Gary Browning

Gary’s outstanding achievement award recognises his transformative impact on the recruitment industry. Entering the sector in 2002 as CEO of Penna plc, Gary revitalised the business, expanding it from outplacement to a comprehensive talent solutions provider. His leadership led to key outsourcing projects, including recruitment for critical national roles. After successfully selling Penna to Adecco in 2016, Gary continued to influence the sector, building a diverse portfolio of businesses, including Nash Squared. His commitment to youth employment, through supporting charities like Career Academies UK, reflects his dedication to eliminating NEET (not in employment, education or training).

Judges comments:

During his 14 years as CEO he transformed Penna to a multifaceted, talent solutions provider, covering outplacement, assessment, recruitment and outsourcing.  Having successfully sold Penna to Adecco in 2016, Gary has built up an impressive portfolio of business including Chairman of Harvey Nash, or Nash Squared as they are now known, an education business, a global talent mobility business and a large graduate and early- in-careers company. 

Cpl's Talent Evolution Group

Cpl’s Talent Evolution Group, the talent solutions division of Cpl Group, delivers advanced, end-to-end talent solutions tailored to client needs across multiple industries. Offering a full suite of services, including RPO, MSP, SOW, assessments, outplacement, and consultancy, they support businesses in transforming their talent sourcing, hiring, and management practices. As part of OSI Group, a top 10 global staffing company, they are positioned to provide localised global talent solutions, leveraging a vast network spanning 39 countries and six continents. Their modular ‘Elements of Talent Innovation’ approach enables them to offer bespoke solutions that evolve alongside our clients’ growth, ensuring strategic alignment with their business goals and talent challenges. With expertise across recruitment, HR, data analytics, technology, and digital marketing, they are at the forefront of shaping the talent function of the future.

Judges comments:

The judges praised Cpl’s Talent Evolution Group for their outstanding efforts in designing and executing a tailored graduate recruitment program for their client. Their innovative and inclusive approach, which integrates advanced assessment tools, blind evaluation processes, and personalised candidate support, fostered diversity and ensured alignment with the client’s values and strategic goals.

AMS

AMS is a global leader in Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO), distinguished by its unique blend of RPO and Advisory services. Offering integrated solutions across Assessment, Insights, Technology, and Employer Branding, AMS works with some of the world’s most recognisable brands to deliver insight-driven strategies for professional hiring, skills shortages, and Early Talent. Their Employer Brand Advisory service is particularly valued, enabling clients to attract top talent by enhancing their employer brand through strategic, research-based insights. By bringing everything together under one roof, AMS eliminates the need for multiple suppliers, providing a seamless, holistic approach to talent solutions.

AMS helped their client attract early talent aligned with its values of people, transformation, and community. Aiming to position itself as an inclusive employer, they wanted to appeal to individuals who are eager to embrace change while remaining authentic. AMS used insights from sources like Bright Network, Universum, and Spotify, along with input from current graduates and apprentices, to shape a compelling messaging framework. The resulting EVP, ‘The next chapter. It starts here,’ was paired with authentic imagery of early talent within the client, emphasising upskilling, development opportunities, and the client’s commitment to mental health and wellbeing.

Judges comments:

AMS were praised for their innovative and strategic approach to employer branding, which effectively positioned their client as an inclusive and values-driven employer. By leveraging deep insights into target audiences, including school leavers and parents, AMS crafted authentic messaging through campaigns like “The Next Chapter.” AMS’ efforts significantly boosted their client’s talent attraction and retention efforts.

Reed Talent Solutions

Reed Talent Solutions (RTS) is a leading provider of workforce solutions, offering tailored talent acquisition and training services that help organisations access a diverse talent pool. They provide full-spectrum services, from market analytics and employer branding to inclusive talent strategies, all aligned with organisational goals. With access to the UK’s largest talent database of 22 million candidates, expertise across 20 sectors, and a 500-strong supply chain, they set themselves apart as subject matter experts. Their purpose, “improving lives through work,” drives everything they do. By embedding Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) across the talent lifecycle, they help clients make impactful changes that enhance both candidate experience and diversity outcomes, tailoring solutions to each client’s unique needs.

Reed Talent Solutions worked to support their client’s DE&I goals. With an existing gender disparity—women representing only 25.7% of the workforce—and challenges in attracting older workers and career changers, they sought RTS’s expertise to reach underrepresented demographics. Reed were tasked with developing a solution to increase interest from female applicants and older workers, particularly in the clients front-line contact centre Billing and Support teams. By working closely with their client’s recruitment, employer branding, and onboarding teams, Reed designed a bespoke approach that helped the organisation meet its DE&I targets and attract a more diverse workforce.

