HR Innovation & Tech Fest

How Organisations Can Support Executive Transitions

How Organisations Can Support Executive Transitions
Pre-covid research proves that executive transitions are risky with 40% of executive transitions failing during the first 18 months. New executives often require six+ months to break-even productivity levels. The global pandemic coupled with #TheGreatResignation has further intensified the risk of a rocky start, so executive transitions are even more challenging now. Together we will explore how organisations can apply proven de-risking strategies as well as enable powerful interventions to enable their executives to hit the ground running and accelerate value creation for shareholders.

Creating Workplaces that Are Worth Talking About

In the realm of modern work environments, where talent acquisition and retention have become paramount, organizations are realizing the significance of creating exceptional employee experiences and showcasing these to the talent market. To empower businesses in this endeavour, our workshop delves into the realm of Employee Experience Management (EXM), Employer Branding, and the art of storytelling.

This transformative workshop commences with an exploration of the Employee Experience Management framework, offering insights into the strategic alignment of organizational goals, culture, and employee journeys. Participants will gain a deep understanding of the key elements that contribute to a positive employee experience. Through design thinking methodologies, attendees will learn practical tools and techniques to assess, design, and optimize their organization's employee experience.

Employer Branding takes center-stage as the workshop progresses, unravelling the power of cultivating an authentic and compelling employer brand. Participants will uncover the vital role that employer branding plays in attracting top talent, as well as its influence on employee engagement and retention. They will gain expert guidance on crafting a compelling employer value proposition (EVP), leveraging digital platforms and social media for employer branding, and effectively communicating the organization's unique culture and values.

Finally, the workshop culminates in the art of storytelling, showcasing its transformative impact on employer branding and employee experience. Attendees will delve into the art and science of crafting powerful narratives that resonate with current and potential employees. They will explore storytelling techniques to bring the employer brand to life, creating emotional connections and fostering a sense of belonging within the organization.

Key Takeaways:

1. Creating workplaces where employees thrive does not happen by accident, it's a product of deliberate design and action.
2. It’s not enough to be "an employer of choice", if a company is to attract the creme de la creme of talent, there needs to be deliberate action in showcasing the company's EVP to the talent market.
3. Storytelling is a powerful way to build employer brand love from both employees and candidates. Again companies, need to be deliberate in harnessing the power of telling powerful and authentic stories.

How HR Leaders Can Play A More Pivotal Role In Ensuring Business Success

The world of work has changed significantly over the last 10 years and even more radically post-Covid, creating unprecedented pressure for companies to attract and retain the best talent. The war for talent is such that the most sought-after talent knows that they can not only decide what type of company they will work for, but they can also decide where and how they deliver results. Combining this with the challenge that comes with an influx of gen Y and Z in the workplace with their expectations from their employers has totally changed the game. This necessitates that HR Leaders become even more of a strategic partner to the business and ensure that they are proactive in crafting strategies that drive a culture that is high performing yet flexible and caring and be able to use insights from people analytics to drive business transformation and show impact.

Key Takeaways:

1. HR Leaders should use culture as a differentiator for the attraction and retention of talent.
2. The new world of work calls for agility, flexibility, and resilience, and the role of HR leaders in driving that in their organisation.
3. How using insights from People analytics will guarantee HR Leadership Impact.

Exploring the Integral Role of AI in Learning

Adopt a renewed approach to the creation and curation of learning solutions.

Disruptive innovations are impacting business, the world of learning, the way we access content and so much more. Change is created by how we respond to the disruption. This change provides opportunity for especially Learning and Development practitioners, to re-imagine the way we approach People Development.

Considering who our learners are, how they prefer to receive information and how they interact with information, are just a few things we need to keep in mind when creating or curating learning solutions. What is evident, is that differently created learning opportunities need to be provided.

As part of a learning ecosystem (which also includes content and culture), digital technologies offer a multitude of possibilities to enable flexible learning experiences for learners and organisations.

Key Takeaways:

1. Re-conceptualization of design for learning,
2. Lead from practice
3. Integration of technology on learning design

MAKE LEARNING MATTER (So Don't Mess It Up!)

Does your learning create an impact? Does it matter? Let’s explore the past, present, and future. Let’s learn from the past and make sure we are NOT sleeping at the wheel assuming we know where we are going. It’s time to rethink and reinvent learning back into relevance to help your organisation truly succeed in the market Make learning matter, it’s our time to show up - and it starts with you!

