Awards don’t build brands, employee experience does

Every year, a flood of company posts appears across social media platforms: “Proud to be recognised as an employer of choice,” “Celebrated for our amazing culture,” or “Named one of the best places to work.”

There’s nothing wrong with the press release, the celebration banners, or the congratulatory comments — but behind the shine, it’s worth asking: how do your employees actually view this, and what does it really mean to them?

Because in reality, many employees can’t answer this question.

Across the continent, employer branding is still widely misunderstood. It’s too often treated as a communications exercise, when in fact, it should be recognised as a strategic business and talent management imperative — one that reflects the real, lived employee experience. This misunderstanding is quietly amplified by the rise of prominent award programs and PR-driven recognition schemes that reward companies for visibility rather than verified internal impact. If your people haven’t felt it or aren’t living it, you’re not delivering on your true employer brand promise. What you’re presenting can only be considered a billboard.

Employee Engagement Is at 19% — So What Are We Really Celebrating?

In theory, these awards should signal employee trust, engagement, and a thriving workplace. But when we zoom out to the actual state of the workforce, the gap between perception and reality becomes hard to ignore.

According to Gallup’s 2025 State of the Global Workplace report:

• Only 19% of employees in Sub-Saharan Africa are engaged.
• Just 18% say they are thriving in life.
• And 72% are watching for or actively seeking new job opportunities — the highest globally.

These numbers are not just disappointing. They are a clear contradiction to the glowing image presented through awards and accolades. And it raises a real question: Is your award truly reflective of your workforce?

Inside the Reality: Two Leaders, Two Mindsets

I recently had conversations with two executive leaders, both of whom had received recognition through respected employer branding award programs. One responded to my congratulations with a grounded reply: “Now the real work begins.” They recognised the award not as a finish line, but as a starting point to deepen employee trust and deliver on the brand promise.

The other? They said, “We’re aiming for number one next year.”

There was no mention of employees, no conversation around culture. The focus was entirely on climbing the ranks. And that’s where the danger lies. When awards become an end in themselves, employee experience becomes secondary — or worse, ignored.

It’s a question I often find myself asking in conversations with clients and candidates alike: “What does this award mean to you?” Some employees aren’t even aware their company has received one. Others shrug, completely disconnected from a process they didn’t participate in, and outcomes they don’t feel reflect their reality.

Often, it’s the organisations with the loudest visibility — backed by bigger budgets and slicker campaigns — that end up being recognised. And while there’s nothing inherently wrong with external recognition, problems emerge when it overrides the need for internal clarity and credibility.

What About the Unseen Bold SMEs?

While multinationals and large national corporates often dominate the recognition spotlight, here’s what’s often overlooked: the startups, high-growth ventures, and values-led SMEs across Africa that quietly build real cultures of trust and accountability.

These businesses make up over 90% of all enterprises on the continent, contribute up to 50% of Africa’s GDP, and employ around 63% of the workforce in low-income countries. These are the businesses that thrive on agility, innovation, and a deep sense of purpose — often working with limited resources but strong conviction. They may not feature in glossy campaigns or global rankings, but they’re doing the real work of engaging employees from the ground up. They show the kind of genuine impact that deserves recognition — not just the polished badge of recognition that’s constantly vying for attention. It’s time to reframe what we celebrate — moving beyond the repetitive winners and shifting the spotlight toward the new, feisty, steadfast companies with grit, poised to shape the future.

And let’s be clear — these are by no means the underdogs. They’re the agile, disruptive, high-growth businesses shaping the future of our economy. Often founded or led by the emerging generational workforce, these organisations are creating purpose-driven cultures with far less noise — and far more substance.

If we’re serious about recognising great workplaces, we need to look beyond who shouts the loudest, and start celebrating the companies quietly doing the work, without the need for a badge to validate their impact.

Where the Celebration Should Begin

The goal here isn’t to criticise companies for celebrating their progress. Recognition matters. But it has to be grounded in something more than strategy decks and engagement week events. Employer branding starts inside. If your people don’t feel it, then it isn’t real — and no badge, banner, or title will change that.

Surely we should be questioning this, especially when credible workforce insights confirm that employee engagement is at an all-time low. If we truly value recognition, then appreciation and culture-building need to begin within — not outside. Awards may elevate a brand’s visibility, but they should never substitute the work of building trust, listening to employees, and nurturing a workplace people want to belong to.

So the next time a recognition award is announced, ask the question: Is this truly reflective of your workforce — or simply a reflection of your brand positioning?

Because the real brand isn’t built in campaigns. It’s built in employee conversations, behaviours, and daily lived experience. And it’s time we got back to that.