London was once again the epicenter of everything that HR can, and must, become. The CIPD Festival of Work 2025 wasn't just another conference. It was a litmus test of where HR truly stands. And let's be honest, where it's lagging behind.
London was once again the epicenter of everything that HR can, and must, become. The CIPD Festival of Work 2025 wasn't just another conference. It was a litmus test of where HR truly stands. And let's be honest, where it's lagging behind.
So, if you thought this would be an article full of praise for "wonderful lectures and inspiring speakers," you might as well skip it now. This is an attempt, in one LinkedIn article, to take the gloves off, to sum up what CIPD is really saying about the future of work, and to pinpoint where we, as an HR community, truly are.
AI is no longer a buzzword - it's now a reality.
A new CIPD analysis shows that 78% of UK companies are already using AI in their HR processes. The biggest shift? The automation of recruitment and performance management.
A provocation: If you're still making Excel sheets for employee evaluations - you are part of the problem.
Wellbeing has a new identity!
The focus is no longer on fruit in the kitchen and yoga on Thursdays. The talk is now about "employee energy capital." How much energy they spend - and on what.
I quote:
Employees are drained because they're working jobs they no longer understand and don't feel are their own.
Leadership is undergoing a total redesign.
61% of conference participants said that the leaders in their companies "don't know how to communicate in uncertainty." The spotlight is on leaders who can be vulnerable, flexible, and who know how to set boundaries (for themselves, not just others).
Culture over strategy, but for real.
Numerous speakers emphasized that a strategy without a strong culture becomes a PowerPoint document that everyone ignores.
One example: an organization that attempted a digital transformation without changing its communication culture lost 1/3 of its middle management within 6 months.
Learning is broken! It must be redefined.
L&D teams are struggling with the "Netflix effect" because people no longer want classic LMS platforms, but personalized, fast, and usable knowledge.
CIPD research: 42% of employees say that company training "doesn't prepare them for real-world challenges."
Josh delivered the festival's most sought-after session. The main message: "Companies believe they are working on skills development - but they are actually just repeating old content in new packaging."
Data-driven, direct, and without mercy. His warning was that the "talent marketplace" is becoming a marketing phrase if HR doesn't know how to connect skills development with real business needs!
The former CEO, author, and management professor spoke about the power of uncertainty. In an HR world that constantly seeks "quick answers," her message was the opposite:
A leader who doesn't know, but knows how to ask - is more valuable than one who always has a ready answer.
Contrary to the popular idea that leaders should be unwavering, Heffernan argues that authenticity and honesty create the most resilient teams.
HR can no longer be a support function - or it will disappear. If HR doesn't contribute directly to business results, it will be replaced. Not by AI, but by oblivion.
Employees are suffering from "emotional resignation" syndrome. They haven't quit, but they're no longer there. The biggest challenge for leaders is emotional reactivation.
Our EVPs have become generic and empty.
If you can't distinguish your company's EVP from the competition's, then it's not an EVP, it's a slogan.
A culture of obedience kills innovation.
Organizations that reward head-nodding end up with spineless teams.
If it's not measured - it doesn't change.
The best organizations don't just talk about culture, they measure it. They quantify trust, energy, and belonging.
If you are an HR professional, L&D specialist, team leader, or company director – here are the concrete questions you need to ask yourself right now:
HR can't be an administrator; it must be a transformer!
The CIPD Festival of Work 2025 didn't bring many new buzzwords. It brought what is hardest to see - a mirror. It showed the difference between those who use HR to manage change and those who still see it as a service function.
If we are ready to take responsibility, to change the system and not just the presentation - then we have a chance to be part of that smaller, but powerful group of people who are creating the future of work.
For the rest - welcome to the world of generic EVPs, passive leaders, and an HR that stays silent while the world burns.
If you found this text useful – share it with your colleagues, discuss it, challenge it. Because an HR that stays silent loses its right to vote. You know what I mean ;)
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