Key Takeaways:

1. Where the world is heading - a macro view.
2. What are the key priorities for learning strategy?
3. How we must show up and where we must focus to Win.

Using Technology to Promote Work Place Well-Being

Today, there is a huge opportunity for businesses to use technology to enhance their people’s health and wellness. Pairing technology with a holistic strategy to engage employees, through shared goals and activities can help foster healthy habits and enable organisations to create a supportive work environment. Join Hannah Reid as she discusses the potential positive impact of technology on health and wellness in the workplace.

Building a High Performance L&D Leadership Team

In this presentation, the speaker emphasizes the importance of building a high-performance L&D leadership team in response to the evolving challenges in the business environment, politics, and technology. By quoting Ralph Waldo Emerson, the speaker sets the tone for exploring the potential within L&D professionals to lead transformative change. The world of work and learning have changed, demanding a culture of learning. The speaker advocates for redefining, reevaluating, and reimagining L&D practices to remain relevant, impactful, and value-adding in this dynamic landscape.

Key Takeaways:

1. Embrace Change: To stay relevant and effective, L&D professionals must embrace and lead change in response to evolving business challenges and technological advancements.
2. Cultivate a Culture of Learning: Building a culture of continuous learning within organizations is essential to adapt and thrive in the changing world of work.
3. Redefine L&D Practices: To add value and have a significant impact, L&D teams should continually redefine and reimagine their approaches to learning and development.

How to Enhance Your eLearning: Practical Guidelines and Lessons Learned

eLearning is a popular methodology for increasing cognitive skills e.g., increasing knowledge and problem-solving skills, whereas practical skills are often perceived as requiring face-to-face or classroom training.

The vision of a Learning Delivery Manager transformed the training and learning experiences of employees in Distribution Centres when classroom training was replaced with a job-related eLearning programme.

In this session, practical examples will be shared on how to develop engaging eLearning content for adult learners. Each step of the ADDIE model will be discussed, sharing practical tips on how this instructional design model was used to create the Order Picker Series.

Key Takeaways:

1. Creating learner-centred eLearning - Analysing is more than just a conversation. The importance of understanding the learner and practical examples of how to create an eLearning that is specific to the adult learner’s job role and responsibilities.
2. Creating engaging eLearning - Design learning with the learner in mind. How to use storytelling to create eLearning content that is motivating, and relatable to the learner’s context.
3. Creating interactive eLearning - Using interactivity to promote learning. How to use interactivity to create lean-in moments that attain learners’ attention and promote learning.

Unleashing the Power of Talent Intelligence: Navigating the Future of Work

We face unprecedented challenges in attracting, developing, and retaining top talent. In this dynamic world, talent intelligence has emerged as a critical strategic tool for navigating the future of work and reducing workforce risk. We explore the concept of talent intelligence and its transformative potential. It delves into the use of advanced analytics, machine learning, and AI technologies to unlock actionable insights from vast volumes of talent data. We discuss how talent intelligence can enable organizations to make informed decisions about talent acquisition, workforce planning, and employee development. By leveraging talent intelligence effectively, organizations can gain a competitive edge in attracting and retaining exceptional talent, adapting to changing skill demands, creating agile, future-proof workforces, and reducing workforce risk. We show practical strategies and real-world examples to demonstrate the transformative power of talent intelligence in navigating the complex landscape of the future of work.

Key Takeaways:

1. Workforce risk, workforce planning & navigating the future of work.
2. Advanced analytics, talent intelligence & employee development.
3. Talent management, skills demand & agile workforce

Where Are We now? The Future Of The Workplace - WFH, RTO or Hybrid?

The last 3 years have seen heated debates about the future of the workplace. With the world settling post-Covid, and everyone in agreement that the world has changed forever, we look at where the world is at with this topic – to WFH, RTO or hybrid?

Key Takeaways:

1. Emerging research regarding each of the models.
2. Models’ pros and cons.
3. WFH, RTO or hybrid - what to look out for.

From Data to Story: How to Transform Corporate Information into Engaging Narratives

In today's data-driven business world, extracting insights from vast amounts of information is more important than ever. However, simply presenting raw data to an audience is rarely enough to engage them or convey the significance of the findings. To truly make an impact, data needs to be transformed into a compelling narrative that captures the audience's attention and helps them understand the insights in a meaningful way. This session is designed to equip attendees with the skills and techniques necessary to create powerful data-driven stories that can captivate audiences and drive change within their organizations. Over the course of the 60-minute-deep dive, attendees will learn how to identify key insights from their data and craft a narrative that conveys those insights in a clear, concise, and compelling way. They will learn how to structure their stories for maximum impact and choose the most effective visualization tools to bring their data to life. Attendees will also learn about the importance of storytelling in business, including how it can help drive buy-in and influence decision-making. By the end of the session, attendees will have a solid understanding of the principles of data-driven storytelling, and the tools and techniques necessary to apply those principles in their own organizations to create engaging narratives that may inspire both change and action.

