The Workforce Optimas Awardsare a celebration of the power of human resources management. Annually, Workforcerecognizes HR programs that have made their businesses better. The winners areselected in 10 categories: General Excellence, Competitive Advantage, FinancialImpact, Global Outlook, Innovation, Managing Change, Partnership, Quality ofLife, Service, and Vision. The winning programs are profiled in the March issueof Workforce magazine with additional information provided at Workforceonline.
It is with great pleasure that Workforce celebrates the winners of Optimas Awards 1996:
 | GeneralExcellence: Several HR accomplishments—including excellence in recruiting, training and global HR programs—have helped the hamburger chain grow into one of the world’s largest and most profitable organizations. |
 | CompetitiveAdvantage: An array of initiatives aimed at helping women have helped the accounting firm stop the exodus of female employees and become an employer of choice in a tough recruitment market. |
 | FinancialImpact: Pacific Gas & Electric Company Action Forums—mini think tanks focused on developing plans to solve company problems—have helped PG&E save almost $300 million |
 | GlobalOutlook: To continue growing, Lilly had to begin earning a greater proportion of its income from outside the US. HR has helped build a global organization through employee assignments overseas, a global management development program, and a global management conference. It’s paid off in greater than 15% growth in revenue from overseas markets. |
 | Innovation: HR uses the Internet in creative, dynamic ways. An internal homepage keeps employees informed and cuts paperwork, while an external page boosts recruiting efforts. |
 | ManagingChange: Siemens Rolm Communications Incorporated When the company was reengineered into a learning organization, HR had to be reengineered, too. HR staff members work on three core business skills. And its old silo structure was torn down and replaced by five business-driven teams. |
 | Partnership: When rising health-care costs imperiled profits, HR at Hannaford Brothers rounded up employers with similar concerns and created the Maine Health Management Coalition. The group has helped change health care delivery throughout the state |
 | Qualityof Life: As much as 25% of Hallmark’s labor force has been with the company for 25 years or more. The secret to that kind of loyalty is a respect for employee’s personal lives and an energetic, creative work environment |
 | Service: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign A biennial conference series created to meet the needs of women has been successful enough to fund the University’s other training programs |
 | Vision: An empowerment culture weans workers from dependency on the organization and helps them help themselves. |
