Insights from the People Summit 2024



Today, 84% of the organisations are defining a vision for how technology contributes to the overall employee experience. That was the focus of the People Summit 2024, hosted by SAP and the Top Employers Institute, which took place on June 12, 2024, at the SAP Labs Campus in Bengaluru, Whitfield in India. 

And we’re delighted to share some of the resources shared during the People Summit: 

World of Work Trends 2024 

Top Employers Institute’s World of Work Trends 2024 analyses the latest trends in people strategies and practices from leading organisations globally. In the report, our analysis showed five significant trends affecting workplaces in 2024. Those trends are:   

• Empower through AI   

• The Future Defined with Purpose   

• Dialogue for Transformation   

• Evolution of Wellbeing Effectiveness   

• Broaden the Horizon of DEI   

These trends were unpacked by Adrian Seligman, Executive Board Member at the Top Employers Institue. You can download the report here, and watch Adrian’s Keynote here:  

• World of Work Trends Report 2024 
• Watch Now – Keynote: World of Work Trends 2024 by Adrian Seligman  

Future of Work – Trend Report 2024 

Throughout the People Summit, insights were shared by SAP which also featured many insights from the research they’re doing into the future of work. SAP have identified future of work trends three strategic dimensions.  You can access an array of resources shared by SAP during the conference here:  

• Keynote by Shweta Mohanty: Elevate. Innovate. Empower 

• SAP Future of Work Trend Report 2024 

• SAP Future of Work – Global Academic Research: Flex Scrum – Hybrid Work and its Impact on Agile Software Engineering 

• Future of Work – powered by SAP Booklet 

• SAP Flex Team Workshop – This Design Thinking inspired workshop helps teams successfully navigate a hybrid work model  

• Meeting Workout Game – A game to improve the meeting experience 

• SAP SuccessFactors: Growth and Insights HR Research Library 

• Who is Who in Future of Work – Recommended Future of Work influencers 

• SAP Future of Work Community – Follow us! 

Future-Proofing HR: Trends and Transformations in India  

The People Summit also featured a wonderful panel discussion on future-proofing HR and discussing trends and transformations in the Indian Landscape. On the panel was Kavita Kurup, Global Head HR and Corporate Communications at UST, Shilpy Sharma, Regional HR Head at Empower, Kiran Sn, Vice President – HR, HCLTech, Shweta Mohanty, Head of Human Resources: India at SAP and Billy Elliott, Regional Director Asia-Pacific, Top Employers Institute.  

They addressed the integration of technology, the distinction and enhancement of employee experience vs. engagement, the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusivity (DE&I), and strategies for skills development and talent management. 

Key points included: 

• Technological Integration: Shilpy Sharma highlighted the evolving role of technology in HR, emphasizing advancements that boost organizational efficiency while considering potential drawbacks like job displacement and privacy concerns. 

• Employee Experience vs. Engagement: Kavita Kurup differentiated between the two concepts, sharing successful UST initiatives to enhance both through personalized approaches and flexible work arrangements. 

• Skills Development and Talent Management: Kiran SN discussed HCLTech’s approach to upskilling and reskilling, aligning talent initiatives with strategic goals, and addressing challenges like budget and time constraints. 

• Diversity, Equity & Inclusivity: Shweta Mohanty shared effective strategies and impactful programs at SAP to promote DE&I, acknowledging challenges like unconscious bias and tokenism. 

To view the complete panel discussion, please visit: Panel discussion – Future-Proofing HR: Trends and Transformations in India

3 Employee Insights Your Organisation Needs to Succeed

Despite their industry and offerings, organisations rely on their people more than anything else. That is why it is important for organisations to understand their employees as much as they understand their clients .

In this blog post we are exploring everything from what employee insights are to the three employee insights  organisations need to prioritise.

What are employee insights?

