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ITA’s 2023- Important dates and Information

Are you ready to get your tickets to the Internal Talent Awards 2023? Early bird tickets are now available and the sooner you get them, the more you’ll save!  

The Internal Talent Awards is an event hosted by Craig Watson and Lauren Sharp (the TaPod duo) to recognise the outstanding achievements of the internal talent industry. This year’s event promises to be bigger and better than ever before, and it’s a great opportunity to show your appreciation for all your hard-working colleagues.  

This year, the #ITAs2023 will be held on the 7th of September at Doltone House, in Hyde Park, Sydney. Off the back of the success of the #ITAs2022, we are planning an even more spectacular event, in an aim to foster connection within our industry.  

Early bird tickets are open until the 1st of March and are selling fast. In purchasing your tickets before this date, you will receive a 30% discount.  

You can purchase your tickets online, through Humanatix. Humanitix is an innovative platform for ticket sales that empowers and connects communities to support good causes, and donates 100% of profits to children’s charities. 

Nominations for the 2023 Internal Talent Awards are opening on the 4th of April! A new selection criterion is to be announced, shortly.  

The ITAs are open to all Internal Talent Teams – unfortunately, they are not open to Agencies. 

Don’t forget, the Judges can only assess what is presented in the nomination – don’t leave anything out! 

The Internal Talent Awards is a fantastic way to reflect on individual and team achievements and connect with the talent industry.  

Don’t miss this opportunity to show your support for the achievements of our incredible industry and celebrate their success. Get your early bird tickets for the Internal Talent Awards 2023 now!

Our Platinum and Gold Sponsors for 2023!

We’re excited to announce that SmartRecruiters is again joining us as Platinum Sponsor for the Internal Talent Awards, 2023!

At the Internal Talent Awards, we’ll be recognising and celebrating the incredible achievements of our talent professionals, Australia wide. SmartRecruiters’ commitment to making the recruitment process better for employers, job seekers, and the industry makes them the perfect partner for this event.

We’re confident that SmartRecruiters’ continued support will help us to make this year’s Internal Talent Awards an even greater success than last year. We’re looking forward to collaborating with the SmartRecruiters team to create a memorable event that honours our internal talent.

“SmartRecruiters has supported the ITAs since its inception! It gives us an opportunity to acknowledge and applaud the best the Talent Industry has to offer and to celebrate the industry we all love. Having now tipped over the 100 mark in local customers, we can’t wait for this year’s event in Sydney to once again recognise the best and catch up with friends, peers, partners, and new and future customers.”- The SmartRecruiters team.

SmartRecruiters is an innovative recruiting platform that makes it easier to find, hire, and manage great talent. It offers a powerful set of features that help you attract, engage, and manage candidates and employees, such as job postings, candidate engagement, and performance tracking. SmartRecruiters also helps employers build a strong employer brand by giving them access to a variety of tools to create a unique recruitment experience.

We’d like to thank SmartRecruiters for their generous support of the Internal Talent Awards. This partnership has proven to be just as enjoyable as it has successful.

Additionally, we are excited to welcome PeopleScout as the gold sponsor of the Internal Talent Awards, 2023. PeopleScout is a leading provider of innovative talent management solutions, and we are thrilled to have them on board.

PeopleScout is committed to helping organisations attract, retain, and develop their most important asset – their people. They offer a comprehensive suite of products and services to help organisations maximize their talent, including talent acquisition, performance management, and career development.

We look forward to working together to recognise and reward the outstanding talent of our industry.

We are confident that PeopleScout will be an invaluable partner in helping us create an event that celebrates and honours the hard work of internal talent teams.

Thank you to PeopleScout and SmartRecruiters, for their support and commitment to helping us recognise the best.

ITAs 2022 – What a Night!

Last night, the Internal Talent Awards (ITA’s) were held, to recognise the achievements and innovation of the Internal Talent industry.

It was a brilliant night, the first time many had been in a room together in over 2 years.

The winners and sponsors of each award are listed below.

Enterprise Talent Team of the Year, sponsored by Smart Recruiters, won jointly by Canva and EY.
Enterprise Talent Leader of the Year, sponsored by TQ Solutions, won by
Amy Shultz- Canva.
Enterprise Talent Professional of the Year, sponsored by Globalization Partners,
won by Tali Butler- Rheinmetall.
Corporate Talent Team of the Year, sponsored by Testgrid, won by Lycopodium.
Corporate Talent Leader of the Year, sponsored by Bold HR, won by
Laura White- PaperCut Software.
Corporate Talent Professional of the Year, sponsored by Adzuna,
won by Sophie Mexted- Youi.
Excellence in Candidate Experience, sponsored by Pirkx Australia,
won by Canva.
Excellence in Diversity & Inclusion, sponsored by Criteria Corp,
won by Coles Group.
Excellence in Employer Branding, sponsored by Page Up Australia,
won by EY.
Excellence in Onboarding, sponsored by Flare, won by Canva.
Excellence in Innovation, sponsored by Reejig, won by KPMG.
Best Tech Stack, sponsored by Reejig, won by Immutable.
Best Use of Video, sponsored by Criteria Corp, won by Allianz.
Best Careers Website, sponsored by Avature, won by Sportsbet.
Best Vendor Solution, sponsored by TaPod, won jointly by Video My Job and Reejig.
Community Award, sponsored by Recstra, won by Australia Post.
Lifetime Achievement Award, won by Trevor Vas.

