Which are the best HR awards to enter?
Chris Robinson
MD, Boost Awards
Entering HR awards
It has certainly been an exceptionally challenging few years for anyone involved in people management. Enabling home working, keeping employees safe, supporting wellbeing, moving training online etc. etc. Have you successfully delivered a major HR strategy or project over the past year? Whether in response to the pandemic or not.
If so, that project, your team, or the individuals involved may be eligible for an award. But with so many HR awards out there, do you need some help picking which award schemes to enter? Whether its talent management, recruitment, employee engagement or learning and development, there’s an HR award and category that will be a perfect match for you.
Here at Boost, HR awards are a specialism, having helped our clients win over 300 HR awards. Below I have listed some of the key awards you could consider, according to the type of story you might have. If you are looking for awards for DEI initiatives, we have a separate Guide to Diversity and Inclusion Awards.
“You are a great employer…”
If your priority is saying “we are an employer of choice” then there are schemes all through the year to focus on: now working on a quarterly deadline basis, one of the earliest in the calendar is The UK’s Best Companies to Work For (deadlines end of Dec, March, June, Sept) followed by The Inspiring Workplace Awards (deadline February) and The Sunday Times Best Places to Work Awards (Powered by WorkL) (deadline March). April’s Great Place to Work scheme (deadline December) is another prestigious evening in this category’s calendar, along with the same organisation’s Best Workplaces for Women event in July (deadline May). November’s Stevie Awards for Great Employers (deadline June) is open internationally, with a trip across the pond for awards night if you are successfully nominated (though not mandatory and of course, virtual ceremonies are now an established option). The Business Intelligence Group organise The Best Places to Work scheme (deadline December) with the winners announced in March.
“HR Awards are a fantastic way to not only celebrate the value of the work you and your team have delivered, but also to show any future talent that yours is a great place to work.”
“You have a successful HR strategy…”
The HR Excellence Awards are held in December (deadline August) and are the best awards for a major strategy. They culminate in a very glamourous ceremony at the Brewery in London. There are many categories available depending on the type of strategy you have – for example, recruitment, talent management, transformation or CSR. Likewise, May’s Company Culture Awards (deadline February) and May’s UK Employee Experience Awards (deadline February) are appropriate for strategies relating to engagement, such as employee recognition or wellbeing. Later on in the year you will want to consider November’s Business Culture Awards (deadline June) which has a very wide range of categories looking at all aspects of business culture.
“You have a successful HR project or initiative…”
If your success has been for a specific initiative or project, then the other HR awards are probably more suitable for you. The prestigious CIPD People Management Awards are usually held in September (deadline in April) at a lavish black tie event at JW Marriott Grosvenor House, London, while November sees The Personnel Today Awards (deadline June) which are similarly high profile awards. Perhaps if you are looking for some end-of-year recognition you might want to consider December’s HR Brilliance Awards (deadline October), another good option.
“You have a successful wellbeing strategy…”
With wellbeing such a key priority of late, maybe you would like your strategy or initiatives recognised. Most of the HR and employee benefits awards we have listed include a wellbeing category, but there are also a few with more focus than this. Firstly, there is March’s Great British Workplace Wellbeing Awards (deadline October). Currently one of the few award schemes purely focused on wellbeing. A new award with a slightly broader focus, is The Mental Health and Wellbeing Awards (deadline May). The RSPH Health and Wellbeing Awards (deadline April) focuses on health promotion and community wellbeing initiatives. Then there is The Employee Benefits Awards (deadline February) which has various wellbeing categories and The Workplace Savings & Benefits (WSB) Awards (an April deadline) that has five wellbeing categories, and some for the best providers as well as the best projects. While more of a benchmarking process than an awards scheme, it is also worth considering The Workplace Wellbeing Index, organised by the Mind mental health organisation, and open for each cycle until the registration deadline in November.
