Skip to main content

Sharesies research · conducted by YouGov

Ownership: The New Wave of Wealth

How employee ownership fits in the future pay packet

Scroll for the key findings ↓

This research asks employees and employers across New Zealand and Australia how they think about wealth, pay, and ownership.

  • 56%of New Zealand employees, and
  • 53%of Australian employees

say salary alone won’t build long-term wealth.

While salary still matters, for many, it no longer covers both today’s needs and tomorrow’s goals.

The confidence gap

Employers and employees see pay very differently

  1. 97% of employers

    say the remuneration they provide keeps pace with living costs and helps employees build long-term wealth.

  2. but only

    18% of New Zealand employees

    agree their pay meets their needs today and helps them build wealth for the future.

  3. and

    25% of Australian employees

    say their pay covers what they need today and helps them build wealth for the future.

The duty of employers

Almost every employer agrees they have a role to play

  • 99%of employers say organisations should play at least some role in helping employees build wealth beyond salary.
  • 49%of employers say organisations should play a significant role in helping employees build wealth beyond salary.

The new pay packet

The pay packet is being asked to do more

Yesterday

  • Salary
  • Bonus
  • Benefits
  • Culture

Today

  • Salary
  • Bonus
  • Benefits
  • Culture
  • Financial education
  • Wealth-building opportunities
  • Ownership participation

Nearly half of employees across New Zealand and Australia report being more open to non-traditional forms of remuneration than they were five years ago.

“I expect remuneration packages that include share schemes will become more important as more people start to understand that investing can be a more lucrative way of earning an income beyond base pay.”

IT project leader, Australian retailer (250+ employees)

Ownership goes mainstream

From executive perk to whole-of-workforce strategy

39% of employers already offer an employee share scheme (ESS)

54% of employers are considering one within three years

ESS began as a benefit for executives. It’s now a viable strategy for the whole workforce.

“Share schemes are becoming more attractive to people… particularly if the company is growing and is on a good trajectory.”

HR partner, global logistics company (1,000+ employees)

The business case

The leading benefits employers see from ESS

  • Engagement

    from 43% of employers

  • Attraction

    from 42% of employers

  • Retention

    from 41% of employers

Ownership has become a talent strategy and a culture strategy.

“The scheme doesn’t just drive participation. It drives a broader understanding of investing, the share market, how shares work, and what a dividend is.”

Senior legal counsel, NZ energy company (1,000+ employees)

Interest is high, understanding is low

More employees are interested in ownership than take part in it

  • Employees who’d take at least some pay in shares

    78%

    NZ 80% · AU 76%

  • Share of the workforce employers estimate would take part

    40%

    Employer estimate

Appetite for ownership may be much higher than employers expect.

Employers say four things would help boost participation:

  • Visibility of share value

    55% of employers

  • Financial literacy in the workplace

    50% of employers

  • Secure administration

    44% of employers

  • Clear tax information

    42% of employers

Build communication, education, and visibility into scheme design from the start. Don’t leave them until after launch.

“A well-designed scheme only creates value when employees can recognise it.”

Susannah Batley, General Manager, Sharesies Business

Full data and discussion

Get the full findings

  • The four conditions that help share schemes build trust and maximise impact

  • Where employer expectations and employee experience don’t match

  • Qualitative interviews with the leaders behind successful schemes

  • The measures to agree on before you choose how a scheme will work

Panel series · Ownership is the future

Could employee ownership be the path forward?

Join Sharesies Business in Auckland, Wellington, and Sydney to explore how employee ownership can reward people, grow resilient companies, and strengthen our economies.

  • Auckland

    Wed 11 Nov
    7:30am–9:30am NZDT

    Pathfinder Asset Management, Auckland

  • Wellington

    Thu 12 Nov
    7:30am–9:30am NZDT

    Venue TBC

  • Sydney

    Tue 3 Nov
    7:30am–9:30am AEDT
    (9:30am–11:30am NZDT)

    Illumina Central Hall (Macquarie Bank HQ), Sydney NSW

About the research

Sharesies commissioned YouGov to survey 506 New Zealand and 1,014 Australian employees aged 18+ (27 May – 8 June 2026), and 493 ESS decision-makers at private companies with 250+ employees across New Zealand (156) and Australia (337) (12–19 August 2026). Six supplementary qualitative interviews were conducted with decision-makers. Significant differences reported at the 95% confidence interval. Conducted in accordance with ISO 20252:2019.

Sharesies Business

Thinking about an employee share scheme?

Our team is on hand to help you get your share scheme up and running.

Talk to our team ↗