AWARDS CATEGORIES

This year we have introduced two new categories and a new Award for students who are studying or have completed a CIPD - approved Foundation or Intermediate - level qualification.

Each category recognises outstanding achievement and the contribution HR makes to business sustainability and success.

The judges are looking for evidence that a particular business issue was tackled through a people management initiative and how business performance was enhanced as a result. They want to see real results and measurability as well as innovation and creativity that sets new standards of best practice. The winner also needs to recognise the value of diversity and inclusion and this should be clearly reflected in their entry, regardless of which category they’re entering.

BUILDING HR CAPABILITY

This award will recognise organisations that show a firm commitment to ensuring that HR has the skills needed to play a vital role in enhancing business performance, both now and in the future. You will need to demonstrate the steps you are taking to align HR with business strategy. You will be using business savvy and insight driven HR to evolve and to identify the skills that will be needed over the next decade. You will address how you will ensure that these skill needs are met, to encourage career development for individuals, and to measure the impact of HR capability on organisational performance.

Download entry form

CHANGE MANAGEMENT

CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY NEW

We are looking for entries which illustrate the key role HR has played in embedding a responsible and sustainable approach to business. How have you worked with all of your internal and external stakeholders to integrate responsible practices into business-as-usual? What actions have you taken to engage employees with the organisation’s values and objectives? How has the HR team overcome challenges and made the most of opportunities to deliver on this wider agenda? Successful entries will provide evidence of how HR has made corporate responsibility practices part of the organisation’s culture and demonstrate the impact of HR activity on achievement of the organisation’s sustainability objectives.

Download entry form

EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT

There is a growing body of evidence to prove that engaged employees deliver better performance and organizational effectiveness. Can you demonstrate a real understanding of what engagement looks like in your organisation, what factors are contributing to building and sustaining engagement and what the impact is in terms of organizational performance? We're looking for evidence that initiatives are focused on organisational needs, objectives and linked to real drivers of engagement. Initiatives will need to clearly display an understanding and evaluation of key data including survey results, absence levels and staff turnover as well as an ability to get behind the data to really understand what it really means in terms of engagement and performance and the impact on business objectives and organisational effectiveness.

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HEALTH AND WELL-BEING

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We will recognise organisations that have demonstrated a clear link between initiatives to support employee health and wellbeing and business objectives. Successful entries will demonstrate an understanding of the holistic nature of employee health and wellbeing, for example, ensuring that leadership and management capability, wider workforce skills development or job design compliment initiatives such as the introduction of new programmes and benefits. Entrants will need to provide evidence of impact, such as a reduction in absence levels, accident levels and or improvements in staff engagement/performance.

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HR INNOVATION THROUGH TECHNOLOGY

In recent years, technology, (in particular social media) has been a huge driving force and enabler of successful HR practice. In this category, we’re looking for submissions from organisations that have gained business benefit and achieved strategic objectives through its use. How has the HR function exploited the opportunities that new forms of technology brings? What specific changes were made and how did innovative use of technology facilitate this? And how did your workforce embrace these changes?

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MANAGING HR ACROSS BOUNDARIES NEW

More and more organisations are operating across geographical boundaries as they look to penetrate new markets. How can HR be most effective in a multinational firm? We are looking for entries where there’s strong evidence of a strategic approach to managing HR across boundaries. How do you develop a coherent strategy while being able to flex according to local conditions? Do you have a single set of company values and employer brand? How do you communicate and share knowledge across country HR teams and what role does new technology play? What evidence do you have to show the benefits of a joined up approach to HR delivery across boundaries?

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MICHAEL KELLY OUTSTANDING STUDENT AWARDS- NOW OPEN AT ALL LEVELS

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Studying is not just about acquiring relevant knowledge – successful students apply what they have learnt to bring about real business benefits.

We’re looking for an exceptional individual who is currently studying or has recently completed a recognised CIPD postgraduate level qualification. Successful applications will demonstrate how their studies have enabled them to initiate and implement business improvements, either within their own organisation or organisations they work for.

Download entry form – Postgraduate-level

Download entry form – Intermediate and Foundation-level

Only students that are currently studying or have successfully completed (since 1 January 2011) a recognised CIPD qualification at Postgraduate, Intermediate or Foundation-level can apply.

ORGANISATIONAL LEARNING

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Here, the judges will be looking for entries that demonstrate a strong link between learning and development initiatives and business growth. Successful submissions are likely to demonstrate an organisational culture that promotes learning, focusing on talent and performance as well as encouraging openness among employees about their development needs. You should give a clear description of the business objectives that prompted your learning culture, drove your approach, and explain how you measured their effectiveness. You should also indicate the context for your activities, such as a change management programme.

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PERFORMANCE AND REWARD

We want to know how you add value to your organisation by implementing programmes that reward and recognise critical skills, behaviours and performances. Successful entries will need to demonstrate what objectives the programme is trying to meet and how success is being measured and assessed in terms of HR and business metrics. Successful entries will also need to show that their programmes are evidence based, competitive, cost effective and designed to meet the needs and preferences of a diverse workforce. Entries can relate to the UK or overseas-based programmes.

Download entry form

SME HR INITIATIVE OF THE YEAR

We’re looking for small or medium-sized businesses (50 to 250 employees, European Commission definition) that are transforming the way they deliver HR in order to build sustainable performance. The judges will be looking for evidence of the impact the HR team has had on business success. As well as describing how HR delivery has changed, successful submissions should also clearly demonstrate the transition that the HR team has taken (for example new team, new skills, behaviours and ways of working) and provide evidence of the impact that new relationships and/or ways of operating have had on the business.

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TALENT ATTRACTION AND MANAGEMENT

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How creative and proactive has your organisation been in approaching talent attraction and management? Is your strategy just focused on future needs or are you actively building capabilities across the organisation? Have you successfully collaborated with different stakeholders regarding talent strategy, if so, what specific actions were undertaken to attract and develop employees. The judges want to see evidence of how your initiative has benefited the business; how it has supported current objectives and the impact it will have on future business objectives.

Download entry form