Awards! What are they good for?

Quite a lot, actually…

I regularly help clients with writing successful award submissions, and as a recent award winner myself (pics below!), here is how they solve certain challenges and my top tips when it comes to approaching awards 👇

💥 Two of the biggest and most obvious benefits of an award are a boost in recognition and credibility in your industry. However, these two benefits hinge on who the award is coming from; which is why thoroughly researching the awards body before submitting an entry/accepting an award is a good place to start. 

💡 A great example is the ‘Recruitment Agency of the Year’ award from the Recruiter Awards. Well-known and credible, this award also is one that’s ideal for networking with peers and like minded-leaders – as Mike Tann at Select Offshore can attest to after winning this award a couple of years ago.

😣 Struggling to stand out in the crowd? Awards provide a competitive edge and are a great talking piece with clients, particularly when focused towards your specialism. My client, Menlo Park, recently won the Recruitment Firm of the Year award at the HealthInvestor Awards. This is an example of an award that perfectly ties together what you do (recruitment) and who you do it for (healthcare) for maximum impact.

💼 Employer Branding and internal recruitment: the topics seemingly on everyone’s mind at the moment. Being recognised as an employer of choice attracts high-quality talent and is a perfect PR opportunity. Leaders in Care and Fintelligent recently won Sunday Times’ Best Place to Work awards, helping with the hiring drive that both businesses are on. 

📈Looking to increase morale and promote a high-performance culture? I don’t know many recruitment business leaders who aren’t! Pursuing awards fosters a culture of excellence, and emphasises expectations of award-winning results.

🤔 So, where to start? Putting your recruitment business forward for awards seems like a no-brainer – but there’s a reason why not every recruitment business has a recognisable award-win. 

And that’s because it can be really difficult. As a judge recently for the Recruiter Awards, I can say that the standard of entries was high.

First, your entry will usually have to focus on a recent period, and what you have actively improved in that period.

Second, you will need to be able to provide evidence of the success of your changes- data-led, corroborated. Just saying “we pride ourselves on…” won’t hack it.

Third, most awards are for more than just financial performance. Customer and staff experience, and contribution to the wider industry (recruitment or your sector, for example) are also key.

Your awards entry will be much stronger if it demonstrates strategic planning, a broad perspective and evidenced results.  

All of the above examples are clients who I worked with on strategy, planning and considering the full picture of financial performance, customer experience, staff engagement and development, and great infrastructure. Then I helped them identify relevant awards and craft successful submissions.

Drop me a message today to see how I could put you on the path to your next big award 👀

Alison Humphries is an award-winning NED and board advisor to recruitment businesses, and MD of Recruitment Leadership Ltd. Get in touch today to discover how she can help you elevate your recruitment business and achieve your goals.