About the Diversity Awards New Zealand

The annual Diversity Awards NZ^TM have become one of the most significant awards programmes in Aotearoa New Zealand to celebrate excellence in workplace diversity and inclusion. Through entering the awards, organisations are showcasing a variety of innovative people initiatives and publicly committing themselves to be held accountable for tangible progress in building work environments where everybody is safe to bring the best version of themselves.

Entries for the 2024 programme have now closed. Finalists will be announced in June and the winners will be celebrated at an event in Auckland on Wednesday, 28 August. Save the date – it’s an inspiring night out that recognises the organisations putting people at the core of what you do, creating better outcomes for our economy and our communities.

Changes to the 2024 Awards Programme

The annual judges’ review of the Diversity Awards NZ categories and judging criteria is an important process to ensure that our awards programme remains relevant to reflect excellence in DEI programmes and practice. We are pleased that the 2023 review resulted in a few minor semantic updates and only one significant change.

The most important similarities and changes in respect of this year’s awards programme, include:

All categories, except the Inclusive Workplace category, are similar to those of last year.
The Inclusive Workplace category historically attracted significantly more entries than any of the other categories, and will therefore be split into two categories for the upcoming year:
- Respectful Culture – this award will recognise strategies and programmes that have successfully shifted workplace culture across all aspects and intersections of diversity, equity and inclusion.
- Inclusive Workplace – this award will recognise an initiative or programme to improve workplace outcomes for a very specific dimension of diversity.
Entries related to initiatives to create Te Tiriti responsive organisations and improve outcomes for Māori should be submitted within the Ngā Āhuatanga o te Tiriti category.
The distinction between small/medium (<100 staff) and medium/large (>100 staff) organisations will remain.
For all categories, except the new Respectful Culture award, judges will place emphasis on initiatives implemented, as opposed to strategies formulated. For Respectful Culture, judges will consider both initiatives and strategy. The strongest entries are those that can show strategic alignment, yet clearly demonstrate how specific initiatives resulted in improved performance on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) metrics for the organisation.

With these changes, we are confident that the 2024 awards season will be an exciting experience for all involved, with many meaningful stories across the motu to celebrate and learn from.

Awards Format

In the 2024 Diversity Awards NZ^TM programme, awards may be presented across five categories – Leadership, Diverse Talent, Respectful Culture, Inclusive Workplace, and Ngā Āhuatanga o te Tiriti.

In each of the five awards categories, there is an opportunity for an award to be made for:

A medium-large (more than 100 staff) organisation from either the private or public sector
A small-medium (fewer than 100 staff) organisation from either the private or public sector

The winners in these five categories will be eligible to be named the Supreme Winner.

In addition, there will be an Impact Award open to organisations who support and facilitate equitable labour market outcomes across the broad landscape of work in Aotearoa New Zealand.

In all these categories the judges are looking for organisations that demonstrate:

Innovation, leading edge thinking and unique approaches to complex issues faced in the workplace
Clarity on who is involved and who benefits from the work, process or programme
Quantifiable as well as qualitative measures of impact on business performance and employee engagement
Evidence of support at senior levels, as well as broad employee-level support – more than an HR programme, other managers are leads
Clear co-design and in-house team engagement – more than something that is outsourced to a provider
Clarity on the change management process, with challenges and iterations acknowledged.
Clarity on how organisations were able to use their brand and sphere of influence to promote awareness of the business benefits of diversity and inclusion across an industry, a sector or the wider community.

The Diversity Champion Award returns in 2024, recognising an individual who expertly uses their knowledge, skills, experience and emotional intelligence to build an environment of belonging for others.

For specific judging criteria for each award, please see the 2024 Categories section.

Awards categories and the associated judging rubric are reviewed annually, taking into account prevailing diversity and inclusion concerns in the context of New Zealand workplaces, as well as dominant themes and developments in the global narrative.

