NECCA lead judge Julie Mordue reveals her insight into what makes a winning awards nomination.
Entering awards such as the North East Contact Centre Awards (NECCA) offers a wealth of benefits for organisations. It’s a chance to enhance your employer brand and foster continuous improvement.
Benefits of Applying:
Talent Attraction
Winning awards or being recognised as a finalist significantly boosts an organisation's reputation as an attractive employer. This recognition showcases the company’s achievements, values, and commitment to excellence, making it easier to recruit top talent. According to (PwC), 85% of organisations operate recognition programmes that help in attracting and retaining employees.
Employee Recognition and Engagement
Participating in award programmes recognises and rewards employees for their hard work and outstanding contributions. This boosts morale, increases job satisfaction, and fosters a sense of pride and engagement among the workforce. The CIPD notes that recognising employees' contributions is crucial for maintaining high levels of engagement and productivity.
Showcase Successes and Achievements
Awards provide a platform to highlight an organisation's accomplishments, innovations, and successes both internally and externally. This helps build credibility, trust, and reinforces the organisation's brand and talent value proposition. The increased visibility can lead to new business opportunities and partnerships.
Raise Profiles
Winning awards or being recognised for specific departments or projects can increase their visibility and recognition within the broader organisation. This can lead to increased support, resources, and cross-functional collaboration.
Business Development and New Opportunities
Award recognitions enhance an organisation's reputation and credibility, which can help in winning new business, securing contracts, or attracting new customers and partners. Being known as an award-winning company can be a powerful differentiator in competitive markets.
Benchmarking and Best Practice Sharing
Participating in award programmes often involves reviewing and evaluating industry best practices and standards. This process provides valuable insights, enabling organisations to benchmark their performance against peers and learn from industry leaders. It encourages the adoption of innovative practices that drive improvement and competitiveness.
Reflection and Continuous Improvement
The preparation and submission process for awards encourages organisations to reflect on their achievements, challenges, and areas for improvement. This introspection can drive continuous improvement efforts and help identify opportunities for growth and innovation. It fosters a culture of excellence and proactive problem-solving.
Team Building and Collaboration
Preparing for award submissions often requires cross-functional collaboration and teamwork, fostering a sense of unity and shared purpose within the organisation. This collaborative effort can improve internal communication and strengthen team bonds, leading to a more cohesive and motivated workforce.
Increased Exposure and Marketing
Entering awards increases your organisation's exposure through the publicity generated by the awards organisation. This can enhance brand awareness and create positive media coverage, attracting attention from potential clients, partners, and top talent.
Julie Mordue's Top Tips for a Winning Awards Nomination:
Julie Mordue is a well-respected figure in the UK contact centre industry, having judged various awards programmes throughout the UK and Europe over the years. As the leader of a team of marketing experts at NRG and recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) business Greenbean, Julie creates and delivers highly effective recruitment marketing campaigns for clients. She is also highly networked throughout the UK, leading business engagement activities, including Talking Talent virtual and round-table events across a broad range of industries. In this guest blog, Julie provides her insight into making a winning awards nomination and what it takes for organisations to succeed.
1. Quality Over Quantity
Focus on the quality of your submission rather than the quantity of information. Ensure every detail you include is relevant and impactful. It’s your chance to show off!
2. Follow the Criteria
Make it clear which category you are entering and ensure your submission aligns perfectly with the criteria. Tailoring your entry to fit the specific requirements of the category will help judges see its relevance and merit.
3. Use Your Character Count Wisely
Every word counts - use your character limit to provide clear, concise, and compelling information. Avoid fluff and ensure each sentence adds value to your nomination.
4. Keep It Simple and Personal
Avoid jargon and management speak. Instead, write in a simple, personal tone that conveys the real impact of your achievements. This makes your submission more relatable and engaging.
5. Explain the Impact: ‘So What?’
Don’t just list your achievements—explain what they mean. What was the impact? What did these achievements lead to? How did they benefit your customers, colleagues, company, or the wider community? Provide context to make your accomplishments resonate with the judges.
6. Be Comprehensive
Remember, judges don’t know your organisation as you do. Include all relevant information, bring your story to life, and highlight the tangible and intangible benefits. Don’t take anything for granted.
7. Use Numbers and Evidence
Support your claims with concrete evidence. Quote numbers, show growth, reduction in attrition rates, eSAT, cSAT, and other metrics. Use data to back up your statements and make your case more convincing.
8. Incorporate Visuals
A picture is worth a thousand words. Include images, charts, and graphs where appropriate to illustrate your points. Visuals can make your submission more engaging and easier to understand. And from a judging standpoint, it’s easy to see who has made the effort – it goes a long way.
9. Start Early
Don’t leave your submission until the last minute. Rushing can lead to missing crucial information and not reflecting the full scope of your achievements over the year. Start early to ensure a thorough and polished submission - You and your team deserve to do yourselves and your achievements justice!
10. Engage with All Available Resources
Watch all "how to enter" webinars and attend the drop-in clinics, even if you have entered before. These sessions provide valuable insights and updates that can help refine your submission. Judges appreciate when entrants demonstrate thorough preparation and understanding of the process. It tends to change year to year as we also evolve and take into consideration the landscape surrounding the categories and criteria, so it’s important for us to communicate any changes to applicants.
NECCA is an annual celebration of the people who have made North East Contact Centres among the best in the world. It's an excellent platform for recognising achievements, fostering continuous improvement, and strengthening organisational reputation and employee engagement.
It’s also a great opportunity to catch up with your peers and celebrate what a fantastic industry this is.
Find out more about our guest judge Julie Mordue here.
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