Award Categories

Leadership

1. Best Diversity and Inclusion Strategy

This category celebrates organisations that champion equal opportunity employment beyond numbers and quotas, by unlocking inclusive policies that prevent discrimination in recruitment, training, promotion, and career progression. Entries that demonstrate active steps in recognising and celebrating all forms of diversity – including race, gender, age, sexuality, culture, and physical ability – while embedding inclusive policies across the workforce will take home this award.

2. Best ESG Programme

This category recognises HR teams that have successfully integrated Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) principles into the organisation’s culture and people strategy. Entries that show how ESG has strengthened employee pride, loyalty, and engagement, while positioning sustainability as a core organisational value, will stand out as winners.

3. Best Executive Coaching Programme

This category honours HR teams that have designed executive coaching programmes enabling senior leaders to become more adaptive, innovative, and agile. Entries that highlight in-house or vendor-led coaching initiatives that transform behaviours, shift mindsets, and accelerate business growth will rise above the rest.

4. Best First-Time Manager Programme

This category celebrates organisations that provide strong support for individual contributors moving into management roles. Entries that demonstrate structured programmes equipping first-time managers with the skills, confidence, and tools to lead and motivate teams effectively will take home this award.

5. Best Graduate Training Programme

This category recognises organisations that are dedicated to nurturing high-calibre graduates and early-career talent. Entries that demonstrate accelerated learning environments, structured training, purposeful business opportunities, and long-term career development that groom young professionals into future leaders will be crowned winners.

6. Best Holistic Leadership Development Strategy

This category celebrates organisations that adopt a comprehensive and effective approach to leadership development. Entries that demonstrate impactful programmes – from soft skills training to communication development – which cultivate high-quality leaders and drive measurable business results will rise above the rest.

7. Best HR Communication Strategy

This category recognises organisations that have transformed employee experience through effective and transparent communication. Entries that leverage internal and external channels – including social media and other innovative platforms – to engage stakeholders and communicate key business decisions clearly will be awarded this title.

8. Best Management Training Programme

This category celebrates organisations that design impactful management training initiatives for high-potential talent across different career stages. Entries that showcase comprehensive programmes – such as cross-functional projects, leadership rotations, and interdisciplinary training – which build leadership capability and support long-term business success will stand out as winners.

9. Best Organisational Change Leadership

This category recognises HR teams and leaders that have successfully guided organisations through significant transformations, such as mergers, restructurings, or business model shifts. Entries that demonstrate strong leadership strategies, clear communication, and robust employee support systems that ensure business resilience will take home this award.

10. Best Succession Planning Strategy

This category celebrates organisations that have established effective practices for identifying and developing future leaders. Entries that demonstrate structured succession planning – including talent identification, skills development, and readiness strategies – to ensure business continuity and leadership depth will rise above the rest.

11. Best Women Leadership Programme

This category celebrates organisations that advocate for a collaborative, positive, and open approach to women’s empowerment and leadership. Entries that highlight how the organisation supports and nurtures a growing pool of talented female professionals, while striving to become an equal opportunity employer in all aspects of rewards, performance, and development will take home this award.

12. Most Innovative Leadership Development Programme

This category recognises organisations that demonstrate creativity and innovation in leadership development. Entries that showcase the use of new technologies, modern learning methodologies, or experiential approaches to cultivate leadership skills in unique and impactful ways will be crowned winners.

13. Most Inspiring Leader (Individual Talent)

Recent times have seen some of the most challenging socio-economic times and brought with them a real test of leadership. This category is a remarkable opportunity to recognise a leader who has demonstrated leadership at any level, from the frontline to C-suite, and has stepped up to help individuals and teams navigate personal and business challenges. Inspirational leaders who showcase how they leverage on their ambition and vision to spark confidence in others, motivate, engage and drive high performance will win.

*Prerequisite: In order to be eligible for this award, the company of the respective candidate must have entered at least 2 other categories at the Employee Experience Awards 2026. This is to support their claims to the judges with examples of work the candidate had been involved in leading or overseeing.

