The World of Work Institute’s one day conference at Henley Business School took as its theme Leadership Futures: Rewriting the rules for Industry 5.0. The day brought together leading thinkers, researchers and practitioners from across industry and academia to share and develop ideas about the future of the workplace, the impact of technology and what challenges future leaders would need to face.

Kicking off the day, Paul Lindley OBE, Chancellor of the University of Reading and Founder of Ella’s Kitchen gave an insight into how he built his business and how being successful now means more than just making money. He noted how his own brand has become part of his customer’s lives – children dressing up as the product for example – and how leaving a legacy has become a crucial part of building a business.

Technology featured heavily in the morning presentations as speakers informed and challenged the audience to consider what they needed to do to get the best from technology for their businesses and people. Alex Tatham, former Executive Director of Westcoast Limited went beyond asking whether companies had clear AI policies in place to ask if companies knew that their staff were complying with those policies. He also pointed out that simply automating processes did not have a great deal of impact – technology has to truly augment existing processes to be worthwhile.

Flash Insight sessions from Jonathan Passmore, Professor of Coaching & Behavioural Change and Patricia Riddell, Professor of Applied Neuroscience also offered new and incisive insights into the integration of technologies into the workplace and consequent implications: Core skills used to change every five years, now they’re changing every 12 months; the use of AI and automation to take on ‘low level’ work means the work for humans may be harder, more challenging, and therefore perhaps more likely to lead to burnout. ‘Best practice’ starts to become difficult because the pace of change is so fast, best practice keeps changing.

The day then offered delegates the choice of one of three streams, concentrating either on managing a combined human/non-human workforce, re-imagining talent approaches or how leaders need to communicate in the tech age – each led by specialists in their fields and encouraging debate and discussion among those attending.

This was followed by a presentation from Lord Chris Holmes of Richmond, who gave a thorough and inspiring presentation which examined how the future would see a constellation of technologies coming together to change work and the workplace. He emphasised that regulation was not to be resisted – good regulation can be good for everyone – and that legislation done well can also keep up with the speed of change.

The afternoon session pressed home the emphasis on leadership challenges and what the future might hold for those at the top of organisations. There was also a chance for delegates to share their thoughts and experiences, in a session which followed on from a keynote presentation by Tim Johnson, Lead Partner, Crisis and Resilience at Deloitte. Johnson’s presentation looked at leading through the disruption, risk and opportunity presented by technological change and while challenges are evident, the outcome could still be positive and uplifting for everyone.

Finally, the HR World’s own Mike Beesley hosted a panel session which brought together some leading HR thinkers to discuss the challenges and opportunities that lie in the development of the multigenerational workplace. As more generations co-exist at work than ever before, panellists gave their views and first-hand experience of managing and being within multigenerational workplaces.

With panellists ranging from Juliet Crisp, former Head of People Strategy, Governance and Planning at The Post Office to Tanvir Nagra, Project Manager, Broadcom, and Henley Alumna who brought the perspective of Gen Z to the discussion, this was an excellent way to round off a stimulating and productive day, bringing the focus back to the here and now as leaders prepare for the future.

With a clear focus on the evolving role of skills-based hiring to help build agile, high-performing organisations the discussion was led with thoughts from Michelle Rajkumar, Global Talent Acquisition Leader and Lindsay Gallard, Chief People Officer, Six Degrees.

The conversation also featured new research from the round table’s sponsors Morgan McKinley Talent Solutions, giving their access to the latest information and trends around this crucial subject. 

What emerged from the conversation was that in today’s rapidly evolving tech-driven world, the traditional methods of talent acquisition are being challenged. Businesses are determined to stay competitive in all areas and to do this from a talent acquisition point of view, it has been necessary to shift focus from identifying traditional credentials to perfecting a skills-first mindset. In this context, those around the table identified adaptability, lifelong learning, and the role of technology as important in shaping the future of work.

Essentially, employers are now operating in a world where job roles are changing faster than job titles can keep pace. In this scenario the ability for employees to be able to adapt and develop their skills is incredibly valuable.