TaPod co- host and event creator, Craig Watson said the ITA’s were “A brilliant night celebrating the best our industry has to offer, but more importantly a chance for old and new friends to get together for the first time in what seems like forever to raise a glass to Internal Recruitment”.

The ITA’s were held at the Plaza Ballroom, on the 1st of September 2022, with almost 400 in attendance.

Internal Talent Awards 2022 – Finalists!

Finalists for the 2022 Internal Talent Awards #itas2022 were announced today via Social Media Channels.

The team of judges, comprising of 21 industry experts, reviewed 98 nominations across 16 categories.

Lauren Sharp from the ITAs said ‘We were absolutely blown away by both the number and quality of the submissions. The best of the Internal Talent Industry is on show for the entire region to celebrate.’

Submissions were judged against 3 criteria with attachments to support their nomination.

‘Judges really struggled to separate submissions in many of the categories and it speaks to the quality of the amazing teams and individuals we have supporting candidates and their businesses in bringing in new talent and retaining what is equipoise steroid existing employees. With the everchanging world, candidate mobility & shortages and new Technology we are in unparalleled times and our Talent Professionals do a brilliant job day in and day out.’ Sharp says.

The Finalists for the 2022 Internal Talent Awards are:

Best Tech Stack – Sponsored by Reejig

  • Flybuys (Loyalty Pacific)
  • Immutable

Best Careers Website – Sponsored by Avature

  • Sportsbet
  • Immutable
  • Toll Group

Best Use of Video – Sponsored by Criteria Corp

  • Allianz Australia
  • RMIT University
  • Tabcorp

Best Vendor Solution – Sponsored by TaPod

  • Referoo
  • Reejig
  • Video My Job
  • Smart Recruiters
  • The Career Conversation

Community Award – Sponsored by Recstra

  • Tabcorp
  • Circle Back Initiative
  • Australia Post
  • Jobs For Humanity
  • Rubberband

Excellence in Innovation – Sponsored by Reejig

  • KPMG
  • Australia Post
  • Starbucks
  • InDebted
  • Foxtel Group

Excellence in Onboarding – Sponsored by FlareHR

  • Canva
  • Toll Group
  • Deloitte
  • Tabcorp

Excellence in Employer Branding – Sponsored by Page Up People

  • Showpo
  • Sportsbet
  • EY
  • Rheinmetall
  • Toll Group
  • PaperCut Software

Excellence in Candidate Experience – Sponsored by Pirkx Australia

  • EML
  • Canva
  • PaperCut Software
  • AA New Zealand,

Excellence in Diversity & Inclusion – Sponsored by Criteria Corp

  • RMIT University
  • Coles
  • Compass Group
  • EY
  • CSL

Corporate Talent Professional of the Year – Sponsored by Adzuna

  • Sophie Mexted – YOUI
  • Stefan Welack – Xplor
  • Daniel Stockdale – Dentsu
  • Dani Difalco – Showpo
  • James O’Reilly – PaperCut Software

Enterprise Talent Professional of the Year – Sponsored by Globalization Partners

  • Brooke Seidel – Sportsbet
  • Gabby Holland – Australia Post
  • Kara Williams – Rheinmetall
  • Loretta Vaughan – RMIT University
  • Tali Butler – Rheinmetall

Corporate Talent Leader of the Year – Sponsored by BoldHR

  • Jana Lengyel – Concentric Healthcare Services
  • Adam Crofts – Brennan IT
  • Kylie Cashion & Laura Jacques – TasNetworks & Hydro Tasmania
  • Laura White – PaperCut Software
  • Sandra Lim – InDebted

Enterprise Talent Leader of the Year – Sponsored by TQ Solutions

  • Ben Whitfield – Marsh McLennan
  • Amy Schultz – Canva
  • Deric Woodford – Rheinmetall
  • Gabrielle Bassett – RMIT University
  • Laura Allen – Findex
  • Lauren Stanton – EY

Corporate Talent Team of the Year – Sponsored by Test Grid

  • Lake Macquarie City Council
  • InDebted
  • Lycopodium
  • Everyday Independence

Enterprise Talent Team of the Year – Sponsored by Smart Recruiters

  • Australia Post
  • Babcock Australasia
  • Canva
  • EY
  • Marsh McLennan
  • TSA Group

The ITAs are being presented at a Black Tie Gala Event at the Plaza Ballroom in Melbourne on September 1st 2022. Tickets are almost sold out, but there are a limited number available for purchase by visiting internaltalentawards.com.

We’re Back!

Internal Talent Awards 2021

The Internal Talent Awards, affectionately known as the ITA’s, return for 2021 and will be held on Thursday 2nd September 2021 in Melbourne, Australia.  The ITA’s will recognise and celebrate excellence in the Internal Talent Acquisition Industry across individuals, teams, organisations and vendors.

