Our staff profile

Details about staff numbers and staff diversity between 2020/21 and 2022/23.

Staff numbers (full-time equivalents)

2020/21 2021/22 2022/23
Office of the Auditor-General 103 113 111
Audit New Zealand 282 271 333
Corporate Services 46 46 45
Total 431 430 489

Gender distribution – All staff

2020/21 2021/22 2022/23
Women 54% 55% 56%
Men 46% 45% 44%

Gender distribution – Executive management

2020/21 2021/22 2022/23
Women 60% 55% 36%
Men 40% 45% 64%

Ethnicity distribution

2020/21 2021/22 2022/23
Pākehā/NZ European 18% 179% 15%
NZ Māori 3% 3% 3%
Pasifika 3% 3% 3%
Asian 26% 28% 28%
Other European 34% 31% 27%
Other ethnic groups 7% 9% 12%
Undeclared 9% 9% 11%

Note: Due to rounding, the numbers in this table might not add up to 100%.

Functional distribution

2020/21 2021/22 2022/23
Audit/assurance 56% 56% 63%
Technical and advisory 18% 18% 17%
Corporate support 23% 23% 18%
Senior management 3% 3% 2%

Requirement for a programme for equal employment opportunities

When the Public Audit Act was passed in 2001, it included a requirement that the Auditor-General publish his equal employment opportunities programme. In the early 2000s, those programmes were designed to ensure equal employment opportunities for all staff (and potential staff). By 2023, the activities we carry out to foster a diverse and inclusive workforce are many and varied.

Monitoring the patterns of employment, promotion, and development by gender and ethnicity are well-established and standard practices in the Office. To check that we haven’t missed something, the Office commissioned an external review of our pay practices by gender. That review confirmed that we are doing well, with no significant gaps between like-for-like roles. We review this annually through our remuneration round. However, we need to continue to address a few instances of “vertical segregation”.

Above and beyond those steps, the Office is a member of Diversity Works NZ and solicits feedback on where we can improve our approach and practices. We have several employee-led groups that the leadership team endorses and supports, such as a Women's Network, Rainbow Network, a Pasifika Network, and He Tāngata group focused on well-being.

These days, providing equal employment opportunities is less about a programme and more about a leadership mindset that is considered, thoughtful, and open to learning more about what it means to bring “your whole self” to work each day.

Page last updated: 17 October 2023