Awards Entry Kit 2021 - Celebrate, benchmark and gain recognition for your outstanding achievements in HR and L&D - CIPD Middle East
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Awards Entry Kit 2021
Celebrate, benchmark and gain
recognition for your outstanding
achievements in HR and L&D.
1
Table of contents
Introduction p. 3
The 2020 Awards at a glance p. 4
Eligibility criteria p. 5
Entry terms and conditions p. 5
Judging process and timelines p. 6
Entry fees p. 6
Award questions p. 7
Meet the judges p. 8 - 9
Award categories p. 10-12
How to enter p. 13
Contact p. 13
FAQs p. 14
What are the judges looking for? p. 15
Hints and tips p. 16
2
Introduction
We believe in the power of the people profession and the reason for that is quite simple:
organisations are powered by people and supported by people professionals – whether they are
HR, L&D or line managers.
Furthering our commitment to champion better work and working lives across the Middle East, we
continue to celebrate the people profession and shed a light on good practice through the annual
CIPD Middle East People Awards.
With over 160 entries from some of the region’s most innovative employers and people functions
and 200+ attendees to the live virtual ceremony, the response to the 2020 edition has been
overwhelming – building on the previous year. In 2021, I would like to challenge you to nominate
bold, innovative and impactful initiatives. We are looking forward to seeing more organisations
submit their work, and to celebrating your achievements.
The CIPD Middle East People Awards recognise individuals, teams and organisations for their
outstanding achievements in people management and development. Judged by an independent
panel of HR professionals and CIPD matter experts, the Awards provide you with the opportunity to
benchmark your practices against international standards, identify areas of improvement and gain
recognition for the great work you’re doing.
Across all categories, and in line with CIPD’s new Profession Map, which sets the international
benchmark for the people profession, the judges will be looking for you to demonstrate that the work
you do is:
• Evidence-based: your work carries more weight when it’s supported by strong evidence,
• Outcomes-driven: your work should be driven by understanding of context and outcomes,
• Principles-led: your decisions, actions and behaviours should be led by clear principles.
Our Awards follow a rigorous and impartial process. In this entry kit, you will find key information
about the categories, judges, rules of entry, deadlines and important milestones – as well as tips to
ensure you stand the highest chances of success.
We look forward to your entries and wish you good luck!
Yours sincerely,
Ramy Bayyour
General Manager – Middle East
T. +971 (0)4 275 6900
E. events@cipd.ae
3
The 2020 Awards at a glance
In 2020, we received 160+ nominations. 34 finalists were selected, and 12 winners were
announced during a virtual awards ceremony streamed live on YouTube, that was attended by
200+ people professionals. Watch the ceremony below or view the post-event report HERE.
Sponsorship opportunities
There are limited sponsorship opportunities for the awards – exclusively reserved to HR service
providers. To avoid conflict of interest, companies that have submitted entries to the awards may
not be considered as sponsors. For further information and sponsorship packages, please email:
Charlotte Chedeville
Senior Project & Programme Manager
CIPD Middle East
events@cipd.ae
4
Eligibility criteria
• The CIPD Middle East People Awards are open to all organisations with offices and / or
operations in the Middle East and North Africa.
• Only initiatives and programmes implemented after March 2020 will be taken into
consideration for all categories.
• Only entries submitted through the official entry form will be considered. Incomplete applications
and forms received by email, post or any other channel will not be eligible.
• The same information cannot be used to enter multiple categories: each entry must be specific
to a category.
Entry terms and conditions
• CIPD Middle East and / or the Awards judges reserve the right to verify the accuracy of the
information provided in the entry form. Entrants may be requested to provide additional
information during the process.
• The judges are strictly forbidden from nominating or judging clients, individuals, partners or
organisations they are affiliated with.
• Vendors are allowed to file a nomination in partnership with their clients, so long as the
nomination has the sign-off of an authorised person from both companies.
• Each entrant is responsible to ensure that, by applying to the awards, they are not infringing any
copyright laws, privacy clause or intellectual property of a third party.
For the full entry terms and conditions, please check this link.