Key Takeaways:

• Transforms data into a compelling narrative to engage the audience and convey the significance of the findings.
• Utilizes techniques to create data-driven stories that captivate audiences and drive change.
• Identifies key insights to structure their stories for maximum impact and chooses effective visualization strategies to bring data to life.

Disrupt Yourself: Gearing Up for The Future!

The digital transformation era has ushered in a paradigm shift in our interactions with businesses, knowledge acquisition and problem-solving approaches. In this engaging presentation, we will delve into the disruptive technology trends shaping organizations, uncover the essential skills required to embrace a digitally transformed mindset and explore mental models to reshape our thinking.

Key Takeaways:

1. Understand the latest key technology trends.
2. Mental models for better problem-solving.
3. Tips to succeed in your organization’s digital transformation journey (people, teams, and culture).

Charting the Path: Becoming an Effective L&D Leader in a Learning People Centric World

This speaker abstract delves into the journey of becoming an adept L&D leader in a rapidly evolving and people-centric world. The focus begins with "Establishing Yourself as an L&D Leader," stressing the significance of embracing change and sharing strategies for adapting to new technologies and learning trends. Additionally, it emphasizes the importance of developing interpersonal relationships and effective communication with stakeholders and other business leaders. Moving on to "Future-Fit Learning Leadership Skills," the abstract addresses the shift from operational to strategic thinking in the role of L&D leaders and the critical skills required to align learning initiatives with business goals. It also introduces the need for a competency roadmap to guide the professional development of L&D team members, outlining key competencies for future-fit L&D professionals. Furthermore, the abstract explores "The Evolving Role of L&D Leaders," discussing adopting a marketing mindset in L&D, promoting learning initiatives, engaging learners, and measuring the impact of L&D programs. Finally, it emphasizes the importance of balancing business acumen and technical expertise as an L&D leader.

Key Takeaways:

1. Embrace Change: L&D leaders must adapt to new technologies and learning trends to stay relevant and effective.
2. Strategic Thinking: Shifting from operational to strategic thinking is crucial for aligning learning initiatives with business goals.
3. Foster Authentic Leadership: A successful L&D leader balances business acumen, technical know-how, and a marketing mindset to create impactful learning experiences.

Demystifying AI for HR...by HR

There is a lot of hype and excitement around AI and how these technologies impact the HR profession. Some HR professionals are leading the way with testing and adopting these emerging technologies whilst others want to get going but are not too sure about how or where to start.

The HR team of the future (near future) will be required to adopt service-enhancing technologies while supporting the organization to adapt and cope with the broader impact of AI.

The discussion will focus on looking at a brief overview of where AI is at, the broader AI landscape, and how it impacts HR, the people they employ as well as the broader company.

Key Takeaways:

1. AI for HR - How HR professionals enhance their capabilities with AI tools on a practical level and what are some of the current leading tools in the market?
2. AI Governance - Creating an environment in the organization where AI can be embraced in a responsible manner.
3. AI for the Organization - Considering the role that HR will need to play in the organization in assessing the impact of AI through an organizational development and organizational effectiveness lens.

Ignite Your Leadership Potential: Mastering Skills for the Future of Learning and Development!

In today's ever-evolving corporate landscape, Learning and Development Managers are at the forefront of driving organisational success. To thrive in this dynamic environment, it's crucial to understand and embrace the current trends shaping the field. This captivating talk explores the vital role of leadership skills and competencies in shaping the future of Learning and Development.

As we move away from a traditional "training" mindset towards a more holistic "learning" mentality, L&D Managers must navigate the changing landscape and adapt their strategies. This talk delves into the techniques and insights necessary to manage this crucial shift successfully. By integrating innovative methodologies and harnessing the power of technology, L&D Managers can create transformative learning experiences that foster continuous growth and development.

Join me as we embark on a transformative journey, embracing the marketing mindset and the future of learning and development. Discover how to unlock your leadership potential, empower your learners, and propel your organisation forward. Get ready to redefine the boundaries of learning and development and shape the future of your organisation's success.

