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 who have helped drive and incorporate sustainability and Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) factors as an organisational imperative. Judges will be looking for how the ESG strategy was used to enhance organisational culture, pride and loyalty amongst employees.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. Best Management Training Programme
This category recognises initiatives focused on grooming high-potential talent at various career stages for leadership positions. Judges seek comprehensive management training programmes that enable talent to execute business strategies and contribute to long-term success. Effective programmes may include cross-functional projects, leadership rotations, and interdisciplinary training that foster collaboration and leadership skills across different functions and departments.
8. Best Performance Management Evolution *NEW*
This category recognises organisations that are evolving their performance management practices to drive meaningful contribution, continuous development and business performance. Entries may demonstrate how organisations are rethinking goal-setting, performance reviews, continuous feedback, coaching, performance conversations, manager accountability, employee development or the use of technology and data. Judges will assess how effectively the approach engages managers and employees, aligns individual performance with organisational objectives, supports ongoing development and delivers measurable improvements in employee performance and business outcomes.
9. 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.
10. Best Women Leadership Programme
This category celebrates organisations that advocate for a collaborative, positive and open approach to women empowerment and leadership. Entries that highlight how the organisation supports and nurtures a growing pool of talented female professionals, while pushing to become an equal opportunity employer in all aspects of rewards, performance and development will take home this award.
11. 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 2027. This is to support their claims to the judges with examples of work the candidate had been involved in leading or overseeing.
Learning
12. Best AI-Enabled Learning Strategy *NEW*
This category recognises organisations that leverage AI to transform, enhance or personalise learning and development for their workforce. Entries should focus on how the organisation has enabled AI-powered learning to address workforce needs and skills gaps. Initiatives may include AI-powered learning platforms, personalised learning pathways, AI coaching, skills intelligence, AI-generated learning content, adaptive learning, or AI literacy programmes. Joint entries with technology or learning solution providers are welcome, provided the organisation’s own strategy, implementation, employee engagement, and outcomes remain central to the submission. Judges will assess the effectiveness of the approach, based on its contribution to workforce readiness, and its measurable impact on learning outcomes and organisational performance.
13. 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.
14. 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.
15. Best In-House Certification Programme
This category celebrates organisations that value professional and lifelong continuing education as an essential foundation of capability development through benchmarked standards of excellence. Judges are on the lookout for in-house certification programmes which are tailored to suit the needs of employees and the business, and are built with a view to progressively enhance the competencies of the workforce.
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 celebrates organisations that have fostered a culture of continuous learning and growth. Judges will look for initiatives that promote a growth mindset, encourage knowledge sharing, celebrate learning achievements, and embed learning into everyday work practices. Winning entries will showcase how these efforts create an environment where employees are motivated to develop their skills and contribute to the organisation’s long-term success.
19. Best Learning Technology Implementation
This category celebrates the effective use of data and analytics to measure, track, and optimise learning outcomes. Judges will look for initiatives that leverage AI-powered learning analytics to personalise learning pathways, identify skill gaps, and demonstrate the business impact of learning investments. Winning entries will highlight successful implementations of technologies like learning management systems (LMS), learning experience platforms (LXP), or virtual reality (VR) training, showcasing their impact on learner engagement, accessibility, and overall learning outcomes.
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 honours organisations that supported their employees with training in skills that help them most successfully interact with others. This can include, but is not limited to, adaptability, communication, customer service, decision making and problem-solving, listening, negotiation, networking, organisational skills, public speaking, teamwork and time-management. Judges will be looking at how these programmes were successfully implemented to yield positive results.
22. Best Talent Mobility Programme
This category recognises organisations that have developed innovative mobility programmes for their employees. Whether managing domestic or international assignments, winning programmes demonstrate how organisations overcome new-normal barriers while supporting career development and strengthening the overall talent ecosystem.
Engagement
23. 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.
24. 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.
25. 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.
26. Best Employee-Led Culture Initiative *NEW*
This category recognises organisations that empower employees to actively shape, influence and strengthen workplace culture. Entries may demonstrate how employees have taken ownership of initiatives that promote shared values, strengthen collaboration, encourage positive workplace behaviours or improve the everyday employee experience. This may include employee-led culture committees, peer-led initiatives, culture ambassador programmes or grassroots efforts that bring organisational values to life. Judges will assess the level of employee ownership and participation, the alignment with organisational values, the effectiveness of implementation and the measurable impact on workplace culture and employee engagement.
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 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.
31. Best Use of Technology to Enhance Employee Engagement
This category celebrates innovative uses of technology to improve employee engagement by addressing employee needs. Judges seek examples of hybrid engagement platforms, social intranets, gamification tools, or AI-powered chatbots that effectively listen to and support employees. Winning entries will demonstrate how these technological solutions enhance communication, foster engagement, and contribute to a positive work environment.
32. 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.
33. Most Innovative and Sustainable Office Design
This category recognises organisations that have created inspiring, sustainable, and ergonomic workspaces. Winning entries demonstrate how office design enhances employee experience, fosters collaboration, boosts productivity, and strengthens talent attraction, while reflecting a commitment to environmental responsibility.
Talent Acquisition
34. 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.
35. 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.
36. 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.
37. 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.
38. Best Recruitment Marketing Campaign
This category recognises outstanding recruitment marketing campaigns that effectively communicate the employer brand and value proposition to potential candidates. Judges will seek campaigns that use compelling storytelling, innovative content formats, or targeted messaging to engage and attract top talent. Winning entries will demonstrate how these campaigns have successfully positioned the organisation as an employer of choice.
39. Best Talent Assessment and Selection Process
This category recognises organisations that have implemented innovative and effective methods for assessing and selecting candidates. Judges will look for the use of psychometric assessments, behavioural interviews, skills-based assessments, or other tools that identify candidates who are a good fit for both the role and the company culture. Winning entries will showcase how these processes improve hiring decisions and contribute to organisational success.
40. Best Talent Sourcing and Attraction Strategy
This category recognises organisations that have developed creative and effective approaches to identifying and attracting top talent, including undiscovered sources of talent. Judges will look for innovative use of social media, employee referrals, talent communities, or targeted advertising campaigns. Winning entries will showcase how these strategies build a strong talent pipeline and contribute to the organisation’s success.
41. Best Use of Recruitment Technology Tools
This category recognises organisations that have effectively leveraged technology to optimise and streamline their talent acquisition process. Winning entries demonstrate innovative use of recruitment tools that attract top candidates, reduce time-to-hire, lower costs, and create a seamless hiring experience.
Not Open for Entry
42. 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.
43. 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.
44. 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.
45. 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.
46. Employee Experience Champion of the Year
• This highest honour will be awarded to the organisation that has performed best across all EXA categories, including Individual and Team categories. A points system will be used to determine the winner.
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.