BEST PLACE TO WORK PAKISTAN AWARDS 2025

Karachi, Pakistan – 15 October 2025 – Engage Consulting, in partnership with the Pakistan Society of Human Resource Management (PSHRM), hosted the Best Place to Work Awards 2025 at the Pearl Continental Hotel, Karachi.

The awards are based on comprehensive employee engagement surveys conducted by Engage Consulting across participating organizations, alongside external perceptions of employer brand, making them one of the most authentic and data-driven indicators of workplace excellence in Pakistan.

Hosted by Faizan Haque, the ceremony brought together leading CEOs, CHROs, HR professionals, and corporate executives to celebrate organizations that have demonstrated exceptional commitment to employee well-being, inclusive culture, and progressive people practices.

The evening brought together Pakistan’s most influential voices in leadership and business, featuring keynote addresses from Paul Keijzer, CEO of Engage Consulting; Dr. Ishrat Husain, former Governor of the State Bank of Pakistan; Amir Paracha, CEO of Unilever Pakistan; and Jamal Nasir, President of PSHRM, each offering powerful insights on the evolving landscape of work, employee engagement, and purpose-led leadership.

In early 2025, PSHRM and Engage Consulting invited organizations to participate in the Best Place to Work Pakistan Study through a nationwide nomination call. Announcements were actively shared across major social platforms—including LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram—while targeted email outreach was conducted with HR leaders from Engage Consulting’s existing network.

To maximize participation and ensure broad industry representation, LinkedIn advertising campaigns were strategically deployed. While the outreach reached thousands of organizations, the goal remained clear: to attract only those companies genuinely committed to fostering exceptional workplace cultures.

• Nominations Opened: January 20
• Nominations Closed: March 12
• Surveys Launched: April 1
• Surveys Completed: September 10
• Best Place to Work Free Reports Delivered: Late September
• Best Place to Work Pakistan Awards Gala: October 15

Participation remained open and free of cost, with mandatory eligibility criteria to ensure constructive and representative insights. Only organizations with 50 or more employees were allowed to participate, reinforcing the study’s commitment to accuracy and meaningful analysis.

This year, advanced fraud-detection and cheat-proof survey technology were deployed to ensure complete transparency and eliminate any attempt to influence survey results.

Over 155+ organizations came together at the 2025 Awards Gala, showcasing a shared commitment to fostering exceptional employee experiences and building workplaces of the future. Their participation reflected a nationwide movement toward prioritizing workplace culture as a strategic business advantage rather than just an HR initiative.

The Best Place to Work Pakistan Awards 2025 spotlighted a broader vision: a future where data, purpose, and people come together to define the new standard of organizational excellence in Pakistan.

A key highlight of the ceremony was the prestigious declaration of Telenor as the Best of the Best Company 2025—the highest recognition of the event.

Faizan Haque, the host, invited Paul Keijzer, CEO of Engage Consulting, and Jamal Nasir, President of PSHRM, to present the award.

Finalists for this category included renowned organizations such as Metro, Telenor, Abbott, EBM, and S&P Global. This coveted accolade celebrated Telenor’s unwavering commitment to fostering a progressive work culture, investing in talent development, and leading with purpose-driven leadership.

The announcement was met with resounding applause as Telenor’s leadership took the stage, reinforcing the company’s position as a benchmark for excellence in Pakistan’s corporate landscape.

The ceremony opened with visionary reflections from Pakistan’s most influential business leaders, reinforcing the credibility, purpose, and impact of the Best Place to Work Pakistan Awards.

Paul spoke about the evolution of the Best Place to Work program since its inception and reaffirmed the integrity of the survey process. He emphasized that this year’s methodology incorporated stricter data validation and independent respondent selection to ensure that only genuine employee voices shaped the results.

“The awards are not just recognitions, they are earned by organizations through the trust, commitment, and engagement of their people,” he stated, underscoring that transparency and credibility remain at the core of the program.

Paul also highlighted significant improvements in employee engagement trends across Pakistan and announced the upcoming launch of The State of the Pakistani Workplace, a national workforce analytics report being introduced in collaboration with EBM. This report aims to provide Pakistan’s most comprehensive people insights, similar to Gallup’s global benchmarking.

Further elevating the discourse, Dr. Ishrat Hussain, Former Governor of the State Bank of Pakistan, in a special video message, stressed that workplace excellence begins with people.

“You can have the finest systems and infrastructure, but without engaged, motivated people, no institution can truly succeed,” he remarked, congratulating participating organizations in Best Place to Work Pakistan Awards 2025 for prioritizing their workforce as a competitive advantage.

Amir Paracha emphasized redefining success through humanity, ethics, and collective purpose.

“The greatest workplaces of the future will be those where purpose is larger than any individual—where people come together to create meaningful, lasting impact,” he shared.

Concluding the keynote segment, Jamal Nasir, President of PSHRM and CHRO of HBL, reinforced the national importance of employee engagement.

“When workplaces thrive, people thrive, and when people thrive, nations rise,” he said, acknowledging every participating company as a contributor to Pakistan’s future.

As part of the evening’s agenda, Paul Keijzer, CEO of Engage Consulting and The Talent Games, introduced C-Factor.AI, a groundbreaking AI-driven talent assessment and interview platform designed to transform the way organizations evaluate talent across all job levels.

The launch was presented through an engaging animated segment, showcasing five intelligent AI agents that demonstrated how the platform leverages behavioral science, predictive analytics, and machine learning to enhance decision-making in recruitment.

