Excellence in Business awards honour diversity champions

WISE leaders know that diversity is a source of strength.
The winners of the Diversity award at The Yorkshire Post Excellence in Business Awards.  The team from PLUSS with Michael Portillo. Yorkshire Post Excellence in Business Awards 2016.  New Dock Hall.  4 November 2016.  Picture Bruce RollinsonThe winners of the Diversity award at The Yorkshire Post Excellence in Business Awards.  The team from PLUSS with Michael Portillo. Yorkshire Post Excellence in Business Awards 2016.  New Dock Hall.  4 November 2016.  Picture Bruce Rollinson
The winners of the Diversity award at The Yorkshire Post Excellence in Business Awards. The team from PLUSS with Michael Portillo. Yorkshire Post Excellence in Business Awards 2016. New Dock Hall. 4 November 2016. Picture Bruce Rollinson

The Yorkshire Post is on the hunt for inspiring companies that are powering ahead of the competition because they believe that every employee matters.

Our Excellence in Business Awards include a diversity category which helps us shine the spotlight on business leaders who have a strong commitment to breaking down barriers.

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We are looking for a great company which aims to emulate the success of last year’s winner, the social enterprise Pluss. Pluss helps people with complex disabilities and health conditions to find work.

Judges were impressed at how Leeds-based Pluss and its supply chain had helped more than 1,300 people with physical disabilities, learning disabilities, mental health issues, autism, hidden disabilities and long-term health problems move into work.

Its priority is to inspire self-confidence and ambition in each person.

The company helps to rebuild their self-esteem by offering training, mentoring, and help to develop CVs, prepare for interviews and approach employers.

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Judges were impressed with the case study Pluss submitted which stated: “I was unemployed for two and a half years and applied for several hundred jobs. It didn’t feel good; you lose your self worth. Now, I’m in work I feel so much more confident.”

The Yorkshire Post Excellence in Business awards are open to firms of all shapes and sizes. We welcome entries from large multi-nationals and companies that were established on a kitchen table or inside a laboratory. The awards, which were established in 2006, honour household names, and help to spot the rising stars of the corporate world.

Apart from diversity, nominations are sought in the following categories:

Companies with a turnover over £50m. Sponsored by DLA Piper: This category honours the commercial giants which conduct business on a vast scale.

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Companies with a turnover between £10m and £50m: This award focuses on mid-tier firms which are the real powerhouse of the region’s economy.

Companies with a turnover up to £10m: Our region has a world class collection of SMEs and it is here we honour them.

Commercial space. Sponsored by Doncaster Sheffield Airport: We are looking for inspiring uses of commercial space which show the value of world class architects and designers.

Entrepreneur. Sponsored by Leeds Beckett: This award honours a rare individual who inspires others to greatness.

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Community: This award recognises those businesses that support the area in which they are based.

Young Business: This category focuses on rapidly growing businesses in our region.

Outstanding Employer: We want to recognise those employers who value their staff, and reward them in a sustainable way that nurtures the company.

Exporter: The winner of this award is really helping to drive the export-led recovery.

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Technology: In this category, we are seeking a winner who harnesses technology to give their firm the edge.

Leadership: Nobody forgets a great leader, and this award honours an individual who has displayed courage, tenacity and wisdom in a tough role.

Apprenticeship: The winner of this award will have placed apprenticeships at the heart of their company’s growth plans.

To enter the awards please visit www.jpeventsnorth.co.uk/yp/events/excellence-in-business/index.php.

The closing date for entries is June 2.

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