Inspiring Workplaces Awards programme introduces a new recognition identity, strengthening how organisations celebrate PeopleFirst culture

LONDON & NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, September 3, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Inspiring Workplaces Group today announced the next evolution of its globally recognised, story-based workplace awards programme with the introduction of Inspiring Place to Work™. A new recognition identity designed to better reflect not only what organisations have achieved but who they are.

The change strengthens the established Inspiring Workplaces Awards rather than creating a new awards programme. Organisations will continue to enter the same independently judged, story-based awards but those meeting the required standard will now earn a clearer and more powerful identity: Inspiring Place to Work™.

This sits alongside Certified PeopleFirst™, the Group’s employee survey-based certification, creating two complementary routes to recognition: one through an organisation’s story and supporting evidence, independently assessed by expert judges; the other through the voice of its employees.

Since launching in 2015, the Inspiring Workplaces Awards have recognised thousands of organisations across the world, celebrating cultures where belief, belonging, leadership, wellbeing and purpose drive both employee experience and business performance. Through its global community of entrants, independent judges, partners and PeopleFirst leaders, Inspiring Workplaces Group has become one of the world’s leading authorities on recognising organisations where people and performance thrive together.

From the 2027 awards programme onwards, organisations meeting the required standard through the Inspiring Workplaces Awards will receive the official Inspiring Place to Work™ recognition and badge. Creating a clearer, more enduring identity they can proudly carry into their employer brand, recruitment and communications.

An evolution shaped by listening
Matt Manners, Founder & CEO of Inspiring Workplaces Group, said: “This evolution has been shaped by more than a decade of listening to the organisations, judges, partners and PeopleFirst leaders who have grown with us.

Winning an award is an important milestone but we increasingly heard that organisations wanted their recognition to extend beyond an awards ceremony or a moment in time. They wanted something they could make part of their identity. That thinking led us to Inspiring Place to Work™.

The entry process hasn’t changed. The achievement hasn’t changed. The independent judging hasn’t changed. What changes is how organisations can express what they’ve earned.

Rather than simply saying, ‘We won an Inspiring Workplaces Award,’ they can now proudly say, ‘We are an Inspiring Place to Work™.’

It’s a simple change but I believe a powerful one. Recognition becomes identity.”

A new approach to recognition
As part of this evolution, Inspiring Workplaces Group has also reimagined how organisations are recognised. From 2027 onwards, regional rankings will be replaced by full regional Inspiring Place to Work™ Lists, recognising every organisation that achieves the independent judging standard. All winning organisations will have their own profile page and feature in our new directory launching at the end of 2026.

Exceptional achievement will continue to be celebrated through:

Top 5 ranked organisations in each region
Overall winners by organisation size and type
Expanded Special Recognition honours
The annual Global Top 100 Inspiring Places to Work™
This reflects Inspiring Workplaces Group’s commitment to recognising every organisation that achieves its independent standard (70 out of 100) that is now published in its updated Judging Guide.

Special Recognition
The evolution also strengthens the programme’s Special Recognition awards.

Previously limited to a select number of recipients, every organisation achieving the required judging standard within individual PeopleFirst disciplines will now be eligible to receive official recognition*.

These include:

Inspiring Place to Work™ for Leadership
Inspiring Place to Work™ for Wellbeing
Inspiring Place to Work™ for Employee Voice
Inspiring Place to Work™ for Inclusion & Belonging
Inspiring Place to Work™ for Purpose & Culture
Inspiring Place to Work™ for Employee Experience

This allows organisations to be recognised not only for the strength of their overall workplace culture but for the specific areas in which they demonstrate genuine excellence.

Recognising those who shaped the journey in 2026
To mark today’s news, every organisation recognised in the 2026 Inspiring Workplaces Awards will become one of the first in the world to receive the new Inspiring Place to Work™ badge.

Their achievement remains exactly the same. Their recognition now carries an identity designed to better reflect the culture they have built.

Matt Manners added “Over the years, we saw too many conversations about incredible workplace cultures become focused on whether an organisation finished 12th or 18th. Comparison can quickly distract from what has actually been achieved.

Our role is to set a meaningful standard and recognise organisations that meet it, while continuing to celebrate truly exceptional achievement through our Regional Top 5, Organisation type/size winners, Special Recognition winners and Global Top 100.

Ultimately, the most important thing shouldn’t be where you finished on a list. It should be whether you can proudly say: ‘We are an Inspiring Place to Work™.’”

-ENDS-

*Special Recognition is optional and carries a small additional entry fee per discipline selected. Organisations must complete the full Inspiring Workplaces Awards entry and meet the required judging standards to achieve Special Recognition.

About Inspiring Workplaces Group
Inspiring Workplaces Group is setting the global standard for PeopleFirst organisations by recognising, certifying and connecting workplace cultures where people and performance thrive together.

Through Inspiring Place to Work™, its global story-based recognition programme, and Certified PeopleFirst™, its independent employee survey certification, Inspiring Workplaces Group celebrates organisations that put their people first.

Since 2015, its global community has championed the belief that inspiring cultures create stronger organisations, better leadership and a better world of work.

For More Information On The Inspiring Workplaces Awards:

Matt Manners
+44 (0) 7799876473
matt@inspiring-workplaces.com
www.inspiring-workplaces.com
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Matthew Manners
The Inspiring Workplaces Group Limited
+ +44 7799 876473
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