Frequently Asked Questions - HR Excellence Awards

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• What awards are presented?

  The HR Excellence Awards program consists of two independent award programs.

  THE HR EXCELLENCE AWARD
  This award is presented to one or more organizations that are judged to demonstrate a standard of excellence in all of the following five criteria:
  1. Human Resources Strategy
  2. HR Management Practices
  3. Employee Education, Training & Development
  4. Measurement of the HR Performance
  5. Employee Well-Being & Engagement
  
  THE FACET AWARD
  The Facet Award recognizes excellence in any one of the above five criteria. Your organization may apply specifically for a Facet Award in one or more areas. If your organization applies for but does not win an overall HR Excellence Award, your organization will still be considered for a Facet Award if it meets or exceeds standards of excellence in one or more of the above five criteria.

• How do I know if my company is eligible?

   Organizations located in the Nashville area* are eligible to apply for the HR Excellence Award and the Facet Award. An organization is only eligible to win the HR Excellence Award once every three years. Organizations are eligible to apply for more than one Facet Award each year, but are only eligible to win a Facet Award in the same category once.
  
  *Nashville area includes the following Tennessee counties: Cheatham, Davidson, Dickson, Maury, Montgomery, Robertson, Rutherford, Sumner, Williamson and Wilson.
  

• Why should my company enter?

  The HR Excellence program is more than just an awards competition. It offers real benefits to every company that enters.
  
  The HR Excellence Awards program recognizes organizations with outstanding human resources programs. But don't think you need to have an outstanding HR program -- or any HR program -- to apply. If you want to leverage the power of your workforce to help you reach your business goals, the HR Excellence Awards program is for you.
  
  While many prominent Nashville-area companies participate for the prestige of winning top honors, many more businesses -- large and small -- participate in order to learn about best practices and reap the benefits of feedback, guidance and support. Participation gives you access to advice, inspiration and tools that will empower you to overcome even the toughest employment, retention, compensation and workplace quality challenges.
  
  The HR Excellence Awards program does more than just celebrate companies with the best HR programs. It helps companies build outstanding HR programs. It can take your people management programs from non-existent to good -- or from good to great. The end result? High profits, lower costs, less risk and fewer headaches.
  

• I have a small business. Why should I participate?

  If you're the owner of a business that doesn't have a professional HR staff, you already know that workforce management tasks can be frustrating and time-consuming. That's why participation in the HR Excellence Awards program is so valuable. The application process gives you a comprehensive self-assessment of your organization's current practices. The feedback process gives you access to the area's top human resources experts whose guidance will help you develop new and better ways of responding to the most common people-related problems. Here are just a few examples:
  
  You can't keep employees. As soon as you hire and train employees, they're giving their notice. How can you stop the bleeding?
  
  You have morale problems. Remember that one bad apple? He's working for you. How can you keep employees with attitude from hijacking your entire workforce?
  
  Your business is changing. Competitors are moving in and they're offering lower prices. How can you rely on your workforce to help you compete?
  
  You suspect you have compliance issues. You've watched other business owners make mistakes with payroll, hiring or terminations that have ended up costing them big. How can you avoid the same traps?
  
  Participation in the HR Excellence Awards program will:
  • Show you how to identify profitability leaks caused by turnover, performance problems and morale issues, and to minimize the risks of non-compliance.
  • Give you new ways to solve people-related problems that have always seemed like an unavoidable cost of doing business.
  • Reveal whether your organization might be ready for a professional human resources function and, if so, give you the direction you need to get one started. You'll also get a detailed feedback report prepared by the panel of examiners and three complimentary seats at the fall Best Practices workshop.
  

• I have a large business. What’s the benefit of applying?

  Participation in the HR Excellence Awards program gives you a great way to assess your current human resources function and evaluate their results. The application process gives you a comprehensive self-assessment of your organization's current practices, while the feedback process answers questions that many executives ask:
  
  • How do you define excellence in HR practices?
  • How do I know if my HR initiatives are focusing on the right things?
  • How do I measure the results of my HR staff?
  • How do the world's best companies run their HR organization?
  
  Participation in the HR Excellence Awards program will answer these questions -- and more. It will also help fine-tune your company's HR systems and processes, prepare you to face any future challenge and give you:
  
  • A comprehensive HR audit. You'll learn how your firm's HR programs and processes stack up against benchmarks of excellence and you'll know what to do to improve.
  • Reconnaissance. You'll get feedback about how your HR processes stack up against your top competitors in the talent marketplace.
  • New ideas. You'll get exposure to best practices in the HR field and learn how to apply them in your organization.
  
  You'll also get a detailed feedback report prepared by the panel of examiners and three complimentary seats at the fall Best Practices workshop.
  
  

• What are the benefits for applicants?

   All applicants will receive:
  • Recognition at the annual award luncheon.
  • A detailed feedback report prepared by the panel of examiners.
  • Company listing in the annual luncheon invitation.
  • Three complimentary seats at the fall Best Practices workshop.
  

• What are the benefits for HR Excellence Award recipients?

  • Winner(s) will be recognized at the HR Excellence Award luncheon. Attending winner representatives will receive specially placed seating.
  • Winner(s) will be recognized in press releases sent to local media.
  • Winner(s) will receive recognition at a monthly MT|SHRM membership meeting.
  • The HR department of each winning organization will receive an engraved award in recognition of their achievement.
  • Winning organizations will receive a special logo recognizing them as an HR Excellence awardee to use in their marketing and recruiting.
  • Award winners will receive feedback and results of their HR program evaluation based on information submitted.
  • Winning companies will have the opportunity to lead a follow-up "Best Practices" program.
  • A representative of the winning organizations may be asked to serve on the panel of examiners for the HR Excellence Awards the following year.
  

• I’m an HR professional. Why should I participate?

  Are you looking for a way to confirm that your initiatives are adding value and getting results? Do you want top executives to develop a better understanding of the strategic role you play in your organization? Do you need to demonstrate that you deserve a seat at the table?
  
  The HR Excellence Awards program can help. Whether you're a top HR executive who wants to see how your programs compare to industry rivals, or a lone HR professional serving a small organization, participation will benefit you. In fact, it may be a career-enhancing move! By guiding your company through the application and evaluation process, you are sending a clear message to line executives:

  • You're proactive. Dedicated to continuous improvement, you're constantly scanning the horizon for anything that will make your HR initiatives more effective.
  • You're strategic. You're a big-picture thinker who is eager to help your executive team anticipate the people-related implications of every operational decision.
  • You care about the bottom line. Your dedication to getting results motivates you to hold your programs up for examination by the area's leading HR experts.