While the ceremony primarily focused on recognizing Pakistan’s top workplaces, the unveiling of C-Factor.AI served as a major value addition—reflecting the industry’s shift toward innovation, digital adoption, and the future of work.

To celebrate the spirit of community and belonging, the event featured a captivating musical performance by Goher from the iconic Jal Band.

His dynamic presence energized the audience and added a celebratory flair to the evening, setting the perfect tone for camaraderie and connection.

The excitement reached new heights with a special raffle draw proudly sponsored by Syngenta, giving attendees the opportunity to win exciting prizes.

The raffle added an element of engagement and anticipation, reflecting the event’s inclusive spirit and commitment to creating memorable experiences for its participants.

The host invited Paul Keijzer to conclude the evening. Paul congratulated the winners and emphasized the critical role of resilient, people-centric organizations in shaping Pakistan’s future economy.

He reiterated the mission of Engage Consulting and PSHRM in advancing workplace standards, promoting employee well-being, and enabling organizations to compete on culture, not just performance.

The event concluded with a spectacular confetti celebration and a grand group photo of all winners, capturing the spirit of achievement, unity, and collective ambition for a better workplace future in Pakistan.

The 2025 edition of the Best Place to Work Pakistan Awards was supported by some of the country’s most prominent organizations. Fatima Group participated as the Platinum Sponsor, demonstrating its continued commitment to advancing workplace excellence in Pakistan. Bank Alfalah and JS Bank came forward as Gold Sponsors, reinforcing their leadership in people-centric business practices.

At the Silver level, Allied Bank, Highnoon, and Martin Dow supported the initiative, while Mobilink Bank, Syngenta, and CCL joined as Bronze Sponsors. Adding further value to the event, Bayer, Compensation Core, and The Talent Games participated as Activation Partners, contributing to engagement, innovation, and industry transformation throughout the ceremony.

A total of 12 awards were conferred under the Top 10 Percentile Companies category. Organizations were evaluated based on their engagement survey results and classified according to company size—Small, Medium, and Large—ensuring a fair and data-driven comparison across different business scales.

• Best Place to Work 2025: Telenor (Large)
• Best Place to Work 2025: METRO (Large)
• Best Place to Work 2025: Abbott Laboratories (Large)
• Best Place to Work 2025: EBM (Large)
• Best Place to Work 2025: S&P Global (Large)
• Best Place to Work 2025: Servier Pakistan (Medium)
• Best Place to Work 2025: Novo Nordisk (Medium)
• Best Place to Work 2025: Dawood Family Takaful Limited (Medium)
• Best Place to Work 2025: Servis Retail (Medium)
• Best Place to Work 2025: Maersk (Medium)
• Best Place to Work 2025: Indigo Textile (Small)
• Best Place to Work 2025: Celerity (Small)

Check out the announcement on LinkedIn.

Nominations were received from a diverse range of industries. Only organizations that actively participated in the Best Place to Work Study 2025 were considered. While some companies withdrew after initial nomination, only eligible participants were included in the competitive process.
As a result, a structured competition was conducted across 11 industry categories—with nominations, finalists, and winners formally announced.

• Banking: Mobilink Bank
• Education: Aga Khan University
• Energy, Oil and Gas: Cnergyico
• Financial Services: Dawood Family Takaful
• FMCG: EBM
• IT Services: S&P Global
• Manufacturing / Engineering: Fatima Group
• Pharmaceutical Industry: Servier Pakistan
• Retail Industry: Servis Retail
• Telecom Industry: Telenor
• Textile Industry: Diamond Fabrics

Check out the announcement on LinkedIn.

A total of six awards were conferred directly, without a nomination or finalist process.

• Best Place to Work for Women 2025: ChildLife Foundation
• Best Place to Work for Gen-Z Workforce 2025: Daftarkhwan
• Best Place to Work for Senior Employees 2025: HBL
• Most Recommended Company 2025: JAZZ
• Best Leaders of 2025: METRO Pakistan
• Best Engagement Survey Quality 2025: VentureDive

Check out the announcement on LinkedIn.

This category recognized one winner and two runner-ups, with results announced directly—no nominations or finalists were declared.

• Most Preferred Employer in Pakistan 2025 (Winner): Unilever
• Most Preferred Employer in Pakistan 2025 (Runner-up): 10Pearls
• Most Preferred Employer in Pakistan 2025 (Runner-up): Engro Corp

Check out the announcement on LinkedIn.

Finalists: 5
Winner: 1

Award Criteria:
This prestigious award is presented to the company that achieved the highest overall employee engagement score in the Best Place to Work Study 2025, reflecting exceptional workplace culture, people practices, and organizational commitment to employee well-being.

• Best of the Best Company in Pakistan 2025 (Winner): Telenor
• Finalists: Telenor, METRO, Abbott, EBM, S&P Global

Check out the announcement on LinkedIn.

Missed the awards? No problem! You can still find out where your company ranks in employee engagement with our tailored survey.

A BPTW report helps you understand what’s impacting employee engagement in your company by breaking down key trends and drivers

A paid BPTW report equips your organization with deep insights into your strengths and areas of improvement. It is benchmarked against over 300 leading companies in Pakistan. With access to over a million of data points, you gain a clear view of where you stand in the market and what top-performing employers are doing differently.

This report not only highlights your competitive position but also provides strategic recommendations to enhance your workplace culture, boost employee engagement, and increase your chances of becoming one of Pakistan’s Best Places to Work.

Suggested: Winners list of Best Place to Work Pakistan Awards 2023 here.