Alistair Hardaker
When the National Galleries of Scotland People Team won the Team of the Year award at the Museums + Heritage Awards in May 2025, Director of People Kim McCabe admits they were more than a little surprised.
The win recognised what the judges called “complex work delivered with sensitivity and impressive results, leading to a significant uplift in staff satisfaction”. The team was shortlisted alongside strong competition including the teams Glasgow Life Museums, Aerospace Bristol, and National Museums Liverpool.
For a team whose work often happens quietly behind the scenes, the recognition meant validation of a different kind.
Seven months on, McCabe reflects on what it means to shine a light on People functions in the heritage sector, the transformative project that reduced working hours across the organisation, and why other teams shouldn’t hesitate to celebrate their achievements.
“Honestly a Little Surprised”
“We were over the moon (that’s an understatement), and honestly a little surprised!” McCabe recalls. “The competition was incredible, so just being shortlisted felt like an achievement. Winning was something else entirely. It was such a special moment and an evening we’ll never forget.”
“We didn’t miss the chance to celebrate—it was such a special moment taking the team out,” McCabe notes. The winning team has even set up a Teams channel called ‘Team of the Year’ to keep the excitement alive, with the award now taking pride of place in the office.
“The response across the organisation was amazing, everyone was genuinely delighted for us.”
“This award really brought attention to the incredible work that often happens quietly behind the scenes—not just in People, but across all the teams that help make strategy and goals a reality,” McCabe explains.
“For us, it was a reassuring moment that our vision is making an impact where we believe it matters to our people.”
Asked what set the People Team apart from strong competition, McCabe said “That’s a question I’d honestly love to ask the judges.
“The competition was incredibly strong, but I think what made the difference was our commitment to people and culture—and really listening to what our colleagues told us through the engagement survey. Their feedback guided us, and acting on what matters to them has been at the heart of everything we do.
“It was an incredibly humbling experience, surrounded by remarkable people and inspiring stories – it was an honour for us to be part of it.”
Reducing Hours With No Detriment
In 2024 the team took on an ambitious project in both scale and impact: reducing standard full-time equivalent working hours across the entire organisation.
McCabe explains: “…through the focus on our People strategy and people commitments, the People Team delivered a huge collaborative organisational project reducing the standard full time equivalent working hours implemented with effect from 1st October 2024 with no detriment.”
“This project, focusing on inclusion, wellbeing and the delivery of a more engaging colleague experience, resulted in new hours of work for every colleague in the organisation. It required significant engagement across the organisation and collective colleague involvement.”
By focusing on wellbeing, McCabe says the team “[creates] a culture that allows colleagues to have a meaningful work/life balance that brings positive benefits to individuals and the organisation.”
Refreshing the Five-Year Strategy
The team’s priorities for the coming year are focused on building on their foundation. “One of our key focus areas is to refresh our People Strategy for the next five years and beyond,” McCabe explains.
“In addition, we will be focusing on our learning offer and the introduction of a learning management system.
“We will also prioritise building the skills needed for the future, with a strong emphasis on technical capabilities.”
“There’s Nothing to Lose”
For other People Teams across the museums and heritage sector who might hesitate to enter awards, McCabe’s message is encouraging and straightforward.
“It’s a fantastic chance to pause and appreciate everything you’ve accomplished as you prepare your submission. There’s nothing to lose and so much to gain!”
She emphasises that the process itself has value, even beyond winning. “I’d encourage anyone with a great story to go for it and celebrate what you’ve achieved. Even if you don’t win, it’s a wonderful way to come together as a team and reflect on your hard work.”
McCabe also expresses gratitude to the awards organisers for creating the space for behind-the-scenes teams to be recognised. “A big thank you to M+H for creating this new category and giving those of us behind the scenes a chance to shine.”
The Team of the Year award recognised the People Team’s work reducing working hours across the organisation with no detriment to staff, alongside their broader commitment to listening to colleagues and acting on their feedback. For McCabe and her team, it was confirmation that their focus on culture, wellbeing and staff satisfaction was making the impact they’d hoped for.
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