Midlands-based business advisers and accountancy firm PKF Cooper Parry has won Employee engagement company of the year at the 2018 UK and European Employee Engagement Awards.
The Employee Engagement Awards (EE Awards) celebrate employers that have put workforce engagement at the heart of their business strategy. This year, winners spanned various industry sectors, including manufacturing, banking, IT, pharmaceuticals, retail, the NHS, transport and sport.
PKF Cooper Parry also won the Employee benefits award, with travel comparison website Skyscanner earning highly commended in this category. Cinema organisation Odeon took the accolade of Innovation in engagement, while coconut water supplier Vita Coco won the Wellbeing award. Creative design agency Beyond was celebrated for winning the Diversity and inclusion award.
The ceremony was held on 24 January 2019 at Twickenham Stadium.
The full list of 2018 UK winners are:
- Employee engagement company of the year: winner, PKF Cooper Parry; highly commended, Shepherds Friendly Society, Post Office.
- Innovation in engagement: winner, Odeon; highly commended, Pladis and Caesars Entertainment.
- Small and medium-sized business (SMB): winner, PKF Cooper Parry; highly commended, ADP.
- Wellbeing: winner, Vita Coco; highly commended, Gateshead College, Visa Europe.
- Employee benefits: winner, PKF Cooper Parry; highly commended, Skyscanner.
- Diversity and inclusion: winner, Beyond; highly commended, NHS Business Services Authority.
- Culture and purpose: winner, Visa Europe; highly commended, Visii, University of Lincoln.
- Unsung hero: winner, Anna Krzak at Ocado; highly commended, Fiona Cannon at Audely Group.
- Employer brand: Arval UK.
- Internal communications: winner, Ministry of Justice; highly commended, Carnival UK.
- Social responsibility: winner, C&A; highly commended, Cranswick.
- Non-profit/charity: winner, Plan International; highly commended, Unicef.
- Public sector: winner, University of Lincoln; highly commended, Bank of England.
- Best use of technology: winner, University of Lincoln; highly commended, Nissan.
- Consultancy of the year: winner, Home; highly commended, H&H.
- Vendor of the year: winner, Clear Review; highly commended, Hive HR.
Laura Hill, people engagement manager at PKF Cooper Parry, said: “We do so many amazing things to engage and look after our people; a wide range of experiences such as sending people on bucket list adventures, unlimited paid holidays, drive-in movies and much more.
“Our purpose is to disrupt, lead and make life count. And it’s our culture, values and benefits that really give our people the best chance to make this happen. It makes us extremely proud to be recognised for our incredible work.”
Matt Manners, founder and chief executive officer at the EE Awards, added: “Congratulations to all our winners. This year, the entries really have proven the transformational value that focusing on the employee experience can deliver.
“One of our main themes of the evening was the importance of diversity to a business. Diversity of thought can provide organisations with a real competitive advantage if they truly embrace it. In a world that seems to get more divided by the day, workplaces that create a true sense of community will transform the employee experience and the bottom line.”