2024 Categories

Leadership Award

A meaningful and effective diversity and inclusion journey requires adequate levels of support from the top of the organisation, which is more than a single sponsor or champion at the senior leadership team level. This requires capacity and capability across the whole leadership team to:

approach organisational design and processes strategically and equitably
support the implementation of programmes with confidence
hold themselves to account for their role in this kaupapa

Leadership in diversity and inclusion is about more than “being good people” – it is about an intentional effort to understand personal biases, address structural barriers and to keep learning about ongoing developments in inclusive leadership.

This award will be given to an organisation which demonstrates how they equip their leaders to create environments of inclusion for all employees. In entering this category, organisations should detail the initiatives, processes and trajectory for leadership to shift in their level of maturity in regard to diversity and inclusion.

Entries should not attempt to answer each of the questions listed in the judging criteria. Instead use these questions as a guideline of what could be addressed in each of the categories and then tell a coherent story across the various themes highlighted.

The overall entry should not exceed 2000 words. Additional supporting material should not exceed 15 minutes of video content and/or another 2000 words in written content.

Entrants will also be asked to provide other general information about their organisation, logos and photos.

Judging criteria:

1.	Strategic alignment Please provide details of the rationale for diversity and inclusion in your organisation. Include a clear link to strategy, real impact and opportunities identified for growth and development. (200 – 300 words)	10%
2.	The initiative How do you define your leadership team? Does it include the Board? Does it include middle management and team leaders? Please tell us about the initiative which specifically addresses the development of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) capability in your leadership team. Why was this initiative developed? Also include information about your organisation which will assist the judges to understand unique challenges and constraints currently facing your workforce. (E.g. size, composition, industry sector, locations, structure, hours of operation etc.) (400 – 550 words)	25%
3.	Implementation How was the leadership initiative developed? How was it introduced to leaders? How was it implemented? Please tell us about any issues that you have encountered that might have derailed the programme and how you were able to overcome that. For instance, are there specific challenges in developing inclusive leaders and how are they being addressed? Or, were there specific teams and/groups that were more challenging than others, and what was done to overcome those areas of resistance? How are leaders held accountable for their commitment to diversity and inclusion? How is DEI governed in the organisation? What ongoing DEI support is available to leaders in the organisation? (400 – 550 words)	25%
4.	Workplace Evidence Please explain how the leaders demonstrate alignment of diversity and inclusion with organisational values. How do leaders role model expected behaviours and the effectiveness and/or positive impact thereof across the organisation on developing a culture of psychological safety in the workplace. Specifically, what is the role that leaders play in recruiting a diverse workforce and building an inclusive workplace? Evidence provided ideally will be quantified through metrics such as improved engagement, improved diversity across all levels of the organisation, and improvements in workplace psychosocial safety. (300 – 450 words)	20%
5	Employee Evidence Show us how the initiative has benefited the employees. How do leaders encourage everybody in the organisation to build an inclusive workplace? Ideally this will include qualitative feedback or statements from employees. (300 – 450 words)	20%

Diverse Talent Award

Talent attraction and recruitment is a critical component in building diverse cultures. It requires purposely designed processes such as anonymous recruitment, diversity in recruitment channels and/or designated recruitment. It also requires that all people involved in recruitment are sufficiently self-aware to avoid any form of bias throughout the process.

Talent can also be developed from within the organisation. Research points to the numerous barriers that employees from non-dominant groups face in their journey to fairly move up and across organisational structures, including occupational segregation and pay gaps. A diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) view of career development encompasses conscious efforts to support career progression in such a way as to ensure representation of diversity throughout the organisation.

This award will be given to an organisation who can demonstrate either (or both) of the following:

initiatives implemented to attract talent from specific groups that were underrepresented in their organisation, and how barriers were removed in order for these candidates to progress through the recruitment process, or

initiatives implemented to improve career development processes in order to ensure that diversity is represented across the organisation.

The overall entry should not exceed 2000 words. Additional supporting material should not exceed 15 minutes of video content and/or another 2000 words in written content.

Entrants will also be asked to provide other general information about their organisation, logos and photos.

