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LW 2011 Law Awards Finalists: Talent Manager of the Year
Lawyers Weekly called for nominations from human resources and people managers in law firms for the Talent Manager of the Year Award. This award recognises achievements around staff retention…
Lawyers Weekly called for nominations from human resources and people managers in law firms for the Talent Manager of the Year Award. This award recognises achievements around staff retention and recruitment strategies, and acknowledges the work of human resources and people managers in contributing to the satisfaction levels of staff in their firm. Nominees will be judged on specific programs and initiatives to address retention, recruitment and satisfaction.
Criteria
- Brief profile of nominee, including significant achievements and accomplishments of note during their time with the organisation;
- An outline of relevant strategies implemented regarding staff retention and recruitment within the nominee's organization;
- Demonstrable examples of specific programs and initiatives that have addressed retention, recruitment and satisfaction within the nominee's organisaation.
The Talent Manager of the Year Award recognises one of the most important facets of running any organization: how to successfully manage and motivate people and how to attract and keep the best people.
In nominating finalists for this award, the Lawyers Weekly editorial team decided to make two recommendations to the judges, leaving it for them to decide who to give the award to, and who to nominate for a highly commended award.
| Gareth Bennett, director, people & development, Freehills The first finalist in this category is Gareth Bennett, director, people & development, at Freehills. Joining the firm in 2007, Bennett has been instrumental in developing a number of programs at Freehills. In particular, Bennett has assisted with the implementation of a program that looks at the most talented performers at Freehills, and the development of a strategy around that which develops emotional awareness, learning about the physiology of stress, ways to reduce and control stress, and enhance resilience and mental health awareness. Bennett has also played a key role in the development of the firm's retention strategies. In July 2010 he announced a new bonus plan that targeted attraction, retention and engagement strategies. The scheme is uncapped (a first in the Australian market) and is available to all lawyers. The scheme has delivered significantly larger bonuses for leading lawyers below the partner level at Freehills, and has looked to take a holistic view of the strengths and contributions of the firm's lawyers.
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| Vicki Thompson, HR Manager, Canberra, Clayton Utz Vicki Thompson is the HR Manager - Canberra for Clayton Utz, and in that role she has been the catalyst for the adoption of policies throughout the firm. After being approached by a Canberra lawyer, returning to work at the firm after a period of parental leave, in relation to having a room for breast feeding, Thompson ensured such a facility was provided and the firm was recognised as a breastfeeding-friendly workplace by the Australian Breastfeeding Association. Thompson also helped to co-ordinate the pooling of resources throughout all of the firm's Australian HR teams to ensure a Breastfeeding Friendly Workplace Policy was drafted. Thompson also ensured training for Canberra staff in Mental Health Fist Aid (MHFA). Thompson liaised with the HR managers at Blake Dawson, Mallesons Stephen Jaques and Minter Ellison in Canberra to ensure their respective resources could be pooled to give HR managers and firm representatives training in MHFA.
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| The 2011 Talent Manager of the Year Award is proudly sponsored by LexisNexis. |
For full details of the finalists in each category, click on the links below.
• Dolman In-House Lawyer or Team Award
• Phoenix Managing Partner of the Year
• Project Futures Dealmaker of the Year
• The College of Law Law Student of the Year
• Toll Practice Manager of the Year
• Philips Box-Breaker of the Year
• LexisNexis Talent Manager of the Year
Stay tuned to find out who the winners are - to be announced at a cocktail party held at the Sydney Opera House on Thursday, August 4, 2011.