Judges comments:

Reed Talent Solutions demonstrated an exceptional ability to deliver customised, data-driven solutions. Their innovative approach, including a CV-less process, reskilling courses, and simplified interviews, helped their client improve employee retention by over 20% and achieve higher customer satisfaction, showcasing their commitment to aligning recruitment practices with the client’s goals and values.

Category Sponsor:

Highly Commended

Sevenstep

Sevenstep is a multi-disciplinary, consultative workforce solutions provider that positions clients to be “ready for everything” in shifting markets. They offer data-driven, adaptable solutions, enabling businesses to navigate volatility and adjust to future challenges. With a focus on agility, in-house innovation, and technology, their RPO service supports adaptable talent acquisition functions. Their proprietary Sevayo® Insights platform aggregates data to predict issues and optimise solutions, while their MSP service provides improved access to talent, cost control, and workforce visibility. With a 95% client retention rate, Sevenstep delivers scalable strategies to align workforce solutions with broader business objectives.

Sevenstep responded to an urgent hiring demand from a Fortune Ten healthcare client as it established a Dublin-based Employer Assistance Program (EAP). Using its proprietary Sevayo® Insights platform, Sevenstep combined predictive analytics and total talent strategies to address requisitions at risk of aging. Their machine-learning model predicted roles that would face delays and enabled them to act quickly by deploying contractors for roles with longer hiring cycles. Within 19 days, they delivered a team of 20 contractors and, within four months, successfully secured the entire team. This approach significantly reduced hiring time compared to traditional methods, leveraging contingent and permanent workforce solutions.

Judges comments:

By leveraging its Sevayo® Insights platform, Sevenstep accurately predicted recruitment challenges, optimised resource allocation, and dramatically reduced time-to-fill for both contingent and permanent roles. Their advanced use of data integration, combined with automated sourcing tools and specialised recruitment strategies, enabled them to deliver a fully operational team in 19 days — achieving exceptional client satisfaction and operational success.

Category Sponsor:

Omni RMS

Omni helps organisations transform their talent strategies to drive success, taking a consultancy-first approach that blends insights, technology, and innovation. With nearly 30 years of experience, they offer services such as Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO), talent strategy, executive search, and tech recruitment. Their proprietary Resourcing Effectiveness Assessment (REA) sets them apart, allowing organisations to audit, assess, and improve their ROI on talent acquisition. Through their expertise and partnership with the CIPD, they help businesses optimise their talent strategies, with a proven track record of delivering transformative solutions.

Omni’s proprietary REA framework is designed to drive organisational change by auditing recruitment maturity and benchmarking against industry best practices. The REA focuses on four core pillars, including DE&I, and evaluates efficiency metrics like attraction marketing ROI, pipeline conversion, and time to hire. Each element is rated based on the level of maturity, with clear recommendations and timelines to improve organisational effectiveness. The REA provides actionable insights that allow businesses to optimise their resourcing processes and drive long-term success.

Judges comments:

Through their Resourcing Effectiveness Assessment (REA), Omni transforms talent acquisition by auditing recruitment practices, benchmarking against industry standards, and delivering actionable insights. Omni have successfully improved DE&I outcomes, boosted hiring strategies, and achieved measurable results, such as a 44% reduction in time-to-hire and significant increases in diverse hiring. This innovative and consultative approach has enabled continuous improvements for their clients.

Category Sponsor:

AMS

AMS is a talent solutions business that stands out through its continuous pursuit of improvement and commitment to user experience. They deliver the Public Sector Resourcing (PSR) framework where they manage around 18,000 contingent workers across 150+ UK government departments and oversee circa £6.3 billion in spend, generating over £314 million in cost savings over the last five years. Their approach integrates Innovation, Social Value (SV), and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging (DEIB) into everything they do. Notably, the AMS Diversity & Inclusion Alliance fosters collaboration to improve workforce representation and inform talent strategies. Their Recruit, Train, Deploy (RTD) service line has provided over 170+ individuals from diverse backgrounds access to careers in sectors with skills shortages. With a tailored supply chain of 300 suppliers, 70% of which are SMEs, they drive value while supporting broader government goals.

At AMS, DEIB is central to the organisational culture and operations. Their DEIB Centre of Excellence (COE), established in 2022, ensures that best practices and innovation are embedded in their services. The Social Value Strategy, which has been developed specifically for the PSR framework, is aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the UK Government Social Value Model with a key focus on ‘Equal Opportunity,’ driving inclusive recruitment processes that reflect local community demographics within the workforce. They are dedicated to creating long-term, sustainable change, especially for underrepresented groups, and expanding DEIB to contractor workforces, where it has traditionally been overlooked.

