Success stories and successful storytelling at Employer Brand Management Awards 2018

Companies across Europe are recognising the growing importance of a strong employer brand to attract the best talent, drive a corporate culture that retains talent and engage current employees with the organisation. For the past two years, the Employer Brand Management Awards has recognised those companies’ successes.

This year, the winners of the Employer Brand Management Awards includes some previous winners in addition to a swathe of brands working on exciting new programmes to address their corporate culture, recruitment efforts and employee experience.

One of those is ForrestBrown, a tax and accountancy firm with a character-filled approach to employer branding. The firm takes home this year’s ‘Best creative execution of the employer brand’ award for its fun, fitting and effective programme. Its fellow premier award winner, taking home the ‘Grand Prix of employer brand management’ is Teach First. Promoting the brand to a new audience and using a gripping, emotional video as the centrepiece of the campaign helped propel Teach First to excellent recruitment results.

One of this year's judges and global talent marketing manager at Sage, Helen Durkin, says, "This was my first year as a judge and I was really impressed with the standard of work submitted across the board. What stood out to me was the companies who were able to produce work on a limited budget while still bringing the EVP to life in innovative and differentiating ways."

Other winners included Odeon Cinemas Group, Dixons Carphone, Hermes and Northwell Health, who each took home two gold awards.

The awards were distributed last night at a gala dinner at the Grand Connaught Rooms in London. The third annual awards was celebrated in style by nominees from across Europe and the UK.

The Employer Brand Management Awards next heads to Dubai where the first ceremony will take place on 9 May. Following that, the annual Employer Brand Management Conference in London takes place on 4 December 2018. Tickets are available now. Book now to ensure your place at this often sold-out event.

The full list of winners is below:

Best alignment of the employer value proposition with corporate brand values  
Gold – Pepsi Lipton and Hodes (part of Symphony Talent)
Gold – Teach First and Tonic
Bronze – Kerry Foods and SMRS

Best communication of the employer brand to the external audience  
Gold – Teach First and Tonic
Silver – Dixons Carphone and Hodes (part of Symphony Talent)
Silver – Zalando SE
Bronze – Mencap and SMRS
Highly Commended – BT plc and Ph.Creative

Best communication of the employer brand to the internal audience  
Gold – Northwell Health and Home
Silver – Team KnowHow (part of Dixons Carphone) and Hodes (part of Symphony Talent)
Bronze – Givergy
Bronze – Nationwide Building Society and drp
Highly Commended – Barclays and Wardour

Best short-term or one-off employer brand campaign  
Gold – Hermes and Creed Communications
Silver – Moneysupermarket Group and Brandguild
Bronze – EVRY and Mission
Bronze – Unilever and Hodes (part of Symphony Talent)

Best diversity brand  
Gold – ODEON Cinemas Group
Silver – Travelport and Creed Communications
Bronze – Accenture

Best digital communication of the employer brand  
Gold – ForrestBrown and Hodes (part of Symphony Talent)
Gold – Hastings Direct and That Little Agency
Silver – Care UK and Dragonfish
Bronze – Travelport and Creed Communications
Highly Commended – RBS and Tonic

Best use of social media in the management or promotion of the employer brand  
Gold – Unilever and Hodes (part of Symphony Talent)
Gold – Zalando SE
Silver – Circle Health
Bronze – Accenture
Highly Commended – Barclays and Tonic
Highly Commended – BT plc and Ph.Creative

Best employer brand management programme following changed mission, positioning or management  
Gold – intu
Bronze – Ph.Creative

Best employer brand management programme following a merger or acquisition
Gold – Suez and MerchantCantos
Bronze – Renewi and Wardour
Bronze – Standard Life Aberdeen

Best brand ambassador programme
Gold – ODEON Cinemas Group
Silver – Assurant and Creed Communications
Silver – Principality Building Society and Mr B & Friends
Bronze – VESTEL

Best employee experience  
Gold – Northwell Health and Home
Silver – Team KnowHow (part of Dixons Carphone) and Hodes (part of Symphony Talent)
Bronze – Accenture
Bronze – Fuller Smith & Turner plc

Best localisation of a global employer brand management programme  
Gold – Philips and MerchantCantos

Best employer brand management event  
Gold – Arval UK and Synergy Creative
Silver – Nationwide Building Society and drp
Bronze – Kerry Foods and SMRS
Highly Commended – InterContinental Hotels Group and Mr B & Friends

Best employer brand innovation  
Gold – Care UK and Dragonfish
Gold – Jewish Care and We Love 9am
Silver – EY
Bronze – Kerry Foods and SMRS

Best ongoing commitment to employer brand management  
Gold – Dixons Carphone and Hodes (part of Symphony Talent)

Best employer brand management by a charity, NGO or NFP
Gold – Jewish Care and We Love 9am
Silver – Mencap and SMRS

Best employer brand management from the education sector
Gold – Teach First and Tonic

Best employer brand management from the engineering and manufacturing sector
Silver – Laing O'Rourke and Wardour

Best employer brand management from the financial services sector
Gold – Moneysupermarket Group and Brandguild
Silver – Hastings Direct and That Little Agency
Bronze – Assurant and Creed Communications
Bronze – RBS and Tonic
Highly Commended – Barclays and Wardour

Best employer brand management from the food and beverage sector
Gold – Kerry Foods and SMRS
Silver – Pepsi Lipton and Hodes (part of Symphony Talent)

Best employer brand management from the healthcare and pharmaceuticals sector
Gold – Philips and MerchantCantos

Best employer brand management from the professional services sector
Gold – ForrestBrown and Hodes (part of Symphony Talent)
Silver – EY

Best employer brand management from the retail sector
Gold – Dixons Carphone and Hodes (part of Symphony Talent)

Best employer brand management from the technology, media and telecommunications sector
Silver – EVRY and Mission
Bronze – BT plc and Ph.Creative
Bronze – Vodafone and Creed Communications

Best employer brand management from the transport and logistics sector
Gold – Hermes and Creed Communications

Best creative execution of the employer brand
Winner – ForrestBrown and Hodes (part of Symphony Talent)

Grand prix of employer brand management
Winner – Teach First and Tonic