McLean & Company has today launched a new industry Awards & Recognition Program, set to recognize the innovative work of HR leaders and their teams. By pairing diagnostic-based verification with award and badge recognition, the HR research and advisory firm is giving organizations a credible, third-party way to demonstrate how employee insight informs HR decisions and measurable impact.

TORONTO, May 19, 2026 /CNW/ - McLean & Company, a global HR research and advisory firm, has launched the McLean & Company Awards & Recognition Program. Built on the firm's research-backed diagnostics, the program will recognize HR leaders and organizations that demonstrate measurable impact through structured employee listening, strategic alignment, and effective HR governance.

The launch includes one verification badge for employee listening and various excellence award categories to formally recognize leading organizations that are successfully translating insight into action to drive real impact.

"With the launch of the McLean & Company Awards & Recognition Program, we wanted to create a credible way to recognize organizations that are using insight to move HR forward," says Laura Hansen-Kohls, vice president of Diagnostics, Advisory, and Data Insights at McLean & Company. "Our aim is to celebrate teams that listen in a structured way, act on what they learn, and deliver meaningful results for their people and the business."

McLean & Company 2026 Awards & Recognition Program Structure and Categories

The McLean & Company Awards & Recognition program identifies organizations that are driving measurable HR impact. The firm's 2026 program includes a badge and three award categories:

• Verified Employee Listening Badge: Presented to organizations that complete McLean & Company's Employee Engagement Program Diagnostic. The badge validates and publicly signals an organization's structured and research-backed approach to capturing employee feedback.
  
  
• Employee Listening Excellence Award: This award category recognizes organizations that leverage employee feedback to drive measurable improvements in engagement, experience, and organizational outcomes. Completion of McLean & Company's Employee Engagement Program Diagnostic is a requirement for eligibility.
  
  
• HR Organizational Alignment Excellence Award: This award honors organizations that have successfully aligned HR strategy with business priorities to drive effective execution. Eligibility is based on completion of the firm's HR Organizational Alignment Diagnostic.
  
  
• HR Management & Governance Excellence Award: This award recognizes organizations demonstrating strong governance, decision-making clarity, and operational discipline within HR. Completion of McLean & Company's HR Management & Governance Diagnostic is a requirement for eligibility.

Key Dates and Selection Process

• Program Opens: The McLean & Company Awards & Recognition program launches on May 15, 2026.
  
  
• Eligibility: Active member organizations that complete an eligible McLean diagnostic between August 1, 2025, and July 15, 2026, will be automatically considered for the applicable award category. Organizations that complete the Employee Engagement Program Diagnostic in 2026 will also earn the Verified Employee Listening Badge and become eligible for the Employee Listening Excellence Award category.
  
  
• Excellence Awards Selection Process: Eligible organizations will be reviewed against category-specific criteria.
  
  Winners will be selected by McLean & Company's Awards Committee, which is composed of members of the firm's executive leadership team and provides final oversight of the selection process.
  
  
• Excellence Awards Finalist and Winner Announcement: Finalists are expected to be notified throughout August and September. Winners will be announced at McLean Signature in Las Vegas, the firm's premier annual HR conference, taking place October 4–6.

For full eligibility criteria and submission details, as well as detailed information about the verified badge and each of the awards, please visit the McLean & Company Awards & Recognition program page.

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About McLean & Company

McLean & Company pairs evidence-based research and immediately applicable tools with deep HR expertise to position organizations to meet today's needs and prepare for the future. The global HR research and advisory firm's member organizations enjoy comprehensive resources, full-service diagnostics, workshops, action plans, and advisory services for all levels of HR professionals, from executive leadership and HR leaders to HR team members, that help shape workplaces where everyone thrives.

McLean & Company is a division of Info-Tech Research Group.

Media professionals can register for unrestricted access to research across IT, HR, and software, and hundreds of industry analysts through the firm's Media Insiders program. To gain access, contact ktame@infotech.com.

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SOURCE McLean & Company