Ragan’s Employee Communications Awards: Honorees and finalists announced
Ragan recognizes luminaries who have improved the workplace, bolstered fresh branding, shaped essential executive messaging, crafted industry-defining thought leadership and communicated through crises.
As the premier resource for guidance, training and events for communications professionals, Ragan has the distinct privilege of looking behind the scenes at the operations, strategic thinking and initiatives that take organizations from “just another job” to workplaces employees will commit to for life.
Some of internal communicators’ greatest accomplishments go unsung outside of their organizations. Ragan’s Employee Communications Awards buck that trend, shining a light on the best and brightest in internal comms and employee-centric campaigns to show how this industry celebrates and elevates people, making their commitment to their careers worthwhile.
Given the enormous responsibility these professionals bear — keeping operations and relationships flowing in the day-to-day, uplifting and motivating employees, and finding the right words during the most difficult moments — communications requires levels of resilience, empathy and artistry that only the most passionate and committed problem solvers attain.
The campaigns and initiatives up for our 2024 awards were developed, launched and led by such communicators. Their words, wisdom, strategies and creations have carried their organization into a brighter tomorrow and set up both employees and leaders for success.
Read on to see Ragan’s picks for Professionals of the Year and review the finalists across our additional categories — and join us as we announce and celebrate the winners at our Employee Communications Awards Luncheon on April 18, 2024, during our Employee Communications & Culture Conference, April 16-18, in Chicago.
Click these links to jump to each section.
Honorees:
Grand Prize Finalists:
Best Overall Intranet • Campaign of the Year • Team of the Year
Category Finalists:
Communications Campaigns & Initiatives • Employee Experience Campaigns & Initiatives • Intranet Campaigns & Initiatives • Remote Culture Campaigns & Initiatives • Tech • Video Campaigns & Initiatives
Employee Communications Professionals of the Year Honorees
Before we move into our larger selection of finalists, we kick off with our Professionals of the Year honorees — those we will salute with our most prestigious internal communications award for an individual. These leaders work across automotive, financial, healthcare, technology, education and more, delivering impactful communication to widespread employee populations. They have piloted their organizations through clear skies and stormy weather, always keeping the employee experience, precision messaging and the future of their organization within their sights.
Kakie Atwell, IMA Financial Group
Desiree Elsharif, ServiceNow
Alejandra Fehrmann, Nissan
Giselle Heraux, AutoNation
Reed Horanburg, TE Connectivity
Meghan Keating, 3M
Wes Milligan, St Jude Children’s Research Hospital
Alice Nagle, Genesys
Jennifer Nelson, Prologis
Janisse Cuevas, University of Miami
Janet Rivera Hernandez, Mastercard LAC
Brigitta Witt, T-Mobile
Employee Communications Awards: Grand Prize Finalists
First up, review the finalists for our top honors across engaging intranets, impactful campaigns and high-performance comms teams. Whether these winners claim top honors at our awards program in April remains to be seen, but having made it this far, these winners still stand tall in the communications discipline, demonstrating worthy prowess across intranets, annual reports, internal campaigns, industry-specific awards and beyond.
Best Overall Intranet
- AbbVie: My AbbVie
- Amerant Bank: The Insider
- Denver Water: Employee Intranet & Mobile App: Inflow
- Moderna: myModerna: Company Intranet
- Samuel, Son & Co.: A New Era of Employee-Centric Excellence at Samuel, Son & Co.
- Southwest Gas Corporation: Southwest Gas Communications Hub
- St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital: The Hub Intranet Redesign
- Tarion: MyTarion, A Re-invented Employee Experience
Employee Communication Campaign of the Year
- Ahold-Delhaize: 2023 Open Enrollment Communications
- Discover Financial Services: Love Wins Culture & Engagement Campaign
- Endo: Championing Engagement Excellence: Endo’s Data-Driven Journey
- IBM: IBMer watsonx Challenge
- Navy Federal Credit Union: Human Capital Management (HCM)
- Northrop Grumman: Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider: Unveiling the Future of America’s Defense and Deterrence
- RBC: Make It Yours
- T-Mobile: Magenta Giving 2023
- TransUnion, Inc.: TransUnion Internal Communications Team
Employee Communications Team of the Year
- BAE Systems, Electronic Systems: ES TeamComms
- CHG Healthcare: Corporate Communications
- Delta Dental of California: Executive & Internal Communications Team
- Genesys: Comms Driving Company Strategy
- Hewlett Packard Enterprise: Team Member, Digital, and Creative
- IMA Financial Group: IMA Internal Communications Team
- Intel: Employee Communications and Employer Brand Team
- Navy Federal Credit Union: Human Capital Management (HCM)
- ServiceNow: Employee Communications and Engagement
- symplr: Internal Communications Team
- TE Connectivity: TE Global Internal Communications Team
Category Finalists: Communications Campaigns & Initiatives
Now, let’s drill down into our individual category selections for the top comms work of the year across industries, outlets and formats. These finalists worked cross-departmentally to serve internal and external stakeholders on track and innovating, and developed exceptional reports, programs, article series, thought leadership and more.
