Overview

The HR Leadership Awards are part of an ongoing effort to develop, promote and advance HR leadership at the University of Iowa and to promote, advance, and recognize the importance of leadership, partnerships, commitment, and organizational success achieved as a team effort.

The annual awards will recognize two individuals and one team from the campus community in the following categories:

1. The Outstanding HR Business Partner of the Year (individual)
2. The Outstanding Strategic HR Business Partner of the Year (individual)
3. The Partners in Progress Team Award (team)

Sponsored by University Finance and Operations and Human Resources, these awards will be presented at the annual Campus HR & Business Conference. 

The individual awards will recognize HR leaders across campus who function as business partners, demonstrate key HR leadership competencies, serve as role models for other HR professionals and provide outstanding service, exemplary leadership, strategic vision and commitment to continuous development that advances the importance of the HR function in creating long-term business value. Each award comes with $1,000 in cash paid through special compensation, as well as a commemorative gift.

The team award will be given to a team of Human Resources and Business leaders from the campus community who have worked collaboratively and effectively to achieve a successful outcome.  The team may be recognized for demonstrating exemplary leadership, building and maintaining effective partnerships, serving as a role model of personal integrity and high ethical standards or other noteworthy accomplishment(s). Each member of the team will receive a special compensation payment of up to $500, up to a maximum of $3,000.

For example, if there are six members of the team, each member will receive $500 paid through special compensation.  If there are ten members of the team, each will receive $300 paid through special compensation.

Eligibility

Nominees for the individual and team awards must be a part of the University of Iowa Human Resources or Business Communities within a college/division, department/unit, Health Care Human Resources or University HR. They must also be a regular (non-temporary) employee at 50% time or greater, in good standing. Nominees for the team award may consist of members exclusively within a college/division/department/unit or from various colleges/divisions/departments/units. 

Criteria

The Outstanding HR Business Partner Award is typically given to an HR professional in a generalist or specialist role with a minimum of 2 years of HR experience and responsibilities such as, but not limited to, managing projects, programs and initiatives, implementing plans, and supporting the strategy of their organization.  The nomination information should provide evidence that the HR professional demonstrates the following competencies:

• Leadership & Navigation
  • Successfully develops and manages programs, policies, and procedures to support the organizational objectives.
  • Translates vision into specific functional or departmental initiatives.

• Business Acumen
  • Skilled in building business cases for HR projects.
  • Demonstrates a big picture understanding of the business, its interrelationships, and priorities.
  • Knowledge of business process design techniques that encourage a critical, fresh look at key processes and focus on optimizing organizational performance, eliminating waste and increasing effectiveness.

• Global and Cultural Effectiveness
  • Promotes the benefits of a diverse and inclusive workforce.
  • Adopts behaviors to navigate different cultural conditions, situations and people.
  • Uses the organization’s policies and philosophy toward diversity and inclusion to inform business decisions and implementation of HR programs, practices and policies.

• Relationship Management/Communicating for Effective Relationships
  • Empowers others to establish collaborative, healthy relationships.
  • Establishes and maintains credibility and can influence individuals inside and outside their own group while also earning their respect.

• Critical Evaluation
  • Identify patterns in data and raise relevant issues in collaboration with departmental/organizational leadership
  • Defines, captures and monitors HR metrics

• Change Management
  • Leads and supports changes in strategy, organization and/or operations.
  • Aligns and deploys HR programs to support change initiatives.

The Outstanding Strategic HR Business Partner Award is typically given to an experienced generalist or specialist with a minimum of five years of HR experience with responsibilities such as, but not limited to, developing and leading implementation plans, analyzing business information, functioning as organizational leader and designer of HR strategy. The nomination information should provide evidence that the HR professional demonstrates the following competencies:
 

• Leadership & Navigation
  • Drives alignment and buy-in at all levels in the various units across the organization.
  • Champions behaviors that inspire cohesiveness and move the organization to reach a vision.

• Business Acumen
  • Develops HR business strategies to drive key business results.
  • Participates in creating organizational strategy; shows how their own function contributes to results.
  • Demonstrates mastery of business process improvements; has a key role in setting strategy and best practices for business process improvement; focused on accountability and outcomes.

• Global and Cultural Effectiveness
  • Promotes a culture that values diversity, equity and inclusion.
  • Advocates for the strategic connection of diversity, equity and inclusion practices to organizational success.
  • Drives an HR strategy that leverages diversity, equity and inclusion as well as cultural differences for organizational success.

• Relationship Management/Communicating for Effective Relationships
  • Coaches others on the value, challenges and methods of collaborative partnerships.
  • Establishes and maintains credibility while influencing individuals inside and outside their own group and earning their respect.

• Critical Evaluation
  • Demonstrates knowledge of advance analytical techniques used to interpret data and facilitate effective recommendations.
  • Uses HR metrics to measure effectiveness and promote a culture of continuous improvement.

• Change Management
  • Works with organizational leadership to identify when and where change may or may not be necessary.
  • Partners with others to achieve change objectives and goals.
  • Oversees implementation of change initiatives throughout the organization and the institution.

The Partners in Progress Award will typically be given to a group that has worked together for a minimum of six months.   The nomination information should share the story of collaboration that led to a successful outcome and provide evidence to demonstrate that the group epitomizes the following competencies:

• Collaboration/Teamwork
  • Understands the necessity and value of teamwork.
  • Demonstrates the ability to work effectively as part of a team.
  • Shows respect for differences and diversity.
  • Earns trust, respect and loyalty of team members.
  • Focuses on team accomplishments and sharing credit.

• Integrity
  • Demonstrates sound business ethics and consistently promotes and adheres to values and principles in their work.
  • Exhibits a personal standard of excellence marked by honesty and integrity.
  • Builds trust with coworkers across organizational and functional boundaries.
  • Ensures that individual and team actions build the organization's reputation for excellent business practices.
  • Leads with transparency and approachability.

• Results-Oriented
  • Creates a team environment of accountability and commitment for reaching project goals.
  • Reinforces positive contributions and recommends adjustments for improving outcomes.
  • Monitors personal and team activity against expectations.
  • Advocates on behalf of the team.
  • Takes actions to ensure the success of the team.