The original ITA’s concept came from TaPod Co-Hosts Lauren Sharp & Craig Watson who inspire and entertain listeners during their weekly podcast which shines a light (and a laugh) on the Australian Talent Acquisition community.

“Following the huge success of our virtual ITAs in 2020 we are incredibly excited to stage the Awards as a grand in-person event where we can celebrate all things Talent. Our venue, the Plaza Ballroom in Melbourne is the perfect location to celebrate all that is great in our industry, and importantly meet and enjoy each other’s company. We can’t wait!” Craig Watson & Lauren Sharp

Joining TaPod this year as Event Partners is TQSolutions. TQSolutions is the region’s leading consultancy in Talent and Mobility, advising clients on Talent Strategy, Talent Service and Operating Model design.

“Following our Major Sponsorship of the inaugural ITA’s in 2020, TQSolutions is delighted to join TAPOD as an official event partner in 2021.  TQSolutions is dedicated to the on-going development and enhancement of the broader Talent and Mobility industry and we are thrilled to be able to participate and contribute to this industry-focused celebration of success and excellence. We are particularly excited about the ‘in-person’ format of the event this year and know it will be a night to remember.  As well as partnering with TAPOD on the event itself, TQSolutions will be judging and announcing the Enterprise Talent Leader of the Year and we look forward to reviewing nominations later in the year. “Gareth Flynn MD

Should you wish to connect with TQSolutions in relation to the ITA’s please contact Gareth Flynn, on gareth.flynn@tqsolutions.com.au ” 

We are proud to announce SmartRecruiters as our Platinum Major Sponsors for the 2021 ITAs. The SmartRecruiters Talent Acquisition Suite provides full source-to-hire capabilities for the modern workforce. With over 2.5k Talent Acquisition Leaders in the Hiring Success network and 600+ recruiting partner solutions in the marketplace SmartRecruiters is a valued and knowledgeable partner and with their support the ITAs continues to grow from strength to strength.

“SmartRecruiters is excited to partner with Internal Talent Awards for their upcoming awards gala. We believe in highlighting TA teams that are elevating the industry and driving Hiring Success in their own organizations. SmartRecruiters works with many well-known brands in the Australia market and we are committed to transforming TA with innovative TA teams. We look forward to congratulating the winners and partnering in upcoming ITA community activities in 2021.” Jerome Ternynck – Founder & CEO SmartRecruiters

The ITA’s will announce the following awards at a Gala Ceremony on Thursday 2nd September in a glittering in-person dinner:

Main Awards

  • Talent Team of the Year (Enterprise) – Talent Team of more than 5
  • Talent Team of the Year (Corporate) – Talent Team of 1 – 5
  • Talent Leader of the Year (Enterprise) – Talent Team of more than 5
  • Talent Leader of the Year (Corporate) – Talent Team of 1 – 5
  • Talent Professional of the Year (Enterprise) – Talent Team of more than 5
  • Talent Professional of the Year (Corporate) – Talent Team of 1 – 5

Category Awards

  • Excellence in Candidate Experience
  • Excellence in Diversity & Inclusion
  • Excellence in Employer Branding
  • Excellence in Onboarding
  • Excellence in Innovation
  • Best Tech Stack
  • Best Use of Video
  • Best Careers Website
  • Best Vendor Solution
  • Community Award

Confirmed award sponsors include: Smart Recruiters, Oncore Solutions, CVCheck, Bold HR with others to follow.

Updates, including nomination dates, judges and ticketing will be shared on the website in coming weeks www.internaltalentawards.com

ITA’s 2020 – Winners

The Internal Talent Awards, affectionately known as the ITA’s, were held last night, Thursday the 19th of November 2020. This was the inaugural event, the ITA’s recognised and celebrated excellence in Internal Talent Acquisition across individuals, teams and organisations.

The concept of the ITA’s came from TaPod Co-Hosts Lauren Sharp & Craig Watson who inspire and entertain listeners during their weekly podcast which shines a light (and a laugh) on the

Australian Talent Acquisition community.

The major sponsor for the ITAs 2020 was TQ Solutions, and it was presented by TaPod.

The winners of the ITAs for 2020 are…

  • Excellence in Corporate Social Responsibility – RMIT University (sponsor TaPod)
  • Excellence in Employer Branding – REA Group (sponsor Matchd)
  • Community Award – Jobs For Australia (sponsor TaPod)
  • Excellence in Diversity & Inclusion – Australia Post (sponsor Alcami Interactive)
  • Excellence in Candidate Experience – RMIT University (sponsor Oncore Services)
  • Talent Professional of the Year – Rebecca Thomas – Allianz (sponsor CVCheck)
  • Talent Leader of the Year – Nina Pollard – Coles (sponsor Talent Table)
  • Talent Team of the Year – REA Group (sponsor TQ Solutions)

We also want to thank the independent judging panel of,

  • Rachel Hill – Director – HR Tech Market
    • Adam Walker – VP ANZ Avature
    • Gareth Flynn – Director TQ Solutions (Major Sponsor)

Further information on the ITAs 2021 can be found via the website: www.internaltalentawards.com.  Register to receive regular updates.