Alignment with External Communications
- Aflac: Aflac Employee Communications
- Delta Dental of California: Senior Oral Health
- Southern Company Gas: Southern Company Gas and National Excavator Initiative Get Dirty with Mike Rowe Safe Digging Campaign
- The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society: Communications
Annual Report
- American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: 2022 AAOS Annual Report: Better Together
- Exelixis: Exelixis 2022 Annual Report
- Providence: Providence Annual Report to Our Communities
- Seattle Children’s Hospital: Seattle Children’s 2022 Nursing Annual Report
Article Series
- Discover Financial Services: Inclusions Matters
- The SEFA Group, LLC: Veteran Spotlight Articles
Benefits Communication
- AAA Northeast: For Your Benefit Video Series
- ChenMed: ChenMed Benefits Me
- Kalamazoo College: K College OE Campaign
- Sonic Automotive, Inc.: Internal Communications for the Launch of Gympass, an Employee Well-being Application
Best Remote Work Experience/Culture
- Businessolver: Workspace Anywhere
- Tealium: Our WOW Culture
- The Lifetime Value Company (LTVCo.): Fostering a People-First and Inclusive Remote Work Culture: The Lifetime Value Company’s Journey
- Walgreens: W Connect team member appImagem Corporativa: #salvejegue
Blog
- Cisco (We Are Cisco): We Are Cisco Blog
- Royal Society of Chemistry: Connect
Change Communication
- BAE Systems, Electronic Systems: ES TeamComms
- Benesch: Key Tower Office Move
- bswift LLC: bswift Transition to Standalone Organization
- Cox Enterprises: Flexing Forward: The Cox Atlanta Campus Renovation
- MSU Federal Credit Union: Microsoft 365 Launch
- STV: Acquisition of AEI
- The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society: Communications
- TransUnion, Inc.: TransUnion Internal Communications Team
Community Relations
- ABB: ABB U.S. Community Relations
- Royal Canin North America: Royal Canin Celebrates 7,000th Adoption from Missouri Puppies for Parole Program
- Stewart Information Services Corporation: Stewart Title Foundation
- Syngenta Crop Protection: Syngenta has a heart!
- Wray Ward: EmpoWWer Service-Grant Program
CSR/ESG Report
- JK Design: The Children’s Place 2022 Environment, Social & Governance (ESG) Report
- Southwest Gas Corporation, Southwest Gas Corporation ESG Report
Email Communication
- Franco: Thoughts From the 313
- Hackensack Meridian Health: Connecting and Inspiring Team Members Through Email Communication
- Seattle Children’s Hospital: Seattle Children’s Email Communications: Evolving Every Day
Employee-Generated Content
- Cisco (We Are Cisco): #WeAreCisco
- International Monetary Fund: Internal Communications Division
- Metropolitan Transportation Authority: Rolling Stock
- Seattle Children’s Hospital: Workforce Members Share Their Stories as Patients
- TE Connectivity: Orange Day
Employer Branding
- Children’s Health: The Children’s Health Difference
- Orbia: One Orbia — Where Purpose Comes To Life
- Sonic Automotive, Inc.: Amplifying the Sonic Automotive Employer Brand through LinkedIn
Executive/Leadership Communication
- Aflac: Aflac Corporate Communications
- Corvias: Leadership Development Program Launch
- Delta Dental of California: Brushing Up with Our SVPs
- e.l.f. Beauty: Tarang Amin, e.l.f. Beauty
- Hagerty: Culture & Caffeine
- NeoGenomics: Chris’ Corner CEO V-Blog
- Ozinga: Ozinga Townhalls
- Reddit, Inc.: Clarity Through Communicative Leadership
- The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society: Communications
- UC Davis Health: CEO David Lubarsky’s TEDx Folsom talk on January 21, 2023
