Inspiring Workplaces Awards
Judges & Judging Criteria

The Inspiring Workplaces Awards are independently judged by experienced workplace, HR, People and business leaders from around the world.

Every entry is assessed against the same published judging criteria and 100-point scoring standard. Organisations scoring 60+ are Shortlisted, while those achieving 70+ are officially recognised as an Inspiring Place to Work™.

You are judged against the standard. Not each other.

Judges assess your complete PeopleFirst story across six core areas:

• Purpose & Culture
• Leadership
• Wellbeing
• Inclusion & Belonging
• Employee Voice
• Employee Experience

They are looking to understand what you do, why you do it and the difference it makes to your people. Supported by relevant evidence, real-world examples and measurable impact.

And you don’t have to be perfect at everything. Every organisation has areas of particular strength alongside areas it is continuing to develop. Judges consider the strength of your overall PeopleFirst story and evidence when determining whether you meet the standard.

Fair, independent and transparent

To support a consistent judging process:

• Every organisation completes the same structured entry.
• Every entry is independently assessed against the same judging criteria and scoring thresholds.
• Judges score each question individually, contributing to an overall score out of 100.
• Judges assess the evidence presented against the standard – not the size of your budget or the other organisations entering.
• Every entrant receives personalised judges’ feedback.
• Glassdoor and engagement scores may be used as tie-breakers only and are reviewed separately by the Inspiring Workplaces team.

Want to understand exactly what our judges are looking for?
On top of our detailed entry pack, our short Judging Guide explains the scoring thresholds, what judges may consider within each question, examples of useful evidence and practical advice for telling your strongest PeopleFirst story. Download below.