Livv Housing Group was awarded best employee engagement strategy last year at the HR Excellence Awards.
Wilkinson told HR magazine the company won the prestigious award because its people are truly at the centre of the business.
She said: “We have worked really hard to achieve some great things with our employee engagement over the last couple of years, we have definitely turned a significant corner in our aims to have a single positive culture and I think the passion and commitment behind our application is what came through.
“As a social housing business, we deal with some of the most vulnerable people in our society and the pandemic has only amplified the difficulties that our customers face daily.
“Our employees support these people every day. They see, hear and experience first-hand the challenges that our customers face.”
Wilkinson said it has never been more important to engage with your people consistently, so they know they are supported, valued and informed.
“This is absolutely vital to successfully continue to deliver services and maintain a positive culture,” she said.
Find out more about the HR Excellence Awards:
Enter the 2021 HR Excellence Awards
HR Excellence awards 2020: The winners
How to win an HR Excellence Award
Wilkinson said winning the award gave the HR team the well-deserved boost it needed after working tirelessly throughout the pandemic.
“HR is typically seen as just a back-office function so it’s great to receive some positive recognition for the team.
“Our efforts around employee engagement involve so many people across the business and to be able to win an award for employee engagement and bring people together is phenomenal especially at a time when we have never physically been so far apart,” she said.
Wilkinson said she would advise any businesses, no matter its size, to apply for the awards.
She said: “Don’t underestimate the work that you do and the value that it has and don’t be put off by the competition, we are a small business compared to some of the other entrants and we won!”
The 2021 HR Excellence Awards will be held at the London Hilton on 1 December, with this year’s theme celebrating the magic of HR.
Enter your CEO, HR director or team for the 2021 HR Excellence Awards here.