Feature Article
- Brooks Running: BrooksLife Feature Story
- Horizon Therapeutics: Feature Article
HR Communication
- Corvias: Leadership Development Program Launch
- The Kroger Co.: 2023 Open Enrollment Campaign
Innovation in Internal Communications
- 3M: 3M Forward Virtual Fairs
- Discover Financial Services: Discover Day
- Endo: Championing Engagement Excellence: Endo’s Data-Driven Journey
- International Monetary Fund: Internal Communications Division
- Mastercard LAC: The Passion Challenge in LAC
- Model N: Ignite 2023: Employee Kick-Off Event
- Peraton: Enterprise Communications Team Innovation
- Royal Canin North America: The Game Plan for Growth: Leadership Summit
- Royal Society of Chemistry: Connect
- Viettel Group: Innovative-me
Internal Email
- Aflac: Aflac Employee Communications
- Bon Secours Mercy Health: BSMH Associate Communications Evolved Email Strategy
- Campbell’s: What the Tech? Email Campaign
Magazine
- Dennis Group: Bread & Butter Magazine
- Northrop Grumman: One Magazine
- Pacific Dental Services: PDS Life Magazine
- Texas Department of Transportation: TN Magazine
Manager Communication
- Delta Dental of California: Upleveling Our Leaders
- Retail Business Services: Manager Minute
Measurement and Data
- Cisco Global Communications: Cisco Employee Communications
- Endo: Championing Engagement Excellence: Endo’s Data-Driven Journey
- Hilton: Global Internal Communications
- U.S. Postal Service: Mapping Social Media Increases Happiness
Mission and Values Communication
- Bekaert: Introducing a Bold New Bekaert
- Bucketlist Rewards: Bucketlist Goal Getters
- CBRE: Serving Up Ethics with Creativity, Innovation & Espresso
- Park National Bank: Tailgate Tuesday
Newsletter
- AARP Foundation: AARP Foundation Insider Newsletter
- American Institutes for Research: AIRWeekly Newsletter
- Appspace: This Week at Appspace
- Citi: Information overload: How a 210 -year-old bank is using technology and tenacity to revolutionize the corporate newsletter
- Inovalon: Internal Newsletter
- Metropolitan Transportation Authority: ‘Going Places’ Newsletter
- Prologis: The Weekly – Building a Culture of Communications
- Syner-G: Inspiring News Newsletter
Partnership with Human Resources
- CBRE: Effective Allies in Engaging, Supporting and Inspiring Employees
- Navy Federal Credit Union: Human Capital Management (HCM)
- SAP: I’m In for SAP
- Sonepar: Sonepar 2023 Communications Awards
Podcast
- ConnectiveRx: CRx Voices: Using the Power of Podcasts for Sales Training
- Horizon Therapeutics: The Horizone Podcast
- Optus: Internal leadership podcast
- UPMC Health Plan: Inspire Employee Podcast
Pulse Survey
- Honeywell PMT: Tag Your Voice
- Xperi: Xperi Internal Communications Engagement Survey
Recruitment
- Lincoln Financial Group: Comeback Campaign
- Payoneer: Recruitment Video Feed
Social Media
- Cisco (We Are Cisco): 2023 #LoveWhereYouWork Contest
- United States Postal Service: Promote, Don’t Punish: USPS’ Social Media Ambassador Program
Storytelling
- American Medical Association: Together We Thrive
- Children’s Hospital Colorado: DifferenceMakers Storytelling Campaign
- UC Davis Health: Patient Painter
Visual Storytelling
- Campbell’s: What the Tech? Workplace Group
- ConnectiveRx: Countdown to Launch
- Honeywell Process Solutions: Weekly #SafetyMoment
Category Finalists: Employee Experience Campaigns & Initiatives
Finalists in this category went above and beyond in their efforts to engage employee populations, provide them with resources, retain and attract talent, and build community.
