Presented to the organisation that has made the greatest improvement in their b-Heard survey scores since last year, the ‘Special Award’ for Best Improver demonstrates a commitment to continuous learning, a willingness to make progress and a true investment in a culture with people at its heart.
The winner of the Best Improver award is determined by calculating the overall scores from questions in the b-Heard survey comparative to the previous year, with the organisation with the highest overall improvement in score in each size category receiving the accolade.
The winner is revealed during an annual ceremony each November, in conjunction with the publication of the final League Table of the Best Companies to Work For.
The most recent recipients of the Best Improver Award showcased the importance of truly learning from the results of a employee engagement survey and the benefits of action planning around the findings.
The winner in the small category, The Beyond Collective, has made the most improvements in all 8 factors across the year. With the biggest improvements being made in Leadership, My Company and Personal Growth. They have put new initiatives in place, such as career development pathway and employee-led heart of diversity, to help employee engagement levels reach new heights.
In the mid-sized category, the award winner Leonard Design knew that staff engagement needed to be at the core of everything they do. They succeed in improving in all areas with Leadership, My Company and My Team seeing the greatest improvements. They have added new initiatives to bring their teams together, including team buddies and away days as well as commitments to wellbeing and mental health.
The winner of the large category Alpha Financial Markets Consulting is committed to providing an open, supportive, and collaborative environment for all our people. To help lighten the load and reduce employees working long hours they introduced an innovative solution they call "Alpha Connect" and they have gone further to ensure a culture that cares about the wellbeing and mental health of their employees.
In the big category, J Murphy & Sons have made communication a major part of their strategy by introducing interactive planning meetings. They have also provided each and every employee no matter their role or seniority with free health checks, which include advice and support on lifestyle, exercise and much more. Setting up partnerships with some leading brands they are now able to offer perks and benefits that employees can benefit from in their social lives.
In 2021, The Hut Group listened to requests from staff and leaders for better resources to do their jobs properly and beefed up the training it offers. The company set up a training programme for managers and launched an online learning management system to give staff access to training. Also, an overhaul of the benefits and rewards system led to enhanced maternity and paternity pay, company sick pay, an uncapped benefits package, flexible working policies and the ability to buy additional leave.
In 2020, Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce won the Award thanks to improvements made across the board and in every factor. Contributing to this success was the fact it refurbished its offices to give employees a great space to work, whilst also reducing its impact on the environment.
Being awarded the Special Award for Best Improver is a true sign that you are prepared to not only listen to your employees – but act on their feedback to improve their happiness at work.
It also demonstrates a commitment to the engagement journey and a willingness to continually learn from, and adapt to, people’s thoughts and feelings.
Want to find out more about our other Special Awards, the winners and what goes into winning them...
Best Improver
Special Award
Best Leader
Special Award
Giving Something Back
Special Award
Learning & Development
Special Award
Wellbeing Special Award