Judging criteria:

1.	Diversity gaps identified What are the specific talent pools that you wish to attract to increase the diversity of your workforce? Why are these talent pools required for your organisation? (200 – 300 words)	10%
2.	The initiative Choose between either of the following options, or you can submit an end-to-end diversity initiative for a specific group that encompasses both subcategories. Please make it clear which option you have chosen: (a) Attracting diverse talent What initiatives have you implemented to attract applications from your targeted groups? Please include information which will assist the judges to understand unique challenges and constraints facing your organisation in attracting people from these diverse groups (eg. organisation size, workforce composition, culture, industry sector, locations, structure, hours of operation etc). (b) Developing diverse talent What career development initiatives have you implemented to build diverse and equitable representation across all areas of your organisation? How does your organisation approach equity in performance monitoring? Do you have any initiatives to reduce demographic pay gaps across groups? How is career progression of people from non-dominant groups celebrated in your organisation? (400 – 550 words)	25%
3.	Implementation How was the initiative developed? How was it introduced to the workforce? How was it implemented? How is the initiative supported by the leaders/managers of the organisation and what level of accountability does management take for the success of the initiative? Specifically, in terms of the two subcategories above: (a) How have you removed internal bias and barriers from the screening and selection process. How have you overcome these challenges? (b) How are managers equipped to support talent development and performance monitoring across diverse teams? (400 – 550 words)	25%
4.	Workplace Evidence Please explain how the workplace benefits from diverse talent. Have you seen any impact on talent sustainability, customer satisfaction, innovation, or productivity? Ideally, evidence provided will be quantified through formal metrics aligned with strategic objectives. (300 – 450 words)	20%
5.	Employee Evidence Show us how the initiative has benefited the employees. Provide details of the impact that recruitment and/or career development opportunities have had on people from targeted diverse groups. Ideally this will include qualitative feedback or statements from employees. (300 – 450 words)	20%

Respectful Culture Award

To realise the social and economic benefits from diversity, workplace cultures need to be transformed to gain productively from teamwork, communication, decision making, employee relationships and, particularly, the way in which dissent and disagreement are expressed and managed.

Respectful work environments are values based, high in cultural intelligence, and low in ego. Employees experience fairness and equity in treatment, with a genuine acknowledgement and appreciation for diversity. Open and civil communication prevails, enabling the early resolution of conflicts. Teams are empowered to collaborate effectively, and a steadfast commitment exists to hold individuals accountable for their behaviour, fostering a culture of responsibility.

Growing a respectful workplace culture required comprehensive strategies, programmes and interventions to shift from awareness to action. This award will recognise an organisation that has implemented innovative strategies and initiatives to build an organisational culture where diversity, equity and inclusion can thrive.

The overall entry should not exceed 2000 words. Additional supporting material should not exceed 15 minutes of video content and/or another 2000 words in written content.

Entrants will also be asked to provide other general information about their organisation, logos and photos.

Judging Criteria

1.	Strategic alignment Please provide details of the rationale for diversity, equity and inclusion in your organisation. Include a clear link to strategy, real impact and opportunities identified for growth and development. (200 – 300 words)	10%
2.	The initiative or strategy Please tell us about your strategy, or a specific initiative, aimed at fostering a culture of respect, psychosocial safety and wellbeing in your organisation, taking into account all dimensions of diversity and the intersections between them. How did you develop the strategy or initiative? How does this improve respect and psychosocial safety? What level of leadership support did the strategy or initiative attract and how are leaders influenced to be part of the journey? (400 – 550 words)	25%
3.	Implementation How was the strategy or initiative introduced the workforce and implemented in the organisation? How did you set it up for success and long term sustainability? How is it supported by the leaders/managers of the organisation and what level of accountability does management take for the success of the strategy? Did you encounter any specific challenges in building healthy interactions between employees with significant differences in culture and values? How are dissent and disagreement expressed and managed in the organisation? (400 – 550 words)	25%
4.	Workplace Evidence Please explain how your workplace benefits from a culture of respect and wellbeing. Have you seen any impact on retention, engagement, customer satisfaction, innovation, or productivity? Please give examples of how leaders role model expected behaviours. Did the changes in workplace culture have any positive impact on the external environment, such as stakeholder engagement, diversity in supply chains, innovation, customer experience and/or social cohesion? Ideally, evidence provided will be quantified through formal metrics aligned with strategic objectives. (300 – 450 words)	20%
5	Employee Evidence Show us how the strategy or initiative has benefited the employees at your organisation. What is the positive impact of these behaviours in developing a culture of safety for people to bring their best selves to work? Provide details of the impact that your strategy to build respect and wellbeing for everyone in the organisation have had on your employees, especially those from non-dominant groups. Ideally this will include qualitative feedback or statements from employees. (300 – 450 words)	20%

