Employer Brand Management Awards 2026 winners announced

Now in its eleventh year, the Employer Brand Management Awards offers a snapshot of how the discipline is evolving. This year’s winners point to a more integrated and imaginative approach; one that reaches beyond recruitment to shape culture and business strategy.

IQM Quantum Computers’ ‘Give quantum a heartbeat’ puts people at the centre of a highly technical business, while SCS JV and WeLove9am used Lego tunnel-boring machines to make engineering tangible for the next generation. Elsewhere, BCG explored how AI is changing the way candidates discover employers, while Rhenus Group took its employer brand directly to its global workforce.

Communicate’s publisher and founder of the awards, Andrew Thomas, says: “The strongest work this year shows employer branding becoming much more deeply embedded in how businesses operate.

“It is no longer simply a recruitment proposition; it is increasingly part of how organisations define themselves, communicate change and build culture.”

The full list of this year’s winners is below.

 

COMMUNICATION 

Best Alignment of the Employer Value Proposition with Corporate Brand Values 

Gold – Parkdean Resorts  

Gold – T-Mobile Polska and PracowniaEB 

Silver – IQM Quantum Computers and Finders Seekers  

Silver – London Gatwick and MGA  

Bronze – Allegro with Be About Hybrid Agency, Great Digital, Ikona and Mosqi.to 

Bronze – SPD Technology  

 

Best Communication of the Employer Brand to the External Audience 

Gold – IHG and Tonic  

Gold – IQM Quantum Computers and Finders Seekers  

Silver – Medik8 and Chatter Communications  

Silver – Royal London and Chatter Communications 

Bronze – Netflix and The Studio at Symphony Talent 

Bronze – Sony Music and LEAP Create 

 

Best Communication of the Employer Brand to the Internal Audience 

Gold – Rhenus Logistics 

Gold – NSG Group and Creed Communications  

Silver – dsm-firmenich and The Studio at Symphony Talent 

Silver – HCA Healthcare UK  

Silver – Marston Holdings and WPA Pinfold 

Bronze – Manchester Metropolitan University and SMRS  

 

Best Communication of the Employer Brand to a Gen Z Audience 

Gold – BAT and Tonic  

Silver – Asahi UK and The Studio at Symphony Talent 

Silver – BDO and Pink Squid  

Bronze – Mars and ILoveMyJob  

Bronze – Rolls-Royce and Cielo   

 

Best Communication of the Employer Brand to a Gen Alpha Audience 

Gold – SCS JV and WeLove9am  

 

Best Short-Term or One-Off Employer Brand Campaign 

Gold – Ocado Logistics and Caraffi  

Gold – Rolls-Royce and Cielo 

Silver – Comcast and Wiser  

Silver – Military Provost Guard Service (MPGS) and Tonic  

Bronze – AXA XL  

Bronze – GKN Aerospace and Dawson Walker 

Bronze – Iceland Foods and Creed Communications  

 

Best Use of Digital 

Gold – KFC UK&I and Chatter Communications  

Gold – Orange Polska  

Silver – IHG and 33Seconds 

Silver – Mitchells & Butlers  

Silver – Next and Wiser  

Bronze – Rolls-Royce and Cielo 

 

Best Social Media Strategy 

Gold – Mitchells & Butlers and Cogent  

Gold – Rolls-Royce and Cielo  

Silver – Comcast and Wiser  

Silver – The Army UOTC and Tonic 

Bronze – British American Tobacco (BAT) and ILoveMyJob 

Bronze – The UK’s Intelligence Services and Penna  

 

Best Integration of the Employer Brand in Communication Strategy 

Gold – Allegro with Be About Hybrid Agency, Great Digital, Ikona and Mosqi.to 

Silver – DLA Piper LLP  

Silver – KUKA Hungary and Brandfizz Employer Branding 

Bronze – CD PROJEKT RED  

 

Best Employer Brand Innovation 

Gold – Boston Consulting Group  

Silver – Aegon and TMP Worldwide  

Silver – West Midlands Police and Caraffi  

Bronze – IHG and 33Seconds  

Bronze – Kaufland Romania  

Bronze – SCS JV and WeLove9am 

 

Best Use of Data 

Gold – Siemens and Wisdom  

Silver – Mitchells & Butlers  

Bronze – Elsevier  

 

EMPLOYER BRAND POSITIONING 

Best Diversity and Inclusion Strategy 

Gold – BT 

Gold – Northern and Creed Communications  

Silver – Yorkshire Building Society and Chatter Communications

Bronze – Aegon and TMP Worldwide    

Bronze – CGI and LEAP Create  

 

