Jessica O'ConnorThe CIPD has announced the shortlisted finalists for the 2026 HR Awards in Ireland, recognising organisations across all sectors.
Sponsored by Sanderson, the annual awards celebrate HR professionals and people teams committed to shaping better work and working lives.
The awards provide an opportunity for HR teams to demonstrate their influence and impact, with many previous finalists reporting stronger internal visibility and external credibility as a result.
Ciara Prendeville, deputy CEO at Metamo and a 2025 award winner, said: “Winning elevated Metamo’s status across the credit union sector and positioned us as leaders in HR innovation and organisational transformation.
“CIPD endorsement signals that your work meets the highest standards of people practice.”
Spanning 13 categories, the awards recognise excellence across people and culture, organisational change, L&D, EDI and HR excellence in small businesses.
Judges reviewed hundreds of submissions, with learning and development and equality, diversity and inclusion attracting the highest number of entries.
Four new categories introduced for 2026 — reward, global and future workforce strategy and inspirational leadership — also drew strong interest, underscoring the strategic importance of workforce planning, fair pay and leadership capability.
Meg Dunphy, HR policy and engagement manager for Ireland at CIPD, said: “This year’s awards celebrate organisations that are building sustainable, inclusive and future-ready cultures.
“The worthy finalists showcase investment in people, skills and agile strategies that drive performance and meet evolving business and employee needs.”
Several organisations received multiple nominations, including Boots Ireland, Tayto Snacks and Bank of Ireland, each shortlisted across four categories.
The Health and Safety Executive, Irish Rail and Tesco Ireland also appear in several categories, reflecting breadth across EDI, learning and development and overall people excellence.
Alison Hodgson, market director for Ireland at CIPD, said: “The HR and people teams behind this shortlist are going above and beyond to meet the evolving needs of their workforce and business.
“Their achievements are truly something to be proud of.”
