It was surreal to be back at the CIPD Annual Conference. It felt energising to see people in person, catch up and chat as if the last year had never happened.
The conference assumed a hybrid model for the first time. It was great to be able to be there but also helpful to catch up online afterwards for the sessions I didn’t make it to on the day. It also presented the opportunity to watch some sessions again and really digest the information.
The key themes discussed at the conference were hybrid working, wellbeing, sustainability and inclusion. Here are some quick highlights:
Hybrid working in 2022:
The people profession are paving the way as hybrid and flexible working pioneers. Mastering new ways of managing people, business and culture.
We liked Lynda Gratton’s challenge to embrace a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reset work using the hybrid working model. It’s a chance we must not let slip by.
Also safeguarding purpose and productivity in new working arrangements and striking the balance of place and time.
Sustainability for businesses:
Sustainability has shifted from being nice to have to an absolute must-have. 2022 will mark the first year sustainability needs to be embedded in an organisation’s core, strategically and operationally. Are you seriously considering your sustainability practices?
Inclusion for businesses in 2022:
The people profession must act as inclusion and engagement promoters – prioritising inclusion, wellbeing and employee experience.
There was an interesting opening keynote from David Lammy titled – What do business leaders need from their HR teams to close racial diversity gaps and make workplaces equal?
As well as being inclusion promoters, the people profession must be seen as strategic partners – applying skills, transformation, data and organisation development to encourage sustainable change in this area.
Why wellbeing needs to take centre stage:
Wellbeing – how the people profession can harness knowledge and competencies from other key departments.
On this subject, the closing keynote from Caitlin Moran was insightful in discussing how we bring authenticity and humility to the table to improve cultures of trust and transparency. It’s ok to get it wrong: learning from our past failures and mistakes. Being bold, creative and having faith in your own ideas at work, making sure we know our allies in the organisation that will support us.
Are you serious about employee wellbeing in 2022? We’re looking for people to pilot the brand new Leap Like A Salmon Wellbeing Wheel. We need organisations who have an interest in the wellbeing of their team, especially if they work remotely.
Alongside the wellbeing wheel, this is an opportunity to have full access to our award-winning CPD platform. Follow the link below to contact us to find out how you can be involved in testing our wellbeing feature.
We hope this blog has been interesting for you. For more from us please check out our Knowledge Base for further resources and support with our Ask The Experts or stay informed with our social Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
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