite

Human-Centred Impact – Presented by Cultivating Leadership
Engineering New Zealand

Innovation & Tech – Presented by NZTech
Tuatara Structures

Sustainability – Presented by Centre for Sustainable Finance
Brightly

Wellness – Presented by Humankind
RUSH

About Best Places to Work™

Best Places to Work™ is New Zealand’s leading continuous improvement programme, combining employee insights, leadership development, business support services, certification and awards to help organisations improve, benchmark and celebrate their workplaces year-round. Its purpose is simple: to lift the standard of workplace experience across Aotearoa New Zealand.

To learn more about the programme, including the 2026 employee engagement survey and new BPTW™ Certified programme, visit www.bestplacestowork.nz.