We’re a Finalist in the British Recruitment Awards 2026

We’re delighted to announce that we’ve been named a Finalist in the British Recruitment Awards 2026.

Happydance has been named a Finalist in two categories: Technology Partner of the Year and Innovation of the Year.

With a range of categories including ‘AI in Recruitment Initiative of the Year’, ‘Diversity & Inclusion Initiative of the Year’ and ‘Leader of the Year’, the British Recruitment Awards sets out to discover and celebrate the individuals and teams who are passionate about recruitment’s role in building a thriving organisation.

With 317 entries from organisations across the UK, standards were incredibly high, making the task of selecting this year's Finalists a challenging one for the judging panel. Firms taking part range from start-up pioneers to public sector heroes, tech superstars, global titans and everything in between.

The British Recruitment Awards 2026 judges include:

Paul Bowles, VP, Talent Acquisition & Development at Nokia | Lauren Bradley, Head of Talent Acquisition at Warburtons | Laura Callaghan, Global Talent Acquisition Leader at Western Union | Rob Davies, Head of Recruitment at Grant Thornton | Liz Dowling, Chief People Officer at VIOOH | Kiran Fraser-Neve, Head of Talent Acquisition (UK) at The HEINEKEN Company | Tom Hadley, Independent Workforce Consultant and Future of Work Activist | Claire Hamilton, UK Head of Talent Acquisition at Capgemini | Martin Haywood, Head of Talent Acquisition - EMEA at Digital Realty | Steve Jacobs, Managing Director at Alderson James Group | Sharlene John, Head of DE&I, Recruitment & Onboarding at Selfridges | Saqib Khan, Senior Director Global Talent Acquisition at Paramount International | Mark Kunaseelan, Head of Resourcing at University of the Arts London | Gordon Macfarlane, Head of Resourcing at SSE | Ben Murphy-Ryan, Talent Acquisition Director at evoke | Liz Oldridge, Head of TA EU Consumer and Retail at Amazon | Professor Emma Parry, Director, People, Skills & Leadership Theme at Cranfield School of Management | Ross Swan, Partner – Strategic Resourcing Solutions at BDO LLP | Oli Urpi, Head of Talent Acquisition and Employer Brand at Southern Water

"Finalists in two categories - Best Technology Partner and Innovation of the Year - tell a story we're proud of: we're not just building clever tech, we're building it in a way that makes us a genuinely good partner to work with. Out of 317 entries, that's the combination that matters most to us." Bryan Adams CEO

We’ll find out if we’ve won at an awards ceremony in Covent Garden, London on the 12th November 2026.

Nate Harwood, Founder of New Possible and the British Recruitment Awards, said: “As we navigate a profound industrial shift, it has become more important than ever for organisations to attract, develop and retain the people who will build tomorrow's economy. The British Recruitment Awards celebrate the visionary teams and individuals leading this transformation. Congratulations to all our Finalists.” The British Recruitment Awards is powered by New Possible. New Possible helps leaders build healthier organisations by providing meaningful insight that can drive real change.