5
For more information about the conference, visit www.cipdconference.com
Judging process and timeline
7 April 2021 Open for entries
2 September 2021 Deadline for entries
23 September 2021 Shortlist announcement
23 Sept. – 9 Oct. 2021 Virtual interviews for shortlisted candidates (round 2)
24 October 2021 Awards ceremony and winners’ announcement
• The judging process consists of several phases:
1. Nominations will be collected through the official nomination forms online. Please refer to
pages 8-9 of this document for the links.
2. In each category, the judges will review the nominations and rank them against four criteria:
leadership, innovation, business alignment and impact.
3. A shortlist will be announced for each category. Shortlisted entries will be invited to virtual
interviews before the panel of judges.
4. Winners will be announced at the Awards ceremony, taking place in October 2021 in Dubai
and all shortlisted candidates will be invited to attend. The exact date is TBC.
• The decision of the judges is final. Due to the volume of entries, no individual feedback will be
provided and entries that are not shortlisted may not be contacted.
• Winners will be invited to give a short acceptance speech at the award ceremony, time
permitting.
• We welcome entries from all sectors, countries and organisation sizes.
Entry fees
7 Apr. – 13 May 2021 Free of charge
13 May – 20 June 2021 $199 per entry
20 June – 2 Sept. 2021 $299 per entry
* Fees include a pass to the Awards Ceremony, otherwise sold at $200.
* Early bird entrants who submitted their entry at no fee will be required to purchase a ticket to the ceremony,
should they be shortlisted.
* Fees are per entry only. Should you wish to submit several entries in one category, you will be required to
pay a fee for each entry.
* Entries for the Outstanding Student of the Year and HR Rising Star of the Year are free of charge.
6
Award questions
• The questions below are the common questions to all categories, and may be subject to
change – but they hopefully help you prepare your entries.
• For every question, please focus on data and share quantifiable results of your initiatives.
What was the impact? How did it affect your engagement scores, gender pay gap, turnover or
bottom line? For more tips, please check the last page of this kit and the next pages.
1. Briefly describe the initiative or programme you are nominating. If you are applying for HR /
L&D Team of the Year or Employer of the Year, please describe the reasons why you
deserve this award. (Min. 300 words)
2. Outline the aims and objectives that you set out to achieve. Please include relevant
timeframes. (Min. 300words)
3. Is this an isolated initiative, or part of a broader strategy? Please show how the aims and
objectives align with overall business objectives. (Min. 300 words)
4. Identify and quantify the specific business outcomes achieved through this programme /
initiative. Please provide details of the relevant metrics and outcomes (performance,
retention, engagement, absenteeism, higher representation of a specific group, etc). (Min.
500 words)
5. What specific actions were taken? (Min. 200 words)
6. What was unique about the approach, programme or initiative? (Min. 300 words)
7. What challenges did you encounter? How did you overcome them? (Min. 300 words)
8. Summarise the learnings from what has been achieved as a result of this activity. How will
these learnings inform future HR activity within the organisation? (Min. 300 words)
9. Please add any further information or comments you wish to support your application.
7
Meet the 2021 judges
Cheryl Thornton FCIPD, Head of People & Development,
The Fred Hollows Foundation
Boasting over 20 years of experience in high-volume
organisations across the MEA and APAC regions, Cheryl is
presently the Regional Head of People & Development for
The Fred Hollows Foundation, a Top 50 Global INGO.
Throughout her career, she has held senior executive roles
in industries ranging from non-profit to real estate, banking,
retail and aviation.
She is a Chartered Fellow with three international bodies
including the CIPD, and has an MBA and a Bachelor Degree
in Adult Education from the University of New England.
Andy Lancaster, Head of L&D Content, CIPD
Andy has over 25 years’ experience in learning and
organisational development in commercial, technological and
not-for-profit organisations and has also worked as a
consultant.
As Head of L&D Content at CIPD, Andy is responsible for
professional development and learning products, content and
qualifications for L&D, coaching and mentoring and
management and leadership. Andy plays a key role in the
direction and delivery of CIPD’s vision for L&D. He has a
Master’s Degree in Instructional Design and is a Fellow of
the CIPD, the Chartered Management Institute (FCMI) and
the Learning and Performance Institute (FLPI).
John MacDonald, Independent Consultant
John has over 30 years’ experience in corporate human
resource management having worked in the UK, US, Saudi
Arabia and the UAE. He has managed international and
regional compensation and benefits policies and practices
since 1996, including a 3-year period running the Middle
East regional office of an international compensation and
benefits consulting firm where he undertook numerous
reward management consultancy assignments throughout
the GCC.