Best Management of the Employer Brand Following a Change of Mission, Positioning, or Management 

Gold – Evoke and Chatter Communications  

Silver – Allegro with Be About Hybrid Agency, Great Digital, Ikona and Mosqi.to 

Silver – Brambles, CHEP and Brunswick Group  

Silver – Elsevier  

Silver – Siemens  

Bronze – Cloudera  

 

Best Management of the Employer Brand Following a Merger or Acquisition 

Gold – dsm-firmenich and The Studio at Symphony Talent 

Silver – AZ Oostende and d-artagnan  

Silver – Global Payments and Wiser  

Bronze – 2Connect Hungary and Brandfizz Employer Branding 

 

Best Localisation Programme 

Gold – ABB Poland and Job’n’Joy 

Gold – IHG and Tonic  

Silver – Ocado Logistics and Caraffi  

Bronze – GE Aerospace Hungary and Brandfizz Employer Branding 

Bronze – Netflix and The Studio at Symphony Talent 

 

EMPLOYEE JOURNEY 

Best Employee Experience 

Gold – Virgin Media O2 and Chatter Communications  

Silver – Siemens  

Bronze – Grupa Maspex and Grow Agency 

Bronze – MAIRE  

 

Best Employer Brand Management Event 

Gold – BDO and Pink Squid  

Silver – Kaufland Romania  

Bronze – MAIRE 

 

Best Brand Ambassador Programme 

Gold – Allegro and Sharebee 

Gold – IHG and Tonic  

Silver – KFC UK&I and Chatter Communications  

Silver – SPD Technology  

Bronze – ABB Poland 

Bronze – Cloudera  

 

Best Alumni Programme 

Gold – Cloudera  

 

Best Onboarding or Reboarding Programme 

Gold – BDO 

Gold – Global NGO and Tonic  

 

Best Employee Wellbeing Initiative 

Gold – UPSTARS  

Silver – Grapefruit  

 

Best Ongoing Commitment to Employer Brand Management 

Gold – Currys and Tonic  

Silver – Barnsley Premier Leisure (BPL)  

Silver – Elsevier  

Bronze – Cloudera  

Bronze – Mondelēz International 

 

SECTOR 

Best Employer Brand Management from the Engineering and Manufacturing Sector 

Gold – IQM Quantum Computers and Finders Seekers  

Silver – ASELSAN 

Silver – NSG Group and Creed Communications  

Bronze – KUKA Hungary and Brandfizz Employer Branding 

Bronze – SCS JV and WeLove9am  

 

Best Employer Brand Management from the FMCG Sector 

Silver – Brown-Forman and Tonic  

 

Best Employer Brand Management from the Food and Beverage Sector 

Gold – Bonafarm Group and Brandfizz Employer Branding 

Silver – Mitchells & Butlers  

  

Best Employer Brand Management from the Healthcare and Pharmaceutical Sector 

Gold – AZ Oostende and d-artagnan  

Silver – CVS Veterinary Group and Creed Communications  

Bronze – dsm-firmenich and The Studio at Symphony Talent 

 

Best Employer Brand Management from the Professional and Financial Services Sector 

Gold – Pluxee and Visual Assets  

Silver – Aegon  

 

Best Employer Brand Management from the Retail Sector 

Gold – Currys and Tonic  

Silver – Kaufland Romania  

 

Best Employer Brand Management from the Sports, Travel, Leisure and Tourism Sector 

Gold – Barnsley Premier Leisure (BPL)  

Silver – Parkdean Resorts  

Bronze – IHG and Tonic  

Bronze – London Gatwick and MGA  

 

Best Employer Brand Management from the Technology, Media and Telecommunications Sector 

Gold – Netflix and The Studio at Symphony Talent 

Silver – Allegro with Be About Hybrid Agency, Great Digital, Ikona and Mosqi.to 

Silver – Elsevier 

Bronze – CGI and LEAP Create  

Bronze – Cloudera  

 

Best Employer Brand Management from the Transport and Logistics Sector 

Gold – Ocado Logistics and Caraffi  

Silver – MAG and Wiser  

Bronze – SCS JV and WeLove9am 

 

GRAND ACCOLADES  

Best Creative Execution of the Employer Brand  

Winner – AZ Oostende and d-artagnan 

 

Grand Prix  

Winner – IHG and Tonic