Press Release 2026
11th Recruitment Academy Awards Introduced the New HR Impact Leader of the Year
The educational institution Recruitment Academy recognized the best projects in HR marketing, employer branding, and recruitment over the past year. For the very first time, the title of HR Impact Leader of the Year was also awarded, going to Monika Grešová from Budějovický Budvar. The gala evening took place on Thursday, April 23, 2026, at ARCHA+ Theatre in Prague.
The evening was hosted by Blake Wittman and Soňa Porupková.
This year’s edition brought together more than 70 companies with over 100 submissions across ten categories, highlighting the growing importance of high-quality HR marketing and a strategic approach to recruitment. “We see a clear shift in how companies approach hiring. It’s no longer just about speed, but about quality, data, and long-term brand building. HR marketing is becoming a strategic discipline with a direct impact on business,” says José Kadlec, co-founder of the Recruitment Academy Awards.
Winners of the 11th Recruitment Academy Awards:
HR Impact Leader of the Year: Monika Grešová, Budějovický Budvar
Recruiter of the Year: Petr Švach, RETIA
Job Advert of the Year: Prodator Marketing
Referral Program of the Year: STRV
Recruitment Campaign of the Year: Raiffeisenbank
Edenred Wellbeing Award: Kaufland Czech Republic
Career Website of the Year – Small Companies: ATLAS consulting
Career Website of the Year – Large Companies: Kompan Czech Republic
Career Video of the Year – Small Companies: ESOX
Career Video of the Year – Large Companies: Penta Hospitals
People’s Choice Award: Penta Hospitals
The winners were selected by an independent jury of Czech and Slovak recruitment experts, including members of the Recruitment Academy’s academic board such as Milan Novák, Jan Ženatý, and Tomáš Ervín Dombrovský, alongside industry professionals like Jan Klusoň and Matěj Matolín. Representatives of last year’s winners were also part of the jury, further strengthening its independence.
In the Recruiter of the Year category, Petr Švach from RETIA stood out thanks to his unique approach to hiring for technical roles, such as system engineers. In the newly introduced HR Impact Leader of the Year category, Monika Grešová was recognized for her measurable impact: employee engagement increased from 37% to 75%, while voluntary turnover dropped from 13% to 3.4%.
For the fifth consecutive year, Edenred served as the general partner of the competition and also sponsored the Edenred Wellbeing Award category. The main partner, University of New York in Prague, supported the Recruiter of the Year category and awarded the winner a fully funded master’s degree program of their choice.
The Recruitment Academy Awards were created to inspire, educate, and showcase the best projects in HR marketing, employer branding, and recruitment. Since its launch in 2015, more than 1,000 projects have been submitted to the competition.
More information is available at www.raawards.cz
About Recruitment Academy
Recruitment Academy is a specialized educational institution for recruiters. It currently operates in 12 countries across Central and Eastern Europe. Over the past ten years, it has trained more than 30,000 HR professionals and managers globally. As the only organization in Central Europe, it offers expert certifications such as Certified Sourcer and Certified Recruiter.