Inclusive Workplace Award

Traditional organisational structures were created for a homogenous set of employees and, therefore, a truly inclusive workplace is always looking for ways to dismantle structures that perpetuate privilege for dominant groups.

This award will be given to an organisation who can demonstrate how they have improved the overall workplace culture for employees from specific non-dominant groups, such as purposely designed diverse teams, employee-led initiatives, diversely-led idea incubators and reverse types of mentoring.

This may also include policies and initiatives related to specific barriers faced by some groups, such as accent bias, care-giving responsibilities, gender affirmation, menopause and mental health considerations.

This is a category with wide scope to introduce innovative initiatives to effect incremental change for employees from specific non-dominant groups, within the context of an overall DEI strategy.

The overall entry should not exceed 2000 words. Additional supporting material should not exceed 15 minutes of video content and/or another 2000 words in written content.

Entrants will also be asked to provide other general information about their organisation, logos and photos.

Judging Criteria

1.	Target group What is the specific non-dominant group that you sought to positively impact through your initiative? Why have you decided to target this group? (200 – 300 words)	10%
2.	The initiative Please tell us about a specific initiative aimed at fostering workplace inclusion and belonging for the above-mentioned group. How was the initiative conceptualised? How does the initiative improve team inclusion and collaboration? What level of leadership support did the initiative attract and how are leaders influenced to be part of the journey? (400 – 550 words)	25%
3.	Implementation How was the initiative introduced to the workforce? How was it implemented? How is the initiative supported by the leaders/managers of the organisation and what level of accountability does management take for the success of the initiative? Did you encounter any specific challenges in building inclusive teams and how are these addressed? How are individuals equipped to indicate if they feel excluded from the team dynamic? And how are such individuals and teams supported towards greater inclusivity? (400 – 550 words)	25%
4.	Workplace Evidence Please explain how your workplace benefits from improving workplace inclusion for your specific target group. Have you seen any impact on team collaboration, retention, engagement, customer satisfaction, innovation, or productivity? Did the changes in inclusion for your target group have any positive impact on the external environment, such as stakeholder engagement, diversity in supply chains, customer experience and/or social cohesion? Ideally, evidence provided will be quantified through formal metrics aligned with strategic objectives. (300 – 450 words)	20%
5	Employee Evidence Provide details of the impact that inclusive workplace initiatives have had on people from targeted non-dominant groups. And what was the positive impact across the organisation in developing a collaborative team culture? Ideally this will include qualitative feedback or statements from employees. (300 – 450 words)	20%

Ngā Āhuatanga o te Tiriti Tohu

While New Zealand is home to many different peoples with different cultures, and inclusive workplace practices need to encompass multiple cultures, the status of Māori as first people of the land is unique and is officially recognised as such by the state.

The past decade has seen an ever-increasing understanding of Te Tiriti o Waitangi as the founding document of Aotearoa New Zealand, the impacts of colonisation and obligation to intentionally improve outcomes for Māori, and the value of bringing a te ao Māori perspective into the workplace.

This tohu acknowledges an authentic commitment to being a Te Tiriti responsive organisation. Organisations will demonstrate initiatives which improve outcomes for Māori and contribute to stronger and more robust partnerships and relationships with whānau, hapū and iwi.

Entries should not exceed 2000 words. Additional supporting material should not exceed 15 minutes of video content and/or another 2000 words in written content.

Entrants will also be asked to provide other general information about their organisation, logos and photos.