Key Takeaways:

1. Influencing stakeholders: Leadership skills enable L&D Managers to effectively influence stakeholders within the organization.
2. Adapting to change: Strong leadership skills help L&D Managers navigate and adapt to changes in the learning and development landscape.
3. Continuous self-improvement: Unlocking leadership potential requires a commitment to continuous self-improvement and ultimately personal mastery.

70:20:10 Demystified: A Practical Guide to Implementing the Principle

Learning is most effective when new knowledge and ideas are put into practice, reflected upon, and interacted with others. The 702010 principles have been around for over 30 years and emphasize that the majority of learning comes from on-the-job experiences, much from interactions with others, and less from formal training. However, there is often confusion about how to make this principle actionable within organizations. This session will provide attendees with a practical guide to engaging the 702010 principles as a framework for supporting all the learning in their organization. They'll explore the interplay between informal, social, and formal learning and how they can work to complement each other. Attendees will gain insight into the strategies and tactics used to encourage and empower social and informal learning, which can improve formal learning and create a culture of openness and sharing.

Key Takeaways:

1. Understands the importance of starting with social learning.
2. Knows how to begin building a framework from identifying ambassadors and developing a plan to aligning their efforts with the organization's goals.
3. Learns approaches to measuring the impact of 702010.

The Development Imperatives to Lead Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

Organisations have had little or no success in their Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, notwithstanding many years of such initiatives. This claim will be examined by assessing what the objectives of such initiatives are and their lack of success; by suggesting alternative ways of understanding, including examining the cause of the mismatch between the intention and outcomes of these initiatives, through an exploration of the mindset and behaviours of DEI; by adopting an equity-based rather than diversity-based approach, hence EDI, rather than DEI; and by suggesting the critical development imperatives for HR executives to become more effective in leading EDI.

Key Takeaways:

1. An understanding of the ineffectiveness of DEI initiatives and what causes it.
2. Alternative ways of casting DEI and the implications thereof.
3. How to approach the development of those leading such processes.

Innovate, Learn, Succeed: Cultivating Culture for Business Outcomes

Are you ready to revolutionise your organisation's learning approach and fuel innovation to drive remarkable business outcomes?

This session will combine the power of innovation and learning to drive business success! Discover how to build a learning strategy that delivers business outcomes and unleashes the potential of your workforce. Elmarie Koen, Senior Manager for Organisational Development (OD) and Training at Proconics, will share insights on fostering an innovative culture and developing crucial innovation skills as well and we will get an insight into the learning culture at Proconics.

Key takeaways:

1. Understand the outcomes that matter most and how to demonstrate ROI to executives
2. Discover metrics that showcase a learning program’s true impact on an organisation
3. How to fill your company’s skills gap through innovative strategies

Innovate, Learn, Succeed: Cultivating Culture for Business Outcomes

Are you ready to revolutionise your organisation's learning approach and fuel innovation to drive remarkable business outcomes?

This session will combine the power of innovation and learning to drive business success! Discover how to build a learning strategy that delivers business outcomes and unleashes the potential of your workforce. Elmarie Koen, Senior Manager for Organisational Development (OD) and Training at Proconics, will share insights on fostering an innovative culture and developing crucial innovation skills as well and we will get an insight into the learning culture at Proconics.

Key takeaways:

1. Understand the outcomes that matter most and how to demonstrate ROI to executives
2. Discover metrics that showcase a learning program’s true impact on an organisation
3. How to fill your company’s skills gap through innovative strategies

Excel and ChatGPT Efficiency Masterclass

This fun and interactive Masterclass will reveal some of the best-kept Excel secrets you can apply immediately, to significantly ramp up your confidence and productivity in Excel and beyond. We'll be focusing on tricks, techniques and shortcuts which are especially relevant in your day-to-day Excel work. We'll also be exploring how we can use ChatGPT to assist us on our Excel journey.

Best of all? You are guaranteed to learn something new, regardless of whether you consider yourself a complete beginner or a seasoned Excel jockey, and whether or not you've used ChatGPT before.

Key Takeaways:

1. Excel Shortcuts.
2. Formulas.
3. ChatGPT in the context of Excel

*Please bring your laptops to this session.

How to Create a Kickass L&D Strategy

The way that people learn has fundamentally changed. Most people use Google as their first port of call to find out new information and to start learning new things. Therefore, how do you as an HR leader compete and provide your people with learning that is valued and enables them to realize their potential?

