Citation
Clements, S. (2014), "Event reviews", Strategic HR Review, Vol. 13 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/SHR-12-2013-0113
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Event reviews
Article Type: Resources From: Strategic HR Review, Volume 13, Issue 2
CIPD Annual Conference and Exhibition, Manchester, UK, 6-7 November 2013
This was my first CIPD conference since becoming deputy CEO and I was really excited to be part of it. Collaboration, strategy and leadership were strong themes this year with over 1,600 delegates creating a huge amount of buzz and vibrancy. This atmosphere was amplified by CIPDs digital presence, with cipd13 trending on Twitter on the morning of the 6th (yes, it was us and the Jeremy Kyle Show that the people of Britain were tweeting about!), and various bloggers and delegates documented each session, creating a dynamic conversation that lasted over the two days.
Practical advice on offer
The conference opened with a speech from my colleague, and CIPD chief executive, Peter Cheese, who talked about our recent initiatives, including our renewed focus on the L&D community. He also called for a clear focus on the "science of HR", one strand of a new framework for the future of HR that the CIPD will be developing over the coming year. You can see his address on our YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/CIPDGlobal. Cheese then went on to introduce Rob Goffee and Gareth Jones keynote which explored the six key principles of building a great workplace, providing delegates with advice and anecdotal evidence of organizations that are doing things well – many of you may have seen the article about this work in people management.
Delegates went on to see a stellar array of speakers from a packed conference program, covering everything from the challenges of neuroscience for leadership and how to create cultural purpose and vision, to apprenticeships and strategies to empower young talent. The depth and breadth of the subjects covered were main strengths of the conference this year, with great advice, tips, case studies and inspiration all on offer.
For me, the major development outside the formal sessions was the evolution of the exhibition space. This has become a vibrant and dynamic space with exhibitors becoming more creative in the ways that they tempt you to stop at their stand (although cake and chocolate did feature quite strongly). Integrated into the space there were also many free sessions, often very interactive and innovative, which drew the crowds. There was often standing room only at these sessions, which were often highly practical. There was also a "speed dating" area where people could meet other HR professionals for a three minute conversation.
HR to focus on sales skills and analytics
The conference finale was a closing keynote from Daniel Pink, the award winning speaker and author of five provocative books about the world of work. At this presentation, Pink challenged conventional wisdom about leadership, human motivation, performance and reward and talked about the importance of sales skills in non-sales roles. He said: "HR professionals are all in the business of selling, whether they like it or not."
In this keynote, Pink also urged delegates to get on top of analytics, pointing out that data is far more insightful than acting on hunches. This coincided nicely with the launch of the CIPDs partnership with UKCES, CIMA, CMI, IIP and RSA through an initiative called “Valuing your Talent. This has a bold ambition to look at current best practices and research and agree a common, open and collective framework of measures, working together with a broad constituency of HR, finance, and management bodies and engaging with a wide range of practitioners, researchers and influencers.
All in all, it was a fascinating, thought-provoking and jam-packed few days. I went away feeling inspired and encouraged by the determined focus of so many great HR professionals in addressing the critical issues on todays business agenda.
Susannah Clements
Deputy Chief Executive, CIPD