Managed IT and cybersecurity provider Aspire launched two artificial intelligence assistants – Ada and Arnold – to enhance efficiency and support colleagues. Ada, developed by the firm’s people team, delivers HR responses. Arnold, built using capabilities of Aspire’s HALO platform, helps the service desk resolve technical issues by analysing more than 400,000 past tickets. Ada has reduced people team email queries by 12 per cent, with Arnold accelerating onboarding and apprentice support.

Newcastle Building Society provides a range of financial services while focusing strongly on community impact. It supports local regeneration and charitable initiatives, and prides itself on being a purpose-led organisation that places customers, colleagues and communities at the heart of operations. Key achievements included the introduction of enterprise resource planning system Workday. The transformative programme streamlined processes, enhanced colleague experience and was acknowledged as a north star for future implementations.

Following its divestment from Johnson Matthey in September 2023, global industrial technology firm Tracerco had to build a HR/learning and development team. It established independent people services in three months, implementing new systems for HRIS (HiBob), payroll (CloudPay), learning and development (Kallidus) and employee engagement (WorkTango). Despite limited international HR experience, the team delivered seamless transitions, improved onboarding, boosted compliance training to 100 per cent and increased engagement scores year-on-year.

Through its primary school Get into STEM programme, Esh works with early years and key stage one students to introduce positive role models, showcase STEM subjects to support construction careers and engage with females to improve the industry’s gender pay gap. Through its secondary school Building My Skills programme, Esh works to change outdated construction career perceptions. Since launching in 2017, the programmes have engaged with more than 100,000 students.

Barbour’s partnership with Smart Works exemplifies people-led impact. To address an ageing workforce at its South Shields factory, its HR team launched a grassroots machinist trainee programme, helping local women – many with no experience – into full-time roles. All hires have completed the programme, with some promoted and others progressing into future talent pathways. Alongside Smart Works, Barbour delivers pre-interview workshops, donates professional clothing and supports events like International Women’s Day.

Birtley-based crawler excavator maker Komatsu UK’s HR team led a CSR transformation aligned with global sustainability goals and local needs. Responding to employee feedback and engagement survey insights, it increased volunteering time and partnered with Oasis Community Housing. Within the first year, it raised £32,500 against a target of £15,000 and donated 259 volunteer hours. This supported more than 700 individuals and helped prevent or alleviate 300 cases of homelessness.

Fintech firm Inflo’s HR&D team is led by head of people Gemma Sholder. Rapid expansion saw staff numbers grow from 66 to 150. Initiatives reduced turnover by ten per cent, adjusted 64 salaries, awarded 54 pay increases and distributed bonuses worth £957,000. Focus groups and a survey revealed positive feedback on its autonomous culture. A Culture Pulse Score of 79 led to a plan to improve employee experience in 2025.

Pressure sensing equipment maker Senstronics has undergone radical operational and cultural transformation to become a thriving manufacturer that exceeds all major business measures. Significant future investment opportunities are being executed at the Newton Aycliffe firm alongside a passion for developing and supporting its workforce – efforts reflected in increasingly positive employee rating scores and greater staff participation. All are helping underpin the firm’s vision to be a great place to work.

Westray Recruitment Group, in partnership with Inspired HR, has strengthened how it recognises, develops and rewards talent by introducing a performance framework that brings corporate-level structure to an SME setting. By embedding performance reviews, development pathways and talent planning into operations, they have achieved a 95 per cent employee fulfilment rate and 85 per cent staff retention. Four team members were promoted in 2024, which included a new managing director.

Faced with high demand for traffic management operatives, Chevron Traffic Management launched the Veteran Recruitment and Training Programme. It has enjoyed significant success, with employers praising veterans for their leadership, team spirit and unique skills. The firm’s comprehensive plan includes recruitment events, targeted job advertising and dedicated support for veterans, demonstrating its commitment to integrating veterans’ valuable skills into its workforce and achieving gold status in the Armed Forces Covenant.

​​Gosforth Civic Theatre is a disability arts charity transforming lives through inclusion by empowering people with learning disabilities to lead, create and thrive. In 2024, it launched a work placement programme, offering neurodivergent young people and people with learning disabilities meaningful and supported employment experience. With a 100 per cent success rate in progression to jobs, volunteering and further training, the programme is reshaping what inclusive workplaces can look like.

Karbon Homes builds and manages 34,000 homes across the North, and takes pride in creating a warm, welcoming and inclusive environment. It promotes equity, celebrates diversity and advocates for the rights of customers and colleagues. Its proudest achievements include the creation of nine colleague-led support networks – dedicated to reducing inequalities – and the ‘In their Shoes’ training scheme, which helps participants better understand the everyday realities faced by people with disabilities.

