An argument for why awards mean nothing without a team voice

By Nik Govier   

OK so I admit I’ve always been a bit obsessed with awards.  It’s the undiagnosed-dyslexic-12-year-old in me desperate to prove to the world that I’m not stupid or lazy.  At Unity they were everything.  At Blurred less so.   

We’ve opted to not enter client work (unless it’s a pre-requite for entering an ‘agency of the year’ type award) and instead focus on those that recognise us as a business.  Why?  In part because of the type of work we do (much of it is confidential), and in part because I know how all-consuming it can be and I started to question if we were doing it for the right reasons.   

Instead, we’d rather focus on being recognised (or not!) for who we are and what we stand for, as part of our eternal quest to prove that businesses can focus on People and Planet and deliver Profit.    

So I guess this made me think more about the types of awards we do enter.   

And here’s the thing.   

I’ve realised that the entry process is often fundamentally flawed. It isn’t transparent enough. We’ve all had that moment when we’ve seen individuals or agencies awarded for something that seems to go against everything we know about how they operate.  

But there is an easy fix. Any award that recognises a company or individual has a mandatory employee survey attached.  Simple.   

I’m talking a basic unique coded ‘survey monkey’ type thing, that’s added as a final stage, alongside the usual panel interviews. I’m thinking for ‘Best Places to the Work’ (PRovoke already does this for its Best Places to Work listing), for any DEI or people related award, but also for Agency of the Year.  

When you think about it, it’s crazy that a two-pager and a quick interview (with just a couple of people) often decides this stuff. By adding this simple extra step we’ll get extra insight into how team members are treated, if they feel valued, if their mental health is considered and – importantly – an understanding of DEI beyond simple stats which we all know mean nothing if not underpinned by the right culture.  

In my view, it’s a no brainer for people-related and Best Places to Work type awards, but I also believe it’s essential for where we’re looking to recognise and reward the best businesses in our industry, full stop.   

Profit is of course an important measure, but the world has moved on and we all (from investors to policy makers to employees and consumers) now recognise and demand an increased focus on People and Planet also.  So should these not also be considered?  Most awards ask for diversity stats – but what of mental health? What of environmental impact?  

I don’t want to be greedy with my ask right now – and maybe it’s too much to include everything across the People, Planet & Profit spectrum - but I do believe that the employee voice is a no brainer. Yes, companies that win should have delivered brilliant work, alongside impressive numbers.  But not at the expense of all else.  Not ever. 

It’s not always going to be pretty – for any of us. But at least it’s honest. And if I’ve learnt anything in my DEI journey it’s that if you don’t ask the questions in a way that makes it count, you only ever hear what you want to hear and nothing changes. 

So I call to the award organisers, to the employees of agencies, to the heads of agencies and – frankly – anyone else that cares, to hit the "support" reaction button in the LinkedIn chain – and to share it yourselves.   

Let’s prove that we can be better and that we’re willing to be held to account.    

Thank you.