“You’ve implemented an outstanding learning and development project/strategy…”
Five important schemes stand out here. Firstly, The Brandon Hall Excellence in Human Capital Management Program (April deadline) and The Learning Awards (September deadline) are both extremely credible if you have a creative and impactful project, while The Princess Royal Training Awards (March deadline) and the Investors in People Awards (August deadline) and The Learning Excellence Awards (October deadline) are great for employers who are committed to L&D in general, and can quantify the impact on business performance.
“You deployed an innovative/creative/challenging internal communications programme…”
Most HR and marketing awards feature categories for internal comms, but there are a few award schemes which focus entirely on this discipline: June’s Gartner Marketing & Communications Awards (deadline December) and September’s The Institute of Internal Communication Awards (deadline May) are both good options, or you may wish to consider The Internal Communications and Engagement Awards. Arguably covering both marketing and HR aspects, these are European-wide awards and open until February, with winners announced at an event in June.
“You have an individual/team whose work has made a real difference…”
If you have a great team, rising star or HR leader that demonstrates excellent creativity, innovation or collaboration and impact, then both September’s CIPD People Management Awards (deadline April) and November’s Personnel Today Awards (deadline June) are good options. A relative newcomer with a great name, The British HR Awards, are open until January. If you want a less competitive award (and you don’t mind it being for a US international scheme) then October features The Stevie Awards for Great Employers (deadline June), with plenty of categories for individuals.
“You have launched an excellent employee benefits scheme…”
June plays host to The Employee Benefits Awards (deadline February) while later in December sees the well-established The Rewards (deadline August), although if you want something earlier in the year consider applying for The Reward 300, also run by Reward Strategy (March deadline), but which follows more of an index format. The WSB Awards are another option in this scenario – but be aware that while the deadline for these is May, you must register your interest earlier in April.
“The Investors in People Awards are great for employers who are committed to L&D in general, and can quantify the impact on business performance.”
“You have been innovative with your use of technology…”
November sees The Learning Technologies Awards (registration in July), followed by December’s The Brandon Hall Excellence in Technology Program (deadline September) which features a vast array of categories but focuses strongly on technology projects and products.
Hopefully you’ve identified with one or more of these nine statements. So, what now?
Now you need to decide which stories to enter into which categories, what the winning angle is and what evidence you need to convince the judges of your achievement. This is where Boost Awards can help. Our team has experience in entering awards, judging awards, and in HR analytics, so it’s fair to say we know a thing or two about what makes a successful entry.
If you’d like help with any of these steps, or want to find out more about what we can do for your business, get in touch. Tel: +44(0)1273 258703
Use our Contact Boost page or Email: info@boost-awards.co.uk.
Any other recommended next steps?
Search through our free list of HR awards and training awards
There are a lot of HR awards and training awards out there, open to both national and international entry. While we have highlighted some of the most credible above you should definitely browse our free list of UK HR and training awards and the Global HR programmes that feature on our sister site, International Awards List.
Search through our other HR related articles
We have a whole host of similar articles highlighting which awards you should enter in our Awards News resource. For example:
Our guide to Diversity and Inclusion Awards; Which training awards should I enter? Which are the best Awards For Women? How to enter The Princess Royal Training Awards; Everything you need to know about The Sunday Times Best Places to Work (Powered by WorkL); and our comprehensive guide to the most credible Great Place to Work and Great Employer Awards.
Start collecting evidence
It’s one thing to say that your project has been innovative or that your team has excelled beyond all expectations…but you have to prove that to the awards judges. This is no mean feat.
This is where our subsidiary Boost Evaluation can help. Our experienced team can provide a range of learning evaluation services that can not only increase your chances of awards success, but drive continuous improvement and help you to secure funding. Learning impact evaluation and learning measurement is often the key to demonstrating that all important ROI that judges love to see.
Sign up for free monthly HR Award Deadline Reminders
Fill in the form below and you will receive a free list of all the HR awards, L&D awards and training awards deadlines coming up in the next two months. Yes, you heard us right, completely free.
To never miss a deadline again, just choose your industry in the dropdown as ‘Human Resources’ or ‘Training’ and at the start of the next month your email will arrive.
(C) This article was written by Chris Robinson and its contents is the intellectual property of award entry consultants Boost Awards.
