Personnel Today has announced the shortlist for its 2017 Awards, after our panel of HR and employment experts have deliberated long and hard over the contenders.
Nearly 100 individuals or teams have been shortlisted in their categories, covering employers and their partners in the private, public and not-for-profit sectors.
Shortlisted companies range from household names such as Mercedes-Benz, Barclays and Great Western Railway to smaller organisations such as the Lawn Tennis Association and a number of consultancies.
This year includes a new category for Employment Law Firm of the Year, which has generated a shortlist of four legal firms.
This category recognises the important work employment law teams do for their HR clients, whether that is in providing proactive advice in managing employees, or handling live disputes.
Another new category is Emerging HR Leader of the Year, which recognises adaptable and agile HR professionals who show potential to go far in their career.
Personnel Today editor Rob Moss commented that making it to the shortlist this year was “hard fought” due to the standard of so many of the entries.
He said: “Well done for everyone who has made the shortlist – once again the standard of entries was exceptionally high, and thank you to our panel of judges who have given their time to comparing and evaluating all the entries.”
Everyone who made the shortlist is invited to attend the Shortlist Drinks Party in September, as well as the glittering awards dinner on 21 November 2017 at the Grosvenor House Hotel in central London.
The Personnel Today Awards, in association with XpertHR, are hosted each year by a surprise guest host. Recent hosts have included Gaby Roslin, Claudia Winkleman, Jack Dee and Rob Brydon.
Last year, brewing company SABMiller won the overall award, having triumphed over entrants in 20 categories to the top spot.
HR suppliers nominated by Awards entrants for the HR Supplier Partnership Award will receive their invitations to enter that category shortly. That shortlist will be announced later this summer.
The shortlists for all categories is as follows:
Award for Talent Management sponsored by a&dc
Cheshire Fire & Rescue Service
Greater Anglia
Local Government Association
ODEON Cinemas Group
Renault Retail Group
Worcestershire County Council
HR Team of the Year Award sponsored by Totaljobs
Connect Health
Countrywide
Lawn Tennis Association
Mercedes-Benz
North Yorkshire County Council
Parkdean Resorts UK
SAP UK
TrustFord
Award for Employee Benefits
Barratt Developments
Goodman Masson
Sandwell & West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust
HR Director of the Year Award sponsored by XpertHR
Victoria Anthony, Galliard Homes
Kate Clayton, Vision Express
Johanna Dickinson, KP Snacks
Kathryn Pritchard, ODEON Cinemas Group
Vicky Williams, Lawn Tennis Association
Youth Employment Initiative Award
Centrica
Crown Prosecution Service
Guy’s & St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust
L&Q
Transport for London
Wolverhampton Homes
Award for Managing Change sponsored by Royal College of Nursing
BAE Systems
Belmond
BT
Countrywide
L&Q
Lawn Tennis Association
ODEON Cinemas Group
Parkdean Resorts UK
Employer Branding Award
B&CE
SAP UK
Schneider Electric
TrustFord
Award for Excellence in HR Through Technology sponsored by Cezanne HR
CBRE Global Workplace Solutions
Centrica
Civil Service HR
PA Consulting Group
Royal Bank of Scotland
SAP UK
Superdrug Stores
Virgin Money
HR Impact Award sponsored by Vana HR Resourcing
CPP
Great Western Railway
Lawn Tennis Association
Macfarlanes
North Yorkshire County Council
Royal Bank of Scotland
Graduate Scheme of the Year Award sponsored by Milkround
BAE Systems
DHL Supply Chain
Macmillan Cancer Support & British Heart Foundation
Peninsula
Police Now
Employment Law Firm of the Year Award
Anthony Collins Solicitors
ESP Law
Gowling WLG
HRC Law
HR Consultancy of the Year Award
Chinara Enterprises
Collingwood Consultancy
Cubiks
Paydata
Peninsula
Strategi Solutions Group
Think People Consulting
Award for Health and Wellbeing
Arbuthnot Latham & Co
BNP Paribas
Department for Work & Pensions
Hannover Re
Mayflower Theatre Trust
Sandwell & West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust
Scottish Water
Virgin Money
Award for Diversity & Inclusion
Civil Service Workplace Adjustment Team
L&Q
Metropolitan Police Service
PageGroup
Southbank Centre
Surrey Police
T-Systems
Virgin Money
Award for Excellence in Learning & Development
Anglian Water
BNP Paribas
Great Western Railway
Lloyds Banking Group
ODEON Cinemas Group
Peninsula
Supergroup
Virgin Money
Emerging Leader of the Year
Liz Laughton, Royal College of Nursing
Selina Rothery, CBRE Global Workplace Solutions
Angela Watkins, Midlands Air Ambulance Charity
Natasha Whittaker, Microgaming Software Systems
Award for Employee Engagement sponsored by Great Place to Work
Dulas
Icelolly.com
Kerry Foods
One Stop
Parkdean Resorts UK
Sovini
TrustFord
University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Trust
Award for Excellence in Public Service HR
Argyll & Bute Council
British Business Bank
NHS Supply Chain
Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust
OneSource
Thurrock Council
University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Trust
Worcestershire County Council
L&D Team of the Year
Centrica
Maersk Transport & Logistics
National Trust
Search Consultancy
TrustFord
Award for Innovation in Recruitment sponsored by Good & Co 
Atom Bank
Barclays
DHL Supply Chain
Lloyds Banking Group
London Borough of Enfield
SAP UK
The AA
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*UPDATE 25 September 2017: the following category is judged after the others as nominated suppliers are invited to enter after the main Awards entry deadline.
HR Supplier Partnership Award
Shortlisted suppliers (and nominating client)
BrightLemon & Nudge (Civil Service Jobshare)
My Staff Shop (Barratt)
Impact (BAE)
MTD (Great Western Railway)
New Tricks (Connect Health)
Personal Group (Sandwell)
Pacific Institute (Royal Berkshire)
TMP (The AA)