Advance Northumberland, the economic regeneration and construction company wholly owned by Northumberland County Council, was recently awarded ambassador status as part of its Better Health at Work initiatives. The success came from the drive and support of people across the business. It recently introduced a wellbeing room – a private space for all – and has hosted external support groups, such as Andys Man Club and Miss Menopause, to reflect colleague interest.

National non-profit organisation Everyturn Mental Health launched a dedicated mental health at work taskforce, building a central wellbeing hub, rolling out tailored suicide prevention training and partnering with expert providers to deliver stress and resilience support. The initiatives led to fantastic employee survey feedback, reduced staff turnover by 25 per cent and earned the organisation a place on the coveted 2024 Great Place to Work Best Workplaces for Wellbeing list.

​​Following the tragic loss of a colleague in 2018, Newton Aycliffe-headquartered Husqvarna UK made health and wellbeing a strategic priority. The firm trained 17 mental health first-aiders and introduced counselling and osteopath services. It also launched a benefits platform. Its HR team – five experts with 70 years’ combined experience – has helped reduce absence by 45 per cent, achieve 95 per cent staff retention and grow employee engagement year on year.

Global Procurement Group has taken a fresh approach to rewards and benefits to better support its 420 staff, most of whom are based in the North East. Over the past year, it has introduced improved family leave, Simplyhealth support, early finishes and paid December leave. As a Real Living Wage and Disability Confident employer, it has built a workplace where people feel valued, supported and able to do their best.

Educational charity and vocational and technical learning leader NCFE reviewed its non-pay benefits offer. The evaluation was led by its people product team, which is responsible for the design, delivery and improvement of rewards and benefits. Its new offer focuses on health and wellbeing, and includes an annual paid YOU celebration day and a monthly YOU hour. The launch helped increase NCFE’s Employee Net Promoter Score by 22 points.

Newcastle Building Society aims to connect its communities to a better financial future, and its HR function plays a critical role. It undertook significant pensions work, which culminated in it becoming the first mutual and North East organisation to achieve Living Pension accreditation. Its work was supported by a flexible benefits platform with pension tools, which helped drive a 34 per cent increase in colleagues receiving their maximum employer contribution.

Chevron Traffic Management’s Veteran Recruitment and Training Programme leverages veterans’ transferable skills while aligning with its equality, diversity and inclusion strategy. Employers have praised veterans for their leadership, team spirit and unique skills. Its plan includes recruitment events, targeted job advertising and dedicated support for veterans. A veteran-specific recruitment event secured 14 jobs and a ten-day training course. Its veterans’ initiative is making a significant impact and continues to grow.

Esh takes a proactive approach to supporting the Armed Forces community. Finding serving colleagues and veterans have the transferable skills, mindset and work ethic for project management, logistics, engineering and health and safety roles, it has implemented strategies to attract and retain talent. Initiatives include tailored work experience for those transitioning from full-time forces careers. It hit a record number of ‘veteran weeks’ on sites – 957 weeks/72 operatives – during 2024.

Northumbrian Water Group provides water and sewerage services to 2.7 million North East customers. Its Joining Forces with Water community offers support to ex-service personnel and was devised with help from ex-forces and reservist colleagues keen to share their experiences. The organisation introduced a dedicated mentor buddy system, pairing new ex-forces colleagues with peers who understand the transition to civilian life, and has built strong partnerships with military resettlement organisations.

Housing association Gentoo owns and manages more than 29,000 properties in Sunderland. Over the past year, its HR&OD team has worked with leaders across the business and involved customers to design and deliver a skills programme consisting of more than 130 workshops and 8000 hours of learning. Complaints to the Housing Ombudsman have reduced by 50 per cent, with customer satisfaction in dealing with complaints increasing by 11 per cent.

Tracerco’s global HR&D team of nine supports more than 450 employees across 16 countries. Under new ownership and through a growth strategy, it identified a need for consistent, high-quality management training. Working alongside Teesside University, it designed and is delivering a five-month global management development programme, which has been tailored to meet diverse experience levels, to 110 people managers. It has boosted leadership capability, improved system usage and increased engagement.

Newcastle-based independent chartered accountancy firm UNW introduced the Take the Lead programme, which has empowered people from across operations to build essential leadership skills, strengthen connections with others and drive real change in their roles. The venture complements the firm’s commitment to creating an environment where everyone feels valued, supported and proud of what they do, with investment in people, their development and opportunities for growth central to its ambition.

