The  Malta Foundation for Human Resource Development (FHRD) Annual HR Conference was held on Friday 20^th October at the Hilton Conference Centre, Malta.

This year the FHRD’s Annual HR Conference theme was HR Transform – The Future of Work and there was a record-breaking attendance of 650 HR professionals.  During the welcome address, FHRD President Matthew Naudi introduced the Professional Membership Scheme. This will allow HR professionals to be recognised by FHRD for their individual level of competence in HR. This is part of FHRD’s mission to set national standards in the development of human resources in Malta. Mr Naudi also set the tone on the Future of Work by highlighting the variety of skills, organisations need to equip their teams with in preparation for jobs that will be created in the future that lie ahead of us.

The first international keynote speaker at the conference was Steve Usher, Co-Founder – Wonder, Employee Experience, Human-Centred Designer, Facilitator, and Podcaster.   Steve delivered a presentation on the power of human experiences in the future of work.

Next up was David Shontz, Global HR Leader – Nokia and Analytics Enthusiast.  David shared Learnings from Nokia’s use of data and advanced analytics to drive employee and business success.

The morning progressed with the FHRD Quality Mark presentation of certificates. 11 organisations were presented with their certificates by President Matthew Naudi and the FHRD Chief Executive Officer Karen Muscat Baldacchino. The 6 organisations that obtained the FHRD Quality Mark during the 5th application intake are  Agenzija Zghazagh, Apex Group Malta, Indis Malta Limited, Nectar, The Concept Stadium, and The Westin Dragonara. The 5 organisations that obtained the FHRD Quality Mark during the 6^th application are GO plc, ICT Solutions, The Inspire Foundation, Malta Business Registry, and Melita Limited. For the first time,  special awards were given to organisations that obtained the highest overall average mark namely Agenzija Zghazagh (5^th intake) and Go plc (6^th intake).

The morning ended with the delivery of 6 workshops. Dr. Gege Gatt, CEO EBO.AI  delivered a workshop entitled The AI Advantage: Redefining HR Practices through Technology and Innovation.  Karl Grech – Performance Coach and Trainer delivered a workshop entitled Be Seen as an Authentic Human Leader – How to become a more engaging, authentic, and adaptive leader.  Maria Loumpourdi, Global Head of Talent Development | Diversity & Inclusion Professional – Betsson Group delivered a workshop entitled From Buzzwords to Outcomes: Getting Real about Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace. Claudine Attard – Director PwC Malta Management Consultancy and Mark Grech – Manager PwC Malta Advisory delivered a workshop entitled HR Pulse Survey 2023 – Data-driven Insights on the Future of Work. Olivia Bilocca, HR Consultant | Life Coach | Business Trainer | Trainee Psychotherapist delivered a workshop entitled Human experience at the workplace: your best strategy to boost employee engagement. Nathan Farrugia, Managing Director – Vistage │ Managing Director – Up Your Level, │ Chairperson of the Academy of Givers delivered a workshop entitled Why is ESG so relevant to HR Professionals?

After the networking lunch, the conference kicked off with an interactive energizer by TeamBuilding Malta emphasising the importance of teamwork to reach common goals, followed by another two keynote speakers. Mara Lucini, EMEA Talent Acquisition Director – HP delivered the third keynote and shared learnings from HP on HR Hybrid solutions for the New Future of Work.  The final keynote by Mikela Fenech Pace, HR Consultant, Executive Coach, and Team Coach focused on how to avoid HR Burnout.

The afternoon concluded with delegates either attending one masterclass or a selection of two workshops out of four.

The HR Masterclass entitled Trending Talent and Succession Insights was delivered by Francesca Buhagiar, Senior Manager – VacancyCentre; Dr Dieter Veldsman – HR & Organisational Design Thought Leader – AIHR and Ray Bonnici – Chief People Officer – APS Bank plc.

The four workshops were delivered by international and local HR professionals. Ross Pitman, Director of Business & Communications – GRS Recruitment (Cyprus Office) delivered a workshop entitled  Connecting the Power of Your People – The Evolution of Talent Acquisition.  Shirley Borg, Head of Human Resources – EnergyCasino delivered a workshop entitled Elevating Employee Experience through Technology. Dr. Charlene Camilleri Duca, Clinical Psychologist & Gestalt Psychotherapist – Paths Clinic delivered a workshop entitled Creating mentally healthy workplaces: Dealing with mental health issues and striving for work-life balance.  Lutfur Ali Chartered FCIPD, Senior Policy Advisor – CIPD delivered a workshop entitled The GIG Economy: Opportunities and Challenges for People Professionals.

FHRD would like to thank conference partners APS Bank plc, GO plc, Hilton Malta, MAPFRE MSV Life, PWC Malta, Shireburn, Studio Seven, Teambuilding Malta, Times of Malta, and VC (VacancyCentre) for their commitment. Thanks also goes to the 27 exhibitors who displayed some of the latest HR products and services on the market in the Expo Lounge.