Category Description
If you are an organisation that demonstrates an all round commitment to employee engagement by supporting and delivering well thought out and successful workplace environments, then you are eligible to enter this award.
The award focuses on activities and practices developed to enhance employee engagement and well-being within and out of the workplace. The activities can for example: promote environmental sustainability, focus on skilled volunteering, and/or encourage a healthy work life balance. Judges will review volunteer schemes, staff energy efficiency projects, sustainable travel choices, improved environmental efficiency of facilities management, the promotion of equality, diversity & inclusion, behaviour change, and/or payroll giving. Activities will have been primarily delivered during 2016-19 and can focus on one or more of these key areas but is not expected to have covered them all in one entry.
Judges will be rewarding businesses that have implemented innovative workplace activities that care for and protect employees, enhance the work environment for staff at all levels and recognise employees as valued contributors to the organisation. They will also consider innovative and engaging activities to motivate staff in following their employer’s core values by the way of staff involvement and eco-friendly work schemes.
In judging this award, the panel will specifically be looking for evidence of: the degree of innovation shown by the entrant in developing, delivering and engaging employees in the activities; how the organisation raised awareness to promote the offerings; and the extent to which the entry is part of an integrated scheme to improve employee relations.
Criteria
Judges will be looking for evidence of the following points within the supplied application form (weighting percentages in brackets):
- How the activities were scoped and developed and how they set new standards for innovation and creativity; improved the working conditions and delivered work-life balance; (20%)
- Where measurable, how the activities have impacted on the business whether in terms of staff health; staff well-being; environmental improvements to the working environment or any other benefits measured; (20%)
- Awareness raising of the activities to promote them within the organisation and its engagement with staff, including the support from senior management; (15%)
- The measurement of diversity, inclusion and engagement: whether the schemes positively reached a broad range of employees from junior level to executives, and how the scheme fostered interaction and promoted empowerment on a long-term basis; (30%)
- Evidence of the scheme to be part of a wider organisational effort to improve employee value by providing a healthier more sustainable, connected and giving workplace. (15%)
Are we eligible to enter?
Our awards programme is open to all organisations of any kind… companies large and small, charities, not-for-profits, social enterprises, NGOs, membership and accreditation organisations and government departments including local and county councils. We are all about rewarding sustainability practice – in all its forms. So if your organisation is making a difference, directly or indirectly to people and planet, you’re eligible.
We don’t just recognise businesses that are operating responsibly, or supporting / partnering with worthwhile causes. We also actively encourage entries from organisations that have been specifically set up or adapted to offer a product or service that tackles a social or environmental problem.
Our category descriptions and criteria have been written to guide entrants on what content should be detailed in their entries. However, we do not expect square pegs to fit in round holes… Some of your business activities or dedicated programmes might not fit entirely with any one specific category. In these cases, the descriptions and criteria are open to an element of interpretation and rest assured that our judges will still take into account entries that are strongly aligned with the overall context of the category.
If you have any concerns about the suitability of your entry, or would like to discuss your activities in more detail, we are here to help. Give Karen a call on 07813 718541 or email us.