Accreditation for the Best Companies in the North West revealed

~ Eighty-three organisations in the region recognised in the 2011 Best Companies Accreditation ~

Following difficult times for many organisations, the 2011 Best Companies to Work For survey shows that employee engagement has bounced back. More companies than ever have been recognised this year as extraordinary places to work. Above all, it is caring managers that differentiate the best from the rest, and in the best companies, they recognise that managers need to be cared for too, as they can't give what they're not getting.

Over 90 per cent of staff in three star companies - the highest accreditation achievement available - say their manager cares about them as an individual and 88 per cent in this group say they are getting the support they need from their manager. 

For the second year running, the data has shown that an employee's relationship with their line manager is the most critical factor in employee engagement. However, the data also revealed that managers and senior managers are struggling more than ever with maintaining a healthy work-life balance. Accredited companies seem to be looking out for this in their managers with 78 per cent of managers and 81 per cent of senior managers from three star companies saying they are happy with their work-life balance; these figures among companies that did not achieve accreditation are just 57 per cent and 55 per cent respectively.

The survey of over 291,000 employees reveals that overall engagement among participating organisations has bounced back from a slight dip last year, returning to levels seen in 2009. This year the survey reveals that employees in the private sector are less worried about the impact of the economic climate for their organisation, however, in the public and third sector, employees are much more worried about the impact of the economy on their future.

This year 1,165 organisations from the private and public sectors applied for Best Companies Accreditation, showing how high a priority employee engagement is. Of these, 498 made the grade. A record 84 companies achieved three stars, including Bravissimo, innocent drinks and Boots Opticians. Eighty-three organisations were recognised in the region, with 56 achieving one, two or three star status and 27 being named ones to watch. 10 companies achieved the highest accolade of three stars, including: Beaverbrooks the Jewellers Ltd, Nichols Plc, and three housing associations.

Jonathan Austin, CEO and founder, Best Companies commented, "This year it is encouraging to see that more and more organisations are recognising the value of employee engagement and are willing to benchmark themselves against the best to ensure they are offering their employees the best possible experience. Organisations that have achieved accreditation have continued to focus on their employees and have been rewarded with engaged workforces who tell us that these are great places to work."

He continues, "We know that the main challenge for many organisations this year will be talent attraction and retention. For accredited organisations that have demonstrated their ability to create an engaged workforce and recognise the importance of caring about their employees, they are in a good position to retain and attract the talent they need. I would like to congratulate SolutionsPT on their outstanding achievement. This year it is encouraging to see that more and more organisations are recognising the value of employee engagement and are willing to benchmark themselves against the best to ensure they are offering their employees the best possible experience. Organisations like SolutionsPT have continued to focus on their employees and have been rewarded with an engaged workforce who tell us that this is a great place to work."

Best Companies established the accreditation award scheme to acknowledge excellence in the workplace. Based on employee feedback, it looks at employee engagement as an integral part of a company's success and growth, and sets a benchmark for other employers. The accreditation scheme follows a Michelin star style system with companies awarded one star for first class, two stars for outstanding and three stars for extraordinary performance.

The Best Companies 2011 star status accreditation ceremonies were held at The Art of Engagement, the groundbreaking event re-launched  by Best Companies for 2011 with a series of best practice knowledge sharing events where leaders and HR directors from accredited companies came together to share with their peers the excellent work they are doing in the area of employee engagement.

The Art of Engagement uses the latest technology and over 10 years of best practice examples to help leaders, managers and HR staff to create bespoke plans to help drive up employee engagement in their organisations through an interactive and immersive learning experience.

To find out how to become accredited in 2012 visit www.bestcompanies.co.uk