We’re thrilled to announce that Aspire has been shortlisted in two categories at this year’s North East HR&D Awards including, ‘Excellence in People & Technology’ and ‘Excellence in Leadership’.
These awards shine a spotlight on outstanding work in Human Resources and People Development happening across the North East. They highlight organisations that are making a genuine impact and helping develop our region into a fantastic place to live and work.
Being shortlisted in two categories is a tremendous honour. It’s a reflection of the passion and hard work of our exceptional teams, whose efforts have resulted in these nominations.
Developing Leaders Through the Aspire Academy
The Excellence in Leadership nomination specifically recognises the creation and success of our Leadership Academy, a programme built entirely in-house.
Aspire has experienced impressive growth over the last four years following expansion across the UK and increasing our team size by over 55%.
To support the growing needs of our business, our People Team designed an innovative solution. The Aspire Academy was developed as a bespoke six-month training programme designed to upskill our emerging and experienced leaders.
Drawing on best practice from the Chartered Management Institute (CMI), the Academy blends practical learning with tailored coaching. The programme ensures our front-line managers have the tools and confidence to lead their teams effectively.
To date, more than 30 team members have taken part in the programme. The results speak volumes with our employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS) has risen to +56 (December 2024), with scores over 30 rated ‘Very Good’. The CIPD even featured the programme as a case study in the 2024 edition of Managing Employee Relations, an incredible endorsement of its real-world impact.
Tech Innovation with a Human Touch
Our shortlisting for Excellence in People & Technology recognises the collaborative work between our People and Technology teams, who together launched two in-house AI assistants, Ada and Arnold.
Ada is our friendly, go-to resource for colleagues looking for answers to questions about policies, procedures and everyday workplace matters 24/7.
Arnold is designed to support our technical teams. Drawing insights from a database of over 400,000 support scenarios, it helps our Service Desk handle issues even more efficiently.
Since launching, we’ve seen a 12% drop in HR queries, a reduction in technical training time from 12 weeks to just 8, and a noticeable efficiency in new colleague onboarding.
Perhaps most importantly, Ada and Arnold are giving our people, especially apprentices and new joiners, greater independence and confidence from day one, backed by the latest tools we have to offer.
Recognising our Outstanding Teams
These two nominations are a testament to the dedication and innovation that our teams bring to Aspire every single day. Whether designing standout learning experiences or implementing smart technology, they continue to deliver an incredible place to work.
We want to extend our sincere thanks to every member of the team for their commitment to creating a truly incredible workplace.
We look forward to joining fellow finalists at the HR&D awards ceremony later this year. No matter the outcome, we’re already incredibly proud of what the team has accomplished, and excited to see what’s next.