Key Takeaways:

1. How you can meet modern learning needs, and create kickass L&D.
2. How to think like a marketer and keep on getting your L&D content seen.
3. Understanding your audience’s learning wants and needs.
4. Which channels to use to activate your L&D.
5. How to measure the impact of your new approach.

Excel and ChatGPT Efficiency Masterclass

This fun and interactive Masterclass will reveal some of the best-kept Excel secrets you can apply immediately, to significantly ramp up your confidence and productivity in Excel and beyond. We'll be focusing on tricks, techniques and shortcuts which are especially relevant in your day-to-day Excel work. We'll also be exploring how we can use ChatGPT to assist us on our Excel journey.

Best of all? You are guaranteed to learn something new, regardless of whether you consider yourself a complete beginner or a seasoned Excel jockey, and whether or not you've used ChatGPT before.

Key Takeaways:

1. Excel Shortcuts.
2. Formulas.
3. ChatGPT in the context of Excel

*Please bring your laptops to this session.

The ROI of Investing in Mental Health: How Prioritizing Employee Wellbeing Boosts Productivity and Drives Business Growth

Today, businesses face unprecedented levels of burnout, workplace stress and anxiety - factors that significantly impact productivity, turnover and overall performance. Traditional corporate mental health solution providers are primarily focused on reactive care but we need to move towards a world focused on predictative care. They also do not support HR and/or management to deal with the weight of the crisis. In this engaging and interactive talk on "The ROI of Investing in Mental Health," we will delve into the powerful connection between employee wellbeing and business success. By examining real-life case studies and industry research, we will demonstrate the significant impact of investing in mental fitness on overall productivity levels. Join us to uncover a compelling business case for rethinking current solutions and moving wellbeing from a cost center to a profit driver.

Key Takeaways:

1. Understanding the cost calculator: Practically uncover the true cost of of a reactive approach and how neglecting employee wellbeing can impact your bottom line using the cost calculator. Learn how creating mentally fit workplaces leads to improved employee performance, reduced turnover, and enhanced innovation.
2. The power of creating a supportive culture through your HR co-pilot: Explore the benefits of proactive mental health programs, fostering a supportive environment that nurtures talent and drives business success by superpowering you and your teams. Gain practical strategies for cultivating a workplace culture that places employee wellbeing at its core. Understand the power of using real time data to respond to your people's needs and measure the effectiveness of your responses.
3. Measuring Success: Understand the importance of measuring the ROI of mental health investments. Explore key metrics and evaluation frameworks to track the impact of initiatives, enabling informed decision-making and continuous improvement.

The Heart of Human Achievement

What if leaders could be sued for malpractice? Malpractice, as a legal course of action, is usually applied to professionals in the healthcare, legal, accounting, or financial investment fields, but imagine if it applied to bad leaders? Would it change the way you view your position of authority and influence you to be a better leader?

So, what does leadership malpractice look like? And could you be ‘guilty-as-charged’?

Here are 3 warning signs you may be committing leadership malpractice:

1. Low engagement levels
2. Absence of psychological safety
3. The focus is on results at the expense of relationships

Key Takeaways:

1. The importance of setting SMART goals 2.
2. Diagnosing development levels relative to a goal.
3. Matching your leadership style to accelerate development and performance.

Employment Equity: Using Data-Driven Tools & Analytics For Efficient & Substantive Compliance

The amendments to the Employment Equity Act have been gazetted and will be effective from September 2023. Now is the time to get your house in order.

Data-driven decision-making and analytics are essential components of modern Employment Equity compliance practices. With advanced analytics tools, HR professionals can gain valuable insights into EE target setting and planning (aligned with the new sectoral targets), reporting, workforce planning, talent management strategies, and more.

Equally, utilising the appropriate technology is critical in ensuring that the relevant, privileged information required for EE reporting remains secure, protected, and POPI compliant.

Join us as we provide insights, guidance and best practice as to how the power of technology can facilitate more efficient EE compliance, whilst yielding substantive organizational transformation.

Key Takeaways:

1. How technology can enable significantly more efficient Employment Equity compliance and reporting.
2. How data-driven insights can facilitate substantive organizational transformation.
3. How to ensure your sensitive and privileged HR data is managed and transmitted securely.

Creating a New HR Operating Model

Our turbulent world is giving us some almighty challenges but also calling for us to be part of a turning. A new era beckons for work, life and everything in between to face into those challenges and create opportunities. One of them is the way HR, People & Culture drives organisations into success with the support, enablement and evolutionary ways to work. Which is why we need a new model for HR. Join Perry Timms, voted by professional peers as HR's Most Influential Thinker in 2022/23 to explore not just what his HR 3.0 model looks like, but how it comes into play and what we can start to do to deliver a more positive, impactful and flourishing way to support people and our organisations.

