The entry period is now open for our 2024 Culture Pioneer Awards, and we are excited to see who this year’s champions of culture change will be!

Whether you are at the beginning of your culture change efforts, or are an experienced culture-focused organisation, we are equally interested in seeing the journey of change you have been on over the last twelve months.

Why take part in the awards?

HRZone is committed to driving workplace culture forward. That’s why the Culture Pioneers Awards programme is not just about celebrating the ‘best in show’ cultures’.

We’re geared up to recognise the leaders and organisations fighting the good fight and persisting with an ongoing culture change journey.

In a climate where the expectations of employees and candidates are fast-evolving, being recognised as a Culture Pioneer will show the world you genuinely care about your people and the environment they work in.

All stages of culture change matter

No matter the size of your budget, resources or initiatives, if you are making progress with your culture-change efforts, you have a good chance of making the shortlist.

What’s more, to support inclusivity and accessibility the awards are free to enter.

Don’t miss this opportunity to be recognised for your hard graft and join this community of like-minded organisations and people professionals passionate about thriving cultures.

This year’s categories

This year’s awards programme has five categories for you to choose from. 

Simply decide which area you and/or your organisation excels in and get started. You can enter as many of the categories as you like (remember they are all free to enter), as long as you craft each entry to suit the respective category.

LEADERSHIP  *new category*

The Culture Pioneer Leadership Award is for individuals in senior positions who are spearheading a thriving workplace culture.

Whether you’re a leader within the people profession or the wider business function, if you are passionate about your organisation’s culture – and making notable efforts to nurture it – then we invite you to enter.  Show us how you nurture an exceptional culture where people love to work and thrive, even through challenging times.

BRAND

The Culture Pioneer Brand Award is for organisations that are committed to nurturing a working culture that represents their brand identity.

If you’re looking to showcase your organisation’s approach to creating (or sustaining) a great place to work – where company values are lived and breathed – then this category is for you.

WELLBEING

The Culture Pioneer Wellbeing Award is for those businesses that are consistently evolving their employee wellbeing strategy and taking a holistic approach to support the mental, emotional, financial and social needs of their workforce.

The wellbeing category gives you the opportunity to demonstrate how you are taking the responsibility of wellbeing seriously to create sustainable improvements for all employees, no matter their circumstances.

INCLUSION

The Culture Pioneer Inclusion Award is for organisations that are creating meaningful, sustainable improvements in workplace inclusion and belonging.

If you and your organisation can demonstrate passion and commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, then this is your chance to show it.

LEARNING

The Culture Pioneer Learning Award is for businesses that are cultivating a culture that proactively supports the way that their organisation learns, adapts and grows.

Entering the learning category will enable you to showcase your commitment to learning at an individual, team and organisational level, in a climate where skills development has never been more important.

Judges of 2024

Making up this judging panel is a talented group of industry experts tasked with selecting the finalists and winning entries for each category. The 2024 judges include:

• Bruce Daisley, Workplace culture consultant, 2x Sunday Times Bestseller, ex-Twitter VP
• Perry Timms, No1 HR Most Influential 2022 and Chief Energy Officer of PTHR
• Laura Overton, Award-winning industry analyst, Founder of learning changemakers
• Prof. Emma Parry, Professor of Human Resource Management and Head of the Changing World of Work Group, Cranfield School of Management
• Shakil Butt, D&I Specialist and Founder of HR Hero for Hire Ltd.

Find out more about the full judging panel here.

Dates to note

The closing deadline for entries is 21 June 23:59pm (BST). 

This may seem far off but, trust us, with the summer months ahead it will come around quickly, so we encourage you to get started on your entry soon. (You can always save your progress and log back in to work on your entry at any time before the deadline.)

Finalists will be announced on 11 September.

The winners will be revealed at the in-person Culture Pioneers forum in London in November 2024.

What is your culture made of?

We’re on a mission to galvanise organisations and business leaders into taking culture seriously. If this is something you and your organisation are passionate about too, we encourage you to enter the awards and join our movement.