2025 Rally® Awards™ Honor the Leaders Advancing Recruitment Marketing and Employer Branding

Winners across 17 categories showcase the modern talent attraction practices that have become a strategic business advantage

BOSTON, May 19, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Rally® Recruitment Marketing today announced the winners of the 2025 Rally® Awards™, a prestigious global competition celebrating excellence in Recruitment Marketing and Employer Branding. The Rally Awards honor the professionals and teams who are leading the transformation of talent acquisition—reflecting the rise of a more strategic, insight-driven approach to attracting, engaging and recruiting top talent.

This year's competition saw a record number of entries, underscoring the critical role that Recruitment Marketing and Employer Branding professionals now play in enabling organizations to compete for in-demand talent. From small, agile teams to global enterprises, employers are making bold investments in the people, technology and strategies that build awareness and shape candidate perceptions—especially in an environment where job seeker expectations and social and digital channels are constantly evolving.

"Recruitment Marketing has become a vital strategy for reaching and engaging the right talent in a competitive market," said Lori Sylvia, Founder & CEO of Rally. "The professionals recognized this year are using data and storytelling in ways that elevate their employer brand, connect more meaningfully with talent and deliver measurable results. Their work goes beyond filling roles—it shapes culture, strengthens reputation and supports long-term business success. Congratulations to the 2025 Rally Award Winners!"

Among those honored are Sherri Hamilton of Baylor Scott & White Health and Raven Hazlett of Eaton, who were named 2025 Recruitment Marketing Rising Stars, and Kristin Oravec of Eaton, who received the distinction of 2025 Recruitment Marketer of the Year. Their achievements reflect a larger trend taking place across the industry, as more employers than ever are building dedicated teams to lead Recruitment Marketing and Employer Branding efforts—opening up exciting new career opportunities for professionals at the intersection of talent, marketing and communications. This year's Rally Award winners represent the forefront of that movement, leading the way with innovation, creativity and measurable impact.

This year also marks the first time the Rally Awards have honored solution providers. The new categories and their recipients—Best Agency Partner, awarded to exaqueo, and Best Technology Partner, awarded to Phenom—recognize the growing importance of partnerships that enable in-house Recruitment Marketing teams to scale their efforts, innovate and achieve hiring goals faster.

2025 Rally Award Judges

Winners were selected by an independent panel of 22 peer judges—respected leaders from across the Rally community.

• Megan Claar, Recruitment Marketing and Employment Brand Manager, Sheetz; 2024 Recruitment Marketer of the Year
• Sarah Osborne, Senior Recruitment Marketing Specialist, Mutual of Omaha; 2024 Recruitment Marketing Rising Star
• Jessica Minter, Digital Recruiting Manager, nVent
• Collette Litzinger, Manager, Employer Brand Strategy, Jamf
• Katie Newland, Director, Global Employer Brand & Recruitment Marketing, Syneos Health Commercial Solutions
• Katherine Manansala, Director, Talent Acquisition and Talent Attraction, Macy's
• Monica Medina, Employer Brand Lead, Capgemini
• Jenni Teeters, Employer Brand and Recruitment Marketing Manager, Premise Health
• Mark Acquaye, Recruiting Strategist, Accenture
• Amanda Wheaton, Recruitment Marketing Manager, Precoa
• Lesley DeWitt, Recruitment Marketing Manager, Morley
• Courtney Reun, Director, Talent Attraction, Sound Physicians
• Rob Ryan, Group Recruitment Marketing Lead, Babcock International Group
• Maria Rigou, Global Talent Attraction, PepsiCo
• Zakiya Nashid, Sr. Manager, Global Talent and Employer Brand, Twilio
• Jessica Collins, Recruitment Marketing & Employer Brand Leader, Walmart
• Lindsay Wolins, Recruitment Marketing Manager, Esri
• Kelsey Becker, Recruitment Marketing Manager, SelectQuote Insurance
• Keisha Fowler, Recruitment Marketing Manager, Eli Lilly & Co.
• Michael Rizzi, Senior Manager, Recruitment Marketing, DraftKings
• Shannon Smedstad, Director, Global Recruitment Marketing, Fresenius Medical Care
• Dani Laven, Recruitment Marketing Strategist; 2020 Recruitment Marketing Rising Star

Many judges are past winners themselves and bring deep expertise in employer branding, social recruiting, content strategy and recruitment marketing analytics. Entries were evaluated on strategy, creativity, execution and business impact.

