Innovators and communicators dominate HR Awards shortlist
Workplace issues have dominated 2009, and not always in a good way. As The Lawyer Legal JobWatch recounted, there were more than 4,200 redundancies in The Lawyer’s UK 200 list - and those were just the official ones.
Virtually all those firms shortlisted for The Lawyer HR Awards have made redundancies, but we did not exclude them from consideration because of it. Quite the reverse: given the mass downsizing suffered by law firms, HR teams’ mettle was tested to the fullest extent, and the judges had to bear all this in mind as they ploughed through the submissions.
The recession certainly affected the profile of the entries. Inevitably, there were fewer recruitment initiatives than there were two years ago (the wonder was there were any at all). Most of the heavy-duty recruitment activity was in the graduate space.
The most oversubscribed categories were in diversity and corporate responsibility, both of which require engagement from employees and partners across the whole firm. All entrants in the diversity category had built solid foundations, but the question the judges asked of those that made the shortlist was: are these ventures sustainable?
In the corporate responsibility section, the approach was varied. Some entries were based on the range of activities undertaken.
Others focused on one particular initiative that had measurable benefits for the local community.
It is increasingly clear that training will be a key differentiator among firms in years to come, and those that can make it part of their brand are on to something.
The finalists in the training category are all there not because they have hit on something funky or new, but because they have solid, well-thought-out programmes that deliver tangible advantages to the business.
However, this is not just about HR teams; they need buy-in from management. Is HR strategy part of a clear vision for the firm? Is there innovation, communication and execution? The HR teams that demonstrated this have made the shortlist.
There are some standouts among them - but for the results, you’ll have to wait till the New Year.
Shortlist: the lawyer HR Awards 2010
Best Graduate Trainee Recruitment Campaign
Browne Jacobson
Clarke Willmott
Linklaters
Lovells
2009 winner: Addleshaw Goddard
Best In-house HR Initiative
Barclays Capital
Deutsche Bank
Hanson
Standard Chartered
2009 winner: London Borough of Barking & Dagenham
Best Recruitment Website
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
Linklaters
Lovells
2009 winner: Allen & Overy
Most Innovative Recruitment Initiative
Berwin Leighton Paisner
Bird & Bird
CMS Cameron McKenna
Freshfields
2009 winner: Berwin Leighton Paisner
2009 highly commended: KingsLegal
Most Effective Diversity Programme
Addleshaw Goddard
Baker & McKenzie
Berwin Leighton Paisner
Eversheds
Herbert Smith
Pinsent Masons
2009 winner: Eversheds
2009 highly commended: Pinsent Masons
Innovation in Talent Management and Retention
Bird & Bird
Berwin Leighton
Paisner
Field Fisher
Waterhouse
Linklaters
Norton Rose
Pinsent Masons
2009 winner: Lovells
2009 highly commended: Linklaters
Most Effective Employee Benefits Scheme
Farrer & Co
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
Linklaters
Trowers & Hamlins
2009 winner: Berwin Leighton Paisner
Best Corporate Responsibility Initiative
Allen & Overy
Bird & Bird
Eversheds
Lovells
Simmons & Simmons
SJ Berwin
2009 winner: Herbert Smith
2009 highly commended: Lovells
Most Effective Internal Communication
Addleshaw Goddard
Clarke Willmott
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
Norton Rose
2009 winner: SJ Berwin
2009 highly commended: Blake Lapthorn, Clifford Chance
Excellence in Training
Berwin Leighton Paisner
Hill Dickinson
Linklaters
Mills & Reeve
Ogier
Pinsent Masons
2009 winner: CMS Cameron McKenna
2009 highly commended: Berwin Leighton Paisner, Linklaters
HR Director of the Year
Martin Blackburn, Baker & McKenzie
Charlie Keeling, Field Fisher
Neil Middleton, Capsticks
Joanna Parker, Clarke Willmott
Lak Purewal, Norton Rose
Kay Willis, Lovells
2009 winner: Annette Sheridan, Mayer Brown
2009 highly commended: Jill King, Linklaters
HR Team of the Year
Clarke Willmott
Field Fisher Waterhouse
Linklaters
Norton Rose
Pinsent Masons
Taylor Wessing
2009 winner: SJ Berwin
Judges:
Husnara Begum, Lawyer2B
Duncan Brown, Institute of Employment Studies
Catherine Doig, RBS
Catrin Griffiths, The Lawyer
Brendan Kelly, Lloyds Banking
Mark Spivey, MSCI Barra
Debi O’Donovan, Employee Benefits
The awards will take place on 9 February 2010 at the Grosvenor House Hotel, London
