Employers are being encouraged to register as soon as possible to get the most out of the biannual employee survey which is provided free of charge to businesses in East Anglia as part of the Best Employers Eastern Region initiative. This ongoing initiative was founded in 2012 by professional recruitment specialists Pure Resourcing Solutions (Pure) and people development and psychometrics experts eras ltd. It aims to help strengthen the region’s economy by supporting local businesses to attract and develop talented employees and to showcase the many exceptional employers in Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Essex.

The confidential employee survey, which would normally cost in the region of £2,000, is available to local organisations of all sizes and sectors. It captures the data employers need to monitor how engaged their employees are and comes with a tailored report summarising the findings and an action plan for further development. By registering now, employers will have plenty of time to make the survey completely bespoke to their organisation, working with the experts at eras ltd to incorporate any existing surveys or specific questions they would like to ask.

All participating organisations will automatically be entered into a series of awards which will be presented later this year to celebrate the region’s Best Employers. They will also be invited to join the growing network of Best Employers across the region, attending regular employee engagement seminars to share best practice.

Lynn Walters, director at Pure, said: “The Best Employers initiative gives organisations access to free tools and expert guidance which can actively evolve their workplace culture and increase employee engagement. The business benefits of doing this are significant. Evidence shows that highly engaged employees generate 43% more revenue than the average worker.

“The additional opportunity to win a Best Employer award could also help to improve the bottom line. These fantastic accolades don’t just demonstrate how well companies treat their staff, they are also an excellent endorsement for customers and help to distinguish organisations from their competitors. Being seen as a Best Employer will also inevitably help to attract future talent to the organisation, and research shows that the ability to recruit good people is one of the key elements to achieving business growth.”

The Best Employers survey is easy for employees to complete online. Because it is hosted by an independent party, employees are more likely to trust the confidentiality, providing honest answers which give an authentic reflection of the working environment.

Margaret Burnside, Director of People Development at eras Ltd, added: “To be seen as a Best Employer, business leaders need to seek regular employee feedback so that they have the information they need to create a company culture which remains attractive to an evolving workforce. Employee engagement levels are dependent on a wide range of elements. It’s not necessarily about having the best employee benefits or providing the highest salary. It encompasses everything from the overall work environment and great leadership, through to inspiring vision and progression opportunities. Many employers struggle to know where to begin when it comes to understanding how engaged their employees are and what, if anything, they need to do to improve things. That’s why we are working with Pure to provide the expertise needed to help businesses in our region.”

Previous participants, which have gone on to win Best Employer awards, include Benefit Cosmetics in Chelmsford, crowned the region’s Best Overall Large Employer at the last Best Employer awards in 2014, and Bidwells in Cambridgeshire, Rehabworks in Suffolk and Tobar in Norfolk.

The Best Employers Eastern Region survey runs between April and September 2016.  For more information or to register to take part  click here or email Lucy Plumb on Bestemployers@prs.uk.com