A line-up of awesome speakers, brilliant selection of Exhibitors who serve our Talent Market Community, familiar and new Talent Leaders that I connected with, generous attendee prizes and giveaways, and scrumptious meals – what’s not to enjoy!!! 😊
Takeaways that resonate 100% and cannot be overlooked if you want to thrive in the talent industry into 2025 are as follows:
✨ Mark Baker, our MC for the day, as always outdid himself! He set the stage, highlighting key trends around mental well-being, asking, “Are you limping into today?” He also touched on Emotional Intelligence within our leaders through change management and conflict resolution, and discussed loneliness and the sense of belonging, with many yearning for return-to-office (RTO).
✨ Dr. Mark Bussin delivered sobering predictions, including the broken global schooling system, the challenge of finding jobs for another 3 billion people in the years to come, and the shifting hiring landscape. He emphasized the needs of the New Generation, particularly the value of time, and the radical changes required in HR policies to address our fast-changing world.
✨ Jonathan Goldberg presented fascinating case studies, covering topics such as social media responsibility, substance abuse, and dismissals, with important lessons learned. Once again, he asked whether we are ready for Gen Z and change if we want to remain relevant.
✨ Vanessa Raath 🌍👩🏼🏫 Raath was on fire as always! She highlighted 3 key ingredients for the future success of HR: 1. Establishing your own solid digital online brand (with practical tips) 2. Talent sourcing, revealing overlooked channels for specialists. 3. The critical need to be tech-savvy to stay relevant (AI is merely a tool to empower, not replace us).
✨ Helen Behm and Cobus Oosthuizen (Ph.D) provided us with a real workplace case study from Pingo, showcasing their commendable journey of building a high-performance culture within a high-growth business, to achieve the success they enjoy today.
✨ Ruby Motloheloa touched on something close to my heart – creating a truly lived experience for people in your organization. She stressed that the key to success lies in leadership that demonstrates communication, compassion, and clarity. Her Mentimeter poll confirmed that empathy and care rank top when it comes to leadership getting it right.
✨ Shanaaz Parker closed the agenda by defining the shifting needs of different generations, with a strong focus on appreciating and fostering diversity and inclusion in our modern workplace.
The event concluded with thrilling lucky draw giveaways, leaving attendees with unforgettable memories! 🎁 A massive well done to HRworks - Adria Bulpitt and her team for once again delivering such a slick and professionally run event! 👏 Fantastic to reconnect with familiar faces Mark Baker Vanessa Raath 🌍👩🏼🏫 Lynne Derman Jo Blake Samantha-Leigh Hayward
Written as a LinkedIn post by Celeste Sirin of Employer Branding Africa
