Talking talent (in turbulent times)

Closing Keynote

The Panel

Vicky Wright - President CIPD

Liane Hornsey - Google

Satish Pradhan - Tata Sons

David Smith - ASDA

Alex Wilson - BT

This panel session was introduced by Vicky Wright , President of the CIPD. Wright in her introduction directed us to the fact that all four of these organisations had one thing in common - they have all experienced and are experiencing transition currently.

Jon Snow facilitated the session featuring;

• David Smith - ASDA
• Liane Hornsey - Google
• Alex Wilson - BT
• Satish Pradhan - Tata Sons

Snow's opening words were "in the 20 years of Channel 4 news I can only think of two major events that have impacted all of us. One was 9/11 the other is our current economic challenge "

Snow posed a number of question to the panel and this was followed by the opportunity to ask questions. Below is a summary of key messages from each of the panel:

David Smith -

"you have to have an employer brand.. and mean it"

"it (business) is not just about making money, we must make money ethically and stability"

"one of the roles of HR is to say the unpopular messages/ news to the CEO"

"HR & Business strategy are the same thing"

"we recruit to the culture more than skills - all staff including hourly paid staff have to complete a 1/2 day assessment centre as part of the recruitment process. If they are gregarious, we will hire them, if they are shy or difficult we don't want them."

"we set out to befriend our people, managers are expected to know their people at an individual level"

Alex Wilson

"The further staff are away from the front line the more we (and other organisations) need to remember that customers are important."

"This is our (HR) time, now we need to shine in the tough times"

"our first choice in tough times is always redeployment rather than redundancy" - The alumni of people that have left the organisation is bigger than that employed - we do what we can for the majority to remain advocates"

Liane Hornsey

"HR is about picking the right people for the job. Google will not compromise - we only hire people that will add value to Google". Hornsey mentioned one example of this where she has a vacant head of HR post for over 18 months as she has yest to find a suitable candidate.

In answer to a question about retention strategy for Google...

"We make the environment a place people want to be

We develop people relentlessly

We give then the work (and challenge) they enjoy"

Google also recruit to the culture not the job - often recruiting people without offering a particular role and then work with the individuals to find the right role for them.

At Google they use people and their hobbies and encourage people to run workshops and short training sessions on their hobby - this helps to create a culture of learning and people are free to attend anytime - they do not need to ask permission to attend - the business trusts that this action will encourage loyalty and a drive to work harder.

Satish Pradhan

"always use the best people to solve the biggest challenges"

"communicate what you are doing.. why you are doing it and most importantly in an authentic way. You must do what is right for that business, not just for the stakeholders."

Diversity is not a universal formula, and what is relevant for one organisation and context. Successfully businesses cannot work to a mathematical formula to diversity. What is right for one is not necessarily right for another.

Tata is an organisation that is run more like a federation rather than a traditional hierarchy, so they enable and empower people. Tata believe governance and culture is critical. Often staff that were employed under previous owners can do and deliver given the right context.

You cannot and must not see unions as adversaries... you must see them as advocates, if you don't take this approach you lose before you start.

The Close

Wright summarised the week and reminded us that this week is the changing face of business. Wright reminded us that Orme had earlier said in the week that the CIPD is changing to provide "relevant help to you".. just in time.

Wright had the belief that the conference had provided delegates with "relevant things you can take away... something new that you can do... HR and the role of HR is changing"

• Wright reminded us that Harrogate had been the home of the annual conference for 60 years (IPM, IPD etc..) and that they needs to change. The move to Manchester in 2009 would provide:
• Better exhibition space on one level
• The conference would be different - more relevant and provide more opportunities
• Smaller groups
• Select master classes
• More events within the exhibition space (this has worked well for the last two years)
• A more intimate environment

Wright also reminded us that the CIPD annual conference and exhibition 2009 would take place in NOVEMBER 2009... see you there...

Comment

This was an engaging and fitting end to the conference, we have had the Academics, the CEO's and finished with the HR directors. It was a shame that the audience by this session was somewhat depleted, many traveling back home and not fully engaged with the whole event. There were so many messages that would benefit many HR team members.

Now to travel home, to reflect on the weeks events and the overall impact of the exhibition and conference.. but that I will leave for another day.

