The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) Sri Lanka, in collaboration with Mercer, has announced The Great HR Awards 2025, an inaugural initiative that marks a new chapter in recognising HR excellence in Sri Lanka. Designed to be the most prestigious recognition in the country’s HR landscape, the awards will celebrate organisations that set benchmarks in HR practices, workplace culture, technology integration, and industrial relations. With Mercer’s global expertise and CIPM’s national leadership, the programme combines international standards with local relevance, ensuring recognition that is both meaningful and impactful.

The Great HR Awards are open to organisations of all sizes and sectors, providing a platform for every business to showcase HR strategies that drive success and shape the future of work. The awards aim to encourage a culture of continuous improvement while giving visibility to organisations that lead through innovation, inclusion, and strategic HR leadership.

Dr. Neil Bogahalande, Chairman of the Great HR Awards Project Committee, said, “The Great HR Awards celebrate excellence in HR practices and inspire continuous improvement. By recognising impactful initiatives, we encourage others to raise their standards and highlight the role HR plays in building a future-ready workforce.”

CIPM Council President, Mr. Priyantha Ranasinghe, noted, “The Great HR Awards is a prestigious platform that celebrates excellence, innovation, and impact in HR across Sri Lanka. It is more than a competition. It recognises organisations that champion progressive people practices, foster inclusive cultures, and create strategic value through HR leadership. Whether you are a large enterprise, a medium-sized company, or a small business, your story matters.”

The awards will feature several levels of recognition. At the highest point is the Grand Winner title, awarded to the organisation that demonstrates unmatched achievement across all evaluation criteria. This recognition is reserved for the most outstanding applicant whose HR strategy reflects innovation, excellence, and sustained impact. Category Awards will recognise large enterprises, medium-sized organisations, and small-scale innovators, with winners, runners-up, and merit recognitions in each group. Sector Awards will honour organisations across 15 industries, recognising those whose HR practices are tailored to meet sector-specific challenges while driving measurable results. Excellence Awards will also recognise achievements in key areas of HR practice, spotlighting innovation, strategic depth, and measurable impact.

Participation offers a range of benefits, from national recognition to benchmarking opportunities, and from strengthening an employer brand to motivating and celebrating HR teams for their contributions. The awards not only provide a platform to showcase achievements but also offer the opportunity to learn from others, share best practices, and contribute to raising the standard of HR across the country.

Applications for The Great HR Awards 2025 are now open and will close on 27 August 2025. The Grand Award Ceremony will be held on 25 November 2025 at Cinnamon Life, Colombo. The launch was held on the 18^th at Cinnamon Grand.

For further information, interested parties can contact Ashrath Naleem on 071 645 0571 or Nishanthini Palanisamy on 071 645 0518. General enquiries can be directed to the CIPM Sri Lanka Secretariat on 011 21 999 88.

The post Celebrating Excellence: CIPM Sri Lanka collaborates with Mercer to Unveil the Great HR Awards 2025 appeared first on Newswire.

CIPM Sri Lanka proudly concluded the Great HR Debate 2025 on a high note, with DIMO PLC emerging as champions at the Grand Finale held on 2nd June 2025 at the Monarch Imperial, coinciding with the inauguration of the National HR Conference (NHRC) 2025.

The final debate featured an intellectually charged face-off between DIMO PLC and Hemas Hospitals (Pvt) Ltd., centered on the motion:

“Organizations should focus more on Financial Performance than Employee Development to support Nation Building efforts in Sri Lanka.” Both teams delivered compelling arguments, but DIMO PLC secured the championship title with their articulate, well-reasoned, and impactful performance, earning the unanimous commendation of the judging panel.

This year’s debate marked a historic milestone for the competition. Attracting a record 20 corporate teams from across a wide range of industries, the 2025 edition unfolded over a five-week period of rigorous and engaging debates. The Grand Finale was attended by an esteemed audience comprising HR and business leaders, academics, and emerging professionals from across the country.

A heartening development in this year’s edition was the active involvement of line managers alongside HR professionals. This broader participation has not only strengthened the HR-business partnership but also helped in diffusing HR knowledge across functional boundaries an encouraging sign for the future of people-centered leadership in Sri Lanka.

CIPM’s partnership with Toastmasters International (District 82)offered all participating teams exclusive coaching in public speaking, persuasive communication, and leadership development. This initiative added significant value to the participants’ experience, with enhanced presentation skills and confidence clearly evident throughout the tournament.

Commenting on the success of the event, Priyantha Ranasinghe, President of CIPM Sri Lanka, stated:

“The Great HR Debate continues to be a flagship platform for nurturing thought leadership in the HR profession. It is inspiring to witness the next generation of HR professionals engaging in complex, future-focused discourse with such confidence and clarity.”

Kanishka Ranaweera, Chairman of the Great HR Debate 2025 Committee, remarked:

“What truly stood out this year was the level of preparation and maturity demonstrated by all teams. From the very first round, we saw tremendous growth in their confidence, articulation, and critical thinking.”

Reflecting on the journey of the debate, C. Hewapattini, the Founder of the Great HR Debate, shared:

“When we initiated this platform in 2009, our goal was to create a space for HR professionals to debate, learn, and grow. Today, it has become a nationally recognized event that contributes meaningfully to the professional development of HR in Sri Lanka.”

Over the past 15 years, the Great HR Debate has grown into a prestigious event that fosters intellectual rigor, professional excellence, and collaborative learning. From first-time participants to seasoned debaters, each team brought passion, insight, and professionalism to the stage making the 2025 edition one of the most dynamic in the debate’s history.

While DIMO PLC took home the championship title, Hemas Hospitals (Pvt) Ltd. must be lauded for their formidable performance, depth of research, and professionalism throughout the debate series. Their presence in the finals reflected the high calibre of this year’s competition.

Beyond the trophy and accolades, the true triumph of the Great HR Debate lies in its power to spark critical thinking, elevate discourse, and bridge gaps between HR theory and business practice. As the curtain falls on this landmark edition, the seeds of strategic HR thought are already taking root across boardrooms and teams alike.

The post The Great HR Debate 2025: Celebrating a Landmark Edition and a Champion Team appeared first on Newswire.