Ashford Borough Council shortlisted for three awards for employee engagement

Ashford Borough Council has been shortlisted for three categories in the national Engagement Excellence Awards.

Run by Rewards Gateway, the leading employee engagement platform provider in the UK, the awards recognise excellent work in the field of internal communications/employee engagement.

The submissions relate to the launch of the council’s staff intranet and the shortlisted awards are:

• Engagement Team of the Year
• Most impactful business transformation to support their workforce
• Most effective employee engagement communications strategy

The new intranet and accompanying app allows staff to access it on the go via their laptop or mobile, enabling them to keep up to date with the latest staff news and information. This also helps those who are on maternity/paternity leave or long term sick leave to keep up to date with communications and continue to feel part of the organisation.

Staff are able to post their own news and comment on articles, creating a much more interactive channel. It has already been used to post videos from the council’s Chief Executive and Management Team so that all staff can be reached remotely with the latest information.

Cllr Gerry Clarkson, portfolio holder for Corporate Policy Economic Development and Communications said: “This is an excellent achievement. To be shortlisted in one category alone would be a success, but to be shortlisted in all of the three categories that we are permitted to enter is outstanding. 

“I am proud that we have already been recognised for just some of the important and excellent work that our officers do, both for the public we serve and for our dedicated staff who deliver our services.”

Cllr Alan Pickering, portfolio holder for Human Resources and Customer Services said: “Being shortlisted for this work is a reflection on the importance of keeping staff up to date and engaged especially those staff who are not office based, or who do not work from the civic centre. I am pleased that this innovative approach has been recognised and shortlisted in three categories”

The ceremony is on 4th November where the winners will be revealed.