The recruitment industry’s brightest talent gathered last night for the REC Awards 2026, a celebration of the people, businesses and initiatives raising standards across the sector.
Hosted by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC), the annual awards recognise innovation, resilience and excellence within an industry that contributes £40 billion to the UK economy. This year’s ceremony not only showcased outstanding achievements across recruitment but also honoured one of the sector’s most influential leaders with a Lifetime Achievement Award.
Tim Cook Receives Lifetime Achievement Award
One of the evening’s most significant moments was the presentation of the REC Lifetime Achievement Award to Tim Cook, CEO of nGAGE.
With more than three decades of experience in recruitment, Tim has played a pivotal role in shaping the modern staffing industry. Since becoming CEO of nGAGE in 2013, he has overseen the group’s continued growth, led international expansion, championed innovation and invested in emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence.
REC Interim Chief Executive Maxine Bligh praised Tim’s impact on both the businesses he has led and the wider profession.
“Tim has built an outstanding career at the heart of one of the recruitment industry’s greatest success stories. His impact reaches far beyond the businesses he leads, and this award recognises an exceptional career spanning decades helping to shape modern recruitment and leaving a lasting mark on businesses, careers and the profession.”
Tim’s achievements were further recognised this year when he was named in Staffing 100 Europe, celebrating staffing leaders whose vision and accomplishments are shaping the future world of work.
A Night of Recognition for Outstanding Recruiters
The awards highlighted the extraordinary contribution of recruiters across the UK, with several standout winners recognised for their performance, leadership and innovation.
Recruiter of the Year: Richard Shorrock
Richard Shorrock, Associate Director at Spencer Clarke Group, enjoyed an exceptional evening, winning both Temporary Recruiter of the Year and the overall Recruiter of the Year award.
His success reflects the significant growth of the firm’s SEND division and his role in expanding the business into the wider education sector. Judges were particularly impressed by his relationship-building skills, responsiveness and commitment to continuous learning.
Permanent Recruiter of the Year
Sian-Marie Sheppard of KSB Recruitment Consultants took home the Permanent Recruiter of the Year award. Known for her expertise in the catering and hospitality sector, she has consistently exceeded performance targets while delivering outstanding service to clients and candidates alike.
Agency Star of the Year
Jeremy Newell of Rapid Personnel was recognised as Agency Star of the Year for introducing innovative workforce solutions that improved candidate engagement, communication and retention. His work has also driven operational improvements through technologies such as biometric time and attendance systems.
Recruitment Driving Positive Social Change
Beyond commercial success, this year’s winners demonstrated how recruitment businesses can make a meaningful difference to society.
Community Impact of the Year: Brightwork Staffline
Brightwork Staffline was recognised for establishing and funding Scotland Against Modern Slavery (SAMS), Scotland’s only anti-trafficking business network.
Working alongside the Scottish Government, Police Scotland and the Fair Work Agency, SAMS has helped support survivors of exploitation into sustainable employment and provided education programmes for vulnerable communities, asylum seekers and new arrivals to Scotland.
The initiative has already helped dozens of survivors rebuild their lives through access to secure work and has contributed to successful criminal prosecutions of traffickers.
Diversity Initiative of the Year: Tile Hill
Tile Hill received the Diversity Initiative of the Year award for its comprehensive approach to inclusion and leadership development.
The company’s “Different” programme aims to address the lack of ethnic diversity in senior local government leadership. Led by Deborah Cadman OBE and Meena Kishinani, the programme provides mentoring, leadership development and personalised support to talented professionals from ethnic minority backgrounds seeking to progress into senior public sector roles.
Alongside this, Tile Hill continues to promote an inclusive culture through regular employee engagement, expert-led discussions and a board-supported equality, diversity and inclusion strategy.
Technology Supporting Better Recruitment
Technology also took centre stage during the evening, with Staffline Recruitment winning the Best Use of Technology Award.
The company developed a workforce management solution for one of the UK’s leading bread manufacturers, providing managers with real-time access to workforce data across eight sites.
The platform has streamlined operations by connecting shift fulfilment, attendance tracking and payroll into a single workflow, reducing errors and improving decision-making. Since implementation, the client has reported zero invoice queries, demonstrating the system’s effectiveness and accuracy.
Looking Ahead
Speaking during the awards ceremony, REC Interim Chief Executive Maxine Bligh highlighted the vital role recruiters continue to play in supporting businesses, communities and individuals during challenging economic conditions.
While technology is transforming recruitment, she emphasised that people remain at the centre of successful hiring.
As the jobs market begins to show signs of improvement, the REC Awards 2026 winners demonstrate the very best of the profession: combining innovation, technology and human expertise to create opportunities, support businesses and drive positive change across society.
Their achievements are a reminder that recruitment is about much more than filling vacancies. At its best, it changes lives, strengthens communities and helps organisations thrive.
For the full list of REC Awards 2026 winners, visit the REC Awards website.