Employee insights  are valuable information and understanding from analysing people’s behaviour, attitude, and organisational feedback. They form the foundation upon which people strategies are built. As can serve as a starting point for information and a way for teams to monitor the success of their strategies.

Employee insights encompass aspects such as employee motivations, job satisfaction, work-life balance, professional development needs, and perceptions of the workplace culture. By systematically gathering and interpreting data through surveys, performance reviews, feedback sessions, and other tools, HR teams can use this data to comprehensively understand what drives their people.

How employee insights benefit and support organisations

Employee insights have a number of benefits for organisations, especially when it comes to learning what drives employee satisfaction. Some of those benefits include:

• • Enhanced employee engagement: when employees feel positive engagement it is reflected in the quality of their work as it becomes more than just a job for them. They show a level of dedication that means they are more likely to take pride in their work and that means that organisations can rely on them to go the extra mile for business success.
  • Improved retention of employees:recruiting and training new people is expensive and time-consuming and expensive. By retaining existing employees, organisations can save on recruitment costs, training programs, and the loss of productivity associated with new hires.
  • An improved work culture and environment to support employees:a positive work culture and supportive environment are essential for fostering employee well-being and productivity. When employees fee valued, respected and supported at work they are more likely to feel satisfied at work, and satisfied people are more likely to stay with the organisation and perform at their best.
  • Enable organisations to make more informed decisions:organisations that can make data-driven decision-making will find that it is crucial for strategic planning and operational efficiency. This alignment leads to better outcomes and a more motivated workforce.
  • Reduced costs: high turnover of employees can lead to hidden costs such as lost productivity, lower employee morale, and decreased customer satisfaction. By improving retention, organisations avoid these costs.

 3 employee insights your organisation needs to know

Now that it is clearer about the benefits of identifying employee insights, we are going to go deeper into the ones your organisation needs to identify:

• How are the employee motivations within your organisation:Knowing what motivates your employees is key to fostering a productive and engaged workforce. While compensation is important, intrinsic motivators such as recognition, meaningful work, career growth opportunities, and a positive workplace culture often significantly impact long-term engagement. HR teams that can identify what motivates their people will be better able to align these needs with organisational goals, creating a work environment that supports the organisation while ensuring that employees are supported.
• How employees feel about their sense of belonging within the organisation:A sense of belonging is essential for a positive employee experience. Employees who feel included and part of the organisation are more likely to be engaged and committed. Organisations that have data and insights on these feelings will be able to make decisions to better engage their people and support them so that they are more engaged at work.
• How employees feel about their personal and professional growth opportunities at work:People want to feel that their careers are progressing and that their company supports their growth. Organisations also want to invest in the people they have rather than continually looking for new employees to fill their gaps. That is why investing in professional development through training programs, workshops, and continuous learning opportunities benefits employees and the organisation. HR teams prioritising getting data and insights into this area of their employees’ lives will feel more equipped to support their people while also boosting their loyalty and commitment to the organisation.

5 ways to gain employee insights

Employee insights can be gained through a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods designed to gather comprehensive data on employees’ overall experiences, attitudes, and behaviours. Some of the methods that organisations can use to gain these insights include:

• Regular surveys and questionnaires:frequent use of surveys and questionnaire, can be an effective way for organisations to get a general picture of how employees are feeling at work. These can be annual engagement surveys, pulse surveys, or targeted questionnaires focusing on specific areas such as job satisfaction, work-life balance, and career development. These tools can also be effectively implemented using digital tools that will allow data to be analysed and trends to be easily identified.
• Regular one-on-one meetings and check-ins:regular perfomarmance reviews, like stay inteviews, provide valuable insights into employee performance, strengths, and areas for development. These discussions also offer an opportunity for employees to share their career aspirations, challenges, and feedback on their roles and the organisation. When using this method to gain employee insights, attention must be paid to creating a psychologically safe environment for employees to share their feelings.
• Exit interviews:Exit interviews with departing employees can reveal critical insights into why employees leave and what could have been done to retain them. