The Employer Brand Management Awards have set the benchmark for brilliance in employer brand activity for six years. The 2021 awards received a record number of entries and the competition was more fierce than ever before.

The expert panel of judges analysed the entries and selected those campaigns and organisations that truly demonstrated creativity, innovation and dedication to retaining and attracting talent over the past year.

Covid-19 presented unique challenges for teams in the employer brand space, as the value of internal moral and communications became strikingly apparent. Winning a gold award and special recognition for its employer brand activity through the pandemic, with the ‘Best employer brand strategy during Covid-19’ was consumer goods company, Orkla, and recruitment marketing platform and employer branding partner, Symphony Talent.

All entries were automatically considered for the prestigious Grand Prix award, which was presented to the organisation that demonstrated the highest level of excellence across its employer brand activity. The 2021 Grand Prix was awarded to live-in care provider, Good Care Group and creative, digital, and media communications agency, Creed Comms.

Special recognition was also given to computer software company SAP for ‘Best ongoing commitment to employer brand management,' while the award for ‘Best creative execution of the employer brand’ went to accounting firm EY. But with over 20 categories, the Employer Brand Management Awards celebrated excellence from every angle across communications, strategies and specific sectors.

The complete list of winners of the Employer Brand Management Awards 2021 are as follows:

 

COMMUNICATION

Best alignment of the employer value proposition with corporate brand values

Gold - GSK and Tonic

Silver - Guidewire and Ph.Creative

Bronze - SAP

Bronze - Univé and Proof Agency

Highly commended - Petrol Ofisi and Talent Brand Company

 

Best communication of the employer brand to the external audience

Gold - Metropolitan Police Service and Tonic

Silver - B&Q and ThirtyThree

Silver - Mars and Symphony Talent

Bronze - NatWest Group and Ph.Creative

Bronze - Signature Senior Lifestyle and WeLove9am

 

Best communication of the employer brand to the internal audience

Gold - The Good Care Group and Creed Comms

Silver - Mars and Symphony Talent

Silver - Orkla and Symphony Talent

Bronze - BT and Ph.Creative

Highly commended - Sage and Universum

 

Best short-term or one-off employer brand campaign

Gold - Southern Co-op and WeLove9am

Silver - EY

Bronze - Barclays and Tonic

Bronze - CMS and Blackbridge Communications

Highly commended - EE and ThirtyThree

 

Best use of digital

Gold - BT and Ph.Creative

Silver - Mars and Symphony Talent

Silver - Nexans and Symphony Talent

Bronze - Accenture and ThirtyThree

Highly commended - PwC Poland

 

Best social media strategy

Gold - Dixons Carphone and Tonic

Silver - BT and Ph.Creative

Bronze - Barclays and Tonic

Highly commended - Agilent and Cielo Talent

Highly commended - NatWest Group and Ph.Creative

 

Best integration of the employer brand in communication strategy

Gold - Adidas and Cloud Factory

Gold - DRPG

 

Best employer brand innovation

Gold – EY and Radancy

Silver - BT and Ph.Creative

Silver - Mars and Symphony Talent

Bronze - Nexans and Symphony Talent

Highly commended - PwC Poland

 

EMPLOYER BRAND POSITIONING

Best diversity and inclusion strategy

Gold - ITV and Chatter Communications

Silver - AXA UK and ThirtyThree

Bronze - SAP

 

Best management of the employer brand following a change of mission, positioning, or management

Gold - Philip Morris International and Dawson Walker Communications

Silver - Capita and ThirtyThree

Bronze - George at Asda and Chatter Communications

Bronze - NatWest Group and Ph.Creative

Highly commended - Open GI and DRPG

 

Best management of the employer brand following a merger or acquisition

Gold - London Stock Exchange Group plc and Bladonmore

 

Best localisation programme

Gold - Mars and Symphony Talent

Silver - Hyundai Motor Europe and BrandPointZero

Bronze - Becton Dickinson and Cielo Talent

 

EMPLOYEE JOURNEY

Best employee experience

Gold - William Hill and WPA Pinfold

Silver - PwC Poland

Bronze – Applus+

 

Best employer brand management event

Gold - EY

Silver - SAP

Bronze - Accenture and ThirtyThree

Bronze - BT Consumer and DRPG

 

Best brand ambassador programme

Gold - Mars and Symphony Talent

Silver - Wiser

Bronze - Booking.com and Cloud Factory

 

Best onboarding and/or reboarding programme

Gold - The Good Care Group and Creed Comms

Silver - Sibur and makelove agency

Bronze - BT and Ph.Creative

 