Learning

14. Best Capability Development Programme for the HR team

This category recognises organisations that prioritise the upskilling of their own HR professionals to ensure they remain trusted, strategic business partners. Entries that demonstrate innovative development opportunities, cross-functional learning, and investment in HR’s capability-building will stand out as winners.

15. Best Career Development Programme

This category celebrates organisations that provide meaningful career development opportunities such as coaching, mentoring, lateral moves, reverse mentoring, and upskilling initiatives. Entries that showcase strong alignment to business goals, a long-term commitment to employee growth, and mastery in preparing talent for future skill needs will take home this award.

16. Best In-House Learning Academy

This category recognises organisations that have built impactful in-house learning academies serving as hubs of knowledge and professional development. Entries that highlight robust infrastructures – whether physical or digital – enabling functional, technical, and business learning will be crowned winners.

17. Best Learning and Development Programme

This category celebrates HR teams that design comprehensive L&D programmes to drive both talent and business growth. Entries that demonstrate blended learning strategies, adoption of learning technologies, and initiatives that boost workforce productivity while enhancing employee skills will emerge victorious.

18. Best Learning Culture Journey

This category recognises organisations that foster a culture of continuous learning and growth. Entries that showcase initiatives promoting knowledge-sharing, celebrating learning achievements, and embedding learning into daily practices – ultimately motivating employees to upskill and contribute to long-term success – will rise above the rest.

19. Best Learning Technology Implementation

This category celebrates organisations that successfully leverage technology to transform learning. Entries that demonstrate the use of tools such as Learning Management Systems (LMS), Learning Experience Platforms (LXP), Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven analytics, or Virtual Reality (VR) training to personalise pathways, close skill gaps, and enhance learner engagement and accessibility will stand out as winners.

20. Best Skilling Strategy

This category recognises organisations that adopt a forward-looking approach to upskilling and reskilling employees. Entries that highlight company-wide skills programmes designed to prepare employees for current demands and future employability, while enabling organisational agility, will take home this award.

21. Best Soft Skills Training Programme

This category celebrates organisations that strengthen employees’ interpersonal and workplace skills, including communication, adaptability, teamwork, problem-solving, and leadership. Entries that demonstrate well-designed programmes yielding measurable improvements in performance and employee effectiveness will be awarded this title.

22. Best Transformative Learning Strategy NEW

This category recognises organisations that have reimagined learning to drive real change for their people and business. Judges will look for strategies that go beyond just remote or classroom training – such as using technology, data, or personalised learning journeys to help employees grow in meaningful and measurable ways.

Engagement

23. Best Employee Advocacy Programme

This category celebrates organisations that empower employees to become authentic ambassadors for their workplace. Entries that showcase initiatives such as community engagement, volunteerism, brand ambassadorship, or organic sharing of company values will stand out. Winning programmes will highlight how employee voices have strengthened brand reputation, enhanced engagement, and boosted industry presence.

24. Best Employee Engagement Initiative

This category recognises organisations that have designed impactful initiatives to build strong employee engagement. Entries that demonstrate imaginative and strategic approaches to fostering emotional connections between employees and the organisation – resulting in higher productivity, satisfaction, and retention – will be recognised.

25. Best Employee Feedback and Listening Strategy

This category honours organisations that actively solicit, value, and act on employee feedback. Entries should highlight comprehensive strategies that embed feedback into decision-making and deliver meaningful actions, creating a culture of trust, transparency, and continuous improvement.

26. Best Employee Wellness Strategy

This category recognises high-performing companies that treat employee health as a key part of their overall risk management strategy, resulting in a healthier workforce, stronger organisational culture, and improved financial outcomes. Since wellness and employee engagement go hand-in-hand, judges are seeking an integrated plan of action that enhances the holistic wellness of the workforce through mental, emotional, financial, and physical lenses.

