Best Employers’ mission is simple: to boost employee engagement with insights, tools and knowledge that transform workplaces for the better. That’s because engaged employees are proven to increase success.
- Companies with highly engaged employees outperform competitors by 147% (Forbes, 2021).
- Organisations with engaged staff are 21% more profitable and 17% more productive (Gallup, 2023).
- Employees committed to their companies put in 57% more effort and are 87% less likely to leave (PWC, 2023).
- Engaged teams see 81% less absenteeism and a 14% increase in productivity (Gallup, 2023).
Becoming part of Best Employers gives you access to a community of forward-thinking organisations that believe success can only be achieved through their people. One that empowers leaders to transform their workplace cultures and environments into something really special.
Organised by Pure, in partnership with eras.
The Journey Continues
Over 560 organisations and 45,000 employees have now taken part in the Best Employers Eastern Region programme. Together, they’re shaping workplaces where people belong, contribute, and grow.
The 2025 programme is now closed, but the mission continues.
Follow the stories, insights, and community updates as we keep inspiring engagement and excellence across the region.
Celebrating 2025
The Best Employers Awards Conference 2025 at Newmarket Racecourse brought together leaders across the Eastern Region to celebrate organisations redefining great workplaces. Hosted by Pure with eras, the event combined insightful talks, leadership discussions and the announcement of this year’s award winners and accredited employers.
2025 Best Employers Award Winners
- Best Large Company: Arthur Rank Hospice Charity
- Best Medium Company: PolicyBee Limited
- Best Small Company: Jarrold Training Ltd
- Most Improved: Virgin Wines Ltd
- Best Not-for-Profit: The Thalidomide Trust
- Best Manufacturing & Engineering: Amarinth Limited
- Best Professional Services: Stratagem IPM Limited
- Best Hospitality & Retail: Paddy & Scott’s
42 Technology Ltd, LSI Architects Ltd, Bollfilter UK Ltd, Power Testing Ltd, Wilby Jones, Green & Purple Ltd, Global Chair Components Ltd
Click below to watch our Platinum Accreditation video:
Arthur Rank Hospice Charity, Axter Ltd, Big C Cancer Charity, Icefresh Foods Ltd, Jarrold Training Ltd, Lakin Rose Ltd, Notcutts Ltd, PolicyBee Ltd, Stratagem IPM Ltd, The Thalidomide Trust
Click below to watch our Gold Accreditation video:
Cambridge Building Society, Condimentum Ltd, Fosters Solicitors LLP, Larking Gowen LLP, Macquarie Energy Leasing Ltd, ML Financial Associates, Paddy & Scott’s, Production Bureau Ltd, S&P Ventilation Systems, Sudbury Silk Mills, The Goymour Group
Click below to watch our Silver Accreditation video:
After programme costs, we give the rest of the money we make from entry fees and ticket sales to local charities. Best Employers has donated over £70,000 to deserving organisations since 2012. We also use this money to let charities take part for free.
That means that when you become part of Best Employers, you’ll be directly contributing to your local communities.
For 2025, we donated to Arthur Rank Hospice Charity.
How it works
Every Best Employers’ journey starts with a survey. A confidential culture, values and engagement survey designed by experts to help you understand exactly how your employees feel about you.
That’s just the beginning though. When you become part of the programme you’ll also receive:
- a tailored report showing your survey results
- an action plan telling you what you might like to improve on
- benchmarking data comparing your organisation to others in the same sector and region
- a Best Employers’ kitemark to use on your website and marketing materials – and anywhere else you’d like to
- a place in the Best Employers’ community, a network of like minded organisations focused on creating forward-thinking workplaces
- invitations to exclusive events with inspiring speakers (you’ll need to buy tickets for these), and access to the latest thinking on the employee experience
- the chance to apply for an accreditation and to win a coveted Best Employers’ award
Five steps to better engagement
Step 1 – sign up
A big part of Best Employers is about driving positive change. That’s why it’s a non-profit programme. While we do charge an entry fee, we only use this to cover our costs (unless you’re a registered charity, in which case it’s free).
The fees are:
- £500 + VAT for companies with 100 or less employees
- £750 + VAT for companies with 101 or more employees.
Step 2 – your contacts
Once we’ve received your registration form, one of our consultants will be in touch. They’ll be your point of contact for the entirety of the programme. We’ll also pass your details on to eras – they’ll contact you to set up and customise your survey.
Step 3 – launch and run your survey
Once we’ve received your registration form, one of our consultants will be in touch. They’ll be your point of contact for the entirety of the programme. We’ll also pass your details on to eras – they’ll contact you to set up and customise your survey.
Step 4 – accreditations and awards
When you take part in Best Employers, we’ll automatically enter you into the awards. The winners are decided based on the results of the survey.
If your scores are in the top 25 per cent, we’ll invite you to apply for an accreditation. You’ll then send us your application, as well as evidence showing us what makes you a great employer.
