The Best Employers 2025 programme officially launched earlier this week, bringing together business leaders and HR professionals from across the region to explore what makes a truly great workplace. Held at Newmarket Racecourse Conference Centre on 26 March, the event provided valuable insights into workplace culture, employee engagement, and the evolving expectations of today’s workforce.

The morning began with a warm welcome from Lynn Walters, Pure, and Sonya O'Reilly, Birketts LLP, setting the stage for an engaging and thought-provoking agenda.

Nick Skinner, experienced Chief People Officer for Abcam, kicked off the discussions with an inspiring session on how motivated people power business growth. He explored the critical link between employee engagement and organisational success, sharing real-world examples of how companies can harness their people’s potential to drive performance.

Attendees then gained a deeper understanding of the Best Employers 2025 programme, with insights from Dr George Sik, eras Ltd, Jodie Woodrow, Pure, Sarah Coates, Mobas, and Sadie Lofthouse, Alitus. This session provided an overview of the engagement survey and how organisations access the benchmarking, to measure, and improve their workplace cultures.

One of the standout moments of the event was a Best Employers success story, as Victoria Filler, Head of People, and Peter Burrows, CEO, from The Cambridge Building Society shared their inspiring journey. Their experience highlighted the tangible benefits of prioritising employee engagement and how their organisation has built a strong, values-driven culture.

Susannah Clements, former Chief People Officer of Anglian Water, took to the stage to explore how businesses can build their own unique engagement strategy by working with what they’ve got. She highlighted the importance of tailoring approaches to align with each organisation’s specific needs, values, and challenges, including managing expectations of disparate workforces rather than adopting a one-size-fits-all solution.

Throughout the event, several key themes emerged, offering valuable takeaways for organisations looking to enhance their workplace culture:

• Engagement is a strategic imperative – Integrating employee engagement into company culture drives productivity, retention, and attracts top talent. It’s not a checkbox but a vital strategy that, when supported by leadership, helps businesses thrive.
• No one-size-fits-all – Engagement strategies must be tailored to each organisation’s unique culture, workforce, and goals.
• Leadership buy-in is essential – Senior leaders must champion engagement initiatives to ensure success, as demonstrated by The Cambridge Building Society’s journey.
• Data-driven decision-making – Effective measurement of engagement enables businesses to make informed, strategic improvements.
• HR and marketing alignment – Successful organisations blend HR and marketing to communicate engagement strategies, turning them into culture that employees embrace.
• Engagement is not 'drag and drop' – What works for one organisation won’t work for another. Diverse workforces, including different generations, locations, and functions, require tailored, context-specific approaches to engagement.

What's next?

With the Best Employers programme now officially underway, organisations are encouraged to sign up for the survey, benchmark their organisation against others in the region, and use the insights to shape their employee engagement strategies.

To find out more or get involved, visit https://bestemployers.prs.uk.com/