Call for Entries Deadline: Aug. 15, 2025

Honor the Champions of Workplace Excellence!

Women in HR shape the culture, wellbeing and success of their organizations—often behind the scenes. It’s time to bring their leadership, dedication and impact into the spotlight.

Ragan’s Top Women in HR Awards recognizes these exceptional professionals through prestigious recognition, editorial coverage and industry-wide visibility. This is the recognition they’ve earned for the policies they craft, the people they support and the progress they champion.

Nominate the women who are transforming your workplace, whether they’re a CHRO, Chief People Officer, mentor, DE&I champion, mental health advocate or rising star. Celebrate their invaluable contributions with a nomination that highlights their leadership and impact. You can nominate a colleague, a client—or yourself—because great work should never go unnoticed.

Join us in recognizing the women who are defining the future of HR. Submit your nominations by August 15.

CATEGORIES

TOP WOMEN IN HR

 Hall of Fame

This category honors women with a lifetime of outstanding contributions to the field of Human Resources. Share the lifetime achievements that reflect her influential career.

 Assistant of the Year

This category celebrates an exceptional assistant whose dedication and support have significantly enhanced their HR team's effectiveness.

 Bridge Builder

This category recognizes women who excel in fostering collaboration and building strong relationships across departments or organizations.

 CEO of the Year

This category honors CEOs who demonstrate exceptional leadership and commitment to advancing HR practices within their company.

 CHRO of the Year

This category honors Chief Human Resources Officers who exemplify outstanding leadership, strategic excellence and transformative impact on their organization’s people strategy and culture.

 Chief People Officer

This category celebrates Chief People Officers whose vision and leadership have elevated the employee experience, fostered organizational growth and championed innovative people-first practices.

 Director of the Year

This category recognizes directors who have shown outstanding leadership and strategic vision in the field of Human Resources.

 Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Leader

This category celebrates women who lead impactful initiatives that promote diversity, equity and inclusion within their organizations.

 Dynamic Do-er

This category honors women known for their proactive approach and ability to drive significant HR projects and initiatives to completion.

 Employee Engagement Leader

This category honors women who excel in creating initiatives that significantly boost employee engagement and satisfaction within their organizations.

 Financial Wellness Leader

This category celebrates women who champion financial wellness programs that improve employees' financial health and security.

 HR Communicator of the Year

This category honors women who excel in effectively communicating HR policies, programs and initiatives to employees.

 Innovator

This category recognizes women who bring innovative ideas and approaches to the field of Human Resources.

 Learning & Development Leader

This category celebrates women who excel in creating and implementing effective learning and development programs for employees.

 Manager of the Year

This category honors a manager whose exceptional leadership and HR skills have significantly benefited their team and organization.

 Mental Health Leader

This category recognizes women who lead initiatives that support and improve employees' mental health and wellbeing.

 Mentor

This category honors women who provide outstanding mentorship and guidance to others in the HR profession.

 Rewards & Benefits Leader

This category recognizes women who excel in designing and managing effective rewards and benefits programs for employees.

 Rising Star (Age 30 or Under)

This category celebrates young women who show exceptional promise and achievement in the field of Human Resources.

 Strategist

This category recognizes women who excel in developing and implementing effective HR strategies that drive organizational success.

 Talent Acquisition & Retention Leader

This category celebrates women who excel in attracting, hiring and retaining top talent within their organizations.

 Team Leader

This category honors women who demonstrate exceptional leadership and management of their HR teams.

 Trailblazer

This category celebrates women who pioneer new paths and drive significant change in the field of Human Resources.

 Visionary

This category honors women who demonstrate forward-thinking and innovative vision in the HR field.

 Wellbeing Leader

This category recognizes women who lead comprehensive wellbeing programs that support the holistic health of employees.

 Workplace Culture Leader

This category celebrates women who excel in creating and nurturing a positive and inclusive workplace culture.

HOW TO ENTER

Awards Criteria

Tell us in 500 words or less about your nominee’s accomplishments in the previous 12 months. Hall of Fame nominations allow for up to 900 word and recognize lifetime achievements. The winning list of Ragan’s Top Women in HR will be those who have distinguished themselves among their peers with meaningful achievements.

You will be able to upload additional documents to your submission. We encourage you to include samples of marketing projects, videos, analytics, testimonials and anything else you feel will give us a better sense of the nominee's work. Proprietary or internal information can also be attached and will not be shared with the public.

ENTER

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

  • The nominee must work in a human resource role or spend at least 50% of her time in HR.
  • You can self-nominate or nominate a client or colleague from your organization or another organization.
  • You may submit nominees into more than one category for consideration.
  • You can nominate up to 10 women.
  • Hall of Fame entries honor lifetime achievements. All other entries reflect the nominee’s successes in the past 12 months.
  • This is a global award; nominations are accepted from all countries.

This year’s program is open to any work executed between Aug. 1, 2024, and Aug. 15, 2025, inclusive.

ENTRY FEES

The fee for this program is $550 per entry.

A late fee of $325 per entry will be added to all entries received after 11:59 p.m. Central time, August 15, 2025.

All entries are non-returnable and non-refundable.

W-9 Form / Tax ID Number Request

Frequently Asked Questions

Why should I nominate?
It is increasingly important to highlight the vital role HR plays in organizational success. Ragan’s Top Women in HR Awards offers a powerful opportunity to showcase your impact—or that of your colleagues or clients. Honorees receive recognition not only for their individual achievements but also elevate their entire organization. Winners earn national visibility across our websites and social media, a custom editorial profile, a digital badge, a trophy and more. This awards program allows you to:
  • Shine a Light on Transformational Leadership: This prestigious recognition honors the women who are driving meaningful change in workplace culture, employee wellbeing, talent strategy and more.
  • Amplify Your Influence in the HR Space: Recognition in this program elevates personal and organizational credibility, leading to new career opportunities, speaking engagements and industry recognition.
  • Be Part of an Esteemed Circle of HR Leaders: Honorees will join an influential community of HR professionals who are shaping the future of the workplace and redefining what leadership looks like.
Who can enter?
We accept nominations on behalf of women HR leaders worldwide. The nominee must work in a human resource role or spend at least 50% of their time in HR. You can self-nominate or nominate a client or colleague from your organization or another organization. Entries must be submitted in English. See the Eligibility Requirements for additional details.
What does it take to be a winner?
We look for clearly articulated submissions that showcase why the nominee is deserving of this honor. Supporting materials, such as examples of the nominees’ work, client or colleague testimonials, or a LinkedIn profile are helpful. Please look at our Past Winners to see what gets recognized and rewarded.
What are the entry requirements?
The entry form requires that you submit a synopsis of the honoree, including their current role, achievements in the past 12 months, and justification for why they should be recognized as a Top Woman in HR. See How to Enter for additional details.
Why are some deadlines extended?
We extend deadlines based on applicant needs and upcoming promotional opportunities.
When will I find out results?
Honorees will be announced in winter 2025. Announcements will be made on our websites, in our daily email newsletter and on our social media platforms. Emails notify entrants in advance of these announcements. As deadlines are extended, so are expected announcement dates.

Additional Questions

If you have any questions about the program or problems submitting your entry, please email Barbara Kanady.

Sponsorship Opportunities

If you are interested in sponsoring one of Ragan Communications’ award programs, please contact Morgan Einspanier.

Ragan Communications is not responsible for international shipping fees related to trophies.