Networking.. networking.. networking

Lunch time
Having not seen the labels identifying what sandwiches were what in yesterdays 'crush', today I was more careful, and then went to meet with other CIPD community regulars in the CIPD lounge in Hall M, After an enjoyable informal set of discussions and solving the world problems I had a short meeting with Martin Sloman about L&D and future opportunities.

Not having a session to attend after lunch I met up with fellow CIPD and TrainerBase members in hall Q in the 'breakout area. Eight of us made it so thanks to Christine for organising this - a good opportunity to meet informally, swap business cards and exchange thoughts about the conference and exhibition. generally people were happy with their experience.

Equality?
While walking around I was 'accosted' by a topless young man carrying a tray of chocolates, a short while after I was talking to some lady exhibitors and asked what they thought of this - they said it almost put them off the chocolates!! Now I am all for getting attention, but if a woman was in a swimsuit at this event what would people have said? Is all fair in marketing?

Attended a workshop or seminar that is not listed here?

A number of people have approached me and asked if they can contribute about sessions I am not blogging about - well here you can. If you have attended a workshop and want to share your experiences and key learning please do so here.
Thanks for reading (and commenting)
Mike

Administration and joining instructions for the CIPD annual conference 2008

Have you booked to attend this years CIPD annual conference and exhibition in Harrogate?

What were your experiences of the administration of booking onto the CIPD 2008 annual conference or exhibition? easy... hard... problematic... simple?

What are your reactions to receiving the joining instructions? clear?... concise?... short on detail... too much...?

The journey to Harrogate for the CIPD Annual Conference

On Thursday 28th of August with just 19 days before the conference I get my booking form and look over the CIPD site to make my selection. As my primary interests are OD, Strategy and L&D I focus on topics, workshops and masterclasses that meet my needs.

The site is a little complex to navigate round, this is probably because there is a lot of data available and for me it was easier to print the pages and then look at the programme on hard copy (not good for the environment - but what I needed to do).

Having made my choices, I filled out the form, scanned it and emailed it to the event team that day. Could not have been easier.

Tues 2nd - I received notification that one of the session I wanted was not full - but being out of the office I did not get this till Wednesday. This was easy to resolve - I phoned up the event team and they told me what was available and the booking was complete. Less than half hour later I received my confirmation. With this confirmation come the hotel booking form, the CIPD block reserve many hotel rooms so I made the call to the third party accommodation company. The only rooms they had were at the Holiday Inn at £160 per night - a little extravagant seeing as there would be little time to use the facilities. Luckily I have a business account with another chain and they were able to book me a room for the 3 days. Harrogate is almost full to overflowing during this event!

Then later this afternoon I receive access to 'MyEvent' an on-line community for attendees of the conference... will have a look and see what it has to offer.

Morale of the story
If you want to attend this event - book your sessions and accommodation early - the event being this full can only mean one thing - it is not only popular - but valued.

Booking to attend the CIPD Annual Conference

OK so I have had notification that I can attend this years CIPD conference in Harrogate, the last one before the move to the bigger venue of Manchester.

Booking could not be easier... download the booking form, look at the available array of Keynote sessions, seminars, workshops and master classes, discussions and interactive sessions. choose from a range of streams including:

• Leadership
• Change
• Talent
• Engagement
• Strategy
• Innovation

The when your choices have been made fax or post the form in... Not having a fax machine, i scanned and emailed mine, having first phoned the events team to confirm availability as there were only 19 days remaining and I was sure some of the sessions were already full... indeed the traffic light system on the site showed that several were already full. Each session has a neat little graphic helping late bookers make their selections:

A useful tool.

The journey begins...

