Every year, SIA receives a plethora of unique nominations for each of our recognition lists. List selection is an exciting time for us; we always look forward to learning about the great work being done in the ecosystem and honoring your achievements.

Two of the most frequent queries we receive: How can people make their nominees stand out? Also, what is the selection committee looking for? 

Here are tips for maximizing your nominee’s chances of inclusion as well as what to expect following your submission.

Read the eligibility qualifications carefully. Ensure that your candidate meets the requirements before spending time on their nomination.

For example, the CW Program Game Changers list only features employees of buyer/enterprise organizations. Although your staffing or MSP employee may be doing great work alongside the program office of your largest client, they are ineligible for inclusion on this particular list. Alternatively, contingent workforce management professionals are not eligible for the 40 Under 40 or the Staffing 100 suite of lists. They can be nominated for the DE&I Influencers or the Game Changers only.

The 40 Under 40 is for US and Canada-based staffing professionals who have not yet turned 40, and we specify clearly the birthdate cutoff. If your nominee does not meet that cutoff, consider nominating them instead for a future list.

Focus on quantifiable data. Successful nominations shine a spotlight on the candidate’s noteworthy achievements in the industry, including (but not limited to) cost savings, size of managed programs, successful company initiatives spearheaded by the nominee and so on. Be sure to highlight achievements from the last year, especially if the nominee has been honored in the past — what makes them worthy of being included now as opposed to a previous year?

Although SIA recognizes that soft skills and interesting personal tidbits are also important components of a person’s value to their company, the selection committee is generally more interested in the candidate’s industry impact over the way they make others feel.

Show, don’t tell. The strongest nominations include concrete examples to back up what is said about the candidate and describe the impact they had on the company or industry.

For example, a nomination might say that the candidate led their firm to record growth in the previous fiscal year. A stronger nomination would give data to illustrate that growth, such as providing revenue numbers (if possible) and year-over-year percentages to show the increase under the nominee’s leadership. Stronger still is the nomination that also describes exactly what the candidate did to promote that growth and the impact it is having on the organization as a whole.

Still, be as concise as possible: Bullet points work better than 1,000 words of prose.

[We do understand that certain data is considered confidential and will hold such details in confidence if asked.]

Quality, not quantity. If multiple nominations are received for a nominee, only one is selected during a pre-evaluation process for review by the full selection committee.

So, rather than asking your entire team, company or network to fill out the form in support of a single candidate from your company, consider asking them instead to discuss with you why they believe your candidate should be included on the list. See if patterns emerge — for example, do multiple people on your team mention the candidate’s strong track record of revenue growth? — and use those common factors to bolster a single thorough, yet concise nomination.

Who should place the nomination? We welcome nominations from any person familiar with the nominee’s work. However, if the nomination is on behalf of the nominee’s company, we recommend the nominating party be the one who would be the point of contact to coordinate with us should the nominee be selected. For most companies, that would be the PR rep or head of marketing.

How many people can I nominate? SIA does not cap the number of nominees a company puts forward for consideration. Often, however, only one person will be selected from any one company, and it won’t necessarily be the most senior person nominated. The selection committee might find a particular initiative or achievement rounds out a list when looking at honorees holistically.

My nominee was selected in the past. Can I nominate them again? For most of our lists, repeat selections do occur. For due consideration, though, be sure to provide their accomplishments and impact from the last year.

Selection process. The selection committee reviews each nominee. If multiple nominations are submitted for a nominee, one is selected during a pre-evaluation process to present to the committee.

Selected honorees are then contacted by SIA; nominating parties are only notified if they are from the honoree’s company. We do not confirm receipt of nominations, and we do not confirm for nominating parties that their nominee was not selected.

My nominee was selected. What happens next?  Depending on the list, SIA will require honorees to submit a photo and either participate in an interview or respond to a list of emailed questions. Honorees will need to fact check the profile that is drafted about them. Profiles are subject to further editorial review; what is published may differ from the version the honoree sees at fact check.

I hope you find these tips helpful. In fact, I encourage you to put them to use for our upcoming lists to recognize the hard work and accomplishments that have impacted the industry for the better.

Although there’s never a guarantee that your nominee will be selected for one of our prestigious recognition lists, you can create a solid nomination that will give the selection committee something to think about.