Hailed as the Oscars of Hong Kong’s HR profession, the HKIHRM HR Excellence Awards 2017/18 presentation ceremony on 25 May, organised by the Hong Kong Institute of Human Resource Management (HKIHRM) saw 12 awards presented to 10 recipients who enjoyed their “red carpet moment”.
More than 200 distinguished guests, government officials and HR practitioners gathered at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre on 25 May for the HR industry’s most anticipated night of the year. Delivering his welcoming remarks, HKIHRM president David Li said the awards programme recognises the outstanding work of forward-thinking HR teams and individuals. “They help to drive the benchmark of HR professionalism to greater heights,” noted Li, who added that the awards also serve as the gold standard of HR success. “The awards showcase how HR best practices and people management initiatives can deliver business value and sustain corporate growth.”
Noting how the awards programme shines a spotlight on the value that HR delivers to organisations through exemplary people management projects and initiatives, guest of honour, Jasper Tsang Yok-sing, former president of the Legislative Council, said today’s HR professionals should be fully aware of the trends influencing recruitment, training and retention. At the same time, they also need to look for best-fit strategies and solutions to ensure their practices align with the evolving socio-economic environment and business needs. “Our HR professionals are tasked to spearhead change and innovate in a dynamic workplace where people always hold the key to corporate success,” said Tsang, recognising HR professionals as a major driving force to help organisations rise to future challenges.
Tsang added that, faced with an ageing population, a shrinking workforce and emerging technologies that continuously disrupt and transform traditional business models, the role of HR has expanded beyond talent acquisition to supporting long-term business growth and development.
Since its launch in 2012, the HKIHRM HR Excellence Awards programme, which is aimed at raising professional HR management standards in Hong Kong, has gained continuous recognition and support from Hong Kong’s HR practitioners and the business community. The awards are open to organisations of any size with operations in Hong Kong, Macau, mainland China and across the Asia-Pacific region, and were presented in four categories – Organisational, HR Service Provider, SME, and Individual. There is also the Grand Award of the Year, which is awarded to the most outstanding entry from the Organisational category.
The big triumph on the night belonged to the triple-awarded business technology solutions firm, JTH Group, which was named Grand Award winner. Accepting the award on the company’s behalf, Jenny Pong, JTH Group’s director of human resources, said a key motivator within the company is recognising that innovation is not a slogan, but a driver of creativity. JTH Group impressed the judges with its “@OnePlace” gamification platform designed to connect employees from different countries, improve employee engagement and facilitate the exchange of information and ideas in addition to face-to-face interactions.
“We are delighted to have won the award, because what has proved to be a champagne innovation was created on a beer budget,” said Pong. The JTH Group also won the Excellent Technology Innovation Award and the Elite Employee Wellness Award.
For those participating in the awards, the judging criteria provide an opportunity to focus on their own practices and business performance, identify outstanding people management practices and take pride and inspiration in their organisation.
Taking part also motivates the HR team to facilitate alignment of its activities in broadening business goals, while accessing external, independent benchmarks of achievements.
Meanwhile, for awardees, recognition boosts their credibility in the HR industry and the wider community through the HKIHRM’s various promotional platforms and activities.
As role models, winning companies are given opportunities to recount their successful case studies at various events, which is a good opportunity for businesses and organisations to enhance branding and reputation.
These collective opportunities also provide a valuable marketing tool in communicating with existing and potential customers and business partners.
During his closing remarks, Lawrence Hung, chairperson of the HKIHRM HR Excellence Awards 2017/18 Organising Committee said the awards programme has become a professional benchmark for people working in Hong Kong’s HR community.
“Every award bestowed is a tribute to HR success, and epitomises a real case study, showing the strategic role HR practitioners play in businesses and society in transforming and advancing human capital to ensure corporate success,” said Hung.