Best employee wellbeing initiative

Gold - Arriva and WPA Pinfold

Silver - Axiad

Bronze - Publicis Sapient

Highly commended - Places for People

 

SECTOR 

Best employer brand management from the engineering and manufacturing sector

Gold - Hyundai Motor Europe and BrandPointZero

Silver - Nexans and Symphony Talent

Bronze - Turkish Aerospace

 

Best employer brand management from the financial services sector

Gold - Aviva and Blackbridge Communications

Silver - AMS and Royal London

Silver - MyCSP on behalf of Civil Service Pensions

 

Best employer brand management from the FMCG sector

Gold - Philip Morris International and Dawson Walker Communications

Silver - Heineken and Cloud Factory

 

Best employer brand management from the healthcare and pharmaceuticals sector

Gold - The Good Care Group and Creed Comms

Silver - GSK and Tonic

Bronze - Signature Senior Lifestyle and WeLove9am

 

Best employer brand management from the professional services sector

Gold - CMS and Blackbridge Communications

 

Best employer brand management from the public sector

Gold - DWP Digital and SMRS

 

Best employer brand management from the retail sector

Gold - Asda and Chatter Communications

Silver - Leroy Merlin and makelove agency

 

Best employer brand management from the technology, media and telecommunications sector

Gold - Fujitsu and Creed Comms

Silver - Telegraph Media Group and That Little Agency

Bronze - ASM and Cielo Talent

Bronze - SAP

 

Best employer brand management from the travel, leisure and tourism sector

Gold - Booking.com and Cloud Factory

Silver - easyJet

 

SPECIAL RECOGNITION

Best employer brand strategy during Covid-19

Gold - Orkla and Symphony Talent

Silver - AXA UK and ThirtyThree

Bronze - MyCSP

Highly commended - PwC Poland

Highly commended - SAP

 

Best ongoing commitment to employer brand management

Gold – SAP

 

Best creative execution of the employer brand

EY

 

Grand Prix

The Good Care Group and Creed Comms

COMMUNICATION

Best alignment of the employer value proposition with corporate brand values
Gold - GSK and Tonic
Silver - Guidewire and Ph.Creative
Bronze - SAP
Bronze - Univé and Proof Agency
Highly commended - Petrol Ofisi and Talent Brand Company

Best communication of the employer brand to the external audience
Gold - Metropolitan Police Service and Tonic
Silver - B&Q and ThirtyThree
Silver - Mars and Symphony Talent
Bronze - NatWest Group and Ph.Creative
Bronze - Signature Senior Lifestyle and WeLove9am

Best communication of the employer brand to the internal audience
Gold - The Good Care Group and Creed Comms
Silver - Mars and Symphony Talent
Silver - Orkla and Symphony Talent
Bronze - BT and Ph.Creative
Highly commended - Sage and Universum

Best short-term or one-off employer brand campaign
Gold - Southern Co-op and WeLove9am
Silver - EY
Bronze - Barclays and Tonic
Bronze - CMS and Blackbridge Communications
Highly commended - EE and ThirtyThree

Best use of digital
Gold - BT and Ph.Creative
Silver - Mars and Symphony Talent
Silver - Nexans and Symphony Talent
Bronze - Accenture and ThirtyThree
Highly commended - PwC Poland

Best social media strategy
Gold - Dixons Carphone and Tonic
Silver - BT and Ph.Creative
Bronze - Barclays and Tonic
Highly commended - Agilent and Cielo Talent
Highly commended - NatWest Group and Ph.Creative

Best integration of the employer brand in communication strategy
Gold - Adidas and Cloudfactory
Gold - DRPG

Best employer brand innovation
Gold – EY and Radancy
Silver - BT and Ph.Creative
Silver - Mars and Symphony Talent
Bronze - Nexans and Symphony Talent
Highly commended - PwC Poland

EMPLOYER BRAND POSITIONING

Best diversity and inclusion strategy
Gold - ITV and Chatter Communications
Silver - AXA UK and ThirtyThree
Bronze - SAP

Best management of the employer brand following a change of mission, positioning, or management
Gold - Philip Morris International and Dawson Walker Communications
Silver - Capita and ThirtyThree
Bronze - George at Asda and Chatter Communications
Bronze - NatWest Group and Ph.Creative
Highly commended - Open GI and DRPG

Best management of the employer brand following a merger or acquisition
Gold - London Stock Exchange Group plc and Bladonmore

Best localisation programme
Gold - Mars and Symphony Talent
Silver - Hyundai Motor Europe and BrandPointZero
Bronze - Becton Dickinson and Cielo Talent