TriConnex and Benefit Cosmetics have been named as Essex’s “Best Employers” at an event attended by business leaders from across the county.

The winners in the Essex round of the Best Employers Eastern Region campaign, run by recruitment specialist Pure Resourcing Solutions and psychometric testing firm eras, were announced as part of a business seminar held at Channels Golf Club in Chelmsford.

Braintree-based utility firm TriConnex was recognised as the county’s best small business employer while Benefit Cosmetics, from Chelmsford, picked up the large business award.

The winners were selected as those with the highest overall scores in a survey which has been completed by around 6,000 participants across the eastern region over the past six months.

It looked at all aspects of the employer/emploee relationship, including how employees perceive their company’s culture and values, their development opportunities and their enthusiasm for working at the organisation and contributing to its success.

Winners from Suffolk are due to be announced next Wednesday and, along with the Essex winners and others from Norfolk and Cambridgeshire, will go forward to a regional final to be held in Newmarket the following day. Region-wide awards will be made for employee engagement, innovation and customer focus, alongside an overall “best of the best” award.

Lynn Walters, director at Pure Resourcing Solutions, said: “TriConnex and Benefit Cosmetics are fantastic examples of the fact that you don’t have to have a trendy London postcode to inject creativity into putting people at the heart of an organisation.

“Their survey results showed that their employees felt engaged, motivated and inspired, which means the businesses will benefit from increased profit, productivity and innovation.”

Margaret Burnside, director of people development at eras, added: “It’s now widely recognised that there is a direct link between employee engagement and the performance of an organisation.

“But employee engagement is more than employees simply being happy or just satisfied enough. It’s about creating a culture where people genuinely care about their work and their company’s goals.”

The biannual awards and survey are not just designed to find and celebrate the region’s best employers, but also to share best practice.

The presentation event also included a seminar discussion with local business leaders on ways to achieve business success through increased employee engagement. This included representatives from the winners Essex winners, Andrea Lansbury, human resources director at Benefit Cosmetics, and Mark Waine, group HR director at TriConnex and sister company Tamdown Group, as guest speakers.

Andrea Lansbury said: “Business success really is all about your people; it’s not a cliché, they make the difference. While reward and recognition is important, the need to provide a stimulating environment and to give challenge and development is also essential.”

Mark Waine added: “Our team have all been chosen for their drive, integrity, commitment and passion. Our aim is to nurture this and to have fun while helping our clients to achieve their targets.

“We want our organisation’s culture and values to extend beyond just having a productive and engaged team. We also want to make sure we are appealing to work with and, as an ever-growing team, more attractive to potential recruits.”