2025 Rally Award Winners by Category

Best Employer Brand Video

First Place: ATB Financial — "More Than Work Campaign"

Second Place: Westpac Group — "For Uncommon Minds"

Third Place: CBRE — "EVP Manifesto Video"

Best Use of Employee Generated Content

Winner: ADT — "Heroes Behind the Octagon: Celebrating ADT's 150th Birthday"

Best Talent Newsletter

First Place: UBS — "Get Recruitment Ready with UBS"

Second Place: Baylor Scott & White Health — "The Pulse E-Newsletter"

Third Place: ADT — "Talent Network Newsletter"

Best Use of Organic Social Media in Recruitment Marketing

First Place: UBS — "We See Your Abilities"

Second Place: Baylor Scott & White Health — "Organic Social Strategy"

Best Use of Paid Social Media in Recruitment Marketing

First Place: BAT (British American Tobacco) — "Fueling Innovation: Battle of Minds"

Second Place: Baylor Scott & White Health — "Leveraging Paid Social Media"

Best Use of Video in Recruitment Marketing

First Place (tie): ATB Financial — "More Than Work Campaign", and Credicorp — "Believe, Create, and Grow"

Second Place: Citadel — "Julia, an Extraordinary Colleague"

Best Recruitment Marketing Campaign (Small Team)

Winner: Ingredion — "Celebrating Recruitment Marketing Excellence"

Best Recruitment Marketing Campaign (Large Team)

First Place: AS Watson / Kruidvat — "Apply with Your Bestie!"

Second Place: UBS — "Recruitment for Client Migration Project"

Third Place: UBS — "Apprenticeship Campaign, Switzerland"

Best Content Marketing Program

First Place: Ascension — "Part of a Bigger Story of Care"

Second Place: Credicorp — "Connecting Today's Leaders with Tomorrow's Innovators"

Third Place: AS Watson / Kruidvat — "Apply with Your Bestie!"

Best Employer Brand Launch

First Place: Vulcan Industrial — "Winning Big"

Second Place: Verizon — "The V Team Life"

Third Place: Highmark Health — "Remarkable Together"

Best Careers Blog

Winner: Mutual of Omaha — "Transforming Talent Attraction"

Best Use of Recruitment Marketing Technology

Winner: Allianz SE — "Next-Gen Recruitment: All-in-One Talent Ecosystem"

Best Careers Site

First Place: Delaware North — "New Global Careers Site"

Second Place: Credicorp — "Redefining Talent Attraction"

Best Agency Partner

Winner: exaqueo

Best Technology Partner

Winner: Phenom

2025 Recruitment Marketing Rising Stars

Winners:

Sherri Hamilton, Baylor Scott & White Health

Raven Hazlett, Eaton

2025 Recruitment Marketer of the Year

Winner: Kristin Oravec, Eaton

About the Rally® Awards™

The Rally® Awards™ is a prestigious, global, peer-reviewed competition that recognizes excellence in recruitment marketing and employer branding strategy. Created by Rally® Recruitment Marketing, the competition spotlights the professionals who are transforming how employers attract, engage and recruit talent. Now in its sixth year, the Rally Awards celebrates the strategies and results that move our industry forward, with the goal of sharing what works with our global community of 50,000 practitioners.

About Rally®

Rally® Recruitment Marketing is the largest online community for learning modern talent attraction strategies. Through expert-led content, training and technology, we empower practitioners in recruitment marketing, employer branding and talent acquisition to attract top talent and advance their careers. Rally is also the creator of Rally® Inside™, an AI-powered recruitment marketing platform that uses data and insights to help employers create content that performs across every recruiting channel. Learn more at rallyrecruitmentmarketing.com.

2025 Rally Award Winner Quotes

Award recipients expressed their gratitude for the honor, highlighting the crucial role of their teams and leadership in championing employer branding and recruitment marketing as key strategic priorities within their organizations.

Kayla Branham, Sr. Manager, Recruitment Marketing, ADT

"We're incredibly honored to receive recognition from the Rally Awards for both Best Use of Employee-Generated Content and Best Talent Newsletter. From showcasing the voices of our team members to delivering meaningful content that keeps talent connected and engaged, these wins are a testament to the continued support and cross-functional collaboration that's enabled us to authentically showcase "Life At ADT". Thank you to Rally and the judges for this recognition, and congratulations to all the winners who are elevating the art and impact of talent marketing."

Bettina Dietsche, Group Chief People & Culture Officer, Allianz SE

"We feel very honored and see the award as a recognition for our future-ready recruitment technology landscape. Our strong technological focus complements our practise of hiring with heart and making human-centered decisions. We have already set out ambitious targets for the next years, aimed at delivering a state-of-the-art experience for candidates, recruiters, and hiring managers. These efforts are an integral part of our Allianz strategy to strengthen resilience, drive smart growth, and increase productivity."

Linda Almanzo, Director, Recruitment Marketing & Employer Brand, Ascension

"We're honored to have Ascension recognized by the Rally Awards. This award speaks to the heart our team brings to everything they do. They didn't just tell powerful stories - they built a data-driven, scalable content engine that delivers customized, associate-centered storytelling across our national health system. Every member of the team played a role in amplifying these voices across channels, strengthening our connection with candidates and celebrating our associates, in meaningful and measurable ways."