Judging criteria:

1.	The kaupapa Please provide an overview of the kaupapa, what it seeks to achieve, how it was developed and to what extent was the Board the leadership and Māori involved in this process. Where your organisation has a Māori partnership board or equivalent body, please tell us how this has contributed to defining the kaupapa. We are specifically interested in understanding how the initiative will contribute to improving Māori outcomes from a Te Tiriti o Waitangi perspective. (350 – 450 words)	20%
2.	The mahi We would like to know how effectively you are implementing your strategy or kaupapa and what role your leadership team, staff and stakeholders have in this work. How is your kaupapa supported internally and led in your organisation, who is responsible? Please provide evidence of specific initiatives implemented against your strategy. Specifically, can you describe how you authentically celebrate or incorporate elements of the te ao Māori as they relate to this mahi? (300 – 500 words)	20%
3.	Ngā tautoko What are the mix of resources available to your management team and staff for this mahi? Where Māori are involved, tell us about that and to what extent you support them to help you with this work. Where your partners and/or suppliers have bought into your kaupapa, tell us what that looks like and how this contributes to Māori outcome achievement. (300 – 500 words)	20%
4.	Whānau ora Please tell us about how this work contributes to the wellbeing of your team. Has your organisation developed Māori models of wellbeing (in relation to health and safety)? Have you incorporated te ao Māori values in your workplace and if so do you have policies and procedures which reflect how Māori values are integrated in your organisational culture? (300 – 500 words)	20%
5.	Ngā kaimahi Please show us how the kaupapa has benefited the kaimahi, particularly Māori staff. Ideally this will include quantifiable evidence of kaimahi advancement as well as qualitative feedback or statements from kaimahi impacted by the kaupapa. We would also be interested in any perspectives from whānau, hapū and iwi on the tono, and their views on how their whānau member has developed from a te ao Māori perspective. How do you measure progress against your strategy? Please also tell us about the impact of this mahi on the overall performance and success of your organisation. This impact will ideally be provided as quantitative metrics. If there are other non-intended positive benefits to this mahi, please tell us about that experience and how you propose to improve on that work. (300 – 500 words)	20%

Impact Award

Across Aotearoa New Zealand, there are many organisations who intentionally work towards building a more inclusive society. The work by the public sector to build social cohesion needs to be supported by organisations in the private and not-for-profit sectors in order to succeed.

These organisations and initiatives are essential to building and maintaining momentum in diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and include:

social enterprises, advocacy groups and/or not-for-profit entities whose core purpose is to facilitate building more equitable workplaces, and
corporates and private sector businesses that invested in initiatives that are provided at no cost to a broad audience and with a purpose to build a more inclusive society.

This award is only open to organisations in the private and/or not-for-profit sectors.

In entering this category, eligible organisations will tell the story of how their work is contributing positively to an increased level of diversity and inclusion in Aotearoa New Zealand.

The overall entry should not exceed 2000 words. Additional supporting material should not exceed 15 minutes of video content and/or another 2000 words in written content.

Entrants will also be asked to provide other general information about their organisation, logos and photos.

Judging criteria:

1.	Organisational overview Please provide an outline of your organisation. Include information about the context, purpose and type of organisation to assist the judges to understand the unique challenges and constraints within which you work (eg size, composition, industry sector, locations, structure, hours of operation etc), and how this is relevant to promoting diversity and inclusion in Aotearoa New Zealand. (250 – 350 words)	20%
2.	Theory of change Who are you seeking to influence or benefit? What is standing in your way? What benefits are you seeking to achieve? When are you planning to achieve these benefits? Who are you partnering with in achieving the intended outcome? When are you planning to achieve the outcomes? (400 – 500 words)	30%
3.	Key workstreams Show us how this work was informed in collaboration with others to ensure it meets the needs of the labour market in Aotearoa New Zealand. What are the key workstreams and projects that you are implementing to effect change? (300 – 400 words)	25%
4.	Evidence of success Please provide details of how your work has positively impacted workplaces across Aotearoa New Zealand. Ideally this will include quantifiable evidence of improved performance as well as qualitative feedback from beneficiaries and/or policy makers. How do you amplify and celebrate the success of your partners in the same field of work? (300 – 400 words)	25%

Diversity Champion

Being a champion for diversity, equity and inclusion means more than being a supporter for a cause. It means more than being able to tell a lived experience story of exclusion. A champion for diversity, equity and inclusion is someone who expertly uses their knowledge, skills, experience and emotional intelligence to build an environment of belonging for others.

