Overland Footwear Is New Zealand's Best Workplace 2013

Online, March 17, 2014 (Newswire.com) - The win caps off Overland's ninth year as a finalist in the survey, and second year as overall winner. This year not only was Overland named as the winner of the Large Workplace category, they also secured the overall win - the first time any organization has won the overall award for two consecutive years.

The win also saw Overland achieve the highest ever score in the Large Workplace category, something which People & Development Leader Amy Buller says is a huge achievement for the New Zealand family owned company.

"Everyone in our team does such a wonderful job of motivating and inspiring those around them on a daily basis. Our success as an organization is directly linked to the team that works so hard on our behalf every day, and giving back to this team and nurturing our family at Overland will always be a strong priority for the business."

The Kenexa Best Workplaces Survey not only brings the chance to win the exciting title of New Zealand's Best Workplace, but provides invaluable staff feedback.

"This year one of the questions we ranked most highly in was the organisation's ability to change based on staff feedback. With the help of the survey, every year we take on board our staff feedback and identify areas for improvement" Buller says.

As a result of the survey feedback, Overland store staff are now able to get additional experience in office internships, and helping with regional training and visual merchandising duties to help broaden their skillset.

In 2013 Overland Support Office staff requested more help with managing their stress in the workplace. As a result, the Support Office team now have weekly lunchtime yoga sessions to help strengthen their work life balance and relax.

As one of New Zealand's best known footwear brands, Overland's success in the retail industry has been reflected in the Kenexa Best Workplaces results, with the number of employees pushing Overland up through the categories of the Survey. 2013 was the first year Overland was moved up into theLarge Workplace category, with employee numbers tipping 400.

Buller says "it's no easy feat getting 400 employees to respond to the Survey, however we are lucky to have a culture which encourages feedback and involvement from all staff, and our staff do truly believe we are the best workplace around - this self belief makes all the difference!"