The Recruitment Business Awards
The recruitment industry is perhaps the most immediate indicator of the business climate. When client marketing budgets start to shrink, inevitably marketing service agencies jobs start to be cut. At this point recruitment consultancies are inundated with CVs and their job is to get the best people into the most appropriate jobs. Often easier said than done and, more often than not, a job that gains very little recognition despite being the engine room of the industry.
So, what better time than now to give the recruitment industry the slap on the back it so deserves? Adline and its sister title The Drum joined forces with the Recruitment Society to put together a unique awards scheme that would not only look at the skills of the recruitment consultancies and their individual consultants, but also consider the creative talents of the UK’s recruitment advertising agencies. Hence, the all-encompassing Recruitment Business Awards were born and, on 17 September, more than 200 members of the recruitment and recruitment advertising industries gathered in Manchester’s Crowne Plaza hotel to find out who the industry’s big success stories of 2003 were to be.
Judging for the event took place on 6 August in London and all 150 entries were scrutinised by the judging panel, which consisted of leading names from the recruitment and recruitment advertising sectors, including Neil Griffiths of Bernard Hodes, Rosie Sharp of Thirty Three, Chris Simmonds of TCS Advertising, Alan Kelly of Barkers Scotland, John Mortimer of Angela Mortimer, Manda Crowder of And Advertising and Andrea Burrows of AIA.
Recruitment consultants were then invited to enter detailed documents outlining why they deserved to be awarded accolades such as Recruitment Consultancy of the Year, Recruitment Consultant of the Year, Recruitment Personality of the Year and Rising Star.
In the creative categories, recruitment ad agencies were invited to send in press, outdoor, ambient and website recruitment ads to win awards in categories such as Best Professional Sector Recruitment Ad, Best Marketing Sector Recruitment Ad, Best Retail Recruitment Ad, Best IT/Technical Sector Ad and so on.
Taking the stage to pick up the Rising Star award was Fiona Docker of Brilliant. The judges felt that, since her arrival on the scene, she has made a significant impact within her agency, particularly during new business pitches. Already Fiona has been promoted to account manager and the judges felt a bright future awaits. Runner-up in this category was Richard Lewis of SMRS, who has helped with the growth of the agency since his arrival.
The Recruitment Client accolade went to Hertfordshire Constabulary, the judges feeling that their professionalism, imagination and willingness to take risks gave them profound understanding of the value of the employer brand by giving its consultancy, Bernard Hodes, the space and freedom to create winning strategies.
Alex Gee of Phee Farrer Jones was praised by the judges for being a committed, professional, diligent and trustworthy consultant and hence he was named Recruitment Consultant of the Year, with Kirsty MacLeod of RJ Cuthbert the runner-up in this category.
There were three nominations for Recruitment Personality of the Year: Alan Kelly of Barkers Scotland, Alison Diamond of Torres & Partners and Joelle Warren of Warren Partners.
After much deliberation, Alison Diamond was chosen as the winner, with judges describing her as being instrumental in the company’s successful growth strategy and playing a large part in the retention of the consultancy’s clients.
SMRS, TCS and Barkers Scotland were fighting it out for the Recruitment Advertising Agency of the Year accolade, but Barkers won out in the eyes of the judges primarily for its appraisal programme and management development programme, which has shown a great commitment to staff and their long-term development. New business for the agency this year has also included Abbey National, Highland Distillers and Strathclyde Police.
We move on to the Recruitment Consultancy of the Year category, which saw BCW Group and Warren Partners going head to head.
However, there could be only one winner and that was Warren Partners, with the judges praising its high level of client commitment, its investment in technology, new staff and its desire to grow and expand in the coming year.
The award was collected by Joelle Warren and Mike Tobin on the night and then the fun really began, with guests celebrating with Bollinger well into the early hours.
For the creative categories, please see the creative work over the next two pages and for a full run-down of all the results see page 29.
winner takes all. to find out exactly who won what on the night please see the full results listed below.
Recruitment Client of the Year
Winner: Herts Constabulary
Commended: Grant Management
Commended: Poulter Partner
Recruitment Personality of the Year
Winner: Alison Diamond, Torres & Partners
Commended: Alan Kelly, Barkers Scotland
Commended: Joelle Warren, Warren Partners
Recruitment Consultancy of the Year
Winner: Warren Partners
Commended: BCW Group
Recruitment Consultant of the Year
Winner: Alex Gee, PFJ
Commended: Kirsty McLeod, RJ Cuthbert
Recruitment Advertising Agency of the Year
Winner: Barkers Scotland
Commended: SMRS
Commended: TCS
Rising Star
Winner: Fiona Docker, Brilliant
Commended: Richard Lewis, SMRS
Best Professional Sector Recruitment Advert or Campaign
Winner: TMP Worldwide (Northern Region)
Client: Idexx Laboratories
Title: Microscope
Commended: Bernard Hodes
Client: Tesco Pharmacy
Title: Fairytales
Best Marketing Sector Recruitment Advert or Campaign
Winner: Barkers Scotland
Client: Barkers Scotland
Title: Public Apology
Commended: TMP Worldwide (Birmingham)
Client: Dataforce
Title: Meow
Best Public Sector/
Government/
Charity/Utilities Sector
Winner: Bernard Hodes
Client: Hertfordshire Constabulary
Title: Less Predictable Campaign
Commended: TMP Worldwide
(Northern Region)
Client: Yorkshire Water
Title: Apprentice Scheme Campaign
Best Retail/Leisure Sector Recruitment Advert or Campaign
Winner: Barkers Leeds
Client: Warburtons
Title: Rise to the Top
Best Outdoor
Winner: Barkers Leeds
Client: Warburtons
Title: Bread Winners Campaign
Best Ambient
Winner: Bernard Hodes
Client: Hertfordshire Constabulary
Title: Less Predictable
Best Copywriting
Winner: Bernard Hodes
Client: Orange
Title: Create a Better Tomorrow
Best Art Direction
Winner: Bernard Hodes
Client: Tesco Pharmacy
Title: Fairytales (Beanstalk)
Best Use of Illustration/
Photography/
Typography
Winner: Bernard Hodes
Client: Orange
Title: Muffin
Best Online Advertisement or Campaign
No nominations
Best Recruitment Website
or Microsite
Winner: Bernard Hodes
Client: Merseyside Police
Title: www.merseyside.
police.uk
Best Item of Self Promotion
Winner: TCS
Client: TCS
Title: The Creative Squad
The Recruitment Business Awards recognize excellence in recruitment across business and creative. Open to recruitment consultancies, creative agencies and job sites based in the UK but outside London...
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