SYDNEY — Hewitt Associates has launched a new program which will allow Australian and New Zealand organisations to become Best Employer accredited.

The Hewitt Best Employers research has been running since 2000 in Australia and New Zealand and has now been transformed into a simple and transparent accreditation pathway for participants. The program draws on data from almost a decade of Hewitt's Best Employer research and is currently the only employer accreditation of its kind available to Australian and New Zealand organisations.

"We are really excited about the launch of the Hewitt Best Employer Accreditation Program," said David Clarke, Head of Hewitt's Talent and Organisational Consulting Measurement practice in Australia and New Zealand. "Because the focus has shifted from pure research to the new accreditation pathway, we can now offer participants a cost-effective and efficient way to gain insights into employee engagement as well as providing a simple roadmap toward becoming a Hewitt Best Employer."

"Previously we included questions used only for our research purposes which added to the complexity of participation. Whilst retaining the existing rigour of our engagement methodology, we have been able to distill it down to the essentials to simplify the process for participants who choose to partner with Hewitt," said Clarke.

Organisations can take part in the program at any time between April and November, with survey windows open every two weeks during this period. The accreditation pathway consists of three stages and participants move through to the next stage if they meet the criteria for the previous one. Organisations that meet the criteria for all three stages are then accredited as Hewitt Best Employers for the year.

"Best Employer accreditation will send a strong message to potential employees, customers and the community, that an organisation really does the right thing by its people," said Clarke. "Whilst employers now have a larger pool of candidates to draw from than a few months ago, there is still tough competition for the top talent, and being an accredited Best Employer will provide a strong point of difference."

Organisations that achieve accreditation will also be eligible for the "Best of the Best" list of outstanding employers that will be identified via an independent judging panel, led by Professor Roger Collins and announced in early 2010.

"Those organisations that don't reach accredited status will still gain significant benefit from measuring employee engagement and most importantly, identifying the specific areas to focus on in their operations to increase the motivation and commitment of their people," said Clarke. "Hewitt's Best Employer research shows a strong correlation between engagement and customer satisfaction and engagement and total shareholder return—so improving employee engagement is good for business".

Surveying for the accreditation program began on April 6 and more than 40 organisations have already signed up to take part in the program. More than 200 organisations signed up for Best Employers in 2008 and based on the response from organisations so far, Hewitt expects that number to be higher in 2009.

Click the image for a larger view.

Click the image for a larger view.

Further information on the Hewitt Best Employers Accreditation Process is available at www.hewitt.com/bestemployersanz.

About Hewitt Associates

Hewitt Associates (NYSE: HEW) provides leading organisations around the world with expert human resources consulting and outsourcing solutions to help them anticipate and solve their most complex benefits, talent, and related financial challenges. Hewitt consults with companies to design and implement a wide range of human resources, retirement, investment management, health management, compensation, and talent management strategies. With a history of exceptional client service since 1940, Hewitt has offices in 33 countries and employs approximately 23,000 associates who are helping make the world a better place to work. For more information, please visit www.hewitt.com.