Fintech firm Inflo doubled its workforce to 150 in 18 months. Head of people Gemma Sholder led the expansion through the creation of a diverse HR&D team. The company shifted from agency recruitment to direct sourcing and employee referrals, improving hire quality and retention. Enhanced benefits and salary benchmarking contributed to a ten per cent reduction in turnover. Inflo saved £325,000 against agency fees and filled vacancies in eight weeks.

Barbour evolved its talent strategy to meet changing business needs and close critical skills gaps. The business redesigned its careers page, launched site-specific recruitment videos and expanded early careers placements by 65 per cent, including internships and apprenticeships. Alongside its South Shields training academy, partnerships with Smart Works, Breakroom and local colleges helped it reach more diverse talent, with further engagement on LinkedIn growing significantly – its following now exceeds 60,000.

Educational charity NCFE created the NCFE Talent Community to allow candidates to register interest and receive monthly communications to highlight key opportunities. It also created an internal resourcing function to attract, engage and headhunt key talent. The combined strategies drove impact across strategic and functional key performance indicators, with 100 per cent of roles successfully filled directly in 2024, reducing agency spend from £100,000 in 2023 to zero in 2024.

Home Group launched feeder programme Project Search to help people with mental health issues or disabilities into apprenticeships. Its supported internships provide learners aged between 16 and 24 with opportunities to explore their potential, expand skills and gain insight into the working world. Every person who completed its first cohort progressed into employment, with two people securing apprenticeships with Home Group. The organisation is now recruiting its third programme cohort.

Since 2022, KAEFER UK & Ireland has pledged to maintain at least five per cent of its workforce in earn-and-learn roles. The venture now includes more than 180 staff. In 2025, the firm has launched 80-plus vacancies across various disciplines to help build a sustainable and skilled workforce. Its Apprentice of the Month awards scheme celebrates those who live its values, with winners receiving a certificate and a £100 bonus.

OsecoElfab has designed an apprenticeship programme to attract, support and develop its next generation of talent. The scheme offers hands-on experience, a structured learning pathway and long-term career growth. From engineering to operations, many of the firm’s apprentices have progressed into key positions over the years. The organisation is passionate about creating opportunities that make a difference – for its people, the future of manufacturing and the success of the region.

Managed IT and cybersecurity provider Aspire has grown its workforce by more than 55 per cent in four years, prompting a strong focus on leadership development. Last year, it launched a six-month, six-module leadership academy. Aligned to CMI standards and open to all leaders across its UK bases, the venture distinguishes between management and leadership. The initiative has boosted engagement, improved retention and reduced regrettable turnover to 6.9 per cent.

ConocoPhillips created a professional leadership training programme that was delivered in collaboration with Teesside University. The course aimed to acknowledge leadership, discuss how it can be practised in day-to-day operations and then transfer learnings back to plant to gain maximum benefit. Feedback was extremely positive, with visible signs of cultural and behavioural change, and the company has been requested to continue with further cohorts and leverage the programme’s potential globally.

Global head of people Claire Devlin has led a transformation in how leadership is practised across the organisation. Her approach has been people-first and practical. She has worked closely with leaders and colleagues to refresh family policies, champion diversity, improve accessibility and introduce better support through health plans, mental health first-aiders and flexible working. Under her leadership, the organisation earned recognition as a Real Living Wage and Disability Confident employer.

Chevron Traffic Management’s HR team has transformed from an administrative function into the beating heart of the business, with a number of initiatives helping enhance employee wellbeing, talent pipelines and social value. The team has introduced HR apprentices, supported restructuring decisions and provided careers to veterans and others in society through a returning citizen programme. Its successes were reflected in a FCIPD award for the firm’s head of HR operations.

Gentoo’s HR&D team worked with staff to create new company values, implement the Brilliant Conversations framework and launch apprenticeship academies and mentoring programmes. A digital transformation with Workday also empowered real-time, data-driven, decision-making. The initiatives led to a 27 per cent rise in staff stating Gentoo is a great place to work. Colleague turnover reduced from 15 per cent to nine per cent, with absence dropping to 3.3 per cent.

iamproperty’s HR team hired 314 people, saving £1.3 million in agency fees and achieving a 100 per cent candidate experience rating. Key initiatives included launching KUDOS, job families and PDPs, leadership and future leader programmes and a revamped sales academy. Wellbeing and engagement activities were also at the forefront, with extensive celebrations and mental health support available. Internal promotions rose, turnover dropped and its Employer Net Promoter Score hit +32.