
ENTRIES EXTENDED UNTIL MONDAY 18TH FEBRUARY
The Event
The Press and Journal is delighted to present The cHeRries Awards.
The awards recognise excellence in the fields of human resources, training and recruitment.
Now in its 11th year, the 2018 ceremony was held on June 1st in Aberdeen. This annual event featured ten categories and the prestigious Top Cherry award that is given to an individual that has demonstrated outstanding contribution to the HR Industry.
The event continues to attract an audience of more than 450, representing companies and individuals from across Scotland and it provides a fantastic platform for showcasing the best HR professionals and practices Scotland has to offer.
For all enquiries please contact Laura Adam e. laadam@dctmedia.co.uk t. 01382 575308
Key Dates
23 Nov 2018: | Entries Open |
18 Feb 2019: | Entries Close |
30 May 2019: | Award Ceremony |
Categories
1
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1
Excellent HR Manager
Judges will be looking for evidence of a HR Manager who, in the past 12 months, has made a clear and measurable impact on the organisation. This may have been through their effective leadership and development of a professional HR team or by being the sole HR professional in the organisation.
This is likely to have been achieved through a programme of development, implementation and integration of policies and practices which clearly support organisational objectives and which have made a significant impact on sustaining a positive culture. Judges will look for evidence of the individual’s contribution to the leadership & development of the HR team, impact on organisational objectives and organisational culture and their commercial awareness.
2
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2
Exceptional Employee Engagement
This category seeks nominations from an organisation that demonstrates a well-thought out strategy, linking employee engagement to the heart of the business.
Judges will be looking for a clear narrative that demonstrates how the strategy is having an impact on the organisation and how it is linked to improving key business objectives and outcomes. In addition the judges will welcome. examples of outcomes, that without an effective employment engagement strategy, wouldn’t have happened.
3
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3
Exemplary Employer of Choice
This award will be presented to an organisation which clearly demonstrates that ‘people’ are genuinely an essential part of their business strategy.
Nominees should be able to demonstrate how a strong employee focussed culture within the organisation has helped employees feel valued.
Judges will look for evidence of excellent staff communication and engagement practices and of the personal and professional development opportunities that staffs are offered to further their growth within the organisation. We are especially interested in creative initiatives which have proven to enhance employee engagement, retention and staff recognition.
4
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4
Extraordinary HR Initiative
This will be an individual or team, who can show evidence of a creative and innovative approach to HR. Their nomination will offer examples of new initiative/s they have designed and successfully delivered in the last 12 months, through to implementation and beyond, and which set them apart from the crowd.
The nominee(s) must be able to provide evidence of how their initiative/s have delivered a measured effect on the business and its people, and how their input and impact has contributed to the organisation’s competitive position as an employer.
5
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Fantastic HR Advisor
In this category, judges will be looking for evidence of an HR Advisor who, in the past 12 months has gained respect from their client base by ensuring high visibility and face to face contact while proactively delivering a high standard of HR service and solutions.
They will be able to demonstrate their continuing professional development and provide evidence of how this supports their ability to understand their business and apply and adapt best practice to suit the needs of their clients.
Nominations will also be judged on evidence of their impact, provision of their individual HR service and solutions and evidence of learning from CPD activities undertaken in the preceding year.
6
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6
Outstanding HR Director
This award is open to the most senior HR professional within the organisation, operating at or near to Board / Executive Leadership Committee This award is not open to operational level managers.
This category will recognise the HR Director who has consistently made an outstanding contribution to business strategy in the last 12 months.
Nominees will be able to demonstrate meeting business objectives and therefore adding quantifiable value to the business and the value that their function has made on the organisation’s performance.
7
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7
Terrific Team of the Year
This category is open to both established HR teams and/or teams who have been formed to complete a specific HR project and who have excelled within their function and across the organisation by partnering with the wider business to achieve cross-function synergies and bottom line performance.
8
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8
The Blossoming Award
This award is for an up-and-coming talent in the field of HR who has yet to study for their professional CIPD HR qualification. This will be an individual who can clearly demonstrate a genuine commitment to developing a career within Human Resource Management, and who understands the contribution that HR professionals bring to an organisation.
Please note the nominee’s qualification for eligibility for the course. If the nominee does not have an undergraduate degree or successful completion of an appropriate access course, the nominee is regrettably not eligible for the award and will therefore automatically be discounted.
The winner of this award will receive the coveted prize of full funding from Aberdeen Business School at The Robert Gordon University to study for their Human Resource Management MSC.
As per the cHeRries Awards Terms and Conditions, please note that the following terms and conditions apply:
Any nominees must not have previously started any study which would qualify them for their CIPD graduate membership. Any nominees must possess a 1st or 2nd class honours degree.9
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9
Tremendous Learning and Development
Nominees in this category (whether a team or individual), who have in the last 12 months, demonstrated a strong commitment to designing and delivering cohesive and innovative learning and development programmes and initiatives for their organisations.
