Software services specialist Allstate Northern Ireland secured a memorable treble at the inaugural Chartered Institute of Personnel Development (CIPD) Northern Ireland Awards.
The company, which is a subsidiary of US insurance giant Allstate and has operations in Belfast, Londonderry and Strabane, won the team prize, the health and wellness award and the individual accolade for top HR professional in the awards sponsored by HR recruitment specialists Brightwater.
The judges applauded the winning Allstate NI team for undertaking best practice in HR strategy and demonstrating that it has been designed with the wider goals of the organisation in mind. Belfast Health and Social Care Trust was highly commended in the HR Team of the Year category, sponsored by the Ulster Business School at the University of Ulster.
The HR Professional of the Year award, sponsored by A&L Goodbody, went to Rose Kelly.
The judges were impressed by the value of the HR function under Rose’s leadership through implementation of best practice and alignment with the strategic direction of Allstate.
The Belfast-based company also won the Health and Wellness Initiative of the Year award, sponsored by Healthshield. The audience at the ceremony in Belfast’s Ulster Museum heard Allstate’s Energy for Life Programme is part of its strategy to provide a systematic and innovative approach to the health and wellbeing of its employees.
The judges said they were impressed with the programme management, implementation and coordination. Diageo was highly commended in the same category, while Viridian was commended.
CIPD NI chair Donal Laverty presented the Chairman’s Special Achievement Award to Jacinta Melaugh, director of human resources at the Northern Health and Social Care Trust.
He said Jacinta, who has just completed 36 years in the HR field in health and social care, had made a significant contribution to the HR profession, was a strong ambassador of the profession and a role model for others.
The Employee Engagement Initiative of the Year prize, sponsored by the Department for Employment and Learning, went to Newtownabbey Borough Council.
The judges said the council demonstrated the impact of employee engagement to support service delivery transformation through a focus on leadership, the employee voice and organisational development. Allstate NI was highly commended in the category, while Sliderobes was commended.
The Change Management Programme of the Year prize, sponsored by Brightwater, was won by transport company Translink for an initiative called the Translink Programme, which embraces change, reform and continuous improvement within a backdrop of a challenging economic environment. Belfast Metropolitan College was highly commended by the judges and certificates of commendation went to Citi and Young Enterprise NI.
Drinks giant Diageo topped the Building HR Capability for the Future category. The award was sponsored by Capita.
The judges found Diageo’s Crest programme was designed to create credible, strategic and trusted business partners of choice to the senior management team. Two companies were highly commended – Allstate NI and Translink – and Viridian was commended.
Also receiving recognition was Kathryn Mallon of G4S Secure Solutions, who picked up the CIPD-sponsored Outstanding HR Student of the Year prize.
The audience heard that, through an MSc in Human Resource Management, Kathryn presented a major piece of work at a strategic level to attract, engage, retain and develop people needed for organisational success.