CIDRZ becomes Zambia’s first Certified PeopleFirst organisation

The Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia has become the first organization in the country to earn Certified PeopleFirst status, reaching Silver level. The recognition signals a culture built on trust, belonging and employee belief, and gives CIDRZ a new benchmark as it competes for talent and seeks to strengthen health outcomes.

Why it matters: - CIDRZ is the first organization in Zambia to receive Certified PeopleFirst™ status, setting a workplace-culture benchmark for other employers in the country. - The Silver-level certification signals stronger credibility with candidates, customers and investors in a tighter talent market. - The recognition links employee experience to CIDRZ’s broader mission to improve health outcomes in Zambia.

What happened: - The Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia earned Certified PeopleFirst™ certification from The Inspiring Workplaces Group. - CIDRZ reached Silver level. - The certification was announced Sept. 24, 2026, in Lusaka, Zambia. - CIDRZ is now the first Certified PeopleFirst™ organisation in Zambia.

The details: - Certified PeopleFirst™ is an independent culture certification powered by employee insight. - The framework focuses on three intrinsic drivers: Belief, Belonging and Future Confidence. - The certification is designed to measure what employees actually experience, rather than relying on compensation, benefits or perks. - CIDRZ’s certification reflects employee feedback pointing to trust, shared purpose and belonging inside the organization. - Mwansa Lombe, CIDRZ Human Resource Director, said the recognition belongs to the entire CIDRZ team and confirms that investing in people is essential to the organization’s mission. - Matt Manners, founder and CEO of The Inspiring Workplaces Group, said CIDRZ is making history as the first Certified PeopleFirst™ organisation in Zambia. - Manners said the certification was developed after analyzing thousands of Inspiring Workplaces Award entries from organizations around the world over the past decade. - The Inspiring Workplaces Group says the certification is evidence-led, intrinsically focused, simple to run and designed for modern organisations.

Between the lines: - The certification reflects a broader shift away from legacy workplace measures that emphasize pay and perks over employee belief and belonging. - For CIDRZ, the result also functions as an external signal that its internal culture supports public-health work. - For employers in Zambia, the award creates a visible standard for workplace culture at a time when organizations are trying to attract and retain talent.

What’s next: - CIDRZ said it is committed to building on the recognition. - The Inspiring Workplaces Group is positioning Certified PeopleFirst™ as a global benchmark for organizations that want to prove culture quality through employee feedback. - The certification is likely to become a reference point for other Zambian employers pursuing similar recognition.

The bottom line: - CIDRZ now holds a first-of-its-kind workplace certification in Zambia, and the award is meant to show that employee trust and belonging are becoming measurable business assets, not soft extras.