The discussion emphasised the need to value what people can do over where they’ve been. Organisations need to be able to analyse and measure ability and potential among employees, challenging traditional credentials and foregrounding ability and adaptability. For this approach to be sustainable and deliver value, organisations must build inclusive pathways, recognising the potential of their staff and ensuring they are able to move through the business easily and successfully.

Naturally technology has a huge part to play here. The discussion looked at best practice around the use of AI and automation, leveraging these technologies to streamline the recruitment process, from candidate screening to skills assessment. It was also felt that making data-driven decisions around talent management meant there was a better understanding of workforce needs resulting in better hiring and development decisions.

Retaining talent continues to be a challenge for employers, and the discussion proposed initiatives such as providing regular check-ins with employees to understand their needs and the key to their satisfaction. Culture was also an important part of retention while creating good internal mobility also meant employees could be developed and encouraged to stay with the organisation. 

Indeed, addressing internal mobility, through encouraging lateral moves around an organisation and creating a skills database so the organisation can stay on top of the skills and abilities it has within it’s workforce can also be key to keeping employees motivated and the organisation aware of the talent it has.

Finally, the discussion made clear that in the field of people development, diversity and inclusion are not just buzzwords but are essential components of a successful talent strategy. The discussion emphasised the need to ‘widen the gate, not lower the bar’ in ensuring hiring, and development processes are inclusive and equitable. Once again, the creation of a positive and inclusive company culture can help diverse talent thrive and progress.

There is no question that the future of talent acquisition and management lies in a skills-first approach that values adaptability, lifelong learning and diversity. Achieving this and making the most of this approach requires HR to ensure other areas of its work are aligned to this aim. Technology, culture and internal talent management must be addressed in order to build a workforce that is not only skilled, but also resilient and innovative. As the world of work continues to evolve, embracing these strategies will be key to staying competitive and thriving in a tech-driven landscape.

As businesses face a combination of rising wages, increased taxes, and indirect costs from legislation including the Employment Rights Bill, the need to achieve operational efficiency alongside a great employee experience has never been more important. Organisations may be facing tough choices, but they might also be ignoring ways to reduce costs and keep their key talent.

With the right technology, organisations can stay compliant in the face of change, simplify and automate processes to gain greater control over people costs. Not only that but an efficient system can give HR the real time information they need to make high value data-driven decisions – good for their people and very good for their organisation.

Attendees joined us for a forward-thinking discussion on how to leverage technology to streamline people administration and deliver a supportive and engaging environment for employees.

We reserved a private dining room at Bentley’s Oyster Bar & Grill in the Crustacea Room. The restaurant is part of The Corrigan Collection and offers fine dining, an excellent wine collection and was a great venue to debate key topics facing HR.

The discussions on the evening were led by two inspiring speakers both of whom have direct experience and knowledge of this topic. Our speakers are Emma Harvey, HR Chief Operating Officer at AXA UK and Andrew Collingwood, Director, People at Kroll.

Our sponsors HiBob were able to share real life examples of how their technology is streamlining Human Resources, and our attendees shared their industry experience alongside great food and drinks.

We delved into the challenges posed by financial pressures, offering insights into how automation, AI, and other technological innovations could help. Organisations could not afford to be held back by processes such as payroll, and the opportunity had existed to use these activities to push forward, maximising efficiency and delivering a positive, people-centric workplace. Including:

• Economic uncertainty, rising wages, and limited budgets present challenges in attracting and retaining talent. Many are leveraging data and technology to make informed workforce decisions, aiming to balance employee engagement with financial constraints.
• Efficiency remains a key focus, particularly in talent acquisition, performance management, and compliance. While some organisations have successfully implemented HR platforms to automate tasks and improve workflows, others continue to grapple with manual, time-consuming processes.
• Automation in administrative tasks, such as onboarding, payroll, and policy management, is helping HR teams redirect their efforts toward strategic initiatives.
• Investment in HR technology is recognised as beneficial, though gaining executive buy-in for further tech adoption remains a challenge. Continuous training and cross-functional collaboration are essential to maximise the value of these systems.
• To measure the return on investment (ROI) from HR technology, leaders track key performance indicators (KPIs) like processing time reductions, employee engagement scores, and hiring efficiency. Qualitative feedback from employees and stakeholders also plays a significant role in evaluating the impact of technology adoption.

