Professional services firm FDM Group, multinational investment bank UBS (pictured) and construction and engineering business Morgan Sindall Construction and Infrastructure are among the organisations that have been recognised at the 2018 Top Employer Awards, run by employment agency Workingmums.co.uk.
The annual awards, now in its ninth year, celebrates leading organisations committed to gender diversity and flexible working.
Winning employers were able to collect their accolades at a ceremony at Soho Hotel, London, on 6 November 2018, after a keynote presentation by member of Parliament Gavin Shuker.
FDM Group was announced as the winner of the Overall Top Employer Award for implementing progressive policies that are helping to influence the technology sector. The organisation was also commended for its return-to-work programme and its levels of female representation at senior levels of the business.
A new award for 2018 is Best for Returners, which this year was won by UBS. This is in recognition of its return-to-work programme which ensures that biases are identified and taken into account during the candidate interview process. Lloyds Banking Group was also commended in this category.
Civil Service Human Resources received The Top Employer Award for Innovation in Flexible Working, in acknowledgement of the department’s work promoting job shares across the organisation.
The full list of 2018’s winners are:
- Overall Top Employer Award: FDM Group
- Best for Returners: UBS
- The Top Employer Award for Career Progression: FDM Group
- The Top Employer Award for Talent Attraction: Roche
- The Top Employer Award for Family Support: Morgan Sindall Construction and Infrastructure
- The Top Employer Award for Innovation in Flexible Working: Civil Service Human Resources
- The Top Employer Award for SMEs: Radioactive PR
- The Working Mums Champion Award: Julianne Miles at Women Returners
The judges for the awards were Gillian Nissim, founder at Workingmums.co.uk, Andy Lake, editor at Flexibility.co.uk, Jennifer Liston-Smith, director and head of coaching and consultancy at My Family Care, Dave Dunbar, head of digital workspace at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and Clare Kelliher, professor of work and organisation at Cranfield School of Management.
Gillian Nissim, founder at Workingmums.co.uk, said: “The Top Employers Awards are a chance to celebrate best practice. Every year the awards evolve in what is a fast-moving area and this year we are delighted to have a new category on returner initiatives. Due to the amazing work of pioneers such as Women Returners, these initiatives have been growing fast and our shortlisted candidates show the breadth of what is now on offer.
“Workingmums.co.uk believes that sharing best practice is vital in the move to create organisations [that] are more diverse at all levels and which ensure that all the potential within them is harnessed and developed. Research shows that diversity makes business sense. At a time of skills shortage, rather than continue to lose or waste talent, organisations must be supported to ensure [it creates] a culture where everyone can thrive.”