The winners of the s1jobs Recruitment Awards are unveiled

Never has that job been more challenging than in present circumstances, so it was fitting that, on a night filled with examples of professionalism of the highest calibre, the Chairman’s Award for Outstanding Achievement went to NHS Scotland’s HR and Recruitment Teams, whose efforts throughout the Pandemic have  set a new standard within the industry.

For the hundreds who attended, the event provided a much-needed opportunity to finally gather together and celebrate their achievements after two of the most difficult years that the industry has experienced and throughout the evening a succession of employers and HR and recruitment professionals were recognised for their achievements.

Amongst those receiving awards were Zonal Retail Data Systems, who were named as Best In-House Recruitment Team and Business Stream, who were awarded HR Team of the Year.

Scottish social care charity, Quarriers, received the Best Charity Employer (large) award, while the Best Charity Employer (small) award went to Indepen-dance, a Glasgow-based dance company that provides opportunities for disabled and non-disabled dancers.

Burness Paull, one of Scotland’s leading legal firms, were named Best Early Careers Employer and they were also commended in the Best Diversity & Inclusion Initiative category for their ongoing commitment to widening access to the legal profession for candidates from all backgrounds, with SMS taking the overall prize in the same category.

Team work is a vital element of HR and recruitment but there is still room for individuals to make a difference and this year’s Shona McKenzie Shine Award, which is presented annually to someone who has shown exceptional commitment, went to Liz Thomson of Balhousie Care Group, while Isabel Muller of Search Consultancy was named Recruitment Consultant of the Year.

Search Consultancy were also named Best Employer for Learning and Development.

At a time when potential job candidates may face multiple offers, finding ways of attracting the right people involves creativity and resilience and last night’s ceremony also recognised the best of both, with NFU Mutual scooping up prizes for both Best Recruitment Website and Best Recruitment Video, VF winning Best Creative Idea ; Iceland with Jupiter receiving the award for Best Recruitment Campaign and BT Group being singled out for Best Early Careers Recruitment Campaign.

There were awards for iMultiply in both the Best Employer (small) and Best Candidate Acquisition Journey categories, while Strathclyde University was named  Best Employer (large).

The award for Best Recruitment Consultancy UK & International Operations went to

Pertemps. Peace Recruitment was named as Best Recruitment Consultancy Scottish Operations, while the award for Best Recruitment Consultancy Newcomer went to Utopian Professional Recruitment.

Gavin Mochan, Managing Director, s1 said:  “After such a challenging period it was hugely rewarding to be able to recognise the great work that is being done across the recruitment and HR sectors.

“We said when we launched this year’s awards that what mattered most in this industry was its people and last night’s examples of outstanding professionalism showed us the strength of the individuals who have maintained such high standards in the face of unforeseen challenges.

“The speed at which they responded to events was outstanding and we are now emerging from the Pandemic with an HR and recruitment industry that is even more focused and effective than it was at the start.

“Finding the right people for every job and creating the sort of work culture that encourages them to remain in position, is crucial not only to the success of organisations and businesses but also to the economy as a whole, so it is good to know that this sector is in such safe hands.”