Overall, most HR leaders agree that HR automation reduces administrative burdens, allowing them to focus on strategic activities like employee development and organisational culture.

However, they caution against over-automation, which can diminish the human aspect of HR. Striking a balance between technological efficiency and personal interaction remains a priority for organisations aiming to elevate their HR functions.

Thank you for organising a superb evening for the roundtable. The venue and food were excellent, and the cohort was ideal for sharing AI experiences. The engaging conversations made the time fly by! I particularly appreciated the opportunity to learn from others’ experiences with AI in HR. Thank you again for a memorable event.

Head of HR

We delved into the challenges posed by financial pressures, offering insights into how automation, AI, and other technological innovations could help. Organisations could not afford to be held back by processes such as payroll, and the opportunity had existed to use these activities to push forward, maximising efficiency and delivering a positive, people-centric workplace.

Brilliant event. Thank you so much for the invitation. It was really interesting to hear from colleagues from different industries and organisation sizes and learn about their experiences and challenges. Some great takeaways – and a great networking opportunity too.

People Director

For HR professionals looking for the most effective way to lead their business through these challenges, this session provided actionable insights on future-proofing the workplace, navigating the changing landscape of employment compliance, and fostering a sustainable, high-performing team.

This was an invitation only dinner for 15 and was attended by HR Directors, Heads of People Operations, Heads of HR &  Chief People Officers.

The workforce of every business is increasingly age diverse. There are all kinds of pressures and reasons for so many generations to be looking for work, and companies need to understand how to manage them within the context of a more diverse workforce generally. From sourcing the best talent to capitalising on the extra value a diverse team can bring, what are the best techniques for attracting, recruiting, motivating and using a multi-generational workforce? This discussion looked at this crucial factor in the future of work.

This dinner was sponsored by Sanderson Government & Defence, UK Government & Defence Talent Solutions Specialists.

Today’s workforce is more age-diverse than ever, with multiple generations entering the job market. To thrive, businesses must continuously adapt and evolve in order to sustain business growth. The ability to attract, retain and develop individuals within a multigenerational organisation is pivotal to support greater diversity. How can organisations attract top talent, tap into the unique strengths of different age groups, and foster a collaborative, motivated team? What are the best strategies for recruiting and engaging a multi-generational workforce? Join us for an insightful discussion on the key factors shaping the future of work.

The discussions on the evening was led by two invited speakers both of whom have direct experience of building and managing a Muti-Generational Workforce. Carolyn Miller Vice President UK HR at Capgemini & Juliet Crisp Head of People Strategy, Governance and Planning, Post Office Ltd

This was an invitation only dinner for up to 10 and will be attended by HR Directors, Chief People Officers, & Talent Leaders.

The white paper that was put together from the findings of this Round Table dinner debate is now available:
Download your copy of Cultivating Harmony: Strategies for a Multi-Generational Workforce 

The discussions on the evening were led by two invited speakers both of whom have direct experience of the Boardroom and who shared with us their knowledge and experiences. Amanda Rajkumar is an experienced, board level HR practitioner with her most recent role as Adidas’ Executive Board Member overseeing Human Resources, People, and Culture. And Orlagh Hunt a successful HR Director with experience in Retail, FMCG and Financial Services sectors.

The dinner was sponsored by DEKA Outsourcing a team of global talent outsourcing experts.

Our recent webinar The Generation Game examined the creation and management of the multi-generational workforce. With a panel consisting of Juliet Crisp, Head of People Strategy, Governance and Planning at The Post Office, Nick Walrond, Managing Director, Sanderson Government & Defence – the webinar’s sponsor – and Andrea Metherell, Head of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Wellbeing, Capgemini, the conversation explored the current development of the age diverse workplace, the challenges and opportunities this presented.

While the panel identified four or five different generations active in the workplace, the point was also made that it was not always useful to rely on such stereotypes to structure an approach to attraction and employment. As Nick Walrond pointed out, people are now doing different things at different times in their life and in this context flexibility is crucial if organisations want to enable people to create a satisfying balance between work and life.

