How to Create an IRP Award Winning Entry

We've listened to you and spoken to past Judges to get you the best and most useful tips on how to create an IRP award winning entry!

Be clear and stick to the brief

If you're entering the IRP awards you are, by definition, the kind of business/ professional that wants to go above and beyond and that's terrific! That’s what got you to the position you're in now and that's the quality that's helped your clients and your candidates... however! It's crucial to answer the specific questions of each category within that category. By all means apply for multiple categories if you have disparate projects or people you are particularly proud of! But within each category, make sure you're direct and to the point with your answers.

Be specific, give examples

Tangible returns on investments (ROIs), evidence of the difference a team or initiative has made, stand out case studies that distinctly demonstrate efficacy and merit- these are the kind of solid entries we're looking for. It doesn't have to be a novel (see above!), in fact we recommend no more than a 500-word answer MAX per question, just cover the what, when how and why of the thing you're proud of.

Differentiate

We get a lot of entries and we love that! The fact so many companies and individuals are proud of their work and willing to share the details of their success with us and their peers speaks volumes of their commitment to making the UK's recruitment industry the best in the world! This volume also means you'll also have to stand out from the crowd to be in with a chance of winning your category. What have you done differently, what is it about your business, team, yourself that is unique and award winning. We're sure you've got it, just tell us about it!

SPaG

Don't neglect your spelling punctuation and grammar! It makes it easier on judge's eyes and also shows you're pay attention to detail. One fair way to make sure your entry is error free (beyond a basic word/ google spell check) is to give it to someone who's never seen the entry before, someone from another department- maybe even someone from a completely different company (who knows nothing about you or your business) to get a fresh perspective. Do they understand it, is it clear about what you've done and why you should win in this category? This will give you a much better idea on how your entry will be viewed by an impartial judge who will also be looking at it with totally fresh and impartial eyes.

Inspire!

The IRP awards is about the very best of the best and a platform to promote the cutting edge in recruitment professional activity. We're looking for the most inspirational and motivated individuals and businesses to be cheerleaders of the UK recruitment and show the others how it's done! Don't only detail what you've done but also how that has impacted your clients, candidates, business and career in the real world.

Testimonials

Everything we do has an impact on someone else, the IRP awards are about positive strives in the recruitment industry and beyond. If someone has something good (and relevant) about you and how you've helped others, then we want to hear about it! Make sure it's relevant information and is still directly answering questions within the category you're entering into.

Learn from- and enjoy it!

Although, yes, technically this is work- it's also an opportunity for you to reflect on how you've performed, improved and the great things you've achieved so far! Writing an entry makes you look at all you've done, proudly, and gives you insight how you could do it even better going forward. We're fair with our entries and only judge on merit and performance, we shortlist every company that justly deserves it and award those that have gone above and beyond. Even if you don't win, you're part of the professional elite so you're on your way!