Judges comments:

Through initiatives such as the creation of the Diversity & Inclusion Alliance and the pioneering OMNIS platform, AMS transformed how diversity data is captured and utilised in contingent hiring for the public sector. Their commitment to driving inclusive hiring practices, reflected in programs like the Guaranteed Interview Scheme and the PSR Skills Academy, has significantly increased representation from underrepresented groups. Their focus on collaboration, continuous improvement, and embedding DE&I into their business operations has delivered measurable success and long-term, sustainable change across both their organisation and their clients’ workforces.

Category Sponsor:

Highly Commended

Retinue Solutions

Retinue Solutions has been a leader in Neutral Vendor and Managed Services across sectors like Healthcare, Care, FM, Construction, and Social Housing for 13 years. Their strength lies in their unique combination of recruitment, technology, and supply chain management. They lead the way in integrating ESG and DE&I initiatives into their solutions, ensuring that they give back to the communities they serve. Over the past year, they have implemented a Social Value Policy, partnered with the Social Value Portal, and achieved multiple accreditations, including Investors in Diversity for Small Businesses. With £1 billion in spend under management and a vast network of agency partners, their scale and compliance are unmatched, but it’s their focus on delivering a truly exceptional experience that makes them stand out.

In one of their long-term partnerships, they have supported their ESG goals and driven the success of their Social Value and Diversity initiatives. Key contributions include sponsoring a Community Art Wall Project in collaboration with local artists, working with the Social Value Portal to document NHG’s outputs, and implementing a fully inclusive recruitment campaign in partnership with Bridge of Hope. They’ve also enhanced NHG’s recruitment processes by introducing inclusive hiring practices and skills-based training for their team, while hosting an event on breaking down barriers to employment. Through these efforts, they have consistently exceeded expectations and delivered tangible social value.

Judges comments:

Through partnerships with organisations like the Social Value Portal and Bridge of Hope, Retinue Solutions delivered inclusive hiring practices, championed social value projects, and supported community enrichment efforts such as local arts initiatives and workshops for employment readiness. Their innovative approaches—such as anonymous CVs, inclusive recruitment campaigns, and wellbeing workshops—demonstrated a commitment to sustainability, diversity, and social responsibility, creating lasting value for clients and their communities.

ManpowerGroup Talent Solutions in partnership with JLR

As a Talent Acquisition partner of JLR, ManpowerGroup Talent Solutions collaborates with JLR to provide a full spectrum of services, from recruitment to compliance, while supporting the future-focused Propulsion team in developing the next generation of electric drive systems.

In response to the competitive global talent market for electric propulsion specialists, JLR and ManpowerGroup Talent Solutions collaborated to launch a recruitment drive to hire 270 Propulsion professionals in 2024. With a shortage of domestic talent, the initiative targeted both UK and international candidates. A thorough market analysis informed the media and creative strategy, which emphasised JLR’s unique work environment and the meaningful impact of their projects. Key themes such as career empowerment, DE&I, work-life balance, innovation, and purposeful work were at the heart of the campaign. The focus was on highlighting JLR’s state-of-the-art facilities, flexibility, and inclusive, supportive culture, resonating with the values and motivations of potential candidates.

Judges comments:

ManpowerGroup Talent Solutions impressed the judges with their innovative, data-driven approach to recruiting top propulsion and battery technology specialists in a highly competitive market. Through targeted media campaigns on Google and LinkedIn, creative video content, and inclusive messaging, the campaign attracted over 16,000 applications and exceeded its hiring goals. By incorporating diverse voices and leveraging advanced digital tools, ManpowerGroup demonstrated excellence in engaging talent across global markets.

Resource Bank

ResourceBank is the UK’s leading RPO for mid-sized organisations, specialising in delivering a high customer service approach. They work exclusively with clients who hire between 20 and 2000 staff annually, becoming an extension of their recruitment function. What sets them apart is their focus on hiring manager and candidate satisfaction, supported by a team of customer service-driven recruiters, the latest technology to streamline the process, and a proactive promotion of their clients’ employer brand. They aim to become carbon neutral by 2026 and are proud of their CSR initiatives, including building a school in Nepal for 140 children in a remote area.

One of their long-term partnerships began in 2007 with the recruitment of 150 staff for a flagship store. By 2019, they were hiring 800 staff annually for roles across 28 UK locations. When the pandemic hit, they pivoted to support other clients, but as air travel recovered, they successfully hired 1,020 staff in just three months in 2022—far exceeding expectations. This allowed their client to reopen all stores and meet sales targets. Since then, their partnership has continued to grow, with ongoing recruitment of over 1,000 staff each year and the development of a new career’s website launching in 2024.