The point was also made that for some roles and industries it is more difficult to offer that flexibility – sometimes it is necessary for an employee to be in a specific location for a specific period of time. In these cases there may be initial work required to position the job and manage expectations for candidates. Done correctly diverse candidates will still come to the role understanding what the job requires.

One important requirement of employers is to be ready to listen to their employees, to reflect what they want and find ways to accommodate their working styles and preferences. The point was made that employees come to work for a whole host of different reasons – even because they’ve discovered retirement isn’t quite right for them at the moment – and organisations which can make this happen are the ones who will benefit from the most diverse workforces.

As the workforce becomes older and people live longer the place of work will no doubt continue to shift and change. Age diversity is an important issue which employers need to be aware of and work with in order to maker the most of the skills and knowledge held within the complete candidate pool.

The white paper that was put together in conjunction with the findings of this webinar is now available:
Download your copy of Cultivating Harmony: Strategies for a Multi-Generational Workforce 

At our latest webinar The Gender Agenda: How Organisations Are Still Missing Out On the Skills of Women, Jacqueline Frost, CEO, Elevate Talent and webinar sponsor, Jen Denby, Global Head of Inclusion and Diversity, WTW and Valerie Dale, Group Chief People Officer, OCS discussed the challenges to and positive initiatives that can help women fulfil their potential in the workplace.

Despite some progress in terms of reporting and supporting women in the workplace, there are still clear inequalities. Jacqueline explained how one particular challenge came at the mid-management level of organisations – the area where future leaders are identified and supported going forward. In this area there is almost a ‘missing rung’ for women to make the next step up.

However, it was felt that even now issues of stereotypes, what women are expected to do and bias is still playing a significant part in holding back women from fulfilling their leadership potential. Addressing this means going beyond the workplace and looking at how academic subjects and career ideas are being presented – one panelist gave the example of a female student being made to feel they were in the wrong place when they started a STEM related course.

Despite the challenges ahead, there is clearly a great deal of passion and determination to move things forward. Jacqueline highlighted the use of data in not just recording progress made by employers but to push employers further, identifying where change can be made and analysing the impact of interventions and initiatives. Progress is clearly the responsibility of both organisations and women themselves – as Val Dale noted, women need to take control and put themselves forward if they want to be able to take on more senior roles.

During the session, Jacqueline Frost highlighted a key principle: “What gets measured, gets managed.” It’s crucial to ensure that the opportunities being offered make a meaningful impact. However, collecting and organising data is a time-intensive process. Elevate Talent addresses this with the EPIC Career Self-Assessment, which provides a clear view of attendees’ progress through a ‘before and after’ comparison. The results are compiled into the comprehensive EPIC report, offering valuable insights which is available to download here: https://elevatetalent.co.uk/epic-report-sign-up/

And if you’re curious about how it works, you can take the assessment yourself and explore the questions asked throughout the process. https://elevatetalent.co.uk/epic-career-quiz/

You can catch up on the follow up Q&A from this webinar here.

The webinar is well worth a watch to understand the nature of the issues at stake and to inspire employers to do more. Tackling this issue and enabling women to reach their full potential is for the good of all organisations and the workforce in general.

Our latest webinar saw three experts explore Total Talent Management from their perspectives, looking at the benefits, challenges and potential of the practice.

At a time when companies who want the leading edge need to be sure they get the right talent in the right place at the right time this approach to finding, attracting and on-boarding a contingent workforce could prove vital for many companies.

Laura Handley, Change & Innovation Lead at RedWizard, and the webinar’s sponsor, appeared with Colin Yoshioka-Smith, CW Operations Manager, Keltbray and Harriet Kirkpatrick, Founder/Director of TRIA Recruitment. Together they looked at exactly how Total Talent Management is defined and how it can benefit employers on the search for good talent. The benefits included cost efficiencies, access to a wider talent pool and the ability to find the right skills as and when required.

Handley made the point that compliance around employing people was particularly challenging at this time. To some extent this issue may increase in complexity and importance as the new Labour Government moves towards changing the classifications around employee/worker definitions. As Colin Yoshioka-Smith noted as well, there is about to more resources introduced to HMRC in order to track down misclassified employees and non-compliance in the employment field. In this area, Total Talent Management can mean employers are able to get the employees they need with less risk.

