The Best Employers Eastern Region programme is returning in 2023 to help organisations create workplaces where their people can thrive.  

Founded in 2012 by Pure Resourcing Solutions and eras, Best Employers is a benchmarking and recognition scheme that aims to make the eastern region an even better place to work. 

At the heart of Best Employers is an anonymous survey that gathers employee feedback on everything from an organisation’s culture and values to learning and development opportunities. 

Participating employers receive a tailored report with the results of the survey, as well as suggested actions and access to benchmarking data to compare their results with other employers in the region. They will also receive support from Pure to help turn the results into action.  

The Comet: Lynn Walters, executive director of Pure and co-founder of Best Employers Eastern RegionLynn Walters, executive director of Pure and co-founder of Best Employers Eastern Region (Image: David Johnson Photography)

Since 2012, over 33,000 employees in Suffolk, Norfolk, Essex and Cambridgeshire have completed the survey – with 392 organisations taking part. In 2023, Best Employers will donate any funds raised to the East Anglian Air Ambulance.

The programme also gives companies access to other forward-thinking organisations that are passionate about developing their people and workplace cultures – plus a series of expert-led events and webinars throughout the year. 

“Best Employers is a community for organisations that come together to work on leadership, culture, and engagement – and to learn from each other,” said Lynn Walters, executive director of Pure and co-founder of Best Employers Eastern Region.  

“The survey is the heart of the programme, but ultimately it's about supporting and enabling employers to create great workplaces.”  

The Comet: George Sik, director of assessment at erasGeorge Sik, director of assessment at eras (Image: eras ltd)

Top-scoring organisations are invited to apply for platinum, gold or silver accreditation, and there’s also the chance to win an award – with the winners decided by the results of the employee surveys. 

A new kitemark has also been introduced for 2023, which any organisation taking part will be able to use for the next two years. 

Registration is now open for Best Employers Eastern Region 2023, with the survey launching on March 28 and running until July 31.  

This year’s launch conference will take place at Newmarket Racecourse on Tuesday, March 28 – featuring guest speakers and advice on how to make the most of the survey.  

The deadline for accreditation and award entries is Friday, August 18, and winners will be announced at the award conference on Thursday, October 19. 

The Comet: Jeanette Wheeler, partner at BirkettsJeanette Wheeler, partner at Birketts (Image: Birketts)

George Sik, director of assessment at eras, said employers have a lot to gain from taking part in Best Employers Eastern Region 2023.  

“I would say it's in any company's interest to know what the people who work for you actually think about working for you – and to be able to act on that,” he explained.  

“It's a real opportunity to bring out the best in your organisation and do something which will increase the satisfaction and the engagement of your team.” 

Jeanette Wheeler, partner at Birketts, which has sponsored Best Employers since 2018, added: “Employers who participate over a period of years get to test their progress and look at trends in their staff sentiment.  

“Some past participants have launched their entire people strategy off the back of their learnings from the Best Employers programme.”  

For more information about Best Employers Eastern Region 2023, and to register for the programme or launch conference, please visit www.best-employers.co.uk