Inspiring Workplaces names 2026 UK and Ireland top 50

By AI, Created 8:45 AM UTC, May 21, 2026, /AGP/ – Inspiring Workplaces Group and Prezzee announced the 2026 UK & Ireland winners of their PeopleFirst awards, with Nineteen Group, Sopra Steria, CONNECT THREE and Shaw Trust among the top-ranked organisations. The list highlights employers judged on culture, leadership, wellbeing, inclusion, employee voice and employee experience.

Why it matters: - The awards spotlight employers trying to turn workplace culture into a competitive advantage as AI and broader change reshape work. - The recognition matters because the program ranks organisations on trust, purpose, belonging and other people-centered measures, not just business results. - The Top 50 includes large employers such as Lloyds Banking Group and Capita, plus consumer-facing brands including Aldi UK and COS London Head Office.

What happened: - Inspiring Workplaces Group, in association with Prezzee, announced the 2026 Inspiring Workplaces Awards winners for the UK & Ireland on May 22, 2026. - The winners were unveiled at a gala dinner at The Troxy in London. - The program named the Top 50 Inspiring Workplaces in ranking order. - Nineteen Group took No. 1 overall, followed by Sopra Steria, CONNECT THREE and Shaw Trust. - Other Top 50 winners included Cirrus Logic, Cooper Parry, Lloyds Banking Group, COS London Head Office and Aldi UK.

The details: - Inspiring Workplaces has recognised organisations since 2014 for building PeopleFirst cultures. - The awards use a submission process built around six criteria: Culture & Purpose, Leadership, Wellbeing, Inclusion & Belonging, Employee Voice and Employee Experience. - An independent panel of expert judges reviewed entries and set the official rankings. - Category winners included Sopra Steria as the No. 1 Enterprise Organisation, Shaw Trust as the No. 1 Large Organisation, Nineteen Group as the No. 1 Medium Organisation and CONNECT THREE as the No. 1 Small Organisation. - Clarion Housing Group was named the No. 1 Government & Non-Profit Organisation. - Enterprise winners listed in alphabetical order included Active Care Group, Capita, Lloyds Banking Group and Tata Consultancy Services Limited. - Large organisation winners listed in alphabetical order included Cirrus Logic, Cooper Parry, Pure Unity Health Group, Salutem Care and Education and Zenith. - Medium organisation winners listed in alphabetical order included Beyondly Global Ltd, Lhasa Limited, Pod and Xalient. - Small organisation winners listed in alphabetical order included Barrows Connected Store, Clarion Communications, HubGem and KVA. - Special recognition lists highlighted organisations that scored strongly in specific areas such as culture and purpose, leadership, inclusion and belonging, wellbeing, employee voice and employee experience. - Cirrus Logic and Ideagen appeared across multiple special-recognition categories, showing broad strength in the judging framework. - The 2027 Inspiring Workplaces Awards deadline is February 24, 2027. - More information on entering is available through the awards page. - Sponsorship opportunities are available by contacting matt@inspiring-workplaces.com.

Between the lines: - The judging framework signals a broader shift in employer branding: internal culture is being treated as measurable infrastructure, not soft messaging. - The repeated appearance of the same names across categories suggests the strongest entrants are building consistent people practices rather than isolated programs. - Prezzee’s sponsorship and judging role reinforces the awards’ commercial and HR-tech relevance, especially as companies compete for talent in a tighter, more change-heavy market.

What’s next: - Organisations can enter the 2027 awards across multiple regions, including North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia, the Middle East & Africa and Australasia. - The awards team will continue recruiting entrants and sponsors ahead of the February 24, 2027 deadline. - Inspiring Workplaces will keep promoting its Certified PeopleFirst certification and awards programs as part of its global workplace-culture mission.

The bottom line: - The 2026 UK & Ireland winners show that workplace culture is now being measured and rewarded as a core business capability, not an add-on.