Which are the best HR awards to enter?
Chris Robinson
MD, Boost Awards
Entering HR awards
It has certainly been an exceptionally challenging few years for anyone involved in people management. Enabling home working, keeping employees safe, supporting wellbeing, moving training online etc. etc. Have you successfully delivered a major HR strategy or project over the past year? Whether in response to the pandemic or not.
If so, that project, your team, or the individuals involved may be eligible for an award. But with so many HR awards out there, do you need some help picking which award schemes to enter? Whether its talent management, recruitment, employee engagement or learning and development, there’s an HR award and category that will be a perfect match for you.
Here at Boost, HR awards are a specialism, having helped our clients win over 300 HR awards. Below I have listed some of the key awards you could consider, according to the type of story you might have. If you are looking for awards for DEI initiatives, we have a separate Guide to Diversity and Inclusion Awards:
“You are a great employer…”
If your priority is saying “we are an employer of choice” then there are schemes all through the year to focus on: now working on a quarterly deadline basis, one of the earliest in the calendar is The UK’s Best Companies to Work For (deadlines end of Dec, March, June, Sept) followed by The Inspiring Workplace Awards (deadline February) and The Sunday Times Best Places to Work Awards (Powered by WorkL) (deadline March). April’s Great Place to Work scheme (deadline December) is another prestigious evening in this category’s calendar, along with the same organisation’s Best Workplaces for Women event in July (deadline May). November’s Stevie Awards for Great Employers (deadline June) is open internationally, with a trip across the pond for awards night if you are successfully nominated (though not mandatory and of course, virtual ceremonies are now an established option). The Business Intelligence Group organise The Best Places to Work scheme (deadline December) with the winners announced in March.
“HR Awards are a fantastic way to not only celebrate the value of the work you and your team have delivered, but also to show any future talent that yours is a great place to work.”
“You have a successful HR strategy…”
The HR Excellence Awards are held in December (deadline August) and are the best awards for a major strategy. They culminate in a very glamourous ceremony at the Brewery in London. There are many categories available depending on the type of strategy you have – for example, recruitment, talent management, transformation or CSR. Likewise, May’s Company Culture Awards (deadline February) and May’s UK Employee Experience Awards (deadline February) are appropriate for strategies relating to engagement, such as employee recognition or wellbeing. Later on in the year you will want to consider November’s Business Culture Awards (deadline June) which has a very wide range of categories looking at all aspects of business culture.
“You have a successful HR project or initiative…”
If your success has been for a specific initiative or project, then the other HR awards are probably more suitable for you. The prestigious CIPD People Management Awards are usually held in September (deadline in April) but in 2020 went virtual with their event, while November sees The Personnel Today Awards (deadline June). Perhaps if you are looking for some end-of-year recognition you might want to consider December’s HR Brilliance Awards (deadline October), another good option.
“You have a successful wellbeing strategy…”
With wellbeing such a key priority of late, maybe you would like your strategy or initiatives recognised. Most of the HR and employee benefits awards we have listed include a wellbeing category, but there are also a few with more focus than this. Firstly, there is March’s Great British Workplace Wellbeing Awards (deadline October). Currently one of the few award schemes purely focused on wellbeing. A new award with a slightly broader focus, is The Mental Health and Wellbeing Awards (deadline May). The RSPH Health and Wellbeing Awards (deadline April) focuses on health promotion and community wellbeing initiatives. Then there is The Employee Benefits Awards (deadline February) which has various wellbeing categories and The Workplace Savings & Benefits (WSB) Awards (an April deadline) that has five wellbeing categories, and some for the best providers as well as the best projects. While more of a benchmarking process than an awards scheme, it is also worth considering The Workplace Wellbeing Index, organised by the Mind mental health organisation, and open for each cycle until the registration deadline in November.
