By Karen Peattie

A CELEBRATION of the Scottish recruitment industry last night saw the winners unveiled for the 2021 s1jobs Recruitment Awards, highlighting the achievements of companies, individuals and sector leaders across Scotland.

The awards, in association with esure and sponsored by Harvey Nash, Lidl, Quarriers, Turning Point Scotland and Volvo Truck & Bus Centre, rewarded firms of all sizes that are making their mark in the Scottish recruitment sector.

Scrutinised by an expert panel of judges chaired by s1 sales director Gavin Mochan, the ninth edition of the prestigious awards took place via virtual event platform The Awards Room with Joel Dommett, the popular stand-up comedian and presenter, hosting the evening live. Attendees were able to network and connect with sponsors and colleagues, all while enjoying the interactive event experience.

The judges were looking for leading businesses that deliver a great candidate experience as well as an innovative approach to recruitment.

One of the highlights of the evening was the presentation of the Chairman’s Award, sponsored by Lidl GB, which was presented to Hilary Roberts of HRC Recruitment for the second year running.

And with diversity and inclusion very much in focus across all sectors of the business community, Quarriers sponsored the Best Diversity & Inclusion Initiative. Recognising the Scottish employer that best demonstrates diversity and inclusion in all aspects of their candidate attraction and people management activities, this award was won by South Lanarkshire College.

The award for Best Recruitment Consultancy (UK & International) went to Search Consultancy while Contract Scotland picked up the award for Best Recruitment Consultancy (Scottish Operations).

In the Best Recruitment Consultancy (Newcomer) category, the award went to Amplifi Talent while the hotly-contested Recruitment Consultant of the Year award was won by Linzi Murphy of Pertemps.

Meanwhile, Lidl GB was unveiled as Best Employer Brand with the Best Recruitment Campaign going to Together Energy Ltd. Barchester Healthcare was declared the winner of the Best In-House Recruitment Team.

Charity Quarriers won two awards on the night – Best Use of Social Media, sponsored by esure, and Best Recruitment Video. Esure, meanwhile, won the Best Digital Creative category while Best Recruitment Website went to NFU Mutual with WM Morrisons receiving a commendation.

The Best Charity Employer, sponsored by Lidl GB, was won by the Simon Community Scotland, the country’s largest provider of homelessness services.

Also up for grabs was HR Team of the Year, sponsored by Turning Point Scotland. This category was won by Best HR Ltd. The Best Early Careers Employer (Apprentice/Graduate) category, sponsored by Career Ready, went to Springfield Properties.

In addition, the winner of the Best Employer Learning & Development Initiative, also sponsored by Career Ready, was unveiled as Volvo Truck and Bus Centre North & Scotland.

Finally, the s1 Shine Award, sponsored by Volvo Truck & Bus Centre North & Scotland, was won by Louise Robertson of Bakkavor Salads Bo’ness.

Gavin Mochan of s1 Jobs alluded to the “outstanding” quality of entries across the board and praised entrants for displaying innovative recruitment campaigns as well as their dedication to developing their staff.

He said: “The pandemic forced us to rethink everything that we do.

“It is not the strongest or most intelligent businesses who survived or even thrived through the lockdowns – it was the businesses who could innovate, adapt and hold true to that now tested promise of putting their people first.

“I was astonished to review how high businesses were able to push the bar in such a short period of time while keeping their people front and centre.”

See the full list of winners at: www.s1recruitmentawards.co.uk.

Other judges pointed to “some great examples of companies responding to the changing marketplace” and the way in which “organisations have demonstrated how they are rethinking working practices and focusing on people in an honest, compelling and authentic way”.

Another judge commented: “Many have changed the way they deliver services through harnessing technology, developing new services and working with other businesses on a range of issues affecting employees and the wider organisation. This has been very positive and was very evident from the excellent entries we judged.”

The 2020 winners and finalists were also acknowledged, given that there was no ceremony last year.

