Published on 16th May 2024
As every year, leaders of the HR services industry, thought leaders and world of work experts congregate for the World Employment Conference. Powered by the World Employment Confederation, the global trade association for the sector, the event is THE gateway to HR services industry excellence. Yet, this 2024 edition, held in Lisbon, had a ‘je-ne-sais-quoi’ of extra buzz.
The Work We Want: A Proactive Agenda
A red thread throughout the two and half days that delegates spent in the vibrant capital of Portugal was “The Work We Want”, the recent research project carried out by the World Employment Confederation, in partnership with FT Longitude. Throughout the sessions, speakers addressed the key issues flagged by the survey of more than 700 senior executives across the world – solving labour shortages increasing diversity and inclusion, enabling better working conditions, etc. – and exchanged their experiences of the solutions already implemented by the HR services industry.
As Bettina Schaller, President of the World Employment Confederation, put it when opening the conference, “the sense of opportunity wins me over”. As many jurisdictions around the world go through election periods, it is time to push for the frameworks that will deliver the well-regulated flexibility that labour markets need.
Adam Hawkins from LinkedIn highlighted how skills have become the new currency of labour markets, outlining the paradigm shift required across the recruitment industry from “selecting out” to “selecting in”. He stressed the key role of the HR services industry in not only embracing a skills-first approach but also about proactively taking client organisations on that journey.
Bev Jack stressed the need to de-emphasise formal education to become more talent-inclusive, highlighting the importance of soft skills like empathy in healthcare. Tabea Kabinde, from South Africa, challenged the audience to think of reskilling differently – as a means to provide employees with the capacity to ‘find their own timber’ rather than taking timber from others while enhancing the purpose and contribution of an individual to the collective good.
Stéphanie Winet from the International Organisation of Employers shed some light on migration and talent mobility, urging to ‘de-politicise’ the issue and recognise the value of migrants’ skills. Izabella Khazagerova, representing the career management sector, addressed the challenge of finding work for the “60+” workers, pointing to diverse forms of work as one way forward to retain them in labour markets.
As the end of the conference neared, Anna Gurun of HSM Advisory, posed an intriguing question: is our relationship with work becoming more emotional? One trend she clearly highlighted is the desire for more autonomy, dignity and belonging in the future of work, while enabling maximum productivity. Achieving that balance is clearly what is at stake in shaping “The Work We Want”.
The WEC We Want: Building A Community
Beyond the insights that they can gain, the World Employment Conference is also an opportunity for its participants to build capacity. Sessions on the power of data collection and storytelling gave attendees new tools to better advocate for the positive role of the industry.
The highly interactive sessions provided multiple opportunities to interact, leveraging the shared expertise of all the brains in the room. Participants left Lisbon with new insights, new skills, and new connections!
The conference marked a significant milestone in the journey of the World Employment Confederation, transforming it from a membership-based organisation to a thriving ecosystem connecting all those who want to deliver better labour market outcomes for all. The World Employment Conference 2025 will take place on 7-11 April, in Cape Town, South Africa.