“You’ve implemented an outstanding learning and development project/strategy…”
Five important schemes stand out here. Firstly, The Brandon Hall Excellence in Human Capital Management Program (April deadline) and The Learning Awards (September deadline) are both extremely credible if you have a creative and impactful project, while The Princess Royal Training Awards (March deadline) and the Investors in People Awards (August deadline) and The Learning Excellence Awards (October deadline) are great for employers who are committed to L&D in general, and can quantify the impact on business performance.
“You deployed an innovative/creative/challenging internal communications programme…”
Most HR and marketing awards feature categories for internal comms, but there are a few award schemes which focus entirely on this discipline: June’s Gartner Marketing & Communications Awards (deadline December) and September’s The Institute of Internal Communication Awards (deadline May) are both good options, or you may wish to consider The Internal Communications and Engagement Awards. Arguably covering both marketing and HR aspects, these are European-wide awards and open until February, with winners announced at an event in June.
“You have an individual/team whose work has made a real difference…”
If you have a great team, rising star or HR leader that demonstrates excellent creativity, innovation or collaboration and impact, then both September’s CIPD People Management Awards (deadline April) and November’s Personnel Today Awards (deadline June) are good options. A relative newcomer with a great name, The British HR Awards, are open until January. If you want a less competitive award (and you don’t mind it being for a US international scheme) then October features The Stevie Awards for Great Employers (deadline June), with plenty of categories for individuals.
“You have launched an excellent employee benefits scheme…”
June plays host to The Employee Benefits Awards (deadline February) while later in December sees the well-established The Rewards (deadline August), although if you want something earlier in the year consider applying for The Reward 300, also run by Reward Strategy (March deadline), but which follows more of an index format. The WSB Awards are another option in this scenario – but be aware that while the deadline for these is May, you must register your interest earlier in April.
“The Investors in People Awards are great for employers who are committed to L&D in general, and can quantify the impact on business performance.”
“You have been innovative with your use of technology…”
November sees The Learning Technologies Awards (registration in July), followed by December’s The Brandon Hall Excellence in Technology Program (deadline September) which features a vast array of categories but focuses strongly on technology projects and products.
Hopefully you’ve identified with one or more of these nine statements. So, what now?
Now you need to decide which stories to enter into which categories, what the winning angle is and what evidence you need to convince the judges of your achievement. This is where Boost Awards can help. Our team has experience in entering awards, judging awards, and in HR analytics, so it’s fair to say we know a thing or two about what makes a successful entry.
If you’d like help with any of these steps, or want to find out more about what we can do for your business, get in touch. Tel: +44(0)1273 258703
Use our Contact Boost page or Email: info@boost-awards.co.uk.
Any other recommended next steps?
Search through our free list of HR awards and training awards
There are a lot of HR awards and training awards out there, open to both national and international entry. While we have highlighted some of the most credible above you should definitely browse our free list of UK HR and training awards and the Global HR programmes that feature on our sister site, International Awards List.
Search through our other HR related articles
We have a whole host of similar articles highlighting which awards you should enter in our Awards News resource. For example:
Our guide to Diversity and Inclusion Awards; Which training awards should I enter? Which are the best Awards For Women? How to enter The Princess Royal Training Awards; Everything you need to know about The Sunday Times Best Places to Work (Powered by WorkL); and our comprehensive guide to the most credible Great Place to Work and Great Employer Awards.
Start collecting evidence
It’s one thing to say that your project has been innovative or that your team has excelled beyond all expectations…but you have to prove that to the awards judges. This is no mean feat.
This is where our subsidiary Boost Evaluation can help. Our experienced team can provide a range of learning evaluation services that can not only increase your chances of awards success, but drive continuous improvement and help you to secure funding. Learning impact evaluation and learning measurement is often the key to demonstrating that all important ROI that judges love to see.
Sign up for free monthly HR Award Deadline Reminders
Fill in the form below and you will receive a free list of all the HR awards, L&D awards and training awards deadlines coming up in the next two months. Yes, you heard us right, completely free.
To never miss a deadline again, just choose your industry in the dropdown as ‘Human Resources’ or ‘Training’ and at the start of the next month your email will arrive.
(C) This article was written by Chris Robinson and its contents is the intellectual property of award entry consultants Boost Awards.
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