The Interact Excellence Awards celebrate outstanding achievements, innovations, and contributions in digital workplaces and internal communications.
Now in their 11th year, the Excellence Awards sees entries spanning small non-profits through to international brands, giving a unique insight into the success of those at the forefront of internal communications.
These global awards uncover the stories behind some of the world’s leading digital workplace solutions and the individuals or teams who have inspired them.
The events of the past eighteen months have laid bare the importance of internal communications and the digital workplaces. This year, the Interact Excellence Awards offer a moment to reflect on the innovation and achievements of those dominating the space. We commend those who have demonstrated a trailblazing approach to employee engagement and staff collaboration and understand the importance of connecting their organizations with the power of technology.
The Interact Excellence Awards celebrate their 11th anniversary this year and continue to commemorate and praise our customers that truly go the extra mile with their efforts for the intranet. Find out about the secrets of their success, and uncover the inspiring stories of organizations around the globe.
With the rise of hybrid and remote working and accelerated new approaches to agile working, there has never been a better time to center your internal communications around intranet software. The ability to respond to a crisis, connect global teams, and think strategically in the face of a diverse range of challenges is something that the Interact Excellence Awards will always celebrate.
A word from Interact
“From the vantage point that mid-way through 2021 allows, we can reflect on the incredible achievements we’ve made as communicators and business leaders over the past twelve months.
Through unprecedented turbulence, we have seen organizations galvanized by their digital workplace, and by the tools and tech that allow them business continuity in the midst of such global chaos.
The disruption, changes, and innovations made over the past year are reflected in the following entries: stories that showcase the very best in human endeavor, determination, and perseverance. And, what stands out above everything is our fundamental need to connect with one another, regardless of location or restrictions.
This year’s entries were submitted in the middle of the COVID-19 crisis, and their stories hold valuable insights and lessons that will shape future strategy: and have, no doubt, supported those organizations in adjusting and managing the change. Trends including mobile and accessibility, digestible content formats, organizational restructuring, increased remote working, and the aggregation of tools and knowledge, are being forcibly pushed through at speed to support productivity and ensure long-term survival.”
Award-winning intranet storybook
“However, one thing is clear: the digital workplace has never been more critical. As a crucial link between employee and organization, intranets are now at the forefront of digital workplace strategy and being tested like never before.
The following stories demonstrate success in all forms: from global corporations to smaller scale non-profits, all finding a way to provide support, communication and a driving force in such uncertainty with the help of intranet software.” – Kris Morrison VP, Customer Success, Interact
Meet the judges
For the 2021 Excellence Awards, Interact was supported by a 7-strong panel of global intranet, communications and engagement professionals who judged all entries.
Cindy Crescenzo
Cindy Crescenzo is the President of Crescenzo Communications and brings over twenty years of experience to the communications industry. Cindy has worked with hundreds of communicators around the world, including 3M, Bayer, Lockheed Martin, Target, and Wells Fargo.
Andrew Marr
Andrew is a consultant with ClearBox Consulting, reviewing numerous SharePoint and non-SharePoint-based intranet products in ClearBox’s industry-leading reports. Before joining ClearBox, Andrew worked with organizations that include AkzoNobel, Barclays, Financial Times, and Shell as a freelance consultant.
Andrew Wright
Andrew Wright is the founder of the Worldwide Intranet Challenge (WIC), the world’s largest intranet and digital workplace end-user satisfaction study. An intranet and digital workplace consultant for over fifteen years, Andrew has completed projects for organizations of all shapes and sizes from all industries.
Rohini Mukherji
Rohini is a seasoned integrated communications expert with fifteen years’ experience in Canada and China. Rohini is the co-host of a podcast called ABCDEI, focused on diversity, equity and inclusion. Rohini is also the marketing chair of the Canadian Public Relations Society Foundation.
Amrit Nijjar
As an Inclusion and Belonging Manager, Amrit believes if people have a true sense of belonging, they will truly excel in their roles. Previously an award-winning engagement and communications professional with over 15 years of experience, Amrit helps embed Inclusion and Diversity action plans within her company.
Steve Crescenzo
Through his work as a consultant, writer, speaker, and seminar leader, Steve has been voted the #1-rated speaker at the International Association of Business Communicators World Conference seven times. With his wife and business partner, Cindy Crescenzo, he teaches the popular workshop, Internal Communications Masterclass.
Simon Dance
As the CEO of Interact, Simon has a long history of working within the content technology arena. With a reputation of spearheading innovation and driving change inside Interact, Simon’s approach is key in creating ongoing enhancements and solutions to help communicators inform and connect their greatest asset: their people.
Award-winning intranet storybook
All winners were announced LIVE at our virtual Excellence Awards night. To dig a little deeper into their entries and discover what landed these organizations in the spotlight, download the free Awards Storybook.