He has a Master’s degree in Management Studies from the
UK, has been a Fellow of the CIPD since 2008 and is a UK
qualified executive coach and mentor.
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Nominate yourself, your company or a colleague!Giovanni Everduin, Independent HR Consultant
A Harvard Business School alum, Giovanni Everduin serves
as Senior Advisor for HR and Organisational Development
at Boston Global. He is also Senior Advisor for people
analytics company Qlearsite, and sits on the advisory board
of PeopleCart, a social rewards and recognition company.
Giovanni served as Chief People Officer for Tanfeeth, the
GCC’s first shared services and advisory organisation in
Dubai, where he helped found the company and grow it to
3,000 FTE. In the process, he built a unique, award winning
business model and culture that was documented in a
Harvard Business School Case Study in 2015.
Nicholas Andriotis FCIPD, Executive Director – Human
Resources, Ithra Dubai
With over 20 years of experience, Nicholas brings a wealth
of experience in all areas of building and developing Human
Capital, and delivering successful strategies to resource,
train, develop and promote talent.
Throughout his career, he worked in start-ups, turnarounds
and integrations for JVs and Mergers & Acquisitions.
Nicholas currently works as Executive Director – Human
Resources at Ithra Dubai. He is a Fellow of the CIPD, holds
a Bachelor of Science in Management from the Lebanese
American University and an HR Leadership Programme from
IMD Business School.
Sarah Davis, Head of Partnerships, CIPD Middle East
Sarah is a CIPD Chartered Member and holds an MBA from
Henley Management College (awarded the Evening Standard
scholarship in 2003) as well as a MA in Personnel &
Development from the University of Westminster. She leads
CIPD’s centres and qualification partnerships in the Middle
East and works closely with corporate clients to support
development of their HR and L&D functions.
Sarah has spent over 10 years in the region as an HR and
L&D consultant and has delivered HR qualifications and short
training courses to CIPD clients in the Gulf and Europe. She
is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in London.
9Award categories
The CIPD Middle East People Awards recognise individuals, teams and organisations for their
commitment to developing people, and their outstanding achievements in HR and L&D across thirteen
categories. The list of categories below is meant to serve as a point of reference. The full questions
and criteria for each category will be published in December 2020.
1. People-focused CEO of the Year NOMINATE NOW!
A deeply people-focused culture starts right at the top. A CEO who truly champions better work and
working lives for their people is the key to creating a healthy culture and, in turn, fostering a better
society. This category celebrates a senior leader who puts people at the heart of the business by driving
sustainable diversity & inclusion, wellbeing and mental health initiatives. Most importantly, the winner of
this category will lead by example and walk the talk by taking concrete actions that yield measurable
results in terms of engagement, satisfaction, turnover and business outcomes.
Open to: CEOs, Senior Vice Presidents, General Managers and Heads of Region in the Middle East.
2. HR / L&D Team of the Year NOMINATE NOW!
This category recognises an HR or L&D team that has worked closely together and efficiently partnered
with the business to deliver value through people initiatives and practices. Entrants will be required to
give evidence of clear links between operational and financial performance and provide examples that
demonstrate the department’s collaborative approach and ability to attract and develop talent within the
organisation.
Open to: private and public organisations in the Middle East. The initiative must have been applied in the
region specifically.
3. Best Wellbeing Programme NOMINATE NOW!
This award recognises organisations which place employee wellbeing at the core of its strategy.
Successful entries will demonstrate an understanding of the holistic nature of employee health and
wellbeing. Entrants will be required to show proof that leadership, culture and people management
capability and practices are supportive of employees’ physical and mental wellbeing at work. As well as
describing specific initiatives, entrants will be required to provide evidence of their positive impact (such
as higher engagement levels, lower turnover rates or a reduction in absenteeism).
Open to: private and public organisations in the Middle East. The programme must have been applied in
the region specifically.
4. Best Employee Engagement Initiative NOMINATE NOW!
This category awards high-performing organisations who attributes much of their effectiveness,
innovation and growth to high-impact employee engagement initiatives. Entrants will be required to
provide evidence of leadership buy in, strong communication channels and an alignment with
organisational mission and values. Entries should give examples of specific employee engagement
initiatives and provide measurable evidence of the outputs achieved.
