Recognising the best of the best in TA: Entries for the ITAs closing soon

The Internal Talent Awards inaugural year in 2020 saw many talent functions recognised for their great work and initiatives.

With entries closing on 2nd July, I got in touch with previous winner Pam Stroud, Executive Manager: Talent Attraction & Engagement Experience at REA Group to find out what really goes into the nomination process. And Pam knows a thing or two about how to pick up an ITA Award – her team at REA Group won the award for Excellence in Employer Branding AND Talent Team of the Year in 2020. 

Congratulations on your double win last year! How have the awards impacted your TA team?

Winning these awards has impacted us in a number of ways. First and foremost, it was wonderful recognition for the team for the work that they do but more importantly how they do it. We knew we did some interesting work so it was lovely to see that recognised externally, especially through Covid-19 which was a challenging time for most TA teams.

Winning these awards also made it easier to attract strong talent into our own TA team. Hiring great recruiters is tough in the current market – these awards really helped us stand out from the crowd.

What was the application process like? 

Applying for the awards was easy. We applied at the last minute – in fact, we submitted our application on the very last day! We kept our application short but backed by data which I believe spoke for itself.

Oh my goodness, so it’s not too late to enter for 2021!  Do you have any tips for TA teams looking to apply?

It’s not only about demonstrating value or ROI. Think about your team, how you operate, and how you’ve faced challenges together over the last 12 months. Also, don’t forget to consider the small wins – sometimes these are the most innovative and most impactful. Keep it real, honest, and humble. Share any innovative thinking, no matter how big or small, that you and your team have accomplished that will inspire and shape our industry.


For those looking to enter, you can choose from a range of categories and they are split based on team size:

Main Awards

  • Talent Team of the Year – Talent Team of 1 – 5
  • Talent Team of the Year – Talent Team of 6 or greater
  • Talent Leader of the Year  – Talent Team of 1 – 5
  • Talent Leader of the Year – Talent Team of 6 or greater
  • Talent Professional of the Year – Talent Team of 1 – 5
  • Talent Professional of the Year – Talent Team of 6 or greater

Category Awards

  • Excellence in Candidate Experience
  • Excellence in Diversity & Inclusion
  • Excellence in Employer Branding
  • Excellence in Onboarding
  • Excellence in Innovation
  • Best Tech Stack
  • Best Use of Video
  • Best Careers Website
  • Best Vendor Solution
  • Community Award

The ITA’s gives us the chance to recognise and reward the industry’s best. Here’s how to get involved:

Nominate/Enter: Nominations and Entries are being accepted via the ITA Website and close at midnight on 2nd July with finalists announced in early August.

Attend: Winners will be announced at the black-tie event in Melbourne at the Plaza Ballroom on Thursday 2nd September.  Enjoy a night of cocktails, canapés and celebrations. Grab yourself a ticket – Early Bird prices end 30th June.

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