Diversity champions are self-aware. They can identify the biases and prejudices that are pervasive in our workplaces and society at large. They acknowledge and interrupt their own biases and are able to read and understand others without distortions of emotionally laden stereotypes. In so doing, they create an environment where individuals feel safe enough to have a voice and to make a contribution to shared objectives.

Diversity champions incorporate DEI values and behaviours in everything they do. They challenge non-inclusive systems, practices and mindsets, and they find solutions that have a positive impact on people and culture. They leave a lasting legacy.

As a nominated category (as opposed to self-entry), entries consist of a brief motivation by a nominator, supportive letters, references and evidence, and a statement of acceptance by the nominee. Selection will be based on an exemplary commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion as evidenced through a record of achievement, acts of service, projects or events.

Nominators will be asked to provide:

An overview of the nominee’s accomplishments in diversity, equity and inclusion over the past two (2) years. It is important to refer to the following key aspects in your motivation.
What actions do the nominee take to promote DEI?
What projects and/or initiatives has the nominee sponsored or implemented?
How does the nominee role model inclusion?
What are the top three skills, attributes or behaviours that make the nominee a worthy contender for this award?

Overview must not exceed 1000 words

The following documents to support your application:

Letter of support by an additional person (must not exceed 400 words)
Acceptance of nomination by the nominee (must not exceed 200 words)
Any additional documents that may provide evidence of achievements
Names and contact details of two referees who will be willing to be interviewed.

Supreme Award

The Supreme Award will be selected from the winners of the Leadership, Diverse Talent, Respectful Culture, Inclusive Workplace and Ngā Ahuatanga o te Tiriti categories, taking into account:

Complexity of the problem addressed and barriers overcome through implementation;
Resource limitations and creative solutions employed to achieve results within financial and time constraints;
Potential to activate change at a larger scale beyond the immediate workplace.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I enter?

You will be directed to our entry platform via the “Enter now” links on our website. Once there, you will need to create a login for the platform. You can complete your entry in stages if you prefer by saving your work then returning to the platform at a later date. You must submit your entry before the entry closing date.

How do I know which category to enter?

Our category descriptions section has lots of information and detailed judging criteria. You can also sign up for our Awards Entry Assistance workshop to find out more about the new award categories – we are running this online and will have a recording available afterwards.

The best way to determine which category to enter, is to decide on the original purpose for implementing your initiative.

Whether the strategic motivation for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in your organisation is purpose-driven, or business outcomes driven, research suggests that specific initiatives are selected either to solve a range of specific problems, or to gain from a range of specific opportunities.

In deciding on a category to enter:

STEP 1:

From the following list of options, ask yourself what the most important reason was for implementing your initiative:

We wanted to:

Improve capability and confidence in our leadership team to support DEI strategies and programmes (Leadership Category)
Attract talent from a specific community that is underrepresented in our organisation (Diverse Talent Category)
Remove barriers to career progression for people from specific communities (Diverse Talent Category)
Build an overall culture of respect in our organisation where people from all dimensions of diversity can thrive (Respectful Culture Category)
Dismantle workplace structures (eg policies, processes and networks) that keep inequity in place for a particular non-dominant group (Inclusive Workplace Category)
Demonstrate our commitment to being a Te Tiriti responsive organisation and participate in improving outcomes for Māori (Ngā Āhuatanga o Te Tiriti Tohu)
Contribute to improved workplace outcomes, social cohesion and equity across all aspects of society and the broad labour market (Impact Award)

STEP 2:

Double check your selection above by asking yourself the following question: How do we measure success - what is the most important metric that we use?

The way in which you evaluate your success will be naturally aligned to one of the above questions.

Can we enter more than one category?