Yvette Hansen, Director, Talent Acquisition & DEIB, Baylor Scott & White Health

Whitney Wallace, TA Marketing & Sourcing Manager, Baylor Scott & White Health

"We are deeply grateful to Rally for investing in recruitment marketing and creating a platform that recognizes our efforts. Winning three Rally Recruitment Marketing Awards this year highlights the dedication and passion of our Recruitment Marketing team at Baylor Scott & White Health. Our team members, who co-create our employee voice campaigns, are pivotal to our success and deserve these awards alongside the TA Marketing team. Their authentic stories and experiences are the heart of our strategy, helping us connect with top talent and inspire others to join our mission."

Susan LaMotte, Founder and CEO, exaqueo

"At exaqueo, true partnership is at the core of everything we do, and we are deeply honored to be named Rally's first-ever Best Agency Partner. This award is especially meaningful because it reflects the spirit of collaboration and trust we strive to build with every client. We believe that employer brand success starts with listening—truly understanding our clients' people, challenges, and goals—and then delivering authentic, measurable solutions that empower them to lead. Thank you to the Rally community for creating this new category and for celebrating the critical role of agency partners in advancing our industry."

Michelle Magliocchetti, Global TA Enablement Manager, Ingredion

"Karla Juarez and I are deeply honored to win the Rally Award for Best Recruitment Marketing Campaign/Strategy: Small Team! This recognition, especially as first-time entrants, means the world to us. Rally Recruitment Marketing's invaluable support and guidance have been instrumental. Our journey to build Recruitment Marketing within Talent Acquisition at Ingredion Incorporated has been both exciting and challenging. With our teams' support, we've achieved so much in a short time."

John Harrington, Sr. Director, Product Marketing, Phenom

"Being recognized as Best Technology Partner is a great honor, and it demonstrates Phenom's obsession with our customers' success. Phenom AI helps HR teams make faster, more informed talent decisions while delivering personalized experiences that resonate with both candidates and employees — ultimately, giving our customers a competitive advantage,"

Jonna Sjövall, Global Head of Junior Talent and Talent Attraction, UBS

"We're excited to have won four Rally Awards this year, standing alongside the world's best in employer branding and recruitment marketing. This recognition highlights the amazing creativity, passion, and dedication of our Junior Talent and Talent Attraction team. We're incredibly proud of what we've achieved and are more committed than ever to connecting top talent around the world to fantastic career opportunities at UBS. A big shoutout to all the 2025 Rally Award winners – it's an honour to celebrate with such an inspiring bunch!"

Simon Lawrie, President, Vulcan Industrial

"We are honored to receive the Rally Award for Best Employer Brand Launch! This recognition is a reflection of the passion, pride, and commitment that defines Vulcan Industrial. Our Employer Brand launch was a true team effort— built around the authentic voices of our employees and the spirit of innovation that drives us forward every day. We are proud to showcase the incredible culture we've built and even more excited for the future ahead. Thank you to Rally, Savage Brands and to everyone at Vulcan who helped bring our story to life!"

Sherri Hamilton, Talent Acquisition Marketing Analyst, Baylor Scott & White Health

"Winning a Rising Star Award is incredibly meaningful to me, not just as recognition of the work, but as a reflection of the journey that brought me here. I pivoted my career to pursue something with more purpose, and I've been fortunate to grow at Baylor Scott & White Health alongside leaders and teammates who have challenged, supported and believed in me. I'm honored to be recognized among so many talented professionals who are shaping the future of recruitment marketing. A heartfelt thank you to Rally for creating a platform that uplifts this community and the work we do. I'm excited to continue doing work that connects people with purpose while growing and helping shape what's next in recruitment marketing."

Raven Hazlett, Talent Acquisition, Early Talent and I&D Recruitment Marketing Specialist, Eaton

"Being named a 2025 Recruitment Marketing Rising Star is an incredible honor. Ever since learning about recruitment marketing and employer brand during an internship my senior year of college, I have been passionate about expanding my skills and knowledge within the space. This achievement wouldn't have been possible without the support of my team here at Eaton, including my manager and Recruitment Marketer of the Year, Kristin Oravec. I can't wait to see how I can continue to grow and become a leader in recruitment marketing."

Kristin Oravec, Talent Acquisition, Global Employer Branding Leader, Eaton

"Receiving this award is an incredible honor and a meaningful milestone in my career. Recruitment marketing and employer branding have the power to transform how companies connect with people—and I'm proud of the work I've done to make that connection more human, strategic and inclusive. Thank you to the judges for this recognition, and for championing the work that's moving our field forward. I'm excited to keep learning, innovating and helping shape what's next."

Media Contact

Lori Sylvia, Rally Recruitment Marketing, 1 508-372-0744, [email protected], https://rallyrecruitmentmarketing.com/

SOURCE Rally Recruitment Marketing