New categories for 2027
For the 2027 Awards, we’ll be using award categories to recognise the huge impact that can be achieved through good people practices.
We have created four key pillars – or themes – to underpin the 12 award categories:
· Creating Opportunities
· Enabling Success
· Shaping the Future
· Delivering Lasting Impact
Each of these themes carry a number of categories, which will allow the awards ceremony to continue championing those doing great things - but in a way that refocuses the lens, so we’re looking far beyond just the formal HR remit.
We're delighted to share the 2027 Award categories below, with nominations opening in the New Year.
CREATING OPPORTUNITIES:
Recognising organisations that attract, develop, and unlock the potential of their people.
Talent Attraction
Recognising organisations who have successfully attracted the talent they need through outstanding employer branding, recruitment and candidate experience.
What are the judges looking for?
- The objective[s] and rationale for your approach
- How you reached or engaged with your target group/s
- Evidence of the impact of attraction strategies, use of brand and innovative use of marketing and communication activities, use of ATS, and measurement of candidate experience
- Evidence confirming the impact your approach has had on the business performance and/or engagement and strategy
A submission can be made by an individual organisation, or you may wish to make a joint submission to showcase a successful supplier partnership.
Talent Building
Recognising organisations who invest in future talent and workforce capability to prepare people for future success.
What are the judges looking for?
- The objective[s] and rationale for your approach, which could include links with educational providers related to future talent pipelines, learning initiatives, succession planning, career development, and other skills enhancement
- How you reached or engaged with your target group/s
- Evidence confirming the impact your approach has had on the business performance and/or engagement and strategy
A submission can be made by an organisation, or you may wish to make a joint submission to showcase a successful partnership.
Apprenticeships
Recognising organisations who deliver an apprentice programme that is an integral part of developing their workforce.
What are the judges looking for?
- Organisational commitment to apprenticeships, and how this has been implemented or significantly changed in the last three years*
- How your apprentice scheme delivers training and career opportunities, and is used to develop your workforce
- Evidence confirming the impact your approach has had on the business performance and/or engagement and strategy
A submission can be made by an organisation, or you may wish to make a joint submission to showcase a successful partnership.
[*] the apprenticeship programme is to have been implemented or significantly changed during the last three years.
ENABLING SUCCESS:
Recognising organisations creating workplaces where people, teams and organisations thrive together.
Employee Experience
Recognising organisations that have created outstanding employee experiences through recognition and reward, benefits, employee voice and meaningful workplace practices.
What are the judges looking for?
- The objective[s] and rationale for your approach
- Evidence of the impact of campaigns and communication to improve involvement of, and engagement of, employees
- Evidence of active employee involvement in organisational activities
- Evidence confirming the impact your approach has had on the business performance and/or engagement and strategy
A submission can be made by an organisation, or you may wish to make a joint submission to showcase a successful partnership.
Leadership & Culture
Recognising organisations that have developed inspiring leaders and built cultures of trust, collaboration and high performance.
What are the judges looking for?
- The objective[s] and rationale for your approach
- Evidence of the impact of leadership development that is inclusive and human on the culture of the organisation
- Evidence of how leaders in your organisation have inspired people to navigate uncertainty and challenges
- Evidence confirming the impact your approach has had on the business performance and/or engagement and strategy
A submission can be made by an organisation, or you may wish to make a joint submission to showcase a successful partnership.
Inclusive Workplaces
Recognising organisations that have embedded equity, diversity and inclusion into everyday working life, ensuring everyone has the opportunity to belong and succeed.
What are the judges looking for?
- The objective[s] and rationale for your approach
- Evidence of the impact of initiatives that address an identified gap or inequality in the workforce for minority/under-represented groups, which could include strategies relating to flexibility, caring responsibilities, neurodiversity, gender, race, age, sexual and disability equality
- Evidence confirming the impact your approach has had on the business performance and/or engagement and strategy
A submission can be made by an organisation, or you may wish to make a joint submission to showcase a successful partnership.
Health & Wellbeing
Recognising organisations that have created a workplace that positively impacted on health and wellness in the organisation.
What are the judges looking for?
- The objective[s] and rationale for your approach
- Evidence of the impact of initiatives that have supported the needs of your workforce, whether mental, physical, emotional or financial
- Evidence confirming the impact your approach has had on the business performance and/or engagement and strategy
A submission can be made by an organisation, or you may wish to make a joint submission to showcase a successful partnership.
SHAPING THE FUTURE:
Recognising organisations preparing for tomorrow through innovation, transformation and bold thinking.
Workforce & Organisation Transformation
Recognising organisations that have successfully transformed how work is organised, delivered and experienced, improving organisational performance while preparing their workforce for the future.
What are the judges looking for?
- The objective[s] and rationale for your approach
- Evidence of how data has been used to gain insight that has helped the organisation to transform
- Evidence of how employees impacted by the transformation have been supported to navigate the changes required
- Evidence of how innovative engagement and learning approaches have been used to develop and involve people across the organisation in the transformation
- Evidence confirming the impact your approach has had on the business performance and/or engagement and strategy
A submission can be made by an organisation, or you may wish to make a joint submission to showcase a successful partnership.
Innovation in People Practice
Recognising organisations that have developed innovative solutions to people challenges through creativity, technology, AI, data or new ways of working.
What are the judges looking for?
- The objective[s] and rationale for your approach
- Evidence of the scale of the innovation: the complexity and size of the project, information, campaign, or business issue and the role of the people function in the design and delivery of innovations
- Evidence of the innovative thinking used in addressing specific people challenges
- Evidence confirming the impact your approach has had on the business performance and/or engagement and strategy
A submission can be made by an organisation, or you may wish to make a joint submission to showcase a successful partnership.
DELIVERING LASTING IMPACT
Recognising organisations demonstrating the wider value of outstanding people practice.
Positive Impact
Recognising organisations using people practice that create meaningful social value and provide opportunities for people across the region, through activities such as community partnerships, or volunteering initiatives, or activities that improve sustainability and minimise environmental impact, or impact on employability and social mobility related to specific disadvantaged, minoritised or vulnerable groups, or support for the Armed Forces community.
What are the judges looking for?
- The objective[s] and rationale for your approach
- Evidence of the role of the people function in the initiating, delivering or championing the activity
- Evidence of meaningful impact achieved at either an individual, organisational or community level
- Evidence confirming the impact your approach has had on the business performance and/or engagement and strategy
A submission can be made by an organisation, or you may wish to make a joint submission to showcase a successful partnership.
Outstanding People Practice in a Small Organisation
Recognising organisations with fewer than 250 employees that have achieved exceptional organisational outcomes through innovative and impactful people practice.
What are the judges looking for?
- Evidence of how people practices are led, shaped and delivered within your organisation
- Evidence of the overall approach to positive people practices, or the impact of a specific initiative
- Evidence confirming the impact your approach has had on the business performance and/or engagement and strategy
A submission can be made by an organisation, or you may wish to make a joint submission to showcase a successful partnership.
People Team of the Year
- Evidence of how your people team has made a valuable contribution to your organisation
- Evidence confirming how your people team complements the wider business
- Evidence of the behaviours and approach that has made your people team highly effective
- Evidence confirming the impact your approach has had on the business performance and/or engagement and strategy