The discussion showed how data clearly plays an important part in getting Total Talent Management right, guiding the arrangement and value achievable from using this practice. Both Laura and Colin emphasised the need for good data both in terms of the cost of talent and the specific skills they need to have to fulfil particular roles within the business. By collecting and using this data correctly, Total Talent Management can give employers a ‘best of both worlds’ as they can blend their contingent workforce with their permanent positions to the best advantage.

It is well worth a view and a listen to get to grips with how best to approach talent management at a time when securing skilled workers is vital.

In the latest webinar from The HR World, an informed and involved panel of HR experts got to grips with the current and future use of automation within the HR function. Askaniusz Sawicki, People Services & HR Transformation EMEA Director, Ricoh Europe – also the webinar’s sponsors – was joined by Aaron Alburey, Managing Director and Co-Founder of specialist HR and People transformation consultancy LACE Partners, and Alison Richardson, Director of HR Operations, Yodel.

Askaniusz offered an in depth and intriguing view into the technology and approach surrounding the use of automation in HR. Alburey’s experience in implementation and application of automation was also in evidence while Richardson was able to cite specific examples from her own company where automation has been introduced in areas such as recruitment. Indeed this latter example was particularly valuable in showing the benefit of automation. Yodel expands its workforce by many thousands in the run up to the busy period around Christmas and it cannot expect to achieve this expansion through the work of human recruiters alone. By using automation technology it is possible speed up the process, giving a better experience to candidates and enabling HR professionals to spend their time on more value adding activities.

Indeed, this was one of the principal benefits of using automation. By enabling systems to share data and make administration processes work without the need for a human to do anything, employees and resources can be better used elsewhere with employees feeling more engaged with the work they are able to do.

Key to deploying the technology correctly, however, is an understanding of what data is important and how it should be used – as well as keeping one eye on where human intervention is still valuable. Askaniusz was able to explain how his business solution ensured the right data went to the right place and person, underpinning processes such as onboarding and payroll. Aaron Alburey was also clear that getting automation right was a great way to deliver satisfying candidate and employee experiences.

The webinar was packed with insights, thoughts and practical steps forward and demonstrated that while systems and solutions are already in use there is a huge amount of potential to still be explored. No doubt but this will be a subject to which we will return to in the future.

When it comes to getting the best from your workforce an effective recognition programme can boost employee engagement, retention, and productivity. In the latest webinar from The HR World and sponsored by Achievers, Caitlin Nobes, from Achievers‘ own Workforce Institute explored employee performance and effective recognition with practical input from Samsung’s Senior Director, Total Rewards, Merlyn Sequeira.

Kicking off with the insight that just 40% of HR leaders say their current recognition program drives business results, while 63% plan to increase investment anyway, both speakers were keen to ensure viewers of the webinar would be able to make their recognition programmes deliver real results for the business. After all, while the enthusiasm to invest in this area is encouraging doing so without being certain of return on investment or impact seems a little rash.

Citing research from Achiever’s own 2024 State of Recognition report, the webinar explained how to record business results effectively and how to make the recognition programme ingrained within the fabric of the company. Merlyn Sequeira explained how Samsung’s own recognition programme has evolved over the years matching the objectives of the business and expected behaviours of employees and managers.

While the recognition programme is introduced from the start of a employee’s career with the company there are also initiatives to ensure the programme is consistently used throughout the business. Initiatives such as mobile platforms for recognition and the promotion of social recognition can both deliver benefits for the business. Indeed, the webinar also highlighted businesses who are able to deliver their recognition programme in a creative way such as using kiosk technology to deliver recognition at exit points at work.

Caitlin Nobes was keen to emphasise that what gets recognised gets repeated so organisations need to be certain that their recognition scheme is performing as they need it too. The webinar also identified three traits of a strategic recognition programme: driving high usage, delivering high frequency meaningful recognition and aligning the recognition programme to business goals.

By taking the right approach to a recognition programme, how it is designed, delivered, measured and responded to, organisations can make a clear step change in their operations and productivity.

Related Resources

A number of resources, including the webinar slides are available to download here: Webinar Resources – Boosting Business Performance with Strategic Employee Recognition