After months of hard work and two rounds of a robust judging process, the winners of the CIPD HR Awards in Ireland 2024 winners were announced at a prestigious awards ceremony in Dublin on Friday 23 February 2024.

Hosted by media personality Kathryn Thomas and attended by over 500 people professionals and business leaders, the event was full of celebration, recognition and learning.

With 14 winners, including Tayto Snacks, CarTrawler and Iarnród Éireann Irish Rail, the awards honour and showcase the people profession’s vital role in navigating current trends and championing better work and working lives.

The winners impressed the judges with a range of initiatives, including the innovative use of artificial intelligence (AI) in learning and development, a holistic approach to embracing hybrid working and digital ways of working, and engaging with business leaders to make diversity and inclusion initiatives part of the organisation’s story.  

“The real value of the awards is that they encourage organisations to stop and reflect on their work, allowing them to quantify and validate their impact. They act as a valuable barometer to see what works and what best practice looks like.”

Donal O'Donoghue, Managing Director, Sanderson

Meet the finalists

Digital Leadership

This award celebrates teams that are leading the use of technology, analytics and AI to enhance future ways of working and the employee experience by improving people management, HR practices and the use of evidence-based insights.

Finalists:

  • Bon Secours Health System –  Implementation of a System-Wide Enterprise Human Capital Management (HCM) System​
  • CarTrawler – AI-driven career-pathing and development platform​
  • FlowForma Limited – Transforming HR Processes through FlowForma No-Code Automation Software​
  • Inclusio – Digital Leadership

Diversity Champion​​

This award celebrates an advocate who is championing action to improve the working experience, representation and engagement of underrepresented group/s, removing barriers in employment, all whilst serving as an inspiration to others.

Finalists:

  • Boots – Martha Ryan
  • ESB – Bernie O’Connor
  • Iarnród Éireann – Samuel Riggs
  • McKesson – Jacquie Casey
  • National Treasury Management Agency – Michelle O’Halloran 

Elevating the employee experience (Large organisation)​​

This award recognises large organisations that have focussed on improving the employee experience. These organisations have deliberately developed a culture of trust and empowerment that seeks to personalise the employee experience and builds engagement and commitment in working towards the success of the business.

Finalists:

  • Bank of Ireland  – Elevating the employee experience at Bank of Ireland​
  • Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. (DAFM) – STÓR An eLearning Induction Programme for the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM). ​
  • Enterprise Ireland – Thriving Together​
  • ICON Plc – Employee Experience at ICON​
  • Kerry Group – Elevating the Employee Experience​
  • PTSB – People and Culture – One PTSB

Elevating the employee experience (Small/medium organisation)​​

This award recognises small/medium organisations that have focussed on improving the employee experience. These organisations have deliberately developed a culture of trust and empowerment that seeks to personalise the employee experience and builds engagement and commitment in working towards the success of the business.

Finalists:

  • Vision Ireland – Our Vision Our Values​
  • Seetec Ireland – We act like owners​
  • Sustainable Energy Authority Ireland – Elevating the Employee experience in SEAI by including people in the implementation of the first People Strategy​
  • Tayto Snacks – Improving Working Life @ Tayto Snacks: Elevating the Employee Experience​
  • The Gleneagle Hotel – Elevating the Employee Experience: Reaching new Heights​
  • StoryToys – Charting the HR Journey: Establishing a Robust HR Function at StoryToys

Embedding a culture of workplace wellbeing

This award recognises organisations that place employee wellbeing centre stage and have embedded a strong culture of sustainable workplace wellbeing.

Finalists:

  • Bon Secours Health System – Embedding a culture of workplace wellbeing​
  • Enterprise Ireland – Nurturing Workplace Wellbeing: The Path to Thriving​
  • ESB – Sustaining Mental Health in ESB​
  • Grant Thornton – Embedding a Culture of Workplace Wellbeing​
  • Kefron Group – Wellbeing 1.0 to 2.0: Embedding wellbeing in the new diverse world of work​
  • Premier Lotteries Ireland – Holistic Wellbeing Framework and Plan ​
  • The Donkey Sanctuary Ireland – Wellbeing culture at the Donkey Sanctuary Ireland ​ 

Embracing new ways of working 

This award recognises organisations of any size that can demonstrate how they are excelling in their support for their people and managers in embedding new ways of working. 

Finalists:

  • Bank of Ireland  – Flexible Working at Bank of Ireland​
  • Clare County Council – Embracing New Ways of Working Remotely​
  • ESB –  ESB’s “Smart” Approach to Future Ways of Working ​
  • KPMG – Hybrid 2.0: Elevate our ways of working, Together​
  • McKesson Cork – Our Evolved Work Strategy​​

Equality, diversity and inclusion​​

This award recognises organisations that are moving the diversity and inclusion agenda forward, are breaking new ground and overcoming resistance, making change happen, and how this has benefited employees and the business.