CIPD annual conference 2008 - speakers include:

Stephen Alford HR Manager-Diversity Fujitsu Services
Beverly Alimo-Metcalfe Professor of Leadership, University of Bradford School of Management, Emeritus Professor of Leadership Studies, University of Leeds and Chief Executive, Real World Group Chair
Samantha Allen Managing Director Boyden Global Executive Search
David Archer Director Socia
Chris Barez-Brown Global Head of Innovation Capability and Director ?What If!
Angela Baron Adviser, Organisation and Resourcing, Research and Policy CIPD
Laurence Barrett Director of Group Resourcing and Development Prudential plc
Tal Ben-Shahar author and lecturer Harvard University
Octavius Black founder and managing director of The Mind Gym
Neal Blackshire Benefits and Compensation Manager, McDonald's Restaurants
Liz Booth Human Resources Director NSPCC
Richard Boyatzis Author and Professor, Case Western Reserve University and in HR at ESADE
Peter Brown Head of Health and Work Division HSE
Ben Bryant Professor of Leadership and Organisation IMD
Jenny Burns IC Director HBOS
Lou Burrows Global Head of People and Talent ?What If!
Alex Cameron Director Socia
Alison Carter Principal Research Fellow IES
Jane Carter Head of Contracting, Children’s Services Department East Sussex County Council
Andy Case National Secretary Unite
Paul Chadwick Head of Reward and Recognition, Cancer Research UK
Sarah Clark Group Director, Leadership Development, Global Laing O’Rourke
Julia Claydon HR Director Nando’s
Simon Clementson HR Director Capgemini
David Clutterbuck Senior Partner Clutterbuck Associates
Fiona Colquhoun Director Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR)
Dave Conder Director of People Strategy and Integration KPMG
Robin Cooper HR Director, Electricals UK/Ireland DSG International
Charles Cotton Reward and Employment Conditions, Adviser, Research and Policy CIPD
Jane Cotton HR Director Oxfam
Siobhan Cummins Managing Director Europe, ORC Worldwide and CIPD Vice President International
Shirley Dalziel Director, develop uk and author, HR Business Partnering
Emma Donaldson-Feilder Chartered Occupational Psychologist Affinity Health at Work
Tim Ellis former Business Change Director United Biscuits
Mike Emmott Adviser, Employee Relations, Research and Policy CIPD
Liam Fahey Partner Leadership Forum Inc
Andy Farrar Chief Operations Officer UK Child Benefit and Tax Credit Office
Melanie Flogdell Head of Policy Centrica
Leatham Green Assistant Director Personnel and Training East Sussex County Council
Matthew Guthridge Expert Associate Principal McKinsey and Company
Noel Hadden Head of Learning and Development Deutsche Bank
Brenda Handley-Howorth HR Director May Gurney Integrated Services PLC
Peter Hawkins Chairman Bath Consultancy Group
Fru Hazlitt MD GCap London
Jacquie Heany Deputy Director, HR Professionalism Cabinet Office
Jan Hill Tout Gwent NHS Trust
Wendy Hirsh Principal Associate IES
Scott Hobbs Head of Talent Amey
Michael Hodgson Senior Category Manager, Dairy Sainsburys
Linda Holbeche Director of Research and Policy CIPD
Liane Hornsey HR Director, EMEA Google
Martin Howe Training and Development Manager Cega Group
Andy Hyatt Head of Digital Bernard Hodes Group UK
Daniel Kasmir HR Director BDO Stoy Hayward
Charlie Keeling HR Director Field Fisher Waterhouse LLP
Stephen Kelly Director of People BBC
Paula S. Larson Executive Vice-President, HR Invensys PLC
Chris Last HR Director-General Department for Work and Pensions
Emily Lawson Partner McKinsey and Company
Graeme Martin Professor of HR University of Glasgow
Graham Massie Director of Consultancy Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR)
Antonia McAlindin Chartered CCIPD, BA, LLM
Tom McCabe Partner, IBM Global Services and Leader of Human Capital Management IBM Global Business Services
Carolyn McCall Chief Executive Guardian Media Group plc (GMG)
Tony McCarthy Group Director, People and Organisational Effectiveness, British AIrways and CIPD Vice President, Employee Relations
Rita McGee Director RMG Consulting
John McGurk Adviser, Learning, Training and Development, Research and Policy CIPD
Annie McKee author and co-founder of the Teleos Leadership Institute
Tim Miller Director, People, Property and Assurance, Standard Chartered Bank and Vice President, Organisation and Resourcing, CIPD Standard Chartered Bank
Stephen Moir Director of People and Policy Cambridgeshire County Council
Bob Morton Head of People Development Competence Centre EMEA and Global Head of OD, Ciba Specialty Chemicals
Rebecca Newton Director, Newton Taylor and Fellow, London School of Economics
David Normington Permanent Secretary The Home Office
Pat Oakley Head of Equality Services London Fire Brigade
Jackie Orme Chief Executive CIPD
Neil Perry Head of HR Group and Employee Relations Legal and General Group PLC
Jack J. Phillips Chairman ROI Institute
John Philpott Chief Economist, Research and Policy CIPD
Michael Portillo
Satish Pradhan Executive Vice President - Group HR Tata Sons
Therese Procter HR Director Tesco.com
John Purcell Strategic Academic Advisor ACAS
Ann Rennie former HR Director World Bank
Richard Roberts Head of People Team Virgin Mobile
David Robinson Chairman Richer Sounds
Vanessa Robinson Head of Operations, Research and Policy CIPD
Chris Roebuck Founder, Transformation and former co-Head of Talent, UBS
Stevens J. Sante-Rose Group Human Resources Director The Coca-Cola Company
Beverley Shears DG Corporate HR, Ministry of Justice
Stephen Sidebottom Head of HR Europe Nomura International PLC
David Smith People Director ASDA
David Smith. Economics Editor Sunday Times
Jon Snow Channel 4 News
Paul Sparrow Director, Centre for Performance-led HR and Professor of International HRM Lancaster University Management School
Michael Spiers HR Partner, Trading and Commercial Sainsburys
Karen Stefanyszyn Head of Organisation Development Norwich Union
Judith Strange develop uk
Richard Summersgill Director of Child Benefit and Tax Credit Operations
Genevieve Tennant Director of HR Allen and Overy LLP
Stephen Timms Minister of State for Employment and Welfare Reform, Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)
Mike Tims Managing Director of People Solutions SHL Group
Gary Tomlinson Head of HR Kia Motors
Paul Turner Professor of Management Practice Ashcroft Interntational Business School
Andrew Unsworth Head of E-Government The City of Edinburgh Council
Matt Watson HR Director Southern Railways
Robin Wilkinson HR Director National Offender Management Service
Gemma Williams Senior Consultant, Employee Transformation Capgemini UK
Alex Wilson Group HR Director BT
Claire Wilson Head of Talent Development and Resourcing, Organisational Capability Centre of Expertise Department for Work and Pensions
Dianah Worman OBE Diversity Adviser, Research and Policy CIPD
Mike Worthington Ma, Chartered FCIPD, FIH Independent Consultant
Andrew Wright Director, Leadership and Partner Development, NEMIA Ernst and Young
Vicky Wright President, CIPD and Senior Consultant Watson Wyatt

