Book your place on the Best Employers Eastern Region programme for 2021.

Staff welfare has never been more important for business than during the pandemic – but it can be hard to have the same confidence in how people are doing when so many are not in the office but working remotely. This is where the Best Employers Eastern Region programme can help.

Consisting of a staff-engagement survey supported by a programme of online events, the not-for-profit programme provides companies across East Anglia with all the tools needed to successfully manage their people through the transition from the year-long lockdown-reaction to a new way of working after Covid.

East Anglian Daily Times: Best Employers Eastern Region operates on a not-for-profit basis to support businessBest Employers Eastern Region operates on a not-for-profit basis to support business (Image: Archant)

Best Employers was founded by recruitment experts Pure and psychometrics specialists eras, supported by leading legal firm Birketts and publishers Archant.

“Any business or organisation which truly values its people will care about what they think and what they need at this most challenging of times and should engage with Best Employers,"says Jeanette Wheeler of Birketts. "As we unlock, the war for talent will recommence and great employers who engage with their staff will be able to take best advantage of the improving economic conditions.”

East Anglian Daily Times: Jeanette Wheeler of Birketts says all businesses that care about their people should engage with Best Employers. Picture: BirkettsJeanette Wheeler of Birketts says all businesses that care about their people should engage with Best Employers. Picture: Birketts (Image: Birketts)

One organisation that has benefited from taking part in previous Best Employers programmes was the East Anglian Air Ambulance – which in 2020 was named Employer of the Year in the Norfolk Business Awards.

“You don’t win this award in a year,” says CEO Patrick Peal. “It’s taken time to ramp up the capability of the organisation and the way it looks after and develops its staff.”

“The key is having a good understanding of your staff,” says head of HR Sarah Atkins. “That means running a diagnostic survey and, no matter how uncomfortable the results may be, really looking at them... because if you try to fix what you think isn’t right, you probably won’t get it 100%.”

The Best Employers survey opens on April 22 and runs until July 31. It is easy to use and can be tailored to the needs of individual businesses, while still allowing comparisons both within individual sectors and across the region.

East Anglian Daily Times: Internationally respected HR expert Debra Corey will speak at the Best Employers launch event on April 22Internationally respected HR expert Debra Corey will speak at the Best Employers launch event on April 22 (Image: Chris Parkes Photographer Ltd)

The survey is supported by a programme of online events and webinars covering everything from developing workforce resilience to leading remote and onsite teams, and effective recruitment. The programme begins on April 22 with global HR expert Debra Corey and entrepreneur Tamara Lohan looking at employee engagement, leadership and communication.

For further information and to register for this year’s Best Employers Easter Region programme, see www.best-employers.co.uk