Certified PeopleFirst™
The new global standard for workplace culture certification
The Modern Standard for Workplace Culture Certification
Certified PeopleFirst™ is a global workplace culture certification and employee engagement benchmark designed for forward-thinking organisations who put their people first.
We independently measure whether your people:
- Believe in the values, direction and leadership of the organisation
- Belong by feeling valued and connected at work
- Grow through opportunity, autonomy and continuous development
We do that:
- Because modern performance is driven by people who believe in where they’re going, feel they belong on the journey and have the space to grow along the way.
- For organisations seeking independent culture accreditation beyond legacy “best workplace” models. Certified PeopleFirst™ sets a new standard grounded in intrinsic motivation and employee insight
Unlike our Inspiring Workplaces Awards (some of our winners above), where you tell us your story by the written word, Certified PeopleFirst™ is powered directly by your employees’ anonymous insight.
The Intrinsic Advantage
Grounded in decades of research on intrinsic motivation (popularised by Daniel Pink in Drive), high-performing cultures are built on belief, belonging and personal growth.
Organisations that build these foundations consistently:
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Deliver stronger long-term performance
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Attract and retain high-calibre talent
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Adapt faster during change and transformation
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Unlock higher discretionary effort and ownership
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Drive innovation in complex, fast-moving environments
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Reduce burnout, disengagement and turnover costs
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Build stronger trust with customers and stakeholders
When motivation comes from within, performance becomes sustainable.
Why Certified PeopleFirst™?
- It’s Credible – Certification is based entirely on anonymous employee data
- It’s Modern – We measure intrinsic drivers of performance, not outdated extrinsic mechanics.
- It Strengthens Employer Brand – Use your Certified PeopleFirst™ badges across recruitment, marketing and external communications
- It’s Insight-Led – Receive a full cultural profile across Belief and Belonging, plus six evidence-based drivers that form your PeopleFirst Culture Map
- It’s Fast & Frictionless – From survey launch to insight report and certification decision within three weeks.
- Built on a Decade of Recognising the World’s Inspiring Workplaces – Certified PeopleFirst™ was developed from insights gathered through thousands of global award entries, learnings from the experts in employee experience and contributions from our global community.
A New Workplace Reality
- AI is accelerating change.
- Trust in institutions is fragile.
- Talent has more choice than ever.
- PeopleFirst claims are no longer a differentiator. Proving it is a necessity.
Certified PeopleFirst™ helps you prove your culture is built for performance, resilience and long-term success.
How it works
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Launch a 64-question survey (under 10 minutes per employee)
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Anonymous participation with a minimum response threshold to ensure integrity
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Receive your full insight report and scores within ~3 weeks
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If you meet the required benchmark, earn Certified PeopleFirst™ status
Certification is awarded at Silver, Gold or Platinum level based on overall score. Have more questions, then please download the information pack or visit the FAQ section.
Experience the questions
Get a feel for Certified PeopleFirst™ with a short sample of our survey. This 10-question snapshot reflects the themes we measure across belief, belonging and personal growth — and gives you an indication of where your culture may sit within the PeopleFirst framework.
- Two minutes.
- Instant insight.
- No commitment.
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“Going through the Inspiring Workplaces PeopleFirst certification was a truly meaningful experience for us.It gave us the chance to reflect on how we care for our people, celebrate what makes our culture special, and uncover new ways to help our team thrive. This recognition not only helps us attract amazing talent but also reminds our current team members that they are valued, supported and part of something bigger.
Most of all, it reinforces our commitment to building a workplace where everyone feels they belong and can grow.”
Sharon Larwremce, COO, Aspire Chicago
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“We already survey our team annually but the PeopleFirst accreditation gave us a far more structured, meaningful and credible benchmark. The whole process was seamless – Inspiring Workplaces handled everything and even helped me communicate to the team about why we were undertaking the exercise. The fact that 100% of our team responded on time says it all.We were blown away by our score, especially as the accreditation is based solely on truly anonymous feedback. It’s incredibly reassuring to know that what we believed we were building is genuinely reflected in how our people feel. The end report offers a clear, in-depth picture of team sentiment across key pillars of belonging and connectedness.
It’s an invaluable tool for identifying areas to improve and ensuring our organisation continues to thrive by keeping our people engaged, valued and connected.”
Lesley Singleton, MD, Playtime PR