More than 600 guests dressed in black suits and glamourous evening gowns filled up the grand ballroom of the Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel on Friday, 4 July 2008 at The annual Singapore HR Awards Presentation Gala. Graced by guest-of-honour, Speaker of Parliament Mr Abdullah Tarmugi, the event is a platform to celebrate the achievements of organisations and HR practitioners that have shown great effort in developing and championing best leading HR practices.

A total of 75 Leading HR Practices and 46 Special Mention Awards were conferred to 35 different organisations, with more than a third being first-time participants.  This year, the Award saw an upward trend in participation. President of SHRI, Mdm Ho Geok Choo  commended the efforts of organisations and HR practitioners who continuously strive to provide good HR practices to the workforce.

She said, “The overwhelming response in participation rate indicates that more employers are beginning to refine their HR policies and schemes to benefit the current workforce. This effort is highly commendable as it underscores the importance of having good HR practitioners and HR schemes and policies.”

Hard work and relentless efforts were paid off with plaques and special gifts from sponsors such as Jetstar, Mass Power and Ucara. Popular radio deejay The Flying Dutchman added zest to the gala with his humorous jokes. The night ended on a high note with 8 organisations that bag the Corporate HR Award for 2008; marking the end of yet another successful edition of the HR Awards. 

We thank all the participants for their commitment, dedication and support. Let us strive to continue this relentless effort and we look forward to more participation in The Singapore HR Awards 2009!