Inspiring Workplaces adds new recognition identity for 2027 awards

Inspiring Workplaces Group is rebranding its awards recognition as Inspiring Place to Work™ starting with the 2027 program, aiming to turn award status into a lasting employer identity. The change also expands regional recognition, special honors and a new directory as the group sharpens its PeopleFirst positioning.

Why it matters: - Inspiring Workplaces Group is shifting recognition from a one-time award win to an identity employers can use in recruiting, branding and internal communications. - The move is designed to better distinguish organizations that meet the group’s PeopleFirst standard and to recognize more workplaces that clear the judging bar.

What happened: - Inspiring Workplaces Group introduced Inspiring Place to Work™ as the new recognition identity for its global, story-based workplace awards. - The change does not launch a new awards program. It updates the existing Inspiring Workplaces Awards. - Organizations will still enter the same independently judged competition, but those meeting the standard will receive the Inspiring Place to Work™ badge from the 2027 awards program onward. - The group announced the change from London and New York on Sept. 3, 2026.

The details: - Inspiring Place to Work™ will sit alongside Certified PeopleFirst™, the group’s employee survey-based certification. - The two programs create separate paths to recognition: one based on a company story and supporting evidence, and one based on employee feedback. - The Inspiring Workplaces Awards have recognized thousands of organizations worldwide since 2015. - The program focuses on cultures where belief, belonging, leadership, wellbeing and purpose support both employee experience and business performance. - From 2027, regional rankings will be replaced by full regional Inspiring Place to Work™ Lists. - Every organization that meets the independent judging standard will appear on those regional lists. - All winning organizations will receive a profile page and appear in a new directory planned for launch at the end of 2026. - The program will continue to recognize top-performing organizations through Regional Top 5 rankings, overall winners by organization size and type, expanded Special Recognition honors and the annual Global Top 100 Inspiring Places to Work™. - The updated judging guide sets the standard at 70 out of 100. - Special Recognition will now be available to every organization that meets the required standard in individual PeopleFirst disciplines. - Those disciplines are Leadership, Wellbeing, Employee Voice, Inclusion & Belonging, Purpose & Culture, and Employee Experience. - The 2026 award recipients will be among the first to receive the new Inspiring Place to Work™ badge. - A small additional entry fee applies to each Special Recognition discipline selected. - Organizations must complete the full Inspiring Workplaces Awards entry and meet the required judging standards to earn Special Recognition.

Between the lines: - The change appears aimed at reducing emphasis on fine-grained rankings and increasing the long-term value of recognition. - Matt Manners, founder and CEO of Inspiring Workplaces Group, said organizations wanted recognition that lasted beyond an awards ceremony and could become part of their identity. - Manners also said the goal is to celebrate meaningful achievement without overemphasizing whether a company finished 12th or 18th on a list. - The new structure gives Inspiring Workplaces Group a clearer ladder of recognition, from certification to regional lists to global honors.

What's next: - The 2027 awards cycle will be the first to use Inspiring Place to Work™ as the main recognition identity. - The new directory is set to launch at the end of 2026. - Organizations recognized in the 2026 program will be among the first to use the new badge.

The bottom line: - Inspiring Workplaces Group is recasting awards as a durable workplace identity, with broader recognition for organizations that meet its PeopleFirst benchmark.