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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Housing association Gentoo owns and manages more than 29,000 properties in Sunderland. Its HR&OD team 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.