27. Best Employer Branding

This category recognises organisations that have built powerful employer brands that resonate with both employees and potential candidates. Entries that showcase compelling storytelling, strong internal partnerships, and innovative employer brand campaigns that attract and retain top talent will stand out.

28. Best HR Digital Transformation Strategy

This category honours organisations that have successfully modernised HR processes through digital transformation. Entries that demonstrate how HR has leveraged digitisation and digitalisation to streamline processes, enhance employee experience, and support business goals will take home the award.

29. Best Parental and Caregiver Support Programme

This category celebrates organisations that provide exceptional support to employees balancing parenting and caregiving responsibilities. Entries that go beyond statutory requirements by offering flexible arrangements, comprehensive benefits, and a nurturing culture to empower working parents and caregivers will stand out.

30. Best Remote Work Strategy

This category recognises HR teams that have successfully implemented remote work strategies while preserving company culture and maintaining business continuity. Entries that highlight effective practices for engagement, collaboration, and performance in a virtual environment will be recognised.

31. Best Rewards and Recognition Programme

This category honours organisations that have created innovative programmes to recognise and reward employees. Entries that demonstrate how recognition initiatives motivate employees, reinforce desired behaviours, and enhance organisational culture will stand out.

32. Best Transformative Flexible Work Strategy NEW

This category recognises organisations that have gone beyond basic hybrid working to create flexible ways of working that truly put their people first. Judges will look for strategies that give employees more control over when and how they work, while supporting wellbeing, teamwork, and performance. This could include things like four-day work weeks, flexible hours, or new ways of working that help people do their best – wherever they are.

33. Best Use of Technology to Enhance Employee Engagement

This category celebrates organisations that leverage technology to boost employee engagement. Entries that highlight solutions such as hybrid engagement platforms, social intranets, gamification tools, or Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered chatbots that improve communication and foster belonging will stand out.

34. Best Work-life Harmony Strategy

This category honours organisations that empower employees to balance work and personal life. Entries that showcase workplace flexibility, family-friendly initiatives, or holistic benefits that reduce turnover, improve wellbeing, and increase productivity will be recognised.

35. Best Workforce Innovation

This category celebrates organisations that have pioneered new approaches to workforce management. Entries that showcase innovations such as Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven recruitment, groundbreaking retention strategies, creative flexibility initiatives, or new methods of upskilling and reskilling will stand out. Winning entries will demonstrate measurable impact on engagement, adaptability, and business performance, positioning the organisation as a true industry trailblazer.

Talent Acquisition

36. Best Campus Recruitment Strategy

This category celebrates organisations that deliver exceptional initiatives to enhance campus recruiting. Entries that highlight how the organisation engages, sources, selects, and hires young talent – for both entry-level positions and internships – while creating meaningful touchpoints with students will be recognised.

37. Best In-House Candidate Experience

This category celebrates organisations that consistently provide a positive, respectful, and professional experience for candidates. Entries that demonstrate how the organisation manages every touchpoint – from application to interview, hiring, and onboarding – to reflect a strong employer brand will be recognised.

38. Best In-House Recruitment Team

This category celebrates talent acquisition teams that excel in managing recruitment and hiring processes. Entries that show how teams coordinate effectively with managers and stakeholders to source, screen, and communicate with candidates will be recognised.

39. Best In-House Career Website

This category celebrates organisations with user-friendly career websites that attract external candidates and encourage internal mobility. Entries that highlight a clear, compelling, and accessible platform, supported by strong planning, technical execution, and company-wide buy-in, will be recognised.

40. Best Onboarding Experience

This category celebrates organisations that create engaging onboarding journeys for new employees. Entries that show how the organisation equips staff with the knowledge, skills, and support to become productive team members, while overcoming cultural and logistical challenges, will be recognised.

41. Best Recruitment Referral System

This category celebrates organisations that deliver outstanding employee referral programmes. Entries that demonstrate how the programme is incentivised, communicated, promoted internally, and recognises employees for their referrals will be recognised.