10Open to: private and public organisations in the Middle East. The initiative must have been applied in the
region specifically.
5. Best Learning and Development Programme NOMINATE NOW!
The judges will be looking for entries that demonstrate a strong link between learning and development
initiatives and positive organisational performance. Successful submissions will demonstrate a culture
that promotes learning and self-development, focusing on talent and performance. Entrants should give
a clear description of the objectives that promoted their learning culture, drove the approach and explain
how effectiveness was measured as well as indicate the context in which these initiatives were
implemented.
Open to: private and public organisations in the Middle East. The initiative must have been applied in the
region specifically.
6. Most Impactful Diversity & Inclusion Initiative NOMINATE NOW!
This category awards employers who implemented policies, practices and procedures that yielded
tangible outcomes in terms of diversity & inclusion (higher participation of women at the workplace,
better retention rates, or a strong initiative promoting the integration of people with disabilities or any
other group). Entrants will be required to share proof of the results of their initiatives, as well as detail the
process of its implementation.
Open to: private and public organisations in the Middle East. The initiative must have been applied in the
region specifically.
7. Best Recruitment & Talent Management Strategy NOMINATE NOW!
This award recognises creative and effective talent attraction, retention and management strategies.
Entrants are likely to be working towards an organisation-wide talent pipeline that takes into account
current and future needs. They will have collaborated widely on talent management strategies in areas
such as recruitment, succession planning, skills and competency building. Nominees are encouraged to
show evidence of how the talent management activity has benefited the business and met business
objectives, how it has supported organisational agility, and the impact it will have on meeting future
business objectives.
Open to: private and public organisations in the Middle East. The initiative must have been applied in the
region specifically.
8. HR Rising Star of the Year NOMINATE NOW!
This award recognises a young HR leader who has set themselves apart in their HR journey by making
meaningful impact in their workplace or in their academic pursuits. Nominations can be made for early
careers professionals, students currently studying or who completed a CIPD qualification in recent years.
Employers, learning centres and universities are encouraged to nominate young talent.
Open to: High-potential HR professionals with 3 to 7 years of experience.
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Mark your calendar! The ceremony is taking place on 3 September 2020.9. Best Digital Innovation in HR / L&D NOMINATE NOW!
As HR technologies and digital learning are at the forefront of innovation and transformation, this award
recognises an organisation that has successfully led a digital initiative to move HR and/or
L&D forward. Entrants will be required to demonstrate how the HR /L&D technology was implemented
and how it contributes to the broader strategy and improved financial or operational performance.
Open to: private and public organisations in the Middle East. The initiative must have been applied in the
region specifically.
10. Employer of Choice NOMINATE NOW!
This award honours an organisation that stood out by putting its people at the heart of the business and
implementing practices that resulted in a productive, engaged and motivated workforce. Judges will be
looking for organisations that have consistently made efforts to become employers of choice and have a
positive and inclusive culture. The winning entry will demonstrate how sound people strategies have
been optimised to achieve competitive advantage and retain talent. Entrants will be required to provide
details of their diversity & inclusion initiatives, employee engagement rates, turnover, individual and team
performance.
Open to: private and public organisations in the Middle East.
11. Outstanding CIPD Student of the Year NOMINATE NOW!
This award recognises a CIPD student who has set themselves apart through their work ethics and
meaningful impact in their workplace or in their academic pursuits. Learning centres are encouraged to
nominate their current CIPD students and encourage tutors to single out outstanding students.
Open to: Current CIPD students in the Middle East and students who graduated after January 2018.
12. People-focused Start-Up of the Year NOMINATE NOW!
This award recognises a start-up that has demonstrated a commitment to valuing, engaging, retaining
and developing talent through innovative initiatives. The judges will be looking for the entries to be
outcomes-driven, aligned with the business objectives and to have had a clear impact on employees.
Open to: Any start-up team with fewer than 50 employees. The initiative must have been applied after
January 2018.
13. Best Coaching & Mentoring Initiative NOMINATE NOW!
While new talent development methods are always emerging, coaching remains one of the top three
approaches that delivers tangible improvement and noticeable results in organisations. This award
recognises excellence in coaching and mentoring initiatives that support the development of a talent
pipeline and are in line with business objectives.
