This paid event listing is sponsored by the Sioux Empire Society for Human Resource Management.

A prestigious award honoring outstanding employers in the Sioux Falls area will offer new ways to recognize businesses this year.

The annual Workplace Excellence awards are chosen by the Sioux Empire Society for Human Resource Management, or SESHRM, and announced at the organization’s annual social in December.

While awards previously were based on company size, with small, medium and large categories, this year’s awards feature three different categories open to any size business:

• Diversity
• Culture
• Community Impact

“These are areas that truly help define a best-in-class workplace, and we want to highlight and encourage them,” past president Mary Jo Vance said.

“Whether you’re a newer startup or established business, company awards can help set you apart in a challenging labor market by endorsing your culture, innovation and brand reputation.”

Here’s a closer look at each of the new categories:

Diversity

Most human resources professionals recognize the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion in today’s workplace, but some organizations truly invest in it.

“We’re looking for companies that go above and beyond in their diversity practices and have the data to back up the impact of their initiatives,” Vance said. “If your company has demonstration dedication and investment in areas such as talent acquisition, onboarding, diversity training and employee engagement, consider nominating for this category.

Here are a few examples of the work you may be doing that can be showcased:

• Fostering positive communication and actively promote inter-group relations among persons of different races, ages, ethnic origin, gender, sexual orientation, religious backgrounds, or physical and mental abilities.
• Participation in a variety of corporate and community events that promotes mutual respect, acceptance, cooperation, or tolerance: any level of involvement in community events, projects, efforts or organizations that promote or celebrate tolerance and contribute to diversity awareness in the community and workplace.
• The ability to value and respect diverse points of view and varied ways to approach issues and topics.

Culture

Exceptional workplaces know that their people are the secret to unlocking world-class performance, so they build their business strategies around their employees — ensuring each worker is positioned to drive business outcomes and serves customers with excellence. By doing this, their employees come to work each day engaged and ready to push boundaries.

“We’re looking for companies that have optimized their cultures and developed a workforce that fully embraces a culture of engagement, with the data to back up that engagement,” Vance said. “This enables these businesses to build and sustain their ideal culture.”

Here are a few examples of the work you may be doing that can be showcased:

• Apply data-driven techniques to attract, hire and retain top talent.
• Make employee engagement a day-to-day practice.
• Adopt leading-edge performance management principles.
• Equip their managers and leaders to coach and inspire others every day.
• Position employees to use their innate strengths every day.
• Foster a flexible workplace with family-friendly atmosphere.

Community impact

Many companies understand the impact their employees can have on the communities where we live and work.

As the Sioux Falls area continues to grow, there are more agencies that not only need our financial support but also through education and volunteering their time.

“We want to recognize an employer that is truly making a difference in the community,” Vance said. “Does your employees’ spirit of service permeate your culture and define who you are as a company?”

Here are a few examples of the work you may be doing that can be showcased:

• Employee groups that are volunteering their time at different agencies throughout the year representing your
• company.
• Financial contributions that are being made by your employer to help our community.
• Educating students from pre-K through post-secondary education programs. This could be through shadow experience or even internships.

Professionals of the Year

Additionally, SESHRM will continue to recognize outstanding individuals in the human resources field with two annual awards:

Distinguished Human Resource Professional of the Year

This award is given to someone with five or more years of human resource experience who is a strategic business partner within their organization and a role model for the human resource profession. This winner might be a mentor for others, a collaborator with fellow SESHRM members and an actively engaged member of the SESHRM chapter.

Emerging Human Resource Professional of the Year

This award is given to someone with two or more years of human resource experience who has jumped right into the profession, impacted their organization and/or is strengthening the SESHRM community.

The deadline to nominate is Oct. 7, 2022.

To see a list of previous Workplace Excellence winners and for more information on the awards, click here.