42. Best Recruitment Marketing Campaign

This category celebrates organisations that execute innovative recruitment marketing campaigns. Entries that highlight compelling storytelling, creative content formats, and targeted messaging to attract and engage top talent while positioning the organisation as an employer of choice will be recognised.

43. Best Talent Assessment and Selection Process

This category celebrates organisations that implement effective and innovative methods for assessing and selecting candidates. Entries that show how psychometric tests, skills-based assessments, behavioural interviews, or other tools improve hiring decisions and ensure cultural fit will be recognised.

44. Best Talent Sourcing and Attraction Strategy

This category celebrates organisations that develop creative and impactful strategies to identify and attract top talent. Entries that highlight innovative use of social media, employee referrals, talent communities, or targeted campaigns to build a strong and sustainable talent pipeline will be recognised.

Not Open for Entry

45. Overall Leadership Award

This category is not open for entry, and will go to the entrant who performs best across all categories in the leadership pillar. In order to qualify to win this overall winner category, companies must have entered at least three or more categories in this pillar.

Points System:

- Gold: 4 points
- Silver: 2 points
- Bronze: 1 point

Tie-Breakers:

- Most Gold: If total points are tied, the company with the highest number of Gold awards wins.
- Most Silver: If Gold awards are also tied, the company with the highest number of Silver awards wins.
- Highest Average Score: If a tie still persists, the company with the highest average score percentage (as assigned by the judges across all their winning entries) will win.

46. Overall Learning Award

This category is not open for entry, and will go to the entrant who performs best across all categories in the learning pillar. In order to qualify to win this overall winner category, companies must have entered at least three or more categories in this pillar.

Points System:

Gold: 4 points
Silver: 2 points
Bronze: 1 point

Tie-Breakers:

Most Gold: If total points are tied, the company with the highest number of Gold awards wins.
Most Silver: If Gold awards are also tied, the company with the highest number of Silver awards wins.
Highest Average Score: If a tie still persists, the company with the highest average score percentage (as assigned by the judges across all their winning entries) will win.

47. Overall Engagement Award

This category is not open for entry, and will go to the entrant who performs best across all categories in the engagement pillar. In order to qualify to win this overall winner category, companies must have entered at least three or more categories in this pillar.

Points System:

Gold: 4 points
Silver: 2 points
Bronze: 1 point

Tie-Breakers:

Most Gold: If total points are tied, the company with the highest number of Gold awards wins.
Most Silver: If Gold awards are also tied, the company with the highest number of Silver awards wins.
Highest Average Score: If a tie still persists, the company with the highest average score percentage (as assigned by the judges across all their winning entries) will win.

48. Overall Talent Acquisition Award

This category is not open for entry, and will go to the entrant who performs best across all categories in the talent acquisition pillar. In order to qualify to win this overall winner category, companies must have entered at least three or more categories in this pillar.

Points System:

Gold: 4 points
Silver: 2 points
Bronze: 1 point

Tie-Breakers:

Most Gold: If total points are tied, the company with the highest number of Gold awards wins.
Most Silver: If Gold awards are also tied, the company with the highest number of Silver awards wins.
Highest Average Score: If a tie still persists, the company with the highest average score percentage (as assigned by the judges across all their winning entries) will win.

49. Employee Experience Champion of the Year

The most coveted of all achievements at the Employee Experience Award, this prestigious title goes to the best performing entrant across all 4 pillars: Leadership, Learning, Engagement and Talent Acquisition.

Points System:

Gold: 4 points
Silver: 2 points
Bronze: 1 point

Tie-Breakers:

Most Gold: If total points are tied, the company with the highest number of Gold awards wins.
Most Silver: If Gold awards are also tied, the company with the highest number of Silver awards wins.
Highest Average Score: If a tie still persists, the company with the highest average score percentage (as assigned by the judges across all their winning entries) will win.