Interact Excellence Award Winners 2021
Entries to the Excellence Awards are submitted under nine main categories. In addition, there is a Judges’ Awards for Innovation, awarded to entries that don’t fit inside the box of an existing category, but deserve unique recognition.
Best UX
A great and innovative UX can be the difference between a successful intranet and a failure. Organizations that take pride in their intranet’s design have a strong handle on their brand identity and permeate this ideology throughout the platform.
“The project was user focused from the outset, having identified the three key issues stopping people having
a good experience. There’s good evidence they put user needs first with a simple approach “every page to help staff and volunteers complete the task they need to do, in the most straightforward way possible”. This is really the only entry that seems to have taken a serious approach to user-centered design and therefore create a UX that works for employees.”
Andrew Marr – Clearbox
Highly commended in this category were Indeed and NBA.
Best Intranet Launch
One of the first and biggest challenges an intranet team faces is launching and embedding a new intranet into the culture of the organization. A well-planned intranet launch can significantly impact employee engagaement with the digital workplace.
“Well done on a comprehensive and measurable launch strategy. The targeted delivery of communication, including the identification of content builders as a key audience , was the key tactic that won my vote.”
Andrew Wright – Founder – Worldwide Intranet Challenge (WIC)
Highly commended in this category were the NBA and Checkmarx.
Best Essential Intranet
For an intranet to be successful, it needs to be fixed to the heart of an organization. From launch, the intranet team and stakeholders need to work hard to make it a critical part of the business.
“We thought Servpro was by far Best in Show. It has it all: Multimedia content, interactivity, mobile, innovation . . . just a great intranet. Congrats!”
Steve Crescenzo – CEO at Crescenzo Communications
Highly commended in this category were iRhythm Technologies and Co-operative Bank.
Best Success Story
What makes the best intranet success story? Ultimately, it shows that the platform achieved its purpose. This can mean uniting a disparate workforce, employee engagement or increasing sales.
Sometimes less is more. The strategy to simplify how content is written and presented was a winning one
Andrew Wright – Founder – Worldwide Intranet Challenge (WIC)
Highly commended: Servpro and Easterseals Southern California
Best Use of Digital Media
Digital media in the workplace enhances social interaction and empowers employees across multiple global locations. It connects people and gives them greater access to the tools they need to do their job.
“This captures not only what the company has done for employees during Covid in an emotional way, but also has that very fun component showing all the different ways you kept employees engaged. Excellent job.”
Steve Crescenzo – CEO at Crescenzo Communications
Highly commended in this category were IIE – Institute of International Education and UK HealthCare.
Best Stakeholder
The foundation of a successful intranet lies in the buy-in and support of key stakeholders within the organization.
“Thank you so much Peter for all the support, advice and positivity you and the team have offered over the past few months . It’s been great watching your videos and reconnecting with HSUK in a personal way. The intranet is a great resource but your videos just make that extra bit more special.”
A Home-Start employee
Highly commended in this category were Easterseals Southern California and Medvivo.
Best Offline Worker Strategy
Around three-quarters of employees are non-desk based and connecting these workers can be a big problem faced by organizations.
“Great addition to ensure we can access critical information on the go!”. Loved the look of their mobile app as well. Well done!”
Steve Crescenzo – CEO at Crescenzo Communications
Highly commended in this category were Medvivo and Sheetz.
Best DE&I Strategy
Diversity, equality, and inclusivity (DE&I) is under the microscope. The ongoing discussions of 2021 act as a reminder of the importance to look at our own organizations and see how we measure up.
“The DE&I effort from this company is nothing short of amazing! I not only love the community groups, but also just the overall education to others on the site about those groups and what they mean to the company as a whole.”
Cindy Crescenzo
Highly commended in this category were AMS and Priory Group.
Best Crisis Comms
As we’ve learned over the past eighteen months, every organization is vulnerable to crisis. But how we respond and communicate in the height of a stressful situation can set us apart from our rivals.
“It’s so inspiring how you’ve connected so many employees during one of the hardest crises of our time. We love how your leaders were 100% authentic in their communications with employees. The effects of this type of leadership communication shows in the passion and enthusiasm of your employees!”
Cindy Crescenzo
Highly commended in this category were Servpro and Your Housing Group.
Judges’ Awards for Innovation
If there’s any business lessons to be learned from the past eighteen months, it is that innovation can not only set us apart from our competitors, but it can also help us survive periods of great adversity.
“The human, empathetic touch via Jobby’s new home connected with me on an emotional level. This was such a wonderful campaign with so much heart.”
Rohini Mukherji
Highly commended in this category were Queens Cross Housing and Happy Money Inc.
Kris Morrison, VP of Customer Success, concludes; “Let me take this opportunity to recognize those in the driving seat of delivering that response: the key players at the forefront of digital workplace innovation.
This is a celebration of the indomitable spirit displayed in businesses across the world, and should act as inspiration to push our digital workplace plans and ambitions to the next stage.”