Yes, but different entries must be for different programmes or initiatives. One initiative cannot be repurposed across multiple categories. All entries submitted must fulfil the entry requirements of the chosen category.

Can we enter a programme of work we are running in an overseas office?

No, entries must relate to workplace diversity and inclusion programmes or initiatives benefitting employees who are resident and working in New Zealand.

We are a previous winner – can we enter this again?

Yes, but if you are entering a programme or initiative that has previously won a Diversity Awards NZ™ category or been highly commended by the judging panel, you must provide evidence of significant new development.

Our business supplies services that increase DEI in the workplace. Can we enter the awards?

Yes, you have two options through which you can enter the awards. You can either enter the Impact category and, with this, you will be expected to provide evidence of how you have improved DEI across a broad range of workplaces. Alternatively, you can do a joint entry with one of your clients (submitted under the name of your client), in one of the five core categories (Leadership, Diverse Talent, Respectful Culture, Inclusive Workplace, Ngā Āhuatanga o te Tiriti).

Our organisation does work in the community to support diversity and inclusion. Can we enter those programmes?

No, entries must provide evidence of how your organisation is advancing a culture of diversity and inclusion within the New Zealand workplace.

Should we enter under our organisation’s name or the name of the programme or initiative?

Entrants will be referred to by the name entered on the official online entry form throughout the awards programme and on all subsequent awards collateral or marketing material produced to support the awards programme.

Entering these awards sends a signal to the workforce that you are a business that values diversity and inclusion, so it’s preferable to enter under your organisation’s name, enhancing your employer brand. However, you are not prohibited from using the name of a specific programme, initiative or department if you want to promote this as a brand. Please ensure all names and titles are correct as they cannot be changed halfway through the programme.

How can I add more photos or evidence files?

We are happy for you to email us extra photos to awards@diversityworksnz.org.nz – please include the name of the organisation and the entry category the photos illustrate. We allow entrants to submit up to six PDFs as supporting evidence for each entry to ensure reviewing entries is manageable for our judges. Supporting evidence must not exceed 2000 words.

Can I just upload or send a PDF or hard copy of my entry?

No, a separate online entry form is required to be submitted for each award entered, using the online form.

Why do we need to provide photographs?

We use entrant photographs to illustrate the case studies produced for finalists and to showcase the work of our finalists and winner across social media and external media publications. Photographs are also used to illustrate the DEI work in Aotearoa across Diversity Works New Zealand online and print materials.

I can’t submit my entry – the system is not accepting it.

Check that you have completed all the fields across the entry tabs.

Do you have finalists?
Yes, finalists will be announced after entries close.

What happens if I am a finalist?
Our team will be in touch to let you know when representatives from our judging panel can do a physical or online site visit. We will also work with you to create a short video of the work you are doing.

When will we find out if we have won?

We plan to announce our winners at an event in August. Make sure you have signed up for our newsletters and we will keep you posted with all the details.

Terms and Conditions

The owner and organiser for the Diversity Awards NZ™ is the Equal Employment Opportunities Trust, trading as Diversity Works New Zealand, Level 1, 90 Symonds Street, Auckland, New Zealand 1010.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Entries close at 3pm NZST, Tuesday 16 April 2024.
Entries must be from organisations operating in New Zealand.
Entries must relate to workplace diversity and inclusion programmes benefitting people who are resident and working in New Zealand.
Entries in the Impact Award are open to organisations in the private and/or charitable sectors, with a purpose to reflect impact across the broad landscape of work in Aotearoa New Zealand.
All entries must be submitted through the official online entry form and process.

All entries submitted must fulfil the entry requirements of the chosen award.
Entrants will be referred to by the name they entered under on the official online entry form throughout the awards programme and on all subsequent awards collateral or marketing material produced to support the awards programme.
A separate online entry form is required to be submitted for each award entered, using the text fields supplied.
Entries must be within the word limit of 2000 words.
Supporting evidence or images can be uploaded as attachments.
Supporting material should not exceed 15 minutes of video content and/or another 2000 words in written content.
Supporting video evidence may be submitted during the online entry process by video upload or as a link to a video sharing platform that can be accessed by the judging panel and those processing entries on behalf of the awards organisers.
Supporting photos should be in jpg, jpeg, png, tif or tiff format. Maximum file size is 25mb.
Incomplete entries can be disqualified.

