North East HR&D Awards Triumph for ICG

The Inn Collection Group are celebrating further recognition of the successes of its People team after awards success at the 2023 North East Human Resources and Development Awards.

Featured with two nominations, it was in the HR&D Team of the Year category that saw ICG walk away with top honours, recognising innovative approaches to rapid expansion recruitment, retention and wellbeing by The Inn Collection Group.

Raising the profile of the HR&D profession across the region and celebrating the value that HR&D can deliver in improving work and working lives, the awards showcase practitioners in the region whilst also championing the diversity of organisations delivering excellent HR&D.

Established just eighteen months ago with the appointment of people director Liz Robertson, the ICG people team has grown rapidly, now boasting seven professionals driving high standards and developments that have recently seen the group named as one of the UK’s best places to work.

Investment in learning has seen the establishment of leadership and mental health awareness programmes as well as a new Chef Academy aiming to tackle one of the key recruitment challenges in the hospitality industry.

A new reward scheme and a community-led charity project that raised more than £60,000 has further enhanced well-being within the group’s colleague pool, whilst the recent appointment of an accommodations manager provides a vital service to those living in at venues across the north.

Instead of trophies, working with Ingram Valley Farm and the team at Treephy, the North East HR&D Awards planted nine cherry trees – one for each winner – in the stunning surroundings of Ingram Valley in Northumberland to recognise the winners in a truly green way.

Winning out against fellow finalists Opencast and ScS, the result was unexpected by Robertson for whom simply being nominated was a milestone achievement on its own.

Reacting to the win, she said: “I’m still as speechless as I was when I got on stage to receive this award! Just to be nominated was a huge achievement for us with our team incredibly new and one I felt we could all be really proud of.

“Being up there with Cate Kalson and Lucy Clough’s teams, never in my wildest dreams did I imagine we’d win so thank you to all the organisers, particularly Dr. Elouise Leonard-Cross for giving us a final nudge to put our hat in the ring.

“Justine Bailie, Catherine Bellhouse, Ashleigh Fenwick, Jake Henderson, Rebecca Kidd, Grace Matthews and Jason Mobbs are a fantastic team who are committed to our people across ICG and I am very proud of what they have achieved in such a short space of time.”