Award Categories

Eligibility: Recognising visionary people leaders who have demonstrated exceptional leadership and have been instrumental in driving innovative and forward-thinking HR strategies within their organisations.

Judges will require evidence of as much of the following:

• Demonstrates exceptional leadership qualities and has made significant contributions to their organisation.
• Has implemented innovative HR strategies or practices that have positively impacted the organisation.
• Their work has led to measurable improvements in areas like employee engagement, talent management, diversity and inclusion, etc.
• Has at least ten years of experience in the field.

Eligibility: Focusing on the organisation’s efforts to enhance employee skills, foster a learning culture, and drive outcomes through effective learning and development (L&D) strategies.

Judges will require evidence of as much of the following:

• Fostering a culture of continuous learning and talent development.
• Implemented innovative L&D strategies or skills development practices that have positively impacted the organisation.
• Implementing L&D initiatives that align with the organisation’s strategy and people strategies.
• L&D initiatives have led to measurable improvements in areas such as employee performance, engagement, retention, etc.
• L&D initiatives support efforts to increase inclusion and diversity.

Eligibility:Celebrating companies that have implemented ground-breaking strategies and practices to attract and retain top talent, including innovative recruitment strategies, employer branding campaigns, or creative talent sourcing techniques.

Judges will require evidence of as much of the following:

• Approaches taken to market a strong employer brand, effectively communicating the organisational values and employee value proposition, resulting in a positive impact on candidate perception and attraction.
• Recognises innovative and effective candidate assessment solution that meets the needs of the organisation’s talent strategy and leads to improved hiring results.
• Recognises the commercial and cultural impact of initiatives to promote greater diversity in attracting, hiring, and integrating people from different cultures, whether residing in the UK or overseas.
• Providing excellent candidate experiences throughout the recruitment process, including clear communication, respectful treatment, and timely feedback.
• Outstanding delivery of a high-quality onboarding experience to help new hires to quickly become productive members of the team.
• Demonstrate improved employee retention rates, indicating abilities to attract top talent and provide an environment where employees want to stay.

Eligibility: Recognising successful development programmes that have positively impacted on organisational or people performance, or culture. You will be able to demonstrate how the programme has used research, data and insight to help the organisation to achieve its goals.

Judges will require evidence of as much of the following:

• Demonstrating how people and processes are strategically aligned with the organisation’s goals.
• Having robust programs for employee development such as training, mentorship programs, career progression, and initiatives to help employees develop new skills.
• Showing evidence of effective organisational development practices and successful change management initiatives. Demonstrate the ability to adapt to changing internal and external circumstances.
• Applying performance measurement, analysis, and reporting to improve decision making and track the success of people development initiatives.
• Demonstrating how people development strategies have led to improved business outcomes such as increased productivity, improved retention rates, or financial performance.

Eligibility: Transformational business change involves radical shifts in strategy, structure, operations, or culture to improve performance and achieve long-term growth. It’s a fundamental, systemic, and lasting change.

Judges will require evidence of as much of the following:

• Demonstrating how their people transformation strategies have led to improved business outcomes. This could include increased productivity, higher employee retention rates, or improved financial performance.
• Demonstrating effective change management practices that could include how well the company communicates changes, involves employees in the change process, and supports them during periods of change.
• Fostering a culture that encourages continuous learning and development. This could be reflected in the availability of professional development opportunities, encouragement of skill development, and support for ongoing education.
• Having high levels of employee engagement, analysed with measures such as employee satisfaction surveys, turnover rates, and levels of employee participation in company initiatives.
• Having effective performance management systems in place with clear performance expectations, regular feedback, and recognising and rewarding good performance.
• Encouraging innovation and creativity among employees, reflected in the company’s policies, work environment, and the value placed on new ideas and innovative thinking.

Eligibility: Recognising organisations that excel in fostering a sense of purpose among their employees. This Award celebrates companies that not only articulate their mission and values but also translate them into meaningful work. The Award underscores the importance of employee satisfaction, productivity, and performance as key indicators of successful HR practices.

Judges will require evidence of as much of the following:

• Having a clear, well-articulated purpose that goes beyond profit, and this purpose should be integrated into all aspects of the business.
• Innovating in approaches to addressing social or environmental issues and demonstrating a commitment to sustainability in its operations.
• Being transparent about its impact and holding itself accountable to stakeholders, such as including regular impact reporting and stakeholder engagement.
• Articulating how these practices have led to improved productivity levels and/or strong performance outcomes.
• Demonstrating how innovative people-practices have been implemented to promote and create a stronger sense of purpose.