Embracing Learning Technology as a Solution to Challenges in a Complex Matrix Working Environment

The session will focus on three key areas: first, exploring strategies to utilize technology for more efficient and effective employee learning; second, understanding how to seamlessly integrate new technologies into existing Learning and Development (L&D) infrastructure; and third, maximizing learning technologies and resources to demonstrate a tangible return on investment. Moreover, the speaker will address the prevalent technology challenges faced in the learning environment, including connectivity issues, and offer insights on overcoming them. Attendees can expect to gain valuable insights into optimizing learning processes through technology implementation, resulting in enhanced productivity and proficiency within their dynamic organizational settings.

Key Takeaways:

1. Learn practical approaches to enhance employee learning by leveraging technology for faster and more effective knowledge dissemination.
2. Acquire knowledge on integrating new learning technologies into your organization's L&D infrastructure seamlessly.
3. Discover techniques to optimize learning technologies and resources, while effectively measuring their impact and return on investment, despite potential technology-related challenges.

Disrupting the Female Talent Development agenda through Personalization & Data Intelligence

Introducing Yugrow: Africa's pioneering behavioural change platform, designed by women, for women. Embark on a transformative journey as we delve into the core barriers hindering women's progress and success in leadership roles. Gain invaluable insights and discover how Yugrow’s structured approach is empowering women to achieve their highest impact goals. By leveraging cutting-edge research on the Growth Archetype profile of women, Yugrow delivers groundbreaking technology and insights that have already been embraced by a number of corporates including leading management consulting firm, Accenture. Brace yourself for a hyper-personalised experience tailored to address the unique growth needs of each individual woman, challenging the female leadership development space.

Yugrow transcends traditional learning approaches, offering a self-paced program enriched with microlearning, peer-to-peer collaboration, and intelligent coaching. By seamlessly integrating with the daily work routine, Yugrow epitomizes ""learning in the flow of work,"" harnessing the power of behavioural science and data to drive women's growth and enable them to achieve extraordinary impact.

Presented by visionary founders - a former Managing Director, Innovation Lead & Board Member, and a seasoned Strategic HR Advisor—this thought-provoking dialogue encapsulates profound experiential wisdom, disruptive strategies for female talent development, and an unwavering passion to empower HR leaders in driving tangible results. Join the Yugrow founders as they share insights into Talent, DE&I, and Learning Leaders. Supported with real data, Yugrow sheds light on women's engagement, performance, and more within the program. Armed with this information, HR professionals can craft effective strategies to nurture and uplift this vital talent segment.

Key Takeaways:

1. How to make Personal Development TRULY personal.
2. Embedding behavioural data & insights to support & retain key/top female talent.
3. Self-paced, micro-action and tech-enabled learning to unlock potential now.
4. Disrupting coaching, leveraging data & analytics to enable pre-emptive coaching.

Embrace the New Leadership Skills Required for the Future Generation

In this rapidly evolving landscape, traditional leadership skills are no longer sufficient to inspire teams towards creative problem-solving and goal achievement. Leaders must embrace a new leadership code, empowering themselves, their teams, and peers to unlock their full potential daily. This can be achieved by adopting strengths-based conversations, recognizing and celebrating successes, engaging in self-reflection, boosting energy levels, seeking inspiration, and fostering candid discussions to cultivate a culture of growth and transformation. As the world embraces hybrid work models, it becomes essential for leaders to find innovative ways to connect and keep employees engaged, regardless of their location. By valuing and recognizing the efforts of team members, being courageous in decision-making, and fostering self-awareness, leaders can become influential and drive positive change.

Key Takeaways:

1. Embrace a new leadership code that focuses on strengths-based conversations, self-reflection, and fostering a culture of growth and transformation.
2. Adapt to the challenges of a hybrid work environment by utilizing technology to connect and keep employees engaged, regardless of their physical location.
3. Become influential leaders by valuing and recognizing team members' efforts, taking courageous actions, and continuously seeking self-awareness and improvement.

Why Skills Matter More Than Degrees for your Bottom Line

Degrees are losing their lustre as the sole measure of competence. And it’s no surprise. With organisations across all industries identifying skills gaps and an inability to attract talent as their biggest barriers, people are starting to recognise the true value of skills as currency.

