Cracking the Code of a Futuristic Workplace

With an agenda solely dedicated to HR trends, challenges, & opportunities shaping the Future of Work, HR Summit & Expo 2022, with Advantage Club as the headline partner, was held on November 15th & 16th, 2022, in Dubai. 

The Summit witnessed a massive footfall of more than 3000 HR Professionals, over 125 regional & global HR speakers, and 500 Senior HR & L&D Decision-Makers gathered and it was represented by more than 35 countries worldwide. 

With the HR space continuing to evolve drastically, bringing an abundance of new technologies, trends, and strategies aimed at effectively helping employees succeed in the new world of work, the Summit was a 5-day gathering of knowledge & expertise available nowhere else in the world. 

Addressing the audience, Management Guru and one of the most influential Global HR Leader, Dave Ulrich explored HR value creation and how HR is not about HR, but about creating value in the marketplace. 

“Without success in the marketplace, there is no workplace, so HR practices and actions can be used to create value for customers, investors, and communities”, Ulrich added. 

Later on, Ulrich also stressed upon the “human capability” contributions of HR in talent, organization, and leadership. 

There were numerous panel discussions and conferences which were addressed by industry stalwarts, CHROs, and other influential folks in the industry. 

Addressing the panel discussion on ‘The evolving role of CHRO in shaping the future of work’, Nouf Al Sowaidi , Group Chief Human Resources Officer, Bapco Energies Company B.S.C, Emma Davies - Chief Culture and People Excellence Officer, Masafi LLC , Ellen Dubois du Bellay - Chief Human Resources Officer, Jumeirah , Samer Samman - Chief Human Resources Officer, KAUST (King Abdullah University of Science and Technology) , Hilal Al Jadidi - Chief Human Capital Officer, Omran Group OM .

The pandemic propelled HR to the forefront of enterprise leadership to ensure the organisation has the cultural, technological, and operational capability to be agile and resilient in the new ways of working. As the chief architect of organisation culture, managing change, leading employee experience, and developing skills and competencies, CHROs take the driver’s seat for their organisation’s future success. During this session, the CHROs spoke on the critical priorities and business challenges that they are facing while building the future of work.

Addressing the Keynote Theatre, Smiti Bhatt Deorah - Co-founder & COO, AdvantageClub.ai spoke about "How Great EX Leads to Great CX," which dove deep into how employee experience in an organization can directly aid in a better customer experience. She also addressed the importance of belongingness in an organisation and the factors impacting employee experience.

"Relationship between employee experience & productivity is six times higher than engagement. Success defines a sense of satisfaction & achievement which advocates in the development of the employees", said Deorah.

80% of respondents said Employee Experience was important or very important for delivering great customer service.

Varun Aggarwal - General Manager Alliances, AdvantageClub.ai spoke about motivating and gratifying employees through flexible rewards. This simple act of acknowledging achievement is a major boost for employee morale and performance. And that’s why employee recognition is so critical.

"Likewise, when employees are rewarded for their contributions, they feel ownership and pride and are willing to work just as hard on their next project. Recognition connects them to the organization, elevates performance, and increases the likelihood they’ll stay", said Aggarwal.

Moving forward, a session on ‘The Value of Investment in Employee Wellbeing’ gained much attention as it was headed by four well-renowned stalwarts from the industry. The session was moderated by Mohammed Husary , Founder & CEO, VIWELL , followed by Priscilla Coen , Senior Human Resources Business Partner, Kent , Chuck Gillespie, MBA CEO, National Wellness Institute and Philip Clarke , VP Talent Acquisition, ADNOC Group as panelists. 

The speakers discussed about a clear strategy on wellness, engagement, and reward as an integral part of HR strategy to create a place focusing on wholesome employee well-being. 

Sanjeev Nair , Senior Executive Officer, Zurich Insurance addressed the dice on ‘Inspiring Confidence on the Future’ which was focused on the great resignation and that employees are not resigning not just for salaries or growth opportunities. 

“We explicitly asked employees and turns out that 89% would take a new job with the same salary if employee benefits are better”, Nair said.

It was a delight to have thousands of HR professionals gather together in person for HR's BIG reunion at #HRSE 2022.