Meet the finalists for Ragan’s 2026 HR Awards
From culture transformation to talent strategy, this year’s finalists showcase the evolving future of work.
Ragan Communications is proud to announce the finalists for the 2026 HR Awards.
These outstanding organizations, teams and leaders represent the very best in people strategy, workplace culture and HR innovation. From employee engagement and learning initiatives to wellness programs, talent retention and leadership development, this year’s finalists are helping shape the future of work through creativity, compassion and measurable impact.
The HR Awards celebrate the campaigns, teams and professionals driving organizational success and stronger employee experiences across industries. This year’s finalists demonstrated excellence in strategic HR, culture transformation, DEI, communications, change management and more.
Winners across all categories — along with honorable mention recipients — will be announced on June 8.
Congratulations to all of this year’s finalists for their inspiring work and meaningful achievements.
Read on to see this year’s list.
HALL OF FAME
Cathy Moy: BDO USA
Kelly Jones: Cisco
TOP HR WORKPLACES
Bank of America
EnterpriseDB (EDB)
ISS North America
OnPath Federal Credit Union
WellLink
CAMPAIGNS AND INITIATIVES
Change Management & Culture Transformation
Emburse: From Change to Momentum: Rebuilding Culture, Clarity and Confidence at Emburse
NeoGenomics Laboratories: ONE Neo Culture: Owning Outcomes, Navigating Together and Evolving Excellence
Ontario International Airport Authority: People & Culture
Protiviti: Aerospace ERP Implementation Change Management Initiative With Protiviti
Siteimprove: Change Management & Culture Transformations
Virtual: People & Culture
Community Impact
Cloudera: Cloudera Cares
PwC: Community Day
WellLink: WellLink’s Community Impact
Employee Benefits
Dollar General: DG Employee Assistance Foundation
Honeywell: Honeywell Benefits Enhancements Roll-Out
Ontario International Airport Authority: People & Culture
TASC: MyTASC
Employee Engagement
City of Brownsville OD&HR
Cloudera: Learning in Action: Inside Cloudera’s Transformative Week of Growth and Connection
Giant Food: Grow, Care, Belong
Golin
PayPal: Employee Appreciation Week
PwC: Community Day
TIAA-Nuveen: Nuveen Communications
UNC Health: UNC Health for Me: Rewriting the Script on Teammate Engagement & Retention
Employee Experience
Agiloft: People Ops Team
Criteo
HR & Communications Collaboration
Cloudera: Impact Through Connection: A Unified Strategy for Culture, Learning and Inclusion
Emburse: From Change to Momentum: Rebuilding Culture, Clarity and Confidence at Emburse
Giant Food: Grow Campaign
PTC Therapeutics: HR and Communications Joining Forces for Communications Skill Enhancement
UNC Health: UNC Health for Me: Rewriting the Script on Teammate Engagement & Retention
Learning & Development
Atos IT Solutions and Services: Mission AI Possible
Cloudera: Learning & Development at Cloudera
Kroll: Kroll University
OnPath Federal Credit Union: OnPath High Potential (HYPO) Leadership Program
PTC Therapeutics: Global Learning Week
Talent Retention & Recruitment
City and County of Denver — Office of Human Resources: “A Day in the Life with Denver Solid Waste”
City and County of Denver — Office of Human Resources: “See Yourself Here” Lifeguard Recruitment Campaign
General Dynamics Information Technology
Memorial Hermann Health System: Memorial Hermann Health System’s “Well Together Human Capital Strategy”
Ontario International Airport Authority: People & Culture
Springpoint Senior Living: Springpoint Engagement, Recruitment and Retention
Use of AI
Atos IT Solutions and Services: Improving Employee Experience Through the Use of Artificial Intelligence
Golin
Workplace Wellness Programs
Bank of Montreal: Enterprise Wellness Team
Cloudera: Unplugged Program
CVS Health: Check-ups and Check-ins: Promoting Total Wellness
Liberty Military Housing: Live Well Liberty
Ontario International Airport Authority: People & Culture
PEOPLE & TEAMS
HR Professional of the Year
Jeri Doris: Justworks
Lesley Forneris: WellLink
Gigi Garcia: Commonpoint
Donna Verdi: Kroll University
