Celebrating Excellence: CIPM Sri Lanka and Mercer Unveil The Great HR Awards 2025

The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) Sri Lanka, in collaboration with Mercer, has announced the launch of The Great HR Awards 2025—an inaugural initiative that sets a new standard for recognising HR excellence in Sri Lanka.

Positioned as the most prestigious accolade in the nation’s HR landscape, the awards will honour 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 blends international best practices with local relevance, ensuring recognition that is both meaningful and impactful.

A Platform for Every Organisation

The awards are open to businesses of all sizes and across all sectors, offering a platform to showcase HR strategies that drive success and shape the future of work in Sri Lanka.

“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.”
— Dr. Neil Bogahalande, Chairman, Great HR Awards Project Committee

“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.”
— Mr. Priyantha Ranasinghe, President, CIPM Council

Multiple Levels of Recognition

The awards feature several categories to ensure comprehensive recognition:

• Grand Winner – The highest honour, awarded to the organisation that demonstrates unmatched achievement across all criteria, with innovation, excellence, and sustained impact.
• Category Awards – Recognising large enterprises, medium-sized organisations, and small-scale innovators, with winners, runners-up, and merit recognitions.
• Sector Awards – Honouring organisations across 15 industries, highlighting HR practices tailored to sector-specific challenges.
• Excellence Awards – Spotlighting achievements in critical areas of HR practice, from innovation to measurable impact.

Why It Matters

Participation offers more than recognition. It provides benchmarking opportunities, strengthens employer branding, and motivates HR teams by celebrating their contributions. The platform also encourages organisations to share best practices, learn from peers, and contribute to raising the overall standard of HR in Sri Lanka.

Key Dates

📌 Applications Open: Now
📌 Application Deadline: 27 August 2025
📌 Grand Award Ceremony: 25 November 2025 at Cinnamon Life, Colombo
📌 Launch Event: 18 August 2025 at Cinnamon Grand, Colombo

For further details:
📞 Ashrath Naleem – 071 645 0571
📞 Nishanthini Palanisamy – 071 645 0518
📞 General Enquiries – CIPM Sri Lanka Secretariat: 011 21 999 88