ARFORGHE: Promoting Excellence in Human Resources Management in Tunisia
Founded in 1976, ARFORGHE brings together human resources professionals from diverse backgrounds and sectors. For over 45 years, the association has been dedicated to promoting and valuing the HR function within Tunisian companies, whether public or private. ARFORGHE implements various initiatives to place humans at the heart of business strategies and develop modern and effective HR management tools, thereby enhancing organizational performance.
HR Awards: A Decade of Excellence
Editions from 2013-2024:
- 2013 - 1st edition: The first edition marked a strong participation and the introduction of the first prize categories, with a focus on innovation in HR practices.
- 2014 - 2nd edition: Specific categories were introduced, such as "Best Training Strategy" and "Best Talent Management." The event gained visibility and prestige.
- 2015 - 3rd edition: Stricter evaluation criteria were established, and a jury of experts in the HR field was created. The focus was on benchmarking innovative HR practices.
- 2016 - 4th edition: The event expanded to include companies of various sizes, including SMEs and large enterprises. The importance of employee engagement was highlighted.
- 2017 - 5th edition: Companies were encouraged to evolve and ensure sustainable growth through human capital development.
- 2019 - 6th edition: The focus was on the digitalization of HR and the impact of technology on HR practices. Categories were introduced to reward the best digital initiatives.
- 2020 - 7th edition: The event responded to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, with special prizes for the best crisis management and telework initiatives.
- 2021 - 8th edition: The focus was on resilience and adaptability in a post-pandemic context. Categories were introduced for employee well-being and mental health management.
- 2022 - 9th edition: The categories were expanded to include prizes for the best practices in sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR).
- 2023 - 10th edition: The focus was on continuous innovation and the impact of HR practices on organizational culture. Prizes were introduced for the best leadership development strategies.
- 2024: This 11th edition will continue to celebrate excellence in HR management, with a particular focus on new approaches to sustainable development and human rights, highlighting due diligence.
Why HR Awards?
The HR Awards project aims to promote and value a comprehensive approach to due diligence.
Context
Global business relations offer economic development opportunities, but they are often marked by human rights violations and environmental standards breaches. To address these challenges, the 2021 German law on due diligence and future European legislation emphasize sustainability and human rights respect. The "Initiative for Global Solidarity" (IGS) project aims to promote due diligence in human rights and environmental matters in global supply chains, with ongoing initiatives in Vietnam, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Serbia, Turkey, Mexico, and Tunisia.
In Tunisia, a public-private-civil society partnership is envisioned to encourage companies to adopt due diligence practices focused on human capital. ARFORGHE, a non-profit association, can play a key role in encouraging employers to implement these practices, auditing companies, and awarding prizes for the best practices. This will help promote a culture of due diligence and highlight the best companies in terms of governance, respect for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and human rights.
HR Awards Objectives
The objective is to reward employers who take adequate preventive measures to ensure workers' health and safety. This initiative promotes cooperation with partner countries like Tunisia, focusing on risk prevention and supporting the German regulation on due diligence.
HR Awards Process
- HR Awards is a civic act, as the candidate company demonstrates openness and a willingness to share HR practices.
- It is a distinction awarded to recognize excellence in HR management within companies. The process for obtaining an HR Award follows these key steps:
- Call for Applications: Opening of applications through various channels (social media, specialized publications). Interested companies must submit their application by filling out a detailed form.
- Submission of Files: Candidate companies will provide documents on their HR practices and announce their availability to host the Audit Committee at their premises.
- Audit Visits: The Audit Committee will conduct visits to the candidate companies.
- Preliminary Evaluation: A committee of auditors and HR experts will examine the files to verify their conformity and eligibility, selecting companies for further evaluation.
- Selection of Winners: The Audit Committee will deliberate to choose the winners in different categories, awarding prizes based on the in-depth evaluation and according to an established and validated evaluation grid. The results will be announced during the award ceremony.
- Award Ceremony: A ceremony will be organized on November 29, 2024, to present the awards and trophies to the winners.
For this 11th edition of HR Awards, organized in partnership with GIZ-Tunisia, we hope that the participation of companies will be even more significant and will help confirm the socio-economic resilience of Tunisian companies.
