Employer Brand Management Awards 2017 winners announced

The Employer Brand Management Awards continues its pledge to recognise the best in internal communications, corporate leadership, recruitment and HR best practice. With a wide selection of categories, a meticulous judging process and a diverse medley of world-beating entries, the awards set the stage for excellence in all areas of employer branding.

This year’s winners list illustrates the true magnitude of such excellence, captured in the programme’s vast categorisation and deeply diverse collection of submissions. Examples such as London-based brand agency, Tonic, taking key position as winners across several categories, including the evening’s Grand Prix, illustrate the powerful presence of creativity, passion and versatility throughout the entire class of submissions.

Equally, global cosmetics manufacturer, Benefit Cosmetics, teamed up with London-based Havas People (part of the Havas Group), to streamline its employer branding across its entire business objectives. With harsh challenges to an industry governed by the idiosyncrasies of seasonal style and temporary trends, Benefit and Havas People curated a friendly, vibrant and feel-good communications theme that aims to permeate each layer of the company.

As last year’s Employer Brand Management conference highlighted the necessity of an enduring employer brand through times of change, so last night’s awards set the benchmark for employer brand management among a vast collection of trailblazing projects. Diverse industries ranging from IT, banking and the public sector displayed unified and personable strategies, placing employees at the heart of their core brand.

Yet as brands continue to sharpen their outlook towards employer brand management, Andrew Thomas, publishing editor of Transform and Communicate magazines, believes succinct employer branding, when done right, can take an organisation to the upper echelons of its sector. Thomas says, “This year’s winners signified a resounding success for employer branding. We not only saw the fruits of concise internal communications, but an overall competency to several aspects of the employer branding spectrum. Yet beyond touchpoints, from reputation to risk management, each of last night’s winners raised the bar for wider stakeholder communications, setting a new mark for next year’s programme and cementing employer brand management as an essential component to overall business growth.”

To have your say and contribute to a future article in Communicate magazine, take our short, 10-minute survey here. The results will outline what best practice is in employer brand management and what the industry is still working to change from the inside. Survey respondents also have the chance to win £150 in Selfridges vouchers.

In addition, the Employer Brand Management Awards MENA is still open for entries. to submit your work, click here.

The full list of the Employer Brand Management Awards 2017 winners is as follows:

Best alignment of the employer value proposition with corporate brand values

Gold - HomeServe and WPA Pinfold

Silver - SAP

Bronze - ING

Bronze - TrustFord and CA3

Highly commended - Lewis Silkin and Living Group

Best communication of the employer brand to the external audience

Gold - Police Now and Tonic

Silver - Benefit Cosmetics and Havas People

Silver – The British Army and Tonic

Bronze - McDonald's and ThirtyThree

Highly commended – Dixons Carphone and Hodes UK

Highly commended - Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council and Emperor

Best short-term or one-off employer brand campaign

Gold – The British Army and Tonic

Silver – Philips

Silver - Unilever and Hodes UK

Bronze - Bard EMEA and Creed Communications

Highly commended - Compass Group and Blackbridge Communications

Best communication of the employer brand to the internal audience

Gold - HomeServe and WPA Pinfold

Silver - ODEON Cinemas Group and Synergy Creative

Bronze - Dixons Carphone and Hodes UK

Highly commended - AB InBev and MSLGROUP UK

Highly commended - SAP

Best diversity brand

Gold - Airbus and Petrus Communications

Bronze - Ericsson and Talent Works International

Highly commended – SAP

Best digital communication of the employer brand

Gold - The British Army and Tonic

Silver - Police Now and Tonic

Silver - Unilever and Hodes UK

Bronze - ING

Highly commended - Johnson & Johnson and Omobono

Best use of social media in the management or promotion of the employer brand

Gold - The British Army and Tonic

Silver - AB InBev and MSLGROUP UK

Bronze - Unilever and Hodes UK

Highly commended - Dixons Carphone and Hodes UK

Best use of the employer brand in customer marketing

Gold - RunMyProcess and Pixeldot

Best employer brand management programme following changed mission, positioning or management

Gold - Police Now and Tonic

Silver - ING

Bronze – Philips

Highly commended – SAP

Best employer brand management programme following a merger or acquisition

Silver – Paysafe

Highly commended - Assurant and Creed Communications

Best alumni programme

Gold – Barclays

Silver - Airbus and Petrus Communications

Bronze – SAP

Best brand ambassador programme

Gold - Benoy and Hodes UK

Silver - Johnson & Johnson and Omobono

Bronze – Paysafe

Bronze - Unilever and Hodes UK

Highly commended – Dell

Best localisation of a global employer brand management programme

Gold – SAP

Silver - wagamama and Talent Works International

Bronze - Amplifon and Hodes UK

Highly commended - Mars and Tonic

Best employer brand management event

Gold - The British Army and Tonic

Silver – Just

Bronze – EE and drp

Bronze – SAP

Highly commended - Airbus and Petrus Communications

Best employer brand innovation

Gold - SAP - Assessments

Silver – ING

Bronze – SAP - Life at SAP Illustrated

Best ongoing commitment to employer brand management

Gold – COOK

Silver – ODEON Cinemas Group

Bronze - Dixons Carphone and Hodes UK

Highly commended – SAP

Best employer brand from the charity/NGO/NFP sector

Gold - Police Now and Tonic

Best employer brand from the engineering & manufacturing sector

Silver – Edwards Vacuum Techniques and Home

Bronze - Laing O’ Rourke and Wardour

Highly commended - Airbus and Petrus Communications

Best employer brand from the financial services sector

Gold- LV= and ThirtyThree

Bronze - Assurant and Creed Communications

Highly commended – ING

Best employer brand from the food & beverage sector

Gold – McDonald’s and ThirtyThree

Silver - wagamama and Talent Works International

Best employer brand from the healthcare & pharmaceuticals sector

Gold - mydentist and Creed Communications

Silver - Bard EMEA and Creed Communications

Bronze - HCA Healthcare UK and Blackbridge Communications

Best employer brand from the professional services sector

Gold - Lewis Silkin and Living Group

Best employer brand from the public sector

Gold - The British Army and Tonic

Silver - Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council and Emperor

Best employer brand from the retail sector

Gold - TrustFord and CA3

Best employer brand from the technology, media & telecommunications sector

Silver - SAP

Bronze - RunMyProcess and Pixeldot

Best employer brand from the utilities sector

Gold - HomeServe and WPA Pinfold

Best creative execution of the employer brand

Benefit Cosmetics and Havas People

Grand Prix of employer brand management

Police Now and Tonic