Amazing Workplace Culture
- Amgen: Women Find Purpose — and Support — at Amgen
- Hewlett Packard Enterprise: Grilling Around the Globe Video Series
- N-able
- Nissan: Great Place to Work employee pride campaign
Brand Ambassador Program
- Cisco (We Are Cisco): 2023 #LoveWhereYouWork Contest
- Nissan: Nissan INSIDERS
- Noblis: Ignite the Spark
DEI & ESG Commitments
- AAA Northeast: 10-Day Racial Equity Challenge
- Alkermes: A Culture Built on Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging
- ConnectiveRx: ConnectiveRx DEI — Empowering Teammates with ConnectiveRx Employee Resource Groups
- Honeywell PMT: PMT Sustainability Month
- Horizon Therapeutics: National Minority Health Month
- Infineon Americas: Diversity & Inclusion Commitment
- N-able
- SCAN Health Plan: SCAN Health Plan, DEIB Internal Communications Campaigns
- Symplr: Internal Communications Team
Employee Education/Training Program
- Campbell’s: QuickHelp Education Platform
- Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health: Devereux ASCEND
- J&J MedTech: MT TranSCend
- Mastercard LAC: Decrypted Series in LAC
Employee Engagement
- Ares Management: Ares in Motion — Employee Engagement and Volunteer Program
- Cox Enterprises: 2023 Come As You Are: ERG Membership Drive
- Endo: Championing Engagement Excellence: Endo’s Data-Driven Journey
- Hackensack Meridian Health: Hackensack Meridian Health Engages with Team Members through StandOut
- International Monetary Fund: Internal Communications Division
- Mastercard LAC: The Passion Challenge in LAC
- Navy Federal Credit Union: Navy Federal Serves
- NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises: 2022 FIFA Men’s World Cup & 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup at Telemundo
- Northrop Grumman: Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider: Unveiling the Future of America’s Defense and Deterrence
- Orbia: Orbia — Where Purpose Comes To Life
- Royal Society of Chemistry: Connect
- University of Miami: Powered by You, University/UHealth Marketing and Communications Team
Employee Recognition or Reward Program
- Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc.: Konica Minolta Recognition and Rewards Program
- Pacific Dental Services: You Make Us Smile
- PepsiCo Beverages North America: ‘She Is PepsiCo’ National Campaign Spotlights Women on the Frontline and Illustrates Why Representation and Recognition Matters
- Power Design: CRUSHED IT Program
- Sandia National Laboratories: 2023 Employee Recognition Awards
Employee Resource Groups
- ConnectiveRx: ConnectiveRx DEI — Empowering Teammates with ConnectiveRx Employee Resource Groups
- ServiceNow: Cultural Moments
- Syngenta: Syngenta for FFA: Supporting the next generation in agriculture
Employee Volunteer Program
- Ares Management: Ares in Motion — Employee Engagement and Volunteer Program
- Noridian: Vitalizing Employee Paid Time off to Volunteer
Employee Wellbeing Program
- Atrium Health: Mental Health Awareness
- Cox Enterprises: Five Pillars of Wellness
- Gallagher: LiveWell @ Prisma Health
- Mower: Fierce Friends Move for Mental Health
- Pacific Dental Services: You Make Us Smile
- Telemundo: Health & Wellness: Tu Bienestar
Hybrid Workplace Strategy
- American Medical Association: Together We Thrive
- BAE Systems, Electronic Systems: ES TeamComms
- Campbell’s: QuickHelp Education Platform
- Cox Enterprises: Flexing Forward: The Cox Atlanta Campus Renovation
- Providence: Co-Caring Nursing Model
- SAP: I’m In for SAP
Internal Event Strategy
- AbbVie: 2023 All-Employee Meeting
- BVI Medical: New Manufacturing Building Inauguration
- IDB Invest: KW23
- Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc.: FY23 Kickoff Event
- LeasePlan: 60 Years of LeasePlan
- ServiceNow: ServiceNow Live and Employee Kickoff
- The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society: Internal Communications
- U.S. Department of Labor/OCIO: Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2022
Leadership Development Program
- Corvias: Leadership Development Program Launch
- Power Design: Licensed to Lead Program
- UKG: Lead Forward: 2023 UKG Leadership Immersion & Development Program
Category Finalists: Intranet Campaigns & Initiatives
These finalists have ensured that their intranets are lively, active places where employees gather and learn.