Finalists and Winners 2021

Best Recruitment Consultancy (UK & International)

Blue Arrow

Harvey Nash

Pertemps

Search Consultancy – Winner

Best Recruitment Consultancy (Scottish Operations)

Contract Scotland – Winner

Denholm Associates

iMultiply

HRC Recruitment

Best Recruitment Consultancy (Newcomer)

Amplifi Talent – Winner

PFC Careers

Recruitment Consultant of the Year

Jackie Macgregor, HRC Recruitment

Isabel Muller, Search Consultancy

Kerry McFarlane, Denholm Associates

Gillian Pate, Anderson Knight

Linzi Murphy, Pertemps – Winner

Best Employer Brand

Lidl GB – Winner

Children 1st

University of Glasgow

University of the West of Scotland

Webhelp UK

West College Scotland

Sky

Wheatley Group

The Richmond Fellowship

Gap Group

Best Recruitment Website

Balhousie Care Group

DR Newitt

NFU Mutual – Winner

WM Morrisons – Commendation

Best Recruitment Video

Allied Vehicles Group

Balhousie Care Group

Quarriers – Winner

Best Use of Social Media – sponsored by esure

WM Morrisons

Quarriers – Winner

Best Digital Creative

Allied Vehicles Group

esure – Winner

Best Recruitment Campaign

Jupiter Advertising

Quarriers

Together Energy Ltd – Winner

esure

WM Morrisons

Best In-House Recruitment Team

Barchester Healthcare – Winner

City Facilities Management

esure

The Richmond Fellowship

HR Team of the Year – sponsored by Turning Point Scotland

Best HR Ltd – Winner

Bakkavor Salads Bo’ness

French Duncan LLP

North Lanarkshire Council

Springfield Properties

Best Charity Employer – sponsored by Lidl GB

Capital City Partnership

Simon Community Scotland – Winner

Quarriers

Best Early Careers Employer (Apprentice / Graduate) – sponsored by Career Ready

Springfield Properties – Winner

Together Energy Ltd

Volvo Truck and Bus Centre North & Scotland

Best Employer Learning & Development Initiative – sponsored by Career Ready

Brasserie Ecosse Restaurant and Bar

Simon Community Scotland

Springfield Properties

Volvo Truck and Bus Centre North & Scotland – Winner

Best Diversity & Inclusion Initiative – sponsored by Quarriers

Capital City Partnership

South Lanarkshire College – Winner

Springfield Properties

Together Energy Ltd

s1 Shine Award – sponsored by Volvo Truck & Bus Centre North & Scotland

Louise Robertson, Bakkavor Salads Bo’ness – Winner

David McCarroll, TMS UK Ltd

Douglas McFarlane, Abbeycare Scotland

Chairman’s Award for Outstanding Achievement – sponsored by Lidl GB

Hilary Roberts, HRC Recruitment

Finalists and Winners 2020

Best Recruitment Consultancy (UK & International)

Blue Arrow – Winner

NRL

One Recruitment

Pertemps

Sanderson

Best Recruitment Consultancy (Scottish Operations)

Anderson Knight

Contract Scotland – Winner

Denholm associates

FPSG

iMultiply

Johnston Greer

Murray Recruitment

Net Talent

TMM Recruitment

Best Recruitment Consultancy (Newcomer)

Iconic Resourcing – Winner

Incubate Consulting

Star Recruitment

Recruitment Consultant of the Year

Alison Miller, Blue Arrow

Amanda Kho, Denholm Associates – Commendation

Andrew Robinson, iMultiply

Gillian Pate, Anderson Knight – Winner

Grant Dalziel, Contract Scotland – Commendation

Isabel Muller, Search Consultancy

Karen White, Change

Kieran O’Neill, FPS

Linzi Murphy, Pertemps

Monica Lochrie, hrc Recruitment

Paul McGuinness, Murray Recruitment

Stuart Aird, FPSG

Best Employer Brand

Police Scotland

Scottish Government – Winner

Spirit AeroSystems

Best Recruitment Website

Balfour Beatty – Winner

Mercedes-Benz

TMM Recruitment

Best Recruitment Video

Allied Vehicles Group – Winner

Capability Scotland – Commendation

Net Talent

Quarriers

Best Use of Social Media

ENABLE Scotland

Hays Travel – Winner

Lidl GB

Best Digital Creative

Allied Vehicles Group

Hays Travel

Lidl GB – Winner

Best Recruitment Campaign

ENABLE Scotland

Hays Travel

Lidl GB – Winner

Together Energy

Best In-House Recruitment Team

Avaloq

Business Stream – Winner

FNZ

Lidl GB

HR Team of the Year

Farne Salmon & Trout – Commendation

French Duncan

Hays Travel

Zonal Retail Data Systems – Winner

Best Charity Employer

Kibble Education and Care Centre

Quarriers

Scottish Professional Football League Trust

Simon Community Scotland

Support in Mind Scotland – Winner

The Food Train

Best Candidate Journey

Balfour Beatty

Chivas Brothers International Graduate Programme

iMultiply – Winner

Best Early Careers Employer (Apprentice/Graduate)

Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland

Chivas Brothers International Graduate Programme

Hays Travel

Volvo Truck and Bus Centre North & Scotland – Winner

Best Employer Learning & Development Initiative

Farne Salmon & Trout

Simon Community Scotland

University of Strathclyde Organisational and Staff Development – Winner

Volvo Truck and Bus Centre North & Scotland

Best Diversity & Inclusion Initiative

Capgemini

EY – Winner

iMultiply

s1 Shine Award

Jamie Lee Morley & Margaret Mackie, Northcare Scotland

Linda Dickson, Farne Salmon & Trout

Mary Fox, Holmlea Healthcare – Winner

Natasha Earle, Birth, Baby & Beyond

Chairman’s Award for Outstanding Achievement

Hilary Roberts, HRC Recruitment

Find out more at www.s1recruitmentawards.co.uk.

And here are the shortlist and winners from last year:

 

 

 

Best Recruitment Consultancy (UK & International)

  • Blue Arrow - Winner
  • NRL
  • One Recruitment
  • Pertemps
  • Sanderson

 

Best Recruitment Consultancy (Scottish Operations)

  • Anderson Knight
  • Contract Scotland - Winner
  • Denholm associates
  • FPSG
  • iMultiply
  • Johnston Greer
  • Murray Recruitment
  • Net Talent
  • TMM Recruitment

 

Best Recruitment Consultancy (Newcomer)

  • Iconic Resourcing - Winner
  • Incubate Consulting
  • Star Recruitment

 

Recruitment Consultant of the Year sponsored by Harvey Nash

  • Alison miller – Blue Arrow
  • Amanda Kho – Denholm Associates - Commendation
  • Andrew Robinson - iMultiply
  • Gillian Pate – Anderson Knight - Winner
  • Grant Dalziel – Contract Scotland - Commendation
  • Isabel Muller – Search Consultancy
  • Karen White – Change
  • Kieran O’Neill – FPS
  • Linzi Murphy – Pertemps
  • Monica Lochrie – HRC Recruitment
  • Paul McGuinness – Murray Recruitment
  • Stuart Aird – FPSG

 

Best Employer Brand

  • Police Scotland
  • Scottish Government - Winner
  • Spirit AeroSystems

 

Best Recruitment Website

  • Balfour Beatty - Winner
  • Mercedes-Benz
  • TMM Recruitment

 

Best Recruitment Video

  • Allied Vehicles Group - Winner
  • Capability Scotland – Commendation
  • Net Talent
  • Quarriers

 

Best Use of Social Media – sponsored by esure

  • ENABLE Scotland
  • Hays Travel - Winner
  • Lidl GB

 

Best Digital Creative

  • Allied Vehicles Group
  • Hays Travel
  • Lidl GB - Winner

 

Best Recruitment Campaign

  • ENABLE Scotland
  • Hays Travel
  • Lidl GB - Winner
  • Together Energy

 

 

 

 

Best In-House Recruitment Team sponsored by Lidl GB

  • Avaloq
  • Business Stream – Winner
  • FNZ
  • Lidl GB

 

HR Team of the Year – sponsored by Turning Point Scotland

  • Farne Salmon & Trout – Commendation
  • French Duncan
  • Hays Travel
  • Zonal Retail Data Systems – Winner

 

Best Charity Employer – sponsored by Lidl GB

  • Kibble Education and Care Centre
  • Quarriers
  • Scottish Professional Football League Trust
  • Simon Community Scotland
  • Support in Mind Scotland - Winner
  • The Food Train

 

Best Candidate Journey

  • Balfour Beatty
  • Chivas Brothers International Graduate Programme
  • iMultiply - Winner

 

Best Early Careers Employer (Apprentice / Graduate) – sponsored by Career Ready

  • Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland
  • Chivas Brothers International Graduate Programme
  • Hays Travel
  • Volvo Truck and Bus Centre North & Scotland - Winner

 

Best Employer Learning & Development Initiative - sponsored by Career Ready

  • Farne Salmon & Trout
  • Simon Community Scotland
  • University of Strathclyde Organisational and Staff Development - Winner
  • Volvo Truck and Bus Centre North & Scotland

 

Best Diversity & Inclusion Initiative – sponsored by Quarriers

  • Capgemini
  • EY - Winner
  • iMultiply

 

s1 Shine Award sponsored by Volvo Truck and Bus Centre Scotland

  • Jamie Lee Morley & Margaret Mackie – Northcare Scotland
  • Linda Dickson – Farne Salmon & Trout
  • Mary Fox -  Holmlea Healthcare - Winner
  • Natasha Earle – Birth, Baby & Beyond