This is your opportunity to show the judging panel and the HR profession how your HR&D team has made a valuable contribution to your organisation. You will be able to show how your HR&D team has identified, managed and delivered an impactful people programme, strategy or initiative that supports the wider business strategy.

What are the judges looking for?

• A clear rationale for the activity undertaken by your HR&D team
• Demonstrate a clear understanding of how your HR&D team complements the wider business
• Demonstrate the behaviours and approach to engagement that has made your HR&D team highly effective
  

Recognising successful apprenticeship programmes that have been implemented as an integral part of developing an organisation's workforce.

You will be able to demonstrate how your apprenticeship programme is providing career and training opportunities that support the development of individuals and the skills your workforce needs.

What are the judges looking for?

• an ongoing commitment to apprenticeships
• examples of how the apprentice scheme is used to develop the workforce
• evidence of the benefits apprentices bring to the organisation

A submission can be made by an organisation or you may wish to make a joint submission to showcase a successful partnership.

Recognising organisations that have demonstrated effective and innovative strategies in resourcing and rewarding talent.

Submissions for this category can focus on any or all of the following:

• Attraction and resourcing
• Employer brand
• Talent identification and management
• Candidate experience and onboarding strategy
• Rewards & benefits

You will be able to demonstrate how you have attracted, developed the skills and talents needed by your organisation. You will be able to provide tangible evidence showing the impact your approach has had on the business performance and/or engagement and strategy.

What are the judges looking for?

• A clear objective and rationale for the approach
• Evidence of how new or existing employees have engaged with the strategy
• Clear evidence of the impact and value at a people and business level

A submission can be made by an individual organisation or you may wish to make a joint submission to showcase a successful business partnership.

Recognising how positive people practice has delivered business results in organisations with less than 250 employees.

You will be able to demonstrate how people insight has been utilised to benefit your business or your employees. This can include how positive people practices has contributed to organisation development, change or a one-off project. Your organisation does not have to have a full-time HR&D presence to enter, and it can include the use of consultancy HR&D services.

What are the judges looking for?

• A clear rationale for the people management activity
• Evidence of how people management activity has contributed to business success

A submission can be made by an organisation or you may wish to make a joint submission to showcase a successful business partnership with a key supplier.

Recognising organisations that value equity and equality and/or have developed a diverse workforce and inclusive culture.

You will be able to demonstrate how you have developed a diverse and inclusive workforce and/or culture. The impact this has had on your business in terms of equality and employability. This could be through initiatives that address an identified gap or inequality in the workforce, demonstrating how you assisted an under- represented population. This could be attracting and retaining talent through pre-employment programmes, apprenticeships, traineeships, internships or specific development programmes for particular minority/under-represented groups. Other initiatives include strategies relating to flexibility, eldercare, gender, race, age, sexual and disability equality.

What are the judges looking for?

• A clear rationale for the activity and area of focus
• Evidence of how you have engaged people in initiatives
• Clear evidence of the impact and value at a people and business level

A submission can be made by an individual organisation or you may wish to make a joint submission to showcase a successful business partnership.

Recognising organisations that engage with and support the armed forces community and their families, through employment opportunities, development, volunteering or fundraising.

This category looks for organisations to demonstrate initiatives that have engaged with or supported members of the Armed Forces including veterans, reservists, cadets and their families. Submissions should provide evidence of how and where the organisation has engaged with, and delivered support to, the Armed Forces communities, such as work experience placements for Service Leavers, Service charities, supporting cadets into apprenticeships, advertising vacancies with Career Transition Partnership, HR supportive policy for Reservists, Jobs fairs for spouses.

What are the judges looking for?

• Examples of how the organisations has supported a specific group or number of groups within the Armed Forces
• An innovative, well considered approach to engagement and support
• Clear evidence of the impact and value for both the Armed Forces group and for the organisation at a business level

A submission can be made by an organisation or you may wish to make a joint submission to showcase a successful business partnership.

Recognising where the profession has achieved a positive impact.

This category recognises organisational activities driven by or supported by the people function that makes a broader positive impact. This could be within the organisation or the broader community and include community engagement, supporting charities, sustainability or any other programmes achieving a positive impact.

What are the judges looking for?

• Clear rationale for the project or activity with a clear link to strategy or business objectives
• A demonstration of how this is a unique or innovative approach Evidence of the role of HR&D initiating, delivering or championing the activity
• Clear evidence of the impact and value at a people, business or community level

A submission can be made by an organisation or you may wish to make a joint submission to showcase a successful business partnership with a key supplier.

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. Critically you will be able to evidence two aspects:

• How you have partnered with the organisation to clarify what they are trying to achieve and diagnose the underlying issues, challenges and opportunities.
• How you have used innovative engagement and learning approaches to develop and involve people across the organisation in the project

What are the judges looking for?

• A clear rationale for the project based on organisational and people needs
• Effective approach from OD practitioners for the overall project and engagement/enablement of the people throughout the organisation
• Clear evidence of the impact and value at a people and organisational level

A submission can be made by an organisation or you may wish to make a joint submission to showcase a successful business partnership with a key supplier.

Recognising activity that has positively impacted on health and wellness in the organisation.

You will be able to show how you have developed outstanding strategies aimed at ensuring the health and wellness – whether mental, physical, emotional or financial. Evidence of how and where you have used input from health and wellness specialist sources and providers to inform or support a successful initiative, showing how you have used external thinking to shape your activity.

What are the judges looking for?

• Clear rationale for the wellness activity or initiative
• Demonstrate how this is a unique or innovative approach
• Demonstrate a clear link between wellness initiatives and business objectives
• Clear evidence of the impact and value at a people and business level

A submission can be made by an organisation or you may wish to make a joint submission to showcase a successful business partnership with a key supplier.

Recognising organisations that have identified, developed and supported high quality, inclusive leadership.

High quality and inclusive leadership has been shown to significantly impact on the success of an organisation. This category aims to spotlight outstanding leadership particularly against the backdrop of adversity and the challenges that this last year has created.

What are the judges looking for?

• Evidence of leadership that is inclusive and human
• How the leadership has inspired people to navigate uncertainty and the challenges of this last year
• Clear evidence of the impact and value at a people and organisational level
  

Recognising the positive impact of technology on people.

This award recognises the innovative use of technology by the people function to improve synergies, deliver insight and increase efficiency to the wider organisation.

What are the judges looking for?

• Clear rationale for the project or activity with a clear link to strategy or business objectives
• Demonstrate how this is a unique or innovative approach
• Evidence of the people functions role in the design and engineering of the technology and its deployment
• The scale of the innovation: the complexity and size of the project, information, campaign, or business issue
• Clear evidence of the impact and value at a people and business level

A submission can be made by an organisation or you may wish to make a joint submission to showcase a successful business partnership with a key supplier.