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COMMUNICATION

  • Best alignment of the employer value proposition with corporate brand values This category highlights the synergy between the way an organisation manages its reputation as an employer and the way it manages its reputation to all of its stakeholders. Judges will expect your organisation’s EVP to be defined together with your brand values. In addition the judges will need to see clear ways in which your organisation has attempted to unify its proposition as an employer and potential employer with its positioning as an organisation trusted by those with whom you want to engage or sell your products or services
  • Best communication of the employer brand to the external audience This category recognises campaigns that integrate the employer brand, culture and values of the organisation to communicate to the external audience. This will include recruitment, use of social media, graduate programmes and web platforms. Judges will look for consistency across channels and the ways in which the campaign complements and supports the business’ objectives.
  • Best communication of the employer brand to the internal audience This category focuses on the way an employer brand strategy, culture change programme or values alignment is communicated to an organisation’s internal audience. Projects can be ongoing or completed. Judges will expect to see a measurement metric, such as retention or employee satisfaction, included.
  • Best communication of the employer brand to a Gen Z audience This award recognises outstanding employer branding that successfully captures the attention and imagination of Gen Z, exhibiting a clear understanding of Gen Z’s values while leveraging the platforms needed to connect with this audience.  
  • Best communication of the employer brand to a Gen Alpha audience This award commends forward-thinking employer branding campaigns that effectively engage with the emerging Generation Alpha. Successful campaigns will show creativity in reaching younger audiences.
  • Best communication of the employer brand to a Gen X audience This award recognises employer branding campaigns that successfully resonate with Generation X, showing a deep understanding of this audience while highlighting opportunities for professional development and long-term impact.
  • Best short-term or one-off employer brand campaign This category rewards organisations that have responded to a particular need, such as a recruitment, retention or engagement need, with a short-term solution (digital, strategic, advertising, etc). Entrants will be expected to show what precipitated the need for the campaign and how the campaign met that need. The judges will look for metrics designed to highlight the effectiveness of the campaign. The judges will understand that measurement may be ongoing. It isn’t just about meeting needs and evaluating success, however. The judges will expect to see creative excellence and reasons why the strategy for execution was successful.
  • Best use of digital This category rewards companies that integrate digital thought throughout their communication and employer brand strategies. This can take the form of intranet, apps, video, careers website, e-learning and others. Submissions can reflect a focus on internal and external audiences, or both. Judges will expect to see relevant metrics
  • Best social media strategy This category focuses on the effective use of social media channels within their employer brand management programmes. Both the creative use of existing social media channels as well as the development of proprietary ones can be submitted.
  • Best integration of the employer brand in communication strategy This category rewards organisations that have effectively made their employees a key point of difference in the corporate positioning to their customers and as an employer of choice. This strategy may have been applied in corporate communications, marcomms or HR.
  • Best employer brand innovation This category will reward a new strategic or creative employer brand initiative (e.g. a product, AR/VR, apps). The judges will look for unique ideas, implemented well. Although metrics would be appreciated, judges will focus more on innovation than with results.
  • Best use of data This category rewards organisations that have used, measured or communicated data in the creation or promotion of their employer brand.

 

EMPLOYER BRAND POSITIONING

  • Best diversity and inclusion strategy This category rewards those companies that have a policy of building and maintaining a diverse employer brand. The judges will look for organisations that are both going beyond box-checking and are actively seeking out an adaptable and flexible workforce, and those that are prepared to put forward the business case for such a programme.
  • Best management of the employer brand following a change of mission, positioning, or management Corporate change can be a serious business-wide challenge for any organisation. Rebrands and repositioning require complete internal commitment together with external acceptance. A new CEO or senior executive can bring a new vision to an organisation. The challenge for many is using this change to enhance an organisation's reputation as an employer. This category rewards companies that creatively overcame that challenge.
  • Best management of the employer brand following a merger or acquisition Corporate change can be a serious business-wide challenge for any organisation; none more so than in its reputation as an employer. This category will rewards companies that have overcome that challenge. It will also take into account the journey for the employees during the change process..
  • Best localisation programme This category will look at how a global organisation has made relevant its employer brand to regionally specific locations. This category can include European organisations that have localised their employer brand elsewhere in the world or global organisations headquartered elsewhere that have localised their employer brand to Europe or to specific parts of Europe.

 

EMPLOYEE JOURNEY

  • Best employee experience This category will reward organisations that focus on the experiential needs of the employee, predominantly focusing on culture, technology and the physical space of their employees. This category could include onboarding programmes, branded built environment and collaborative workspace management, continuous learning initiatives and other ideas designed to create a more holistic employee experience.
  • Best employer brand management event This category rewards that have used the meeting environment to further its reputation as an employer. Events may include both external and internal events.
  • Best brand ambassador programme This category focuses on identifying, developing and communicating with individuals and teams within or aligned to the organisation to further enhance the employer brand. The category can include both internal and external brand ambassador or advocates and can include referral programmes. The judges will look for ways in which ambassadors have been selected and used, and how their attributes fit within the organisation’s brand values.
  • Best alumni programme Organisations are increasingly seeing the importance of corporate alumni and are increasingly investing time and resource into their development. This category rewards those that can demonstrate how an organised alumni programme has strengthened its employer brand.
  • Best onboarding or reboarding programme This category will recognise and celebrate effective and efficient onboarding process for new employees into the organisation and how the employer brand is integrated within this. It will also reward ‘reboarding’ an employee, such those returning from parental leave, long-term sick leave etc.
  • Best employee wellbeing initiative A happy workforce is what organisations strive for but keeping them healthy is becoming even more important. This category recognises initiatives put in place such as wellness and fitness programmes and mental health support.
  • Best ongoing commitment to employer brand management This category rewards organisations that have displayed a thorough understanding of the employer brand management process and its impact on the organisation.

 

BEST EMPLOYER BRAND MANAGEMENT BY SECTOR

This category will determine how well a company performs within its sector. This is your chance to demonstrate why you are the employer of choice amongst the organisations within your sector. Judges will compare and contrast companies within their peer group. The sectors organisations can enter include:

  • Charity, NGO or NFP
  • Education
  • Energy and utilities
  • Engineering and manufacturing
  • Financial services
  • FMCG
  • Food and beverage
  • Healthcare and pharmaceutical
  • Industrial and basic materials
  • Oil, gas, mining and extractives
  • Professional services
  • Property, construction and facilities management
  • Public
  • Retail
  • Technology, media and telecommunications 
  • Transport and logistics
  • Sports, travel, leisure and tourism

 

GRAND ACCOLADES

  • Best creative execution of the employer brand There is no entry procedure for this category and all submissions will be automatically considered
  • Grand prix There is no entry procedure for this category and all submissions will be automatically considered

 

Please contact George at george.ramsay@communicatemagazine.co.uk or +44 (0)20 3950 5356 for any queries regarding entries​ and advice on categories to enter.