CIPM-Mercer unveil The Great HR Awards 2025

The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) Sri Lanka, in collaboration with Mercer, announced The Great HR Awards 2025, an inaugural initiative that marks a new chapter in recognising HR excellence in Sri Lanka. 

Designed to be the most prestigious recognition in the country’s HR landscape, the awards will celebrate organisations that set benchmarks in HR practices, workplace culture, technology integration and industrial relations. 

With Mercer’s global expertise and CIPM’s national leadership, the programme combines international standards with local relevance, ensuring recognition that is both meaningful and impactful.

The Great HR Awards are open to organisations of all sizes and sectors, providing a platform for every business to showcase HR strategies that drive success and shape the future of work. The awards aim to encourage a culture of continuous improvement while giving visibility to organisations that lead through innovation, inclusion and strategic HR leadership.

The Great HR Awards Project Committee Chairman Dr. Neil Bogahalande said, “The Great HR Awards celebrate excellence in HR practices and inspire continuous improvement. By recognising impactful initiatives, we encourage others to raise their standards and highlight the role HR plays in building a future-ready workforce.”

CIPM Council President Priyantha Ranasinghe noted, “The Great HR Awards is a prestigious platform that celebrates excellence, innovation and impact in HR across Sri Lanka. It is more than a competition. It recognises organisations that champion progressive people practices, foster inclusive cultures and create strategic value through HR leadership. Whether you are a large enterprise, a medium-sized company or a small business, your story matters.”

The awards will feature several levels of recognition. At the highest point is the Grand Winner title, awarded to the organisation that demonstrates unmatched achievement across all evaluation criteria. This recognition is reserved for the most outstanding applicant whose HR strategy reflects innovation, excellence and sustained impact. Category Awards will recognise large enterprises, medium-sized organisations and small-scale innovators, with winners, runners-up and merit recognitions in each group. 

Sector Awards will honour organisations across 15 industries, recognising those whose HR practices are tailored to meet sector-specific challenges while driving measurable results. Excellence Awards will also recognise achievements in key areas of HR practice, spotlighting innovation, strategic depth and measurable impact.

Participation offers a range of benefits, from national recognition to benchmarking opportunities and from strengthening an employer brand to motivating and celebrating HR teams for their contributions. The awards not only provide a platform to showcase achievements but also offer the opportunity to learn from others, share best practices and contribute to raising the standard of HR across the country.

Applications for The Great HR Awards 2025 are now open and will close on August 27, 2025. The Grand Award Ceremony will be held on November 25, 2025, at Cinnamon Life, Colombo. The launch was held on the 18th at Cinnamon Grand. 

For further information, interested parties may contact Ashrath Naleem on 071 645 0571 or Nishanthini Palanisamy on 071 645 0518. General enquiries can be directed to the CIPM Sri Lanka Secretariat on 011 21 999 88.