Welcome to the CIPD Annual conference 2008 in Harrogate

The HR event of the year, will you be there?

The CIPD annual conference and exhibition is fast approaching (16-18 September 2008).

This, Europe's premier HR conference and exhibition boasts a world class line-up of speakers addressing the key themes dominating HR and business, together with a new range of seminar formats including sector specific and interactive seminars, this year’s CIPD conference promises to be an event not to be missed.

The annual CIPD conference and exhibition is the event for leading practitioners to meet, network and hear the latest thoughts from the great thinkers in HR as well as to hear case studies from others. Whether you are attending the exhibition and the free seminars or the conference this blog will give you a delegates view of the proceedings.

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Developing the developers Knowledge-Understanding-Action Change Management Coaching Motivational Speakers Scanning the Business Environment BIR - Business Diagnostics Mission Statement Continuing Professional Development Holistic Organizational Staff Survey Diagnostics PRIMO-F - Business Growth Model Organizational Diagnostics and development Resource Zone KPI examples Mike Morrison Employee satisfaction Coaching Sport Performer Porters Five Forces Force Field Analysis Business Coaching Psychometric Testing Glossary of Terms Creatrix - Innovation Inventory Action Learning Coaching Business Transformation Career Anchors Train the trainer Learning Styles SWOT analysis Micro sites Consulting Skills Product/ market matrix Mike Employee engagement Morrison Management Models Personal Development Plans Talent management Key Performance Indicators Coaching Videos Corporate Social Responsibility Critical Success Factors The PESTLE Analysis Executive coaching Learning Logs Best Practice Internal communications SMARTer objectives Life Coaching Business Values Intelligent Purchasing Deep Dive technique

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