In this discussion led by Darren Lang, Founder and CEO of Kepler + Co, you can expect to leave with real value that you can immediately add to your organisation.

This discussion will focus on why those organisations who value skills more than degrees will outgrow those who do not.

Darren will cover the following areas:

• 3 crazy statistics that will surprise you.
• Why the World Economic Forum is putting skills before degrees.
• Qualifications, Skills, Competencies, Assessments, Learning, Data... Where to begin?
• What is taking place globally - organisations are unable to attract and retain talent.
• 5 enormous benefits of a skills-first approach for L&D, HR and the C-Suite.
• 5 steps to help your business adopt a skills-first approach.

Following this discussion, Darren will answer your most pressing questions related to this topic.

Key Takeaways:

1. A clear understanding of how the L&D and HR industry has already shifted, and how you can be part of it.
2. The benefits of focusing on your peoples' skills.
3. An easy way for you to start building a skills-led organisation.

Fad or Future: Digging into Today's Top Trends in HR

Fad or Future: Digging into Today's Top Trends in HR

The world of work has forever changed in the wake of the global COVID pandemic. After years of almost daily disruptions, HR has to navigate more market complexities than ever before. Understanding the trends that are affecting our efforts to be more impactful is more important than ever, as businesses are looking to HR leaders to discern what's a fad and what's the future. In this session, industry experts Laurie Ruettimann and Kyle Lagunas will discuss some of the most pressing trends impacting HR today including:

Key Takeaways:

1. Skills-Based Everything.
2. AI & Automation.
3. Performance Enablement.

How to Enhance Employee Wellbeing

Discover the Top Performing Practices proven to Drive Success and ROI

Discover the breakthroughs in employee wellbeing. The pandemic's wake-up call sparked organisations to prioritize and invest in expanding well-being programs. Over 95% of Top Employers recognize its business importance. However, the struggles for employees with well-being, work-life balance, and burnout persist. In addition, many HR teams struggle with tough choices for well-being investments, facing flat or decreasing budgets amidst economic uncertainty.

Learn how data-driven strategies and global benchmarks empower the Top Employers community to surpass reactive wellness programs, tackle root causes, and deliver holistic and customised wellbeing solutions for their employees.

Key Takeaways:

1. Data driven wellbeing strategies.
2. Wellbeing practices.
3. Wellbeing benchmarks.

Embracing the Future: Coaching for Reskilling and Upskilling in the Hybrid World of Work

In an era of unprecedented change and complexity, the working world has evolved into a hybrid landscape with onsite and remote settings, where flexibility and adaptability have become paramount. The challenges are diverse, ranging from AI and automation transforming industries, the persistent skills shortage, the impact of climate change on business operations, to the dynamic demographic shifts in the workforce. Embracing these challenges head-on demands a paradigm shift in how we approach learning and development.

At this conference, we invite you to explore the crucial importance of reskilling and upskilling, transcending the traditional focus on technical competencies. The new frontier lies in developing interpersonal skills to nurture effective leaders, as they navigate the ever-changing landscape of work.

Looking ahead to 2025, we must prioritize competencies such as problem-solving, critical and analytical thinking, creativity, resilience, collaboration, self-management, and adaptability. These competencies, coupled with coaching, become the cornerstone of thriving organizations.

Traditional training methods, like workshops and seminars, have their merits, but they often fall short when it comes to information retention and lasting behavior change. In contrast, coaching has emerged as a transformative force, empowering individuals and organizations alike to excel in their pursuits.

Join us as we explore the immense benefits of coaching, understanding how it impacts information retention and ignites long-term behavioral shifts. Discover how a coaching culture can trigger positive change across multiple levels, fostering an environment where learning and development are deeply ingrained in the organization's fabric.

In this session, we will delve into the power of coaching and its potential to amplify the effects of coaching exponentially. Witness how a coaching culture nurtures growth, enabling both employees and businesses to align their objectives seamlessly. Together, we will explore the future of learning and coaching and unlock new possibilities for individuals and organizations on their path to success.

In this rapidly changing world, seizing the opportunity to invest in the development of key interpersonal skills through coaching will be the linchpin to achieving business objectives and maintaining a competitive edge. Join us at the conference, and let us chart the course towards a future where coaching revolutionizes learning and development for a better tomorrow.

