This year, more than 1,400 companies have taken part in the rigorous process to achieve a coveted certification from the Top Employers Institute, the global human capital management research and certification company.
Organisations that embark on the Top Employer certification programme find it helps them define HR strategies and support their employer brand, helping to attract high-calibre candidates to their workforce. In the past, companies as varied as Molson Coors, Asda and Thomson Reuters have attained certification – public recognition that they are considered “best in class” when it comes to the employment experience and development opportunities for employees.
Each year, participating companies complete the Top Employers HR best practice survey: an objective, fact-based assessment of their HR operations, covering 600 separate practices. The survey is global, with each participating company completing the same set of questions irrespective of their country of operation. Survey responses are carefully validated and companies must supply documentary evidence to back up their answers.
All participating companies receive feedback on their performance against one another: against aggregated country, continental and global performance benchmarks. The global nature of the survey helps participants align practices across the world, while individual performance scores identify the employee conditions in which they excel and the ones where they have an opportunity to develop.
For 2018, there has been a focus on leadership development, changing cultures and workforce planning.
Survey questions are updated, ensuring participants are assessed against the latest in HR innovation. Those whose HR practices score above a defined standard achieve Top Employer status: a globally recognised validation of commitment to HR excellence.
Certified companies use their achievement to support internal employee-engagement initiatives and enhance their external employer brand; supporting partnerships, shareholder communications and talent acquisition. They are also able to use the Top Employer logo for marketing, recruitment and other purposes for the year following certification.
Every participant’s HR needs are individual, to satisfy their size, location and nature of business. Top Employer certification is equally individual. The survey’s depth, breadth and response weighting provide flexibility to ensure that employers are recognised for being the best they can be, rather than for adhering to a rigid set of pre-described behaviours.
Research has found that being a Top Employer pays off. Certified companies enjoy a 25% lower-than-average absenteeism rate and 33% lower-than-average employee turnover. Workplaces lose an average £83 for each day an employee is absent through illness, while the cost of replacing one employee is estimated at £30,000. Applying these costs to the average Top Employer workforce would give annual savings of £750,000 from reduced absenteeism and £7m from reduced employee turnover. This serves as a financial reminder of the value of strategic HR investment.