Employee Engagement
- Andersen Corporation: Access for Everyone through Andersen’s Circle Intranet & Mobile App
- Campbell’s: What the Tech? Workplace Group
- CBRE: Connecting Our Employees, Wherever They Work
Launch or Relaunch
- Andersen Corporation: Access for Everyone through Andersen’s Circle Intranet & Mobile App
- Horizon Therapeutics: The Pulse
- Tarion: MyTarion — A Re-invented Employee Experience
- Zebra Technologies: zConnect Modernization Project
Intranet Content
- Cox Enterprises: Flexing Forward: The Cox Atlanta Campus Renovation
- Organon and Ruder Finn: Connection to Mission Campaign: Understanding Our Impact
- QI Group: QI Quiet Heroes: Unveiling the Unsung Heroes of the QI Group
Intranet Design or Redesign
- Amerant Bank: The Insider
- Link Logistics: The Link
- St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital: The Hub Intranet Redesign
- Symplr: Internal Communications Team
Category Finalists: Remote Culture Campaigns & Initiatives
The finalists in this category unified dispersed workforces and built culture despite geographic differences and remote and hybrid work environments.
Virtual Employee Engagement
- Hagerty: Leader Livestream
- Samuel, Son & Co: A New Era of Employee-Centric Excellence at Samuel, Son & Co.
- Syner-G BioPharma Group: Morning Brew
Virtual Events & Celebrations
- Retail Business Services: Remote Culture — Virtual Events — RBS Friendsgiving
- The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society: Internal Communications
- U.S. Department of Labor/OCIO: Federal Tech Day 2023
Virtual Onboarding
- Foundation Medicine: A new era of onboarding
- Royal Canin North America: New Associate Orientation Exceeds in Engaging through a Virtual Setting
Virtual Town Hall
- Appspace: Appspace Town Hall & All Hands
- Capital Insurance Group: Live with Leadership
- Orbia: Where Purpose Comes To Life — Virtual Town Hall
- Prologis: Virtual Town Hall
- Reddit, Inc.: All Hands & Hearts
- Xperi: Xperi Virtual Global Town Halls
Category Finalists: Tech
These finalists unlocked innovation through tools and tech to streamline tasks, keep employees connected and better serve their organization.
Best Employee App
- Ontario Northland: ON Dispatch App
- Ryman Hospitality Properties: Adopting a Mobile-First Employee Communication Strategy
- Southwire: Southwire Circuit Launch
- Walgreens: W Connect team member app
Category Finalists: Video Campaigns & Initiatives
These finalists flexed their audiovisual skills to bring storytelling to life on screen.
Humorous Video
- Salesforce: Marketing Cloud Edge TV
- SAS: SAS campus but make it a Wes Anderson film
- The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society: Internal Communications
Informational Video
- Gallagher: Video Series: Highlighting the key features of Anywhere Real Estate’s well-being program
- Lincoln Financial Group: Education Series on Lincoln’s Enterprise Strategic Objectives
- Mastercard LAC: Decrypted Series in LAC
- Organon and Ruder Finn: Connection to Mission Campaign: Understanding Our Impact
- Sonepar USA: 2023 Safety Month
Inspirational Video
- Baptist Health South Florida: Baptist Health Everyday Heroes
- Bethany Children’s Health Center: PK graduates after life-altering vehicle collision
- Hewlett Packard Enterprise: Grilling Around the Globe Video Series
- TE Connectivity: Employee Appreciation Day Video
Interview Video
- Hewlett Packard Enterprise: My Story Video Series
- Perituza Software Solutions: Perituza’s Early Careers Program Spotlight | Dharani Rajasinghe, SharePoint Administrator
- Retail Business Services: We are RBS
Leadership Video
- CarMax: Under the Hood
- Corvias: Leadership Development Program Launch
- Infineon Americas: An Introduction to President Maher Matta
- Infineon Americas: Rainer Hoehler’s Engagement Pulse Check Video
- ServiceNow: Keeping it Real
Outstanding Video Communications
- Amgen: A Passion for Science; A Love of Culture
- Caliber: Artisans of Caliber
- Payoneer: One Payoneer. Endless Stories
- Seattle Children’s Hospital: Seattle Children’s Connecting to Mission Recruitment Videos
- ServiceNow: Our World Our Work
- ServiceNow: Top 10 Training
Hi there! Is there a way to know what software the intranet winners used/partnered? Would be so helpful for us as we are currently conducting intranet research.
Thanks!
Hi Annelise! Intranet software specifics are something entirely at the winner’s discretion to disclose or not disclose. I’d encourage you to check out the winner list after the event and reach out directly. If they reveal such details in their entries and they are relevant to the win, we’re happy to include them. – JJ