The Olive Awards is an innovative scheme designed to recognise the best employers within the field of Wellness and Integrated Health as voted by the employees themselves. Unlike most awards programmes, The Olive Awards is completely transparent and based 100% on the satisfaction ratings derived from the employees themselves. Employees complete an anonymous on-line survey and each company is presented with a report outlining their results.

The Olive Awards objectively measures employee satisfaction across 8 key business areas and offers a unique opportunity for each entrant to gain powerful information to help them steer their business. The unique thing about Olive is that no one can lose!

The Olive Awards were founded in 2007 by Veronica Butler and Berni Hawkins. Together they combined many years of recruitment experience with extensive consultancy within the spa and wellness sector to create an innovative programme aimed at steering the industry into placing the necessary focus and attention on caring for the people who work in it and the environment within which it operates. The use of the word 'Olive' stems from the analogy of an olive tree: a tree will not grow unless it is planted in the right environment and it will not bear fruit unless it is cared for and nourished. Berni Hawkins commented "In our industry, our businesses will not be fit for the future unless we are serious about looking after our people and the environment in which we operate."

For a company to offer an excellent product or service, it needs employees who want to give their best. Extensive research has shown that for an employee to be motivated to do their best, they need favourable working conditions, learning and development, respect, human dignity, fairness and care. These factors contribute to personal fulfilment and high morale, which are closely linked to outstanding performance that impacts heavily on a business's financial success.

The financial impact of losing key team members and the cost of finding skilled replacements may seem obvious, but few businesses take preventative action to avoid this scenario. Businesses that lose and are unable to replace staff, not only suffer productivity losses, but they also lose knowledge of business operations and their investment in staff training. In today's candidate driven market, if employees are not given benefits such as recognition, a favourable working environment, training and the ability to be 'involved', they will leave in favour of a company that will nurture their ongoing need to learn and grow.

Businesses that focus on achieving high morale amongst their employees will achieve long-term success in today's business world.

Measuring employee satisfaction within impacting areas of your business will identify areas of strength and weakness from your employee's perception. It is an effective way of assessing interventions in the organisation and show previously unrecognised or unidentified opportunities that can be used to influence staff motivation.

Businesses succeed by….

Without satisfied employees, you don't have a business, you have a hobby!

There is so much to gain and no one can lose by entering The Olive Awards. If you are proud of your achievements as a leading employer and want to gain the benefits and recognition by winning an Olive Award; or if you want a cost effective way of measuring your employee satisfaction levels across your business in an objective way; or if you want key business information which will help you define your strategy for success and susainability for the future - then enter The Olive Awards today. The winners of 2010 will be annouced at a Celebration of Success evening in February 2011.   

The Olive Award winners 2007 were asked why they had chosen to take part. Here are some of their responses:

"As a business owner, winning this award is incredibly inspiring as it is a direct and honest reflection of how my staff perceive the working environment I work hard to maintain. Indeed, the whole concept of the award should lie at the heart of any business that is serious about its employees' welfare and happiness, and the results not only offer invaluable constructive criticism but insightful feedback as to where we can constantly improve working conditions and motivate our staff. After all, we as a whole are only as good as the sum of our parts. I am very proud to be part of the Olive Awards and will look to better my score next year!" Vicky Stothard, Director Independant Mind Body Soul

"Six Senses Resorts & Spas has a strong commitment to implementing the best practices of human resource management with a holistic focus in every Soneva, Six Senses Hideaway, Six Senses Latitude and Evason; plus Six Senses Spa and Six Senses Destination Spa. This ensures our hosts and the services they provide support our core values and company vision, which is: To create innovative and enriching experiences in a sustainable environment.

It is a great honour for Six Senses Spas to be recognized as best overall group and also best in the large company category by The Olive Awards. It is a privilege to receive this award and share it with the hosts of all of our Six Senses Spas throughout Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and the Americas. We look forward to offering our continued support to this innovative awards program within the field of wellness and integrated health." Clare West, MD Six Senses EME

Studies show that companies who prioritise employee satisfaction are more profitable.

A Gallup poll of 55,000 people in the US found that four attitudes when taken together correlate strongly with higher profits. These are:

• Employees feel they have the opportunity to do what they are best at.
• Employees believe their opinions count.
• Employees feel that their co-workers are committed to quality.
• Employees make a direct connection between their work and the organisation's mission.

By entering the Awards you will have the opportunity to be listed in the 'Exceptional Employers - The Top 50' directory in the wellness and integrated health sector. You will be featured in The Olive Awards national PR and marketing campaign and receive high profile exposure across the industry.

Benefits for companies listed as one of the 'Exceptional Employers - The Top 50' are:

• The ability to attract the best staff
• Being nationally recognised in the 'Exceptional Employers – The Top 50' directory
• Using The Olive Awards rating in recruitment and marketing activity.
• Being an ambassador for sustainable development; helping people make better choices.

Each company will receive a report highlighting their overall ratings results and a breakdown of results by category. In addition, there will be the option to purchase additional analysis relating to specific areas of your business. This will provide critical information relating to the overall level of satisfaction amongst employees and will enable companies to identify areas for improvement. Strategies can be employed to impact on staff motivation, retention and productivity which will directly benefit the success of your business and ensure your sustainability in this competitive industry.

The Olive Awards is an annual event and gives you the opportunity to re-enter each year so that you can measure the effectiveness of strategies adopted within the business.

In summary, don't miss out! Take advantage of this opportunity to celebrate your success as an employer and measure your performance year on year and across the sector. Find out what your staff really think and then act on it to ensure you maximise your business potential.

The ongoing growth of the sector, and the wellbeing and development of individuals working within it, are essential to all businesses, be they large or small.

The Olive Awards – recognising exceptional employers.

There are three categories of entry; large companies (over 50 employees), medium size companies (26 - 49 employees) and small companies (5 - 25 employees).

Companies eligible to enter the Awards include all spas, beauty and nail salons, health clubs and leisure centres, hair salons, medical and integrated health clinics, retailers of beauty products and all suppliers to these sectors including product houses and equipment manufacturers.

How to enter and costs

To enter your company into The Olive Awards 2010, simply complete the on-line registration form. There is an administration fee for companies entering The Olive Awards. This is dependent on the size of the company.

• Small company: 5–25 employees @ £249
• Medium company: 26-49 employees @ £349
• Large company: 50+ employees @ £449
• Group discounts are available for multiple site organisations (please enquire directly)

You will receive acknowledgement of your registration and an on-line invoice. The administration fee must be settled prior to your employees beginning their on-line questionnaires.

Once we have received your administration fee, your account will be activated and your employees will be able to begin the online questionnaire using the allocated employee log in and password. You will also be able to upload your company logo if you wish to be featured in the employer area on The Olive Awards website.

You will receive regular updates and details of latest news from The Olive Awards team.