#Canada #Toronto #McLean Company #HR Excellence #employee listening

McLean & Company's Inaugural HR Excellence Awards

In a significant recognition of excellence in human resources, McLean & Company, a global HR research and advisory firm, has unveiled the recipients of its first-ever HR Excellence Awards. This inaugural program highlights nine outstanding organizations that have effectively utilized diagnostic insights to enhance their HR practices, ultimately leading to improved employee engagement and business outcomes.

Award Categories and Winners

Selected from a competitive pool of 45 finalists, the winners were recognized across three primary categories: Employee Listening, HR Organizational Alignment, and HR Management Governance. Each category celebrated small, medium, and large enterprises, showcasing diverse talent and dedication to HR excellence.

Employee Listening

• - Small: WESTconsin Credit Union
• - Medium: Riddell Inc.
• - Large/Enterprise: Gildan Activewear, Inc.

HR Organizational Alignment

• - Small: Saskatchewan Assessment Management Agency (SAMA)
• - Medium: Bryant University
• - Large/Enterprise: DexKo Global

HR Management Governance

• - Small: Collège Boréal
• - Medium: MTN Ghana
• - Large/Enterprise: VINCI Construction USA

The winners were announced live during the annual HR conference, McLean Signature, held in Las Vegas on October 6, 2026. This event served as a platform to celebrate the innovative approaches these organizations have adopted to prioritize employee listening, aligning HR strategies with business goals.

Insights from the Awards

Laura Hansen-Kohls, Vice President of HR Diagnostics, Advisory & Data Insights at McLean & Company, emphasized the significance of these recognitions. “The organizations recognized through these awards understood the value of listening to their people and made employee feedback and assessment a genuine priority,” she stated. This insight indicates a growing trend among organizations to prioritize employee experiences, thereby enabling HR teams to better align actions with the needs of their workforce.

The awards reflect a shift towards evidence-based HR leadership, encouraging other organizations to adopt similar strategies that put employee feedback at the forefront of HR governance.

McLean & Company's Mission

McLean & Company aims to empower people leaders across industries to tackle pressing workforce challenges, including employee engagement, retention, and strategy execution. Their diagnostics help organizations identify priorities and take actionable steps that can lead to measurable improvements in both HR practices and overall organizational performance.

These awards not only set a benchmark for HR excellence but also inspire other companies to utilize diagnostic data effectively to foster an environment that values employee voices. As organizations continue to navigate a rapidly changing workforce landscape, initiatives like the HR Excellence Awards play a crucial role in highlighting best practices and fostering innovation in HR management.

For more information about the HR Excellence Awards and McLean & Company’s insights into HR practices, visit their official awards page. Emphasizing the importance of recognizing and rewarding excellence in HR, McLean & Company is setting a high standard for the future of work in the industry.