HR Excellence Awards
A: Best talent management strategy
Entrants should give details of how their organisation defines and spots talent, where responsibility for managing talent sits, how they deliver appropriate development opportunities and how they monitor and measure the success of implementation and outcome
Please ensure you provide within your 2000 words:
• A clearly defined vision and goals
• Creative approach and differentation
• A strongly developed business case showing how the initiative is aligned to the organisation's priorities
• Senior level commitment
• Tangible evidence of the impact of the project (financial results if possible)
B: Most successful change management programme
This category covers organisations that have completed a successful people-focused change programme. Areas that will be assessed include making the business case for change, its communication, implementation and measurement. Entries can include those where external interim resources have been brought in to achieve a positive outcome and successful merger and acquisition programmes
Please ensure you provide within your 2000 words:
• A clearly defined vision and goals
• Creative approach and differentation
• A strongly developed business case showing how the initiative is aligned to the organisation's priorities
• Senior level commitment
• Tangible evidence of the impact of the project (financial results if possible)
C: Most effective benefits strategy
Entrants should provide evidence of a leading-edge benefits strategy that clearly aligns with business needs. The entry should give information on the communication of the strategy to employees, employee take-up of the scheme and how it has benefited the organization.
Please ensure you provide within your 2000 words:
• A clearly defined vision and goals
• Creative approach and differentation
• A strongly developed business case showing how the initiative is aligned to the organisation's priorities
• Senior level commitment
• Tangible evidence of the impact of the project (financial results if possible)
D: Most compelling incentives scheme
Judges will be looking for clear evidence of a specific staff incentives programme that made a significant difference to an organisation's performance. Entrants should provide specific details of the scheme, the business case behind it and evidence of its successful implementation and results
Please ensure you provide within your 2000 words:
• A clearly defined vision and goals
• Creative approach and differentation
• A strongly developed business case showing how the initiative is aligned to the organisation's priorities
• Senior level commitment
• Tangible evidence of the impact of the project (financial results if possible)
E: Most effective use of internal communications
The communications strategy can be part of an ongoing process or related to a one-off event or development in the organisation. Judges will award high marks only for entries with measurable (rather than purely anecdotal) evidence that the communication process has proved effective
Please ensure you provide within your 2000 words:
• A clearly defined vision and goals
• Creative approach and differentation
• A strongly developed business case showing how the initiative is aligned to the organisation's priorities
• Senior level commitment
• Tangible evidence of the impact of the project (financial results if possible)
F: Outstanding employee engagement strategy
?Judges will be looking for a well-thought out strategy linking employee engagement to the heart of the business. Entrants should provide details of the strategy itself, demonstrate how it measures improvements in engagement and detail the business outputs
Please ensure you provide within your 2000 words:
• A clearly defined vision and goals
• Creative approach and differentation
• A strongly developed business case showing how the initiative is aligned to the organisation's priorities
• Senior level commitment
• Tangible evidence of the impact of the project (financial results if possible)
G: Most effective recruitment and retention
Judges will be looking for evidence of innovation and bottom line contribution through enhanced recruitment and improved retention. Entries could range from one-off projects in key areas through to the implementation of new policies covering all resourcing activities. Entries should be presented in the form of a business case study supported by relevant metrics
Please ensure you provide within your 2000 words:
• A clearly defined vision and goals
• Creative approach and differentation
• A strongly developed business case showing how the initiative is aligned to the organisation's priorities
• Senior level commitment
• Tangible evidence of the impact of the project (financial results if possible)
H: Best learning and development strategy
In this category, judges will be looking for those that invest effectively in the development of their people across an entire organisation. Entrants should include details about the business need, what the strategy entails and how it was communicated to the workforce. Evidence of its success and the benefit it has brought will score highly, as will evidence of genuine board level commitment to learning and development
Please ensure you provide within your 2000 words:
• A clearly defined vision and goals
• Creative approach and differentation
• A strongly developed business case showing how the initiative is aligned to the organisation's priorities
• Senior level commitment
• Tangible evidence of the impact of the project (financial results if possible)
I: Health and wellbeing award
This award will go to the organisation that provides the most compelling evidence that their strategy for health and wellbeing in the workplace not only works but that has created a clear and measurable return on investments made in this area
Please ensure you provide within your 2000 words:
• A clearly defined vision and goals
• Creative approach and differentation
• A strongly developed business case showing how the initiative is aligned to the organisation's priorities
• Senior level commitment
• Tangible evidence of the impact of the project (financial results if possible)
J: Most effective use of workplace flexibility
Balancing the conflicting needs of an organisation with the lifestyle demands of its people is one of the key challenges facing today's HR function. Judges will be looking for specific examples of flexible working strategies that have actively contributed to success.
Please ensure you provide within your 2000 words:
• A clearly defined vision and goals
• Creative approach and differentation
• A strongly developed business case showing how the initiative is aligned to the organisation's priorities
• Senior level commitment
• Tangible evidence of the impact of the project (financial results if possible)
K: Growing business award
This category is specifically for SMEs whose lesser resources are counter balanced by the imagination and flexibility they deploy for the use of their people. The judges will be looking at the best example of great people practices from any organization without full time support from an HR function or consultant.
Please ensure you provide within your 2000 words:
• A clearly defined vision and goals
• Creative approach and differentation
• A strongly developed business case showing how the initiative is aligned to the organisation's priorities
• Senior level commitment
• Tangible evidence of the impact of the project (financial results if possible)
L: Most innovative use of technology
Judges are looking for an organisation that has used technology to move HR forward. It could be via the application of HR software and analytic systems, online recruitment or an e-learning programme. The highest marks will go to those who demonstrate an innovative approach, fully utilising technology to bring benefit, and who provide evidence of the return on investment
Please ensure you provide within your 2000 words:
• A clearly defined vision and goals
• Creative approach and differentation
• A strongly developed business case showing how the initiative is aligned to the organisation's priorities
• Senior level commitment
• Tangible evidence of the impact of the project (financial results if possible)
M: The One to watch
Who are the HR stars of the future? This new category will showcase upcoming talent in HR. HR directors are invited to nominate members of their team who show potential and display all the qualities to be an outstanding HR director in the future. Judges will be looking for examples of how the entrant has developed their skills in HR and helped to contribute to the business.
Please outline in 2000 words why your nominee should be named winner, considering:
• Significant achievements in the past 12 months
• How they interact with the business
• Any innovations introduced
• Why you think they have what it takes to be an HR director of the future
These Awards will be announced on the Awards evening and are not open to entry:
N: HR director of the year
Readers will decide who has made the most effective contribution to development of HR strategy during 2007-2008 from a shortlist developed by the Human Resources editorial team and industry experts.
O: HR Gold Award
The prestigious judging panel will choose the organisation that has most impressed them from all the winning entries to the 2008 HR Excellence award.