Open to: Private and public organisations in the Middle East. The initiative must have been applied in the
region specifically.
12How to enter
The CIPD Middle East People Awards process is thorough, but we’ve tried our best to make it easy
for you to enter. Below are the next steps:
1. Carefully review the eligibility criteria, entry terms and conditions and the full list of awards
before applying.
2. Clink on the hyperlink next to the category you wish to enter. You may take a look at the
questions to prepare them before submitting them online.
3. Please note that nominations will not be accepted in any other format.
4. An automated email will be sent to you confirming that your nomination has been received
successfully.
5. No additional materials will be requested in the early stages of entry. Should you be
shortlisted, the CIPD committee may contact you to require additional information.
Contact
For more information about the awards and sponsorship inquiries, please contact:
Charlotte Chedeville
events@cipd.ae
Or call: +971 (0)4 275 6900
13FAQs
1. May I submit several entries for one category?
There is no limit to how many nominations you may submit, whether in several categories or in
the same one. For instance, if you wish to nominate several L&D programmes for this category, you
may do so. However, the same information cannot be used to enter multiple categories.
2. Is there a fee to enter the Awards?
Entering the Awards is free until 13 May 2021. Passed that date, there is a fee to submit a
nomination as per CIPD Global Standards. Please refer to the table on page 5 for further
information.
3. I can’t see any question in this document. Where do I submit my nomination?
The questions for each category are not yet live. Further information will be shared in December
2020. Please note that only entries submitted through the official entry form will be
considered. Incomplete applications and forms received by email, post or any other channel will not
be eligible.
4. Can I attach supporting documents? What is the format required?
In the first round of judging, you may not submit additional supporting documents. This is so
to ensure a fair process and not favour organisations with good visuals and reporting compared to
others. For more information on the judging process, please refer to page 5.
5. Will you let me know what happened to our entry, even if we are not shortlisted?
Yes. Due to the high demand we have received, an email will be sent to all nominees to inform
you of the judges’ decision, even you were not shortlisted. Please note that, if you are not
shortlisted, we will let you know our decision, but will not be able to provide individual feedback.
6. If I don’t wish to attend the conference, does it affect my candidacy?
The Awards are held independently, and your winning is not contingent upon attending the
conference. Nominations from organisations that operate in the Middle East are welcome, whether
they book tickets or not.
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Support emerging talent in your organisation and nominate them for
the HR Rising Star of the Year.What are the judges looking for?
When filing your nomination, make sure that you tell the judges:
1. What the business case was for the initiative and specifically what improvements you set out
to make;
2. How you engaged senior management and the workforce in your initiative;
3. What evidence can you show of tangible improvements in the business as a result of your
initiative.
Most importantly, the winning entries will demonstrate a clear link between the overall business
strategy and the initiative. Gill White, Business & Markets Development Director for CIPD, explains
what judges will be looking for when reviewing the Awards. Click on the image below to see the
video.
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Entries are not yet open for the 2021 Awards. For now, prepare your entries!Hints and tips
1. Choose the right category
It may sound simple, but the sheer breadth and depth of the sector means that there is potential
overlap between many of the categories in the Awards.
2. Individualise the entry
If you are submitting into multiple categories, do not copy and paste and be sure to pay attention to
the specific category criteria and tailor accordingly. Any duplicate entries in multiple categories will
be disqualified.
3. Clearly describe the business case for the project
Indicate how the project links to a change in business strategy, is it addressing a change in market
conditions or legislation? Does it enable a core part of the organisation to be more effective? A great
idea that isn’t firmly embedded in the needs of the organisation or brought to life in your entry may
not stand out amongst others, however brilliant.
4. Don’t forget to describe the project
What did the project do for your company? What was it meant to achieve? Explain how these two
points are related, as it may not be obvious to the judges. Some entries received in previous years
have described, their project with great enthusiasm and reported/ delivered great results, but we
needed to know exactly what the project did for the organisation.
5. Quantify, quantify, quantify
‘The Chief Executive said it was great’ is not enough. You need to demonstrate measurable results
and if possible, measurable objectives. Explain how the results link to the objectives.
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