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Future of Work - HR Leaders forum
PUBLISHED 28 JUNE 2023
An open, forward-looking forum
From the super-fast developments in AI to Gen Z, there are a host of factors at play in today's workplace, and especially in the HR sector.
On June 28th, Irish Times Training were delighted to host the 'Future of Work - HR Leaders Forum', MC'd with aplomb by WorkMatters' founder Kevin Empey.
The hot topic for discussion was trends in HR Technology and how they are shaping the employee (and HR) experience. In introducing the session, Kevin referred to the pace of change in technology, and how its effect on the HR practices within organisations cannot be understated.
Over fifty HR leaders gathered to discuss frankly the latest developments in the sector, and especially the part that tech plays - or doesn't play - in their organisations.
New technologies
Welcoming guests to the event, Irish Times Training MD David Magee commented: "Technology adoption continues across the HR industry and disciplines at pace. This morning's HR Leaders event will discuss the ever evolving role of tech in HR and how it can drive value. The evolution is constant and there is more to come yet with a need to see the value and risks to organisations in adopting new technologies."
Panel discussion
The panel members for the morning's discussion brought an impressive amount of experience and prestige to the event.
Aisling Teillard – Chief Customer Officer with Beqom – has been dedicated to ensuring Beqom's customers benefit from community insight and expertise. She is the former CEO and Co-Founder of Our Tandem. Prior to that she was HR Director for various organisations including SAP and Telefonica O2. With over 25 years experience in HR she has led global change initiatives across industries and sectors.
Gillian French - Chief People Strategist with Workvivo - is a former Chief People Officer, expert in scaling high-growth businesses, and renowned organisational behaviourist, speaker, and podcast host. Gillian previously held the position of Chief People Officer at both Cubic Telecom and CarTrawler. She led the development of people strategy, culture, engagement, and policies in both organisations and an integral member of the Leadership Team.
Speaking candidly
A expected, the discussion was lively as the HR experts in the room spoke candidly about the challenges they face within their organisations, and how some of the emerging technological advances could be leveraged to support HR activities.
One caveat which both Aisilng and Gillian offered was that the importance of the 'human' in Human Resources should not be underestimated - some tasks will always be best done with empathy and understanding that can only be found in person-to-person interaction.
And on the topic of which tech option can be recommended to organisations right now, there's no one-size-fits-all solution. But the expert advice is that great care is needed when choosing a new system or interface to integrate into current practices; keeping the human in mind is key to success.