It’s rewarding to receive recognition and feedback on your projects and solutions from other respected, senior-level human resources professionals.

Whether you work for a small or a mega processor, it’s encouraging to receive honors and assurances that others in your field understand and appreciate the responsibilities, problems and issues you face each day.

As human resources professionals in the meat or poultry industry, you encounter many tough human capital issues, and the expectations are high for you to provide the right strategic directions and solutions to address these concerns. You’ve put in many long days and worked hard to develop innovative programs. Now it’s time to share your work and results with others in the HR field through the HREVOLUTION AWARDS.

The 2007 HREVOLUTION AWARDS are presented by The National Provisioner and sponsored by Ameritas Group. This second annual event will recognize and celebrate HR departments that demonstrate originality and creativity in responding to today’s human capital challenges. And best of all, there is no cost to enter!

If your HR department has spearheaded an innovative solution, fostered greater communication with employees, developed a quality employee recruitment plan, introduced a new cost-effective benefits program that has delivered greater value, or implemented a retention or rewards approach that has netted significant results for your company, these are excellent entries for the HREVOLUTION AWARDS competition.

The National Provisioner and Ameritas Group want to recognize HR departments that employ best practices, effectively solve human capital issues, and improve the work environment for employees at all levels of their organizations. Awards categories for HR Departments will include small, medium, large and mega-sized meat and poultry processors in the United States for programs in place since January 2005.

Consider the opportunity to have a group of senior HR professionals evaluate your programs and solutions, and factor in the recognition you’ll receive for your efforts from other HR professionals and businesses in the meat and poultry industries. Winners will receive a special award presented in person at your company, recognition in The National Provisioner, and a news release sent to the media in your hometowns.

The deadline for all entries is April 27, 2007. Winners will be announced in October. To enter, visit www.provisioneronline.com/HREVOLUTION.

The National Provisioner magazine and Ameritas Group announce the 2007 HREVOLUTION AWARDS, designed to celebrate the valuable contributions of HR professionals to the success of meat and poultry companies across the United States.

The HREVOLUTION AWARDS will recognize HR departments in the meat and poultry processing industries for innovation and outstanding performance in managing employee benefit programs that not only meet employee needs and maintain employee satisfaction, but also

HREVOLUTION AWARDS will be presented to up to two HR Departments in each size category. Meat and poultry processors with more than one HR Department should work together when submitting entries to avoid having departments compete against each other for awards. Only one award will be presented per company in each category, even if that company has multiple HR departments.

•  On-site personal presentation of the awards to    winners by The National Provisioner and Ameritas

•  News release announcements of winners distributed in    October 2007 to HR professionals, companies in the    meat and poultry industry, and to media in winners’    hometowns

A panel of experienced senior-level HR professionals will evaluate the HREVOLUTION AWARDS entries. Judges are responsible for evaluating and identifying winning entries.

All award entries will be carefully evaluated to determine whether the HR department was successful in aligning the objectives identified with the results.

Note: We are seeking entries that showcase innovative solutions to human capital challenges, so it is acceptable to submit an entry that has been implemented even if the final results are not available. Please clearly communicate the anticipated outcome, as described in Criteria #7.

2. Objectives — Clearly define the objectives established to solve the problem or address the situation. The objectives should be measurable and the explanations clear enough to determine that they were set and achieved.

6. Budget — Identify the financial resources committed to develop and implement the solution.  An exact dollar amount is not required, but please provide a close estimate of costs.

7. Measurement of results — Clearly describe how you evaluated the results achieved by the implemented solution, including an explanation of whether the results were met or fell short of the objectives. If final results are not available, please describe the anticipated outcome.

9. Self-evaluation — Explain what you learned through the development and implementation of this solution. In retrospect, would you implement the same solution? What would you change?

Remember: HREVOLUTION AWARDS recognize HR departments in the meat and poultry food industries for innovation and outstanding performance in managing employee benefit programs that not only meet employee needs and maintain employee satisfaction, but also go beyond the norm to attract quality employees, increase employee retention and encourage personal growth and well-being, and establish the business/company as an employer of choice.

As you prepare your entry, it may be helpful to read about the 2006 winners of HREVOLUTION AWARDS at www.provisioneronline.com/2006HRsupplement

The National Provisioner and Ameritas Group agree that information included in the entry will be kept strictly private and confidential. Winners will be interviewed and featured in a special HREVOLUTION supplement in the September 2007 issue of The National Provisioner.

The National Provisioner magazine is a publication of Stagnito Communications (an Ascend Media company). Stagnito, based in Deerfield, Illinois, is the global leader in food, beverage, and packaging communications, producing 15 publications and reaching more than 12,000 businesses and 25,000 subscribers.

Ameritas Group, a division of Ameritas Life Insurance Corp. (a UNIFI Company), underwrites and reinsures dental and eye care plans and provides customer relations to more than 41,000 employer groups and individuals, covering more than 3.5 million insured members. Ameritas Group’s headquarters is in Lincoln, Nebraska. (In New York, products are sold through First Ameritas Life Insurance Corp. of New York.)