Last night the 2015 HR Excellence Awards took place and fashion retail giant River Island had a very successful evening, collecting three gongs: Best HR team – private sector, most effective recruitment strategy and the overall gold award.
As well as winning three awards for the company, River Island’s HR director Karen Beaven scooped the top prize of HR director of the year.
The 36-strong HR division, which was started two years ago, has gone from strength-to-strength in the last 12 months, boosting core HR functionality, creating an HR team which is known for being commercially focused, changes to recruitment which saved the business £343,928 this year reducing the company’s cost per hire from £126 to £94.
Ms Beaven also helped to creating a personal-styling experience in the company’s flagship stores which was a massive success, as well as leading the team to create an L&D Academy, whose core management skills course is now endorsed by the Institute of Leadership and Management.
Ben Lewis, CEO said: “Under Karen’s leadership our HR function has gone through a significant period of change and growth.
"The function has transformed from being primarily transactional with limited impact to being a highly integrated progressive function that is now integral to the success of our business. Karen is a very progressive and creative HR leader. She has brought fresh ideas and innovative initiatives.”
Farida Kaikobad, brand director also said that Ms Beaven brings an “energised, switched-on and smart approach” to people.
He added: “The HR division feels as exciting and funky as the core business but also as serious and progressive in business strategy, which is quite a challenge to achieve. Karen has exceeded my expectations of what an HRD can deliver in the fact that she has firmly established herself within the leadership team and founded a successful commercial venture within our business that is already surpassing all of our expectations.”
