Malta’s largest HR conference was back on track in 2021 and was held in person at the Hilton Conference Centre, St Julian’s, on November 12th. The FHRD conference has been a staple local event over the years, attracting HR professionals from all industries in Malta to network, listen to and discuss all things related to HR, Training and Business Management. The pandemic has in many ways disrupted the way we work and has accelerated current trends in remote working, e-commerce and automation, that is having a severe impact on the HR function within organisations around the world.

With this year’s theme being “HR 2021 – Beyond the pandemic”, our exceptional local and international speakers will be examining aspects of the post-pandemic trends and the pandemic’s long-term influence and effect on the future of work. We would be delving into the new role the HR function has in supporting organisations moving forward and how HR professionals can make the best use of tools and systems to retain talent. The speakers will also talk on the importance of data and how to use it to one’s advantage to come out of the pandemic stronger.

Gerrit Schimmelpenninck, Director Talent Insights and Research at Philips Electronics, will be opening the event with a Keynote on Using Talent Intelligence to strategize your comeback post-pandemic which will explain how Philips has developed a function called Talent Intelligence which ultimately allows organisations to come out stronger after the pandemic. The second Keynote The role of employer branding during a crisis such as COVID-19 and beyond, delivered by Vanessa Camenzuli, Global People Excellence and Engagement Manager, will define employer branding while tackling certain myths around the topic and revealing the business benefits of living by an organisation’s values– irrelevant of the organisation’s size (or budget!).

The morning will end with a panel discussion ‘Beyond the Pandemic: The Local Perspective’ moderated by Claudine Attard, PWC. This year’s panelists will be Stephanie Cacopardo from Melita; Marie Theobald from Hero Gaming and Emily Bonello from Baxter. During the live panel these reputable HR professionals will discuss issues effecting work in Malta beyond the pandemic and will conclude with insightful learnings and take aways for the conference delegates.

The afternoon will feature another two keynotes as well as the much anticipated HR Quality Mark presentation ceremony. The third Keynote How do I retain my Talent? The Secrets of HR revealed delivered by Arjen Swank, Employee Engagement and Research Specialist, Effectory, will share insights and key lessons from Effectory’s 25 years of experience as Europe’s leader for continuous employee listening and surveying. During the HR Quality Mark ceremony, FHRD will be recognising all those organisations that were successful in obtaining the FHRD HR Quality Mark, a standard developed by FHRD which recognises organisations for their effective HR practices.

The conference will end with the final keynote Meaningfulness behind life and making it count delivered by Keith Marshall, Chief Philantropy Officer, Sigma Foundation, and this session’s key lesson will highlight that every individual is responsible to make their own legacy. Life is precious, don’t waste it.

FHRD would like to thank conference partners Hilton Malta, MAPFRE MSV Life plc, PWC, Shireburn Indigo, Studioseven and Times of Malta for their commitment. The event is scheduled for Friday, 12th November, at the Hilton Conference Centre.