We’ll announce the accreditations and award winners at our Best Employers awards conference. As well as the all-important announcements, it’ll also feature speakers from well-known organisations offering exclusive advice and insights.
Step 5 – promote yourself
By joining the 2027 programme, you will commit to evolving your workplace culture for the better. To help you promote your organisation as one of our region’s Best Employers, we’ll send you an exclusive kitemark, plus awards and accreditation materials (if those apply).
Celebrating excellence
When you take part in Best Employers, you’ll have the chance to be considered for an accreditation and an award.
Both of these show employees, clients and industry partners that you’re dedicated to investing in your people and culture. And that you’re committed to creating a diverse, inclusive and sustainable workforce, now and for the future.
The Best Employers' kitemark
We’ll automatically give you a Best Employers’ kitemark just for taking part. You can use it for the next two years to show your customers, clients and employees, that you’re working to make positive change in your workplace.
More about accreditation
If your survey scores are in the top 25 per cent, we’ll invite you to apply for a silver, gold or platinum accreditation. Successful organisations get a trophy, certificate and digital logo.
To qualify, you’ll need to fill in an application and show us evidence of what makes you an outstanding employer. An independent panel of judges will assess your response alongside your survey results and participation levels.
More about the awards
When you take part in Best Employers, we automatically enter you into the awards. We decide the winners based solely on the results of the employee surveys. That’s what makes them so inspiring – they’re awarded by the people who know you best.
The team
Best Employers was created by us, Pure, alongside psychometrics experts eras in 2012.
We also have several fantastic sponsors – without them we couldn’t run this amazing programme. Here’s some more information about each of us.
The founders
Pure is the professional recruitment company for the east of England, specialising in accountancy, HR, technology, marketing, professional office, and supply chain and engineering roles. We recruit across all levels – from short-term temporary cover to longer-term contracts and permanent recruitment. Pure Executive finds people for board-level appointments.
Founded in 2002 from a single office in Cambridge, we now have four offices across the eastern region in Cambridge, Norwich, Ipswich and Chelmsford. We also offer a range of initiatives designed to help people and businesses thrive. These include the Women’s Leadership Programme, the Finance Leadership Programme and specialist development forums.
eras is a psychometric consultancy with over 30 years’ experience. They specialise in psychometric assessments for specific groups and skillsets, assessment and development centres, and people-development solutions. They also offer British Psychological Society-verified training.
eras’ flagship product is The Quest Profiler®, a personality questionnaire you can use for job analysis, matching applicants against specific jobs and generating interview questions.
Our sponsors
Birketts is a UK top 50 full-service law firm. They employ over 700 legal professionals across Cambridge, Chelmsford, Bristol, Ipswich, London, Norwich and Sevenoaks. Founded 160 years ago, they advise businesses, government entities and individuals within the UK and internationally.
Birketts combines innovative legal solutions with sector-specific insights, helping clients navigate regulatory, economic and political shifts. Accredited by Lexcel and ISO standards, they have the highest professional standards across all their areas of service.
2025 Charity of the Year
Arthur Rank Hospice Charity supports people in Cambridgeshire living with an advanced serious illness or other life-limiting condition and those who need end-of-life care. Their ‘Outstanding’ services are provided free of charge to patients and their families.
Around 3,600 patients each year are cared for at the Hospice in Cambridge, the Alan Hudson Centre in Wisbech and in patients’ own homes via the Arthur Rank Community Team. This care supports people to improve their quality of life and fulfil their end of their life choices.
It will cost over £13 million 2024/2025 to run services. Contracted services from the NHS are budgeted at £7.07 million, meaning that £4.44 million needs to be raised through donations, fundraising activities and trading. The Charity is extremely grateful to the local community for the continual dedication, commitment and generosity they show in supporting towards meeting this target.
For further information, please visit arhc.org.uk.
News and stories
All the latest news and stories from Best Employers.
Best Employers Eastern Region raises over £14,000 for Arthur Rank Hospice Charity
05 November 2025
Through the Best Employers Eastern Region 2025 programme, we’re proud to have raised over £14,000 for Arthur Rank Hospice Charity, supporting their vital specialist palliative care across Cambridgeshire. Read more about this meaningful partnership and the impact on patients and their families.
Celebrating Excellence: Best Employers Awards Conference 2025 Honours Outstanding Organisations Across the Eastern Region
16 October 2025
The Best Employers Awards Conference 2025, hosted by Pure and eras at Newmarket Racecourse, celebrated organisations across the East of England for outstanding workplace culture and leadership. Highlights included talks on people-led transformation and the importance of purpose in business. Top winners included Arthur Rank Hospice Charity, PolicyBee, and Jarrold Training, with many others achieving Silver, Gold, and Platinum accreditation.
Ready to transform your workplace?
Register your interest today to start your journey towards a more engaged, productive and successful workforce.
