Revealed: HRD America's Innovative HR Teams 2022

Celebrating the best and brightest HR teams across the country

BY John Corrigan 29 Apr 2022

HR has been double teamed over the past year, contending with the challenges of COVID-19 and the Great Resignation.

HR leaders had to stay on top of the ever-changing restrictions and guidelines, tracking vaccination statuses to ensure compliance with federal, local or company mandates. The coronavirus crisis also continued to take a toll on employees’ mental health, fueling burnout, fatigue, loneliness and other effects on the wellbeing of the workforce. Once again, it was up to HR leaders to boost employee morale and engagement, providing fun teambuilding activities, benefits and perks, support and sometimes, even just a shoulder to cry on.

Factor in historic turnover and a highly competitive job market, and you see the scales have tipped in favor of labor. As a result, companies are doing whatever it takes to recruit top talent and keep who they already have. HR leaders have been tasked with this responsibility and their teams have certainly risen to the occasion.

HRD's Innovative HR Teams 2022 report recognizes firms that are breaking boundaries to move the industry forward in what has been a tumultuous year — whether it’s by taking a progressive approach to recruitment, introducing new technology or rolling out a ground-breaking reward and recognition strategy. The report offers HR teams a unique benchmarking opportunity to see how their initiatives compare to those of the profession at large.

Readers were invited to submit entries showcasing HR teams that have agile, bold and forward-thinking people strategies. Nominations focused on areas including talent management, diversity and inclusion, health and wellness, and HR technology. Initiatives introduced and results achieved in 2021 were highlighted. HRD objectively assessed each entry for detailed information, true innovation and proven success — along with benchmarking against the other entries — to determine the winners.

Featured on the list are:

Ollis/Akers/Arney Human Resources Consulting, based in Springfield, MO