Finalists:

  • Bank of Ireland – Inclusion and Diversity at Bank of Ireland.​
  • Cpl – Embedding DEI into our Cultural DNA at Cpl​
  • ESB Networks – DEIB in Craft Electrician Careers​
  • Grant Thornton Ireland – Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace: Spotlight on Grant Thornton Ireland​
  • Irish Life Group – Life Matters: A series of DEI policies and programmes supporting our people​
  • McKesson Equality, Diversity and Inclusion – McKesson: Unlocking Potential through our Ability ERG ​
  • Premier Lotteries Ireland – Opportunities at the National Lottery: It Could Be You​

Excellence in HR consulting / strategic partnerships

This award recognises expertise and impact and celebrates HR consultancy projects that creatively address challenges with people-centric solutions.

Finalists:

  • Eir’ / Eircom Limited Trading as eir and ‘Numla Limited’ – Empowering HR for Excellence: A Transformative Digital Partnership with Numla
  • Bus Eireann and The Occupational Psychology Centre (The OPC) – Improving the effectiveness, efficiency and inclusivity of apprentice applicants for Bus Eireann and Dublin Bus 
  • Kainos – Kainos drives HR Transformation for Bon Secours Health System
  • Seetec – Transitioning to our new Operating Model 

Learning and development (Small / medium organisation)

This award recognises small/medium  organisations that demonstrate strong links between achieving business goals and organisation development activity and/or learning and development strategies to boost skills and improve performance.

Finalists:

  • Arlo Technologies International Ltd – Future Leaders of Impact
  • Davy – Accelerate to Excellence: Integrating Strategic Learning with Business Success
  • Fidelity International – Building Enterprise Leaders Programme
  • Premier Lotteries Ireland – Establishing an Impactful Learning Function to be Proud of
  • The Stepstone Group Recruit Ireland – Putting the L&D in “Building a successful organisation”.

Learning and development (Large organisation)

This award recognises large organisations that demonstrate strong links between achieving business goals and organisation development activity and/or learning and development strategies to boost skills and improve performance.

Finalists:

  • ABP Ireland – Lead & Learn
  • Boots Retail Ireland Limited – Boots Summer Placement Programme (SPP) for Pharmacy Students
  • Grant Thornton – Unleashing potential at Grant Thornton Ireland
  • Kerry Group – Accelerating women in leadership, through a focused learning initiative, to build a more sustainable and balanced organisation for the future.
  • National Doctors Training and Planning (NDTP), HSE – E-Portfolio for NCHDs
  • Smurfit Kappa Group – Smurfit Kappa Rise Female Development Programme
  • Tusla Child & Family Agency – The Tusla Coaching Network

People team of the year​​

This award will recognise HR / L&D teams that have worked together to demonstrate excellence in HR leadership, partnering across the organisation to deliver value through people interventions that sustain and achieve business success.

Finalists:

  • Bon Secours Health System – People Team of the Year: Bon Secours
  • ESB – People team of the year: Talent Acquisition
  • ICON Plc – ICON Global Performance and Reward Team of the Year
  • Intel Ireland – Nurturing People, Fostering Growth: Intel Ireland’s Path to $7bn expansion
  • Tusla Child and Family Agency – People Are Our Strategy

Rising star of the people profession

This award recognises early career individuals who have set themselves apart in their HR journey by having a meaningful impact in their workplace.

Finalists:

  • Bon Secours Hospital – Abbie Clissold
  • Carelon Global Solutions Ireland Ltd – Natalie Dalgarno​​
  • Davy – Sarah McNamee
  • Gleneagle Group – Sylwia Godzik
  • Mater Private Network – Laura O’Farrell
  • National Treasury Management agency – Clodagh Denny

Sustainability and change management ​​

This award recognises the delivery of improved business performance by implementing a programme of major change and / or organisational development that also embeds a culture of sustainability.

Finalists:

  • Iarnród Éireann – A Sustainable People Profession for a Sustainable Future.
  • Kerry – Sustainability Development Initiative to embed a sustainable nutrition mindset to enable a business Transformation 
  • Vision Ireland – Retail Transformation People First
  • The Project Foundry – Sustainability and Change Management in The Project Foundry: Leading Sustainable Change in an Agile Environment
  • Spotlight Oral Care – ‘Pathway to Success”

Talent Management​​

This award recognises creative and effective people-centred talent management across the employee lifecycle that works towards strategic workforce planning considering the organisation’s future workforce needs.

Finalists:​​

  • Bus Éireann – Inclusive Recruitment: A career built around you
  • The Gleneagle Hotel – Talent Management: For Now and The Future
  • Tusla, Child & Family Agency 1 – Transition Year Programme
  • Tusla, Child & Family Agency 2  – The future for our People: Tusla Child and Family Agency

“The standard has continued to grow year-on-year and we’re delighted to showcase and celebrate the impact of the people profession in Ireland. This year’s winners really demonstrate the strength of the profession and our positive influence on so many working lives.” 

Mary Connaughton, CIPD Director, Ireland

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At the CIPD, we champion better work and working lives. We help organisations to thrive by focusing on their people, supporting economies and society for the future. We lead debate as the voice for everyone wanting a better world of work. 

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