The nomination should prove conclusively that there is visible and measureable relationship between the business’ training and development, and the performance of organisation, teams and individuals.
Entries should clearly demonstrate a strong relationship between the outcomes of such programmes and the organisation’s strategic aims and objectives. A direct link to and from Performance Management processes would further benefit the nomination.
10
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10
The Top Cherry
The Top Cherry Award for Outstanding Contribution is the most prestigious Cherry award to be won. The award is presented to an individual who has been nominated by peers within the industry and selected by our panel of judges after much deliberation.
11
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11
Mike Reid Community Award
Recognising someone in the field of HR who, out with their day to day job, continually commits their time and efforts to volunteering, fundraising or otherwise supporting good causes in their community.
An ordinary person doing extraordinary things for their community.
Sponsors
Aberdeen Business School (ABS) comprises 3 departments, Management, Accounting and Finance and People, Organisations and Practice.
At undergraduate level students study can study BA and BA (Hons) in various Management related areas, or BSc Accounting.
At Postgraduate level prospective students have the choice of studying a variety of Degree courses including an AMBA accredited MBA which also has various specialist routes. A range of specialist MSc courses is offered including International Business, Finance, Project Management, Human Resource Management and Purchasing and Supply Chain Management.
A feature of study at the Aberdeen Business School is that the majority of our Degree courses carry Professional Practitioner Accreditation, for example, the HRM course is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).
Prospective students interested in undertaking a Postgraduate Degree, but who may not have a previous degree, may achieve entry to their selected course by completing the Graduate Certificate in Management Studies. The Aberdeen Business School is also developing its business in the delivery of Corporate Programmes and has a growing reputation in Research.
Visit Robert Gordon University websiteWood is a global leader in the delivery of project, engineering and technical services to energy and industrial markets. We operate in more than 60 countries, employing around 60,000 people, with revenues of over $10 billion. We provide performance-driven solutions throughout the asset life cycle, from concept to decommissioning across a broad range of industrial markets, including the upstream, midstream and downstream oil & gas, power & process, environment and infrastructure, clean energy, mining, nuclear, and general industrial sectors.
Visit Mattioli Woods website

Aberdeen Business School (ABS) comprises 3 departments, Management, Accounting and Finance and People, Organisations and Practice.
At undergraduate level students study can study BA and BA (Hons) in various Management related areas, or BSc Accounting.
At Postgraduate level prospective students have the choice of studying a variety of Degree courses including an AMBA accredited MBA which also has various specialist routes. A range of specialist MSc courses is offered including International Business, Finance, Project Management, Human Resource Management and Purchasing and Supply Chain Management.
A feature of study at the Aberdeen Business School is that the majority of our Degree courses carry Professional Practitioner Accreditation, for example, the HRM course is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).
Prospective students interested in undertaking a Postgraduate Degree, but who may not have a previous degree, may achieve entry to their selected course by completing the Graduate Certificate in Management Studies. The Aberdeen Business School is also developing its business in the delivery of Corporate Programmes and has a growing reputation in Research.
Visit Robert Gordon University website
Wood is a global leader in the delivery of project, engineering and technical services to energy and industrial markets. We operate in more than 60 countries, employing around 60,000 people, with revenues of over $10 billion. We provide performance-driven solutions throughout the asset life cycle, from concept to decommissioning across a broad range of industrial markets, including the upstream, midstream and downstream oil & gas, power & process, environment and infrastructure, clean energy, mining, nuclear, and general industrial sectors.
Visit Mattioli Woods website
activpayroll is a leading global professional service organisation, offering integrated global payroll solutions, expatriate taxation services and online HR people management tools to over 1,000 customers operating in more than 140 countries worldwide. The company was founded in 2001 by CEO Alison Sellar in Aberdeen and is an SSAE 16 & ISAE 3402 Type II approved organisation holding the highest level of BACS accreditation available. Over the past 16 years, activpayroll has gone from a small local firm to an award-winning international leader servicing some of the world’s leading brands, growing organically through recommendation and without a sales team.
Visit Activpayroll website
The CIPD team in Scotland works closely with our network of members, volunteers and stakeholders to develop the profession and build our policy relevance and reach. Our mission is to establish the voice of CIPD in Scotland.
With more than 11,000 CIPD members across Scotland, we sit at the heart of a proud, growing community of practitioners, members, partners, policymakers and thought leaders in the world of work. Through our collaborative efforts we’ll take big steps towards championing better work and working lives.
Visit CIPD website
Our innovative employment lawyers can help you navigate the maze of regulations that you have to contend with, and enhance your understanding of how they affect your business. We have 350+ employment lawyers globally, making us one of the largest employment teams in Europe. In the UK alone, we have a team of 9 partners supported by more than 40 lawyers across six locations. As well as the ‘day-to-day’ support we offer HR and in-house legal teams, we advise clients on highly technical employment matters.