Organisations can enter more than one category. You can also enter more than one programme or initiative per category via multiple submissions. You can, however, not enter one specific diversity and inclusion programme or initiative across various categories – an initiative can be entered in only one category per award year.
Finalists will be announced after entries have closed. Finalists will be allocated times for an assessment by the judges’ (this maybe a physical or virtual visit) and finalists must make themselves available at the scheduled time. The judges may, during the visit, request evidence to substantiate any claims made on the entry form.
Finalists will be allocated a time for a video of their initiative to be filmed and must make requested personnel available at the scheduled time and obtain the required consents from authorised representatives of the organisation and the individuals appearing on camera.
Case studies will be prepared by the awards organisers for all entries selected as finalists. Entrants will have the opportunity to correct any errors in these case studies. Case studies will be publicly available via the Diversity Works New Zealand website following the conclusion of the Awards programme and announcement of finalists and/or winners.
The independent judging panel will be appointed by the awards organisers.
All entry information and material submitted remains the property of the organiser.
Entrants agree to allow the use of their entry information and material for publicity purposes and ongoing Diversity Works New Zealand promotions and will ensure they have obtained consent for any images, video footage or quotes to be used to support their entry from the relevant individuals and entities.
By agreeing to these terms and conditions, you agree that the organisers can send you correspondence from time to time in relation to the awards process.
Entrants will be encouraged to make themselves available without cost for publicity purposes as required.
Entrants selected as finalists should be available to attend the awards event in Auckland or any other alternative celebration event as may proceed as a result of circumstances as they then exist. (Inability to attend does not disqualify entry).
The award organisers reserve the right to:

Transfer any entry from one category to another if it is deemed advantageous to the entrant. The entrant will be notified of this change of category.
Disqualify any entrant deemed to have breached the above terms and conditions.
Disqualify any entrant that could potentially damage the brand reputation of the awards.
Withdraw any award or choose not to award a winner in one or more of the categories.

Eligibility for all award categories will be at the sole discretion of the award organisers. Notwithstanding any other provision in these terms and conditions, the organiser reserves the right at its sole and absolute discretion to at any time suspend, cancel and/or modify in whole or in part any part of the awards process, the format of the proposed judging and/or videoing and/or method of celebrating the achievements of award entrants and/or finalists and/or winners.
The judge’s decisions around finalists and/or winners are final and the decision of the awards organisers around the shape of the programme and the nature of the celebrations are also final. No correspondence will be entered into in either case.
The issuance of these terms and conditions does not constitute an offer by the organisers that is capable of acceptance by any entrant. Each entrant, by submitting their award entry, acknowledges and agrees that the award process (and any suspension, cancellation or modification of it) will not result in the organiser incurring any obligations or liability whatsoever to entrants.
Winners in the Leadership, Diverse Talent, Respectful Culture, Inclusive Workplace and Ngā Āhuatanga o te Tiriti categories are eligible to win the Supreme Award.

AGREEMENT OF TERMS AND CONDITIONS

By submitting an online entry to the Diversity Awards NZ™, entrants are deemed to have accepted the Terms and Conditions.

About our Awards

Changes to the 2024 Awards Programme

Awards Format

2024 Categories

Leadership Award

Diverse Talent Award

Respectful Culture Award

Inclusive Workplace Award

Ngā Āhuatanga o te Tiriti Tohu

Impact Award

Diversity Champion

Supreme Award

Frequently Asked Questions

Terms and Conditions

Our Alliance Partners

About our Awards

Changes to the 2024 Awards Programme

Awards Format

2024 Categories

Leadership Award

Diverse Talent Award

Respectful Culture Award

Inclusive Workplace Award

Ngā Āhuatanga o te Tiriti Tohu

Impact Award

Diversity Champion

Supreme Award

Frequently Asked Questions

Terms and Conditions

Our Alliance Partners

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