Key Takeaways:

1. The Importance of Reskilling and Upskilling in the Hybrid World of Work: Attendees will gain a deep understanding of the evolving landscape of work, with a focus on the hybrid approach of onsite and remote work, the significance of flexibility, and the impact of AI and automation on industries. They will learn why reskilling and upskilling are critical in addressing the challenges posed by these changes, including the skills shortage and the need for a diverse range of competencies beyond traditional technical skills.
2. The Power and Impact of Coaching: Participants will explore the remarkable benefits of coaching compared to traditional training methods. They will understand how coaching leads to higher information retention and facilitates long-term behavior change. The session will highlight how coaching fosters a supportive environment for growth and development, not only for individuals but also for organizations, paving the way for enhanced performance and success.
3. Creating a Coaching Culture for Positive Organizational Change: Attendees will discover the key elements and strategies needed to establish a coaching culture within their organizations. This includes understanding the impact of coaching. They will learn how a coaching culture can positively impact various layers of an organization, from empowering individual employees to enhancing overall organizational performance and achieving business objectives in a rapidly changing world.

Why We Need to STOP Before Making Any More Post-COVID HR Policies

In a world where business moves at an ever-increasing pace and comes under fire from new technologies at every turn, what does it mean to build a high-performing, engaged and sustainable workforce? How do we as HR and business leaders approach defining the priorities and policies that will shape the future of work.

Join VSLS’ guest speaker: Marco van Gelder, Research & Data Lead at Veldhoen + Company, as he uncovers how leading organisations across Europe, North America and APAC are making important breakthroughs towards productivity and engagement when they put data at the centre of their workplace and people strategies.

Key Takeaways:

1. The reason why we need to stop and reassess workplace and people strategies.
2. The new paradigm that the future of work future of work represents and what data and insights we need to prepare for it.
3. How you can design the “bold experiments” necessary to step into that future and strengthen HR’s strategic role in leadership conversations.

Creating Human Connection: Mpact's Experience-Driven Onboarding Journey

- Problems facing the onboarding experience.
- The importance of passion and enthusiasm for new hire experiences and why onboarding is vital to an organisation's culture
- Ideas for onboarding programs that focus on human experiences, human connection, social workplace identity, personalization, and technology-enabled strategies
- Guidance through the phases of design, implementation, and scale-up (Q&A)
- Lessons learned from both challenges and successes. Showcasing real-life examples.
- The future of work and what that looks like – Insights from Enboarder Human Connection Platform.

Key Takeaways:

1. The Onboarding Challenge and Importance.
2. Strategies and Guidance for Effective Onboarding.
3. Lessons Learned and the Future of Work.

Fad or Future: Digging into Today's Top Trends in HR

Fad or Future: Digging into Today's Top Trends in HR

The world of work has forever changed in the wake of the global COVID pandemic. After years of almost daily disruptions, HR has to navigate more market complexities than ever before. Understanding the trends that are affecting our efforts to be more impactful is more important than ever, as businesses are looking to HR leaders to discern what's a fad and what's the future. In this session, industry experts Laurie Ruettimann and Kyle Lagunas will discuss some of the most pressing trends impacting HR today including:

Key Takeaways:

1. Skills-Based Everything.
2. AI & Automation.
3. Performance Enablement.

Innovate, Learn, Succeed: Cultivating Culture for Business Outcomes

Are you ready to revolutionise your organisation's learning approach and fuel innovation to drive remarkable business outcomes?

This session will combine the power of innovation and learning to drive business success! Discover how to build a learning strategy that delivers business outcomes and unleashes the potential of your workforce. Elmarie Koen, Senior Manager for Organisational Development (OD) and Training at Proconics, will share insights on fostering an innovative culture and developing crucial innovation skills as well and we will get an insight into the learning culture at Proconics.

Key takeaways:

1. Understand the outcomes that matter most and how to demonstrate ROI to executives
2. Discover metrics that showcase a learning program’s true impact on an organisation
3. How to fill your company’s skills gap through innovative strategies

Creating Human Connection: Mpact's Experience-Driven Onboarding Journey

- Problems facing the onboarding experience.
- The importance of passion and enthusiasm for new hire experiences and why onboarding is vital to an organisation's culture
- Ideas for onboarding programs that focus on human experiences, human connection, social workplace identity, personalization, and technology-enabled strategies
- Guidance through the phases of design, implementation, and scale-up (Q&A)
- Lessons learned from both challenges and successes. Showcasing real-life examples.
- The future of work and what that looks like – Insights from Enboarder Human Connection Platform.

Key Takeaways:

1. The Onboarding Challenge and Importance.
2. Strategies and Guidance for Effective Onboarding.
3. Lessons Learned and the Future of Work.