Visit CMS website
CNOOC International, the international division of CNOOC Limited, is a global energy company with operations in Asia, Africa, the Americas and Europe. Our successful growth as an upstream oil and gas producer has been achieved by consistently finding and developing world-class assets.
Our business is focused on safely exploring and producing from conventional offshore, unconventional and oil sands assets. As part of the CNOOC Group of companies, which span the entire energy supply chain, our size and capability create a competitive advantage that ensures we deliver long-term value. Our growth strategy is to safely and sustainably develop our high-quality portfolio to deliver energy for all.
Visit CNOOC International website
Orion Group is an international leader in the provision of personnel to a number of industry sectors. Today Orion Group manages the placement of thousands of contractors and permanent personnel every year via their worldwide network of offices throughout Europe, the Americas, the Middle East, Asia Pacific and Africa. Orion has the market intelligence and the experience necessary to take a holistic approach to project delivery managing manpower provision from start to finish.
Visit Orion Group website

Petrofac is a leading services provider to the oil and gas production and processing industry. Our teams design and build oil and gas infrastructure; operate, maintain and manage assets; and train personnel.
We have a 37-year track record and are a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index, with 31 offices and 12,750 staff worldwide. We are a people business with clear values, strong leadership and a problem solving culture.
Visit Petrofac website
TAQA is committed to a safe and successful future in the UK North Sea.
The UK business is a wholly owned subsidiary of Abu Dhabi National Energy Company, an international energy and water company headquartered in Abu Dhabi. Since acquiring its first North Sea interests in 2007, TAQA has created a business which is now ranked amongst the top exploration and production companies in the UK North Sea.
We are pleased once again to lend our support to the cHeRries awards in 2018. Year after year some of the greatest achievements in the fields of human resources, recruitment and training in the North East of Scotland are shared at the cHeRries. It is important that we continue to recognise and celebrate the successes of the individuals and teams that are going above and beyond and achieving great things in their respective fields.
TAQA. We mean energy.
Visit TAQA website
Founded in 1495, The University of Aberdeen is the third oldest University in Scotland. With a community of 120 nationalities and 14,500 students the University is ranked consistently among the world’s top universities.
Our Business School is internationally recognised for its excellence in world-leading research, and was ranked as a top three UK University for impact in Business and Management Studies as ranked by Times Higher Education based on REF 2014 GPA scores. REF assesses the quality of research in UK higher education institutions. Our strength in research means that Masters students benefit from the expertise of staff who are pioneers in their discipline, and the personalised nature of the study experience ensures a high degree of individual contact with leading academics.
The University’s location in Aberdeen – an internationally recognised business centre that boasts the offices of 20 FTSE 100 companies – means that our curriculum is strongly geared towards the needs of industry. Many of our academics began their careers in the business world, and our courses benefit from strong engagement with industry meaning that students are ready to hit the ground running in the workplace.
Another strength of the Business School is the flexibility that we offer to students. There are a number of part-time and distance learning study options, plus we offer all students the chance to break into the business world by converting their undergraduate degree from any discipline, in any background, into a highly valuable Masters degree in accounting, finance, economics, marketing, or real estate.
With academics at the forefront of research and teaching, and a curriculum that is relevant to the needs of industry, the University of Aberdeen Business School is a place where students can benefit from a highly personalised and flexible study experience that will considerably enhance their job prospects and set them on a path to a brilliant career.
Visit University of Aberdeen Business School website
Judging Session Sponsor
Visit Village Hotels website
Wood is a global leader in the delivery of project, engineering and technical services to energy and industrial markets. We operate in more than 60 countries, employing around 55,000 people, with revenues of over $11 billion. We provide performance-driven solutions throughout the asset life cycle, from concept to decommissioning across a broad range of industrial markets including upstream, midstream and downstream oil & gas, chemicals, environment and infrastructure, power & process, clean energy, mining, nuclear and general industrial sectors. We strive to be the best technical services company to work with, work for and invest in.
Visit Wood websiteJudges
Anne Stevenson
Teaching Fellow, Robert Gordon University
Helen Stuart
Human Resources Director UK, TAQA
John Booth
Deputy Chief Executive, Voluntary Services Aberdeen (VSA)
Kevin Higgins
Industry ExpertLee Ann Panglea
Head, CIPD Scotland and Northern Ireland
Lesley Birse
President People & Organisation Asset Solutions - EAAA, Wood
Paul Matthews
Head of Employability and Professional Enrichment, Robert Gordon University
Ross MacRae FCIPD FIRP
Group HR Director, Orion Group
Sylvia Halkerston
Consultant & Non-Executive Director,
Wendy Atkinson
Business Development Manager, Mattioli Woods
The prestigious annual cHeRries Awards is now being run by DC Thomson Media
For sponsorship opportunities contact Abbigail Van Zyl
avanzyl@dctmedia.co.uk Tel. 07970 821244