Total Property Services (TPS) has been named the winner of the Careerforce Workforce Development Excellence Award at the 2026 CleanSweep Awards, recognising its outstanding commitment to growing capability, confidence and career pathways across its workforce.
Hosted by the Building Service Contractors of New Zealand (BSCNZ), the CleanSweep Awards celebrate excellence across New Zealand’s commercial cleaning sector. The 2026 Gala Dinner for the awards was held on 16 July at the Pullman Hotel in Auckland, alongside the CleanNZ Expo.
The workforce development category, introduced for the first time this year, celebrates organisations that understand skilled, supported people are essential to excellence, and that workforce development is an ongoing commitment rather than a one-off activity.
Left to right: Kenny Harris (CEO, TPS), Kerry Elliot (Head of People and Culture, TPS), Lilly Toma (People, Culture and Training Facilitator, TPS)
Kerry Elliot, Head of People and Culture at TPS, says the award is a meaningful acknowledgement of the company’s people-first approach.
“Every day, we watch our people grow, and that’s what this recognition is really about. At TPS, People First isn’t just a value on a wall, it’s how we build confidence, capability and real career pathways for our people. We believe strongly in workforce development, and a supported team delivers the consistent, high-quality service our clients count on. That’s a win for everyone.”
The judging panel described TPS as having an outstanding and highly mature workforce development model, with learning embedded into daily operations and strongly aligned with organisational values, strategy and service quality.
TPS’ approach combines structured induction and onboarding, eLearning, monthly toolbox training, leadership development, external specialist training and compliance learning. This blended model supports technical skills, professional growth and flexibility for a geographically dispersed, shift-based workforce.
The judges also recognised TPS’ strong focus on supporting diverse learning needs through practical, visual and hands-on approaches. Employees are supported through mentoring, structured career pathways, leadership opportunities and recognition initiatives that help build confidence and progression.
Staff testimonials highlighted the impact of this culture in action, with examples of people progressing from frontline roles into leadership and specialist positions, strengthening their confidence, adopting new systems and contributing more fully to day-to-day service performance.
The results are tangible. Evidence presented in TPS’ submission showed quarterly turnover reducing from 26% to as low as 9%, employee engagement increasing from an Employee Net Promoter Score of 38 to 57, stronger safety reporting, and 96% of staff reporting clarity around the organisation’s vision.
These outcomes show a clear link between workforce development, staff retention, engagement, safety culture and consistent service quality.
TPS has also made a significant financial investment in sustaining this work, with dedicated learning and development roles, paid induction and training time, and digital learning infrastructure.
Innovation is also central to the TPS model, with the use of blended learning, digital systems such as TPS Connect, external partnerships and the development of its upcoming “Pathway to Shine” framework, designed to provide clearer progression pathways for employees.
Left to right: Rod Bentham (Executive Director, Careerforce), Lilly Toma (People, Culture and Training Facilitator, TPS), Kerry Elliot (Head of People and Culture, TPS), Kenny Harris (CEO, TPS), Jeremy Corbett, MC
The judges said TPS’ submission demonstrated a strategic, well-resourced and measurable approach to workforce development, reflecting a leading practice model that strengthens internal capability while helping lift standards across the wider cleaning industry.
“We congratulate TPS on this well-deserved recognition. Their commitment to developing people, creating career pathways, and embedding workforce development in a purposeful and people-focused way is exactly the kind of leadership that strengthens the sector.”
Rod Bentham, Executive Director, Careerforce
Total Property Services (TPS) is a New Zealand-wide commercial property partner that operates as a “one-stop shop” for businesses and facility managers. They specialize in building maintenance, complete commercial cleaning, and height access solutions, offering a 24/7, wrap-around approach for commercial and industrial spaces.
Susan Tattersall