Judges comments:

ResourceBank has shown exceptional commitment to building a strong and collaborative relationship with its client for over 17 years. Their innovative use of technology, focus on satisfaction, and deep integration as an extension of the client’s HR team resulted in improved hiring efficiency, quality candidates, and significant cost savings, all while helping the client achieve critical business targets.

Category Sponsor:

Highly Commended

Reed Talent Solutions

Reed Talent Solutions (RTS) is a leading workforce solutions provider, specialising in tailored talent acquisition and training services that help organisations access the diverse talent they need to thrive. With access to the UK’s largest talent database of 22 million candidates, recruitment expertise across 20 specialist sectors, and a robust supply chain of over 500 partners, they are uniquely positioned to deliver inclusive talent strategies aligned with organisational goals. Their local, highly trained Reed co-members work closely with clients, often on-site, to provide bespoke services supported by an advanced technology stack of proprietary and third-party platforms. As a family-owned business, RTS is agile and adaptable, committed to building trusted partnerships, valuing diversity, and continuously supporting clients in achieving their goals.

Since 2010, RTS has partnered with their client to address  challenges such as spending reductions, skills shortages, and the need to develop permanent Qualified Social Workers. Their solutions have driven savings through streamlined processes and provided flexible resourcing models to address key skill gaps. Through initiatives like their triage service and support for university students in social care settings, they help the client meet its long-term resourcing needs in an economical, sustainable way.

Judges comments:

The judges praised Reed Talent Solutions for their exceptional ability to adapt and provide tailored workforce solutions that consistently align with their client’s evolving needs. By combining robust cost-saving initiatives, such as reducing spend through tenure and rate management, and implementing innovative resourcing models, Reed Talent Solutions has demonstrated sustainable value. With a proven track record of flexibility, deep market insights, and long-term impact, the partnership has driven success across multiple fronts.

Category Sponsor:

Highly Commended

WilsonHCG

WilsonHCG is an award-winning global leader in total talent solutions, operating across 65+ countries and six continents. As a strategic partner, they help some of the world’s most admired brands build comprehensive talent functions through a suite of configurable services, including RPO, executive search, contingent workforce solutions, talent consulting, and labour market intelligence. They pride themselves on being innovators in RPO, driving its evolution from a transactional service to a consultative, strategic solution. Their key differentiators include their talent intelligence platform, enabling clients to make more strategic talent decisions, and our collaborative approach, where clients have input into team selection. WilsonHCG’s reputation for agility, partnership, and exceptional service is highlighted by being ranked the world’s No.1 global RPO provider in HRO Today’s 2023 Baker’s Dozen.

At WilsonHCG, they empower excellence through a culture centred on their core values of Collaboration, Ownership, Integrity, Communication, and Passion. Their focus on employee development ensures that their people grow personally and professionally, with 87% of their leaders participating in ongoing leadership development and 65% of senior employees have been with them for five or more years. They offer leadership programmes, specialist certifications, and engagement initiatives like their BRITE committee, peer-to-peer recognition system, and wellness programmes, all fostering a strong sense of belonging and long-term career growth.

Judges comments:

With a comprehensive set of programmes supporting leadership growth, internal recruitment, and continuous learning, WilsonHCG prioritises employee satisfaction and retention, achieving an involuntary turnover rate of less than 4%. They displayed exceptional focus on fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, and professional development. Their commitment to diversity and inclusion, with 57% of their executive team being women, combined with high employee engagement—94% stating it’s a great place to work—solidifies their reputation as an employer of choice.

Category Sponsor:

Highly Commended

AMS

AMS triumphed as the overall winner of the night, securing the prestigious Talent Solutions Provider of the Year award alongside their other category wins. Their success reflects a strong track record in talent solutions, particularly in Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO), Employer Brand Advisory, and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging (DEIB).

With a global presence and a focus on integrating RPO with advisory services, AMS delivers end-to-end talent strategies that help businesses navigate skills shortages, attract early talent, and enhance their employer brand. AMS also excels in DEIB initiatives, managing a diverse talent pool for the UK government via the Public Sector Resourcing (PSR) framework that they deliver and creating a significant impact through their Diversity & Inclusion Alliance and Recruit, Train, Deploy service. Their commitment to innovation, social value, and fostering sustainable change is reflected in their operations and strategy, ensuring long-term success for their clients and communities alike.

Judges comments:

Judges determined AMS’s capability, deep expertise and a focus on long term, sustainable solutions across a wide range of talent solutions activities were the key factors in awarding them Talent Solutions Provider of the Year.