The Employer Brand Management Awards shines a spotlight on excellent work. The awards recognise companies which are demonstrating a strong commitment to achieving the best for both employees and prospective employees.

This year’s awards celebrated the best in employer brand management across Europe. Entries ranged from those with long term, in-house employer brand management programmes to companies just beginning on their journey. The results were impressive; judges praised the creativity and innovation of the award-winning work this year. 

"We are indeed living in extraordinary times. Unemployment continues to remain historically low, and yet anyone managing a business will tell you that talent attraction and retention has never been more challenging. Companies across Europe are recognising the growing importance of a strong employer brand that can drive a corporate culture, that can attract and retain talent and that engages current employees," says Andrew Thomas, publisher of Communicate magazine and founder of the Employer Brand Management Awards.

"For the past seven years, the Employer Brand Management Awards has recognised and celebrated those companies’ successes. The winners' book highlights the stories behind those successful campaigns, showcasing the workplaces that are welcoming and engaging and, ultimately, celebrating those that understand the importance of the employer brand. Retail to technology, shipping to aerospace; regardless of the sector, their stories make fascinating reading.

"It was a record year for the Employer Brand Management Awards. Winners include seasoned veterans together with a number of companies and agencies for whom this is their first year to enter or to win. To both, congratulations. It is exciting to see such a diverse range of programmes that address corporate culture, recruitment efforts and employee experience."

The winners were announced and celebrated at a gala dinner in London on 15 September.

The full list of winners is as follows:

COMMUNICATION

Best alignment of the employer value proposition with corporate brand values
Gold – Grant Thornton and Tonic
Silver – Thames Water and Creed Comms
Silver – Tipico and Ph.Creative
Bronze – SAP
Highly commended – ING and Wunderman Thompson

Best communication of the employer brand to the external audience
Gold – Elysium Healthcare and WSA - The Communications Agency
Silver – New York Pizza and C2B
Silver – PwC CEE
Bronze – Sky and Symphony Talent
Bronze – Turkish Aerospace
Highly commended – Amazon and Blackbridge Communications
Highly commended – Boston Consulting Group

Best communication of the employer brand to the internal audience
Gold – EQRx and Ph.Creative
Silver – Bearing Point and Tonic
Bronze – Currys and Tonic
Bronze – Elysium Healthcare and WSA - The Communications Agency
Highly commended – Mayborn and Creed Comms
Highly commended – Mowi Poland

Best short-term or one-off employer brand campaign
Gold – Sky and Symphony Talent
Silver – Maersk and Havas People
Silver – Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) and Stafford Long & Partners
Bronze – EQRx and Ph.Creative
Bronze – Fiverr
Highly commended – Accenture and ThirtyThree
Highly commended – EY
Highly commended – NatWest and Ph.Creative

Best use of digital
Gold – Screwfix and ThirtyThree
Silver – EQRx and Ph.Creative
Bronze – Entain and Ph.Creative
Bronze – Sky and Symphony Talent
Highly commended – Leyland SDM and WeLove9am
Highly commended – Rolls Royce and AMS

Best social media strategy
Gold – Maersk and Havas People
Silver – CGI UK and LEAP create
Silver – The British Army and Tonic
Bronze – Aviva and Blackbridge Communications
Highly commended – Asda and Chatter Communications
Highly commended – Sinch and Tonic

Best integration of the employer brand in communication strategy
Gold – ING and Wunderman Thompson

Best employer brand innovation
Gold – Sky and Symphony Talent
Silver – EY
Silver – Screwfix and ThirtyThree
Bronze – BT
Bronze – EQRx and Ph.Creative
Highly commended – Hillarys and WeLove9am
Highly commended – Mars and Havas People

Best use of data
Silver – ING and Wunderman Thompson

EMPLOYER BRAND POSITIONING

Best diversity and inclusion strategy
Gold – EQRx and Ph.Creative
Silver – EY
Bronze – Accenture and ThirtyThree
Highly commended – GSK and Tonic
Highly commended – NatWest and Ph.Creative
Highly commended – Rolls Royce and AMS

Best management of the employer brand following a change of mission, positioning, or management
Gold – Currys and Tonic

Best localisation programme
Gold – Boston Consulting Group
Bronze – Lonza and Tonic

EMPLOYEE JOURNEY

Best employee experience
Gold – EQRx and Ph.Creative
Bronze – Software AG
Highly commended – Alexander Thamm GmbH

Best employer brand management event
Gold – Keyloop
Silver – PwC CEE

Best brand ambassador programme
Gold – Thermo Fisher Scientific and Brandfizz
Bronze – Becton Dickinson and Cielo Talent Management

Best onboarding and/or reboarding programme
Gold – Boston Consulting Group
Bronze – Diligent Corporation

Best employee wellbeing initiative
Gold – Aon and McCann Synergy
Silver – Assurant
Bronze – Mayborn Group

BEST EMPLOYER BRAND MANAGEMENT BY SECTOR

Best employer brand management from the energy and utilities sector
Silver – South West Water and BrandPointZero
Bronze – Thames Water and Creed Comms

Best employer brand management from the engineering and manufacturing sector
Gold – Defence Equipment & Support and Stafford Long & Partners
Silver – Turkish Aerospace

Best employer brand management from the financial services sector
Gold – AXA and Havas People
Bronze – NatWest and Ph.Creative

Best employer brand management from the healthcare and pharmaceutical sector
Gold – Cygnet Health Care with Studio29, Content Marketing Pod and Podcastr
Gold – Elysium Healthcare and WSA - The Communications Agency
Silver – Achieve Together and Creed Comms

Best employer brand management from the professional services sector
Bronze – Grant Thornton and Tonic

Best employer brand management from the property, construction and facilities management sector
Gold – Hilti and Tonic
Bronze – Places for People

Best employer brand management from the technology, media and telecommunications sector
Gold – Sky and Symphony Talent
Silver – Jaguar Land Rover and Creed Comms
Bronze – SAP

Best employer brand management from the travel, tourism and leisure sector
Gold – Tipico and Ph.Creative
Silver – LNER and Creed Comms
Bronze – easyJet

SPECIAL RECOGNITION

Best employer brand strategy during Covid-19
Gold – NatWest and Ph.Creative
Gold – Sky and Symphony Talent
Silver – AXA and ThirtyThree
Bronze – Orkla and Symphony Talent
Highly commended – AstraZeneca and Ph.Creative

Best creative execution of the employer brand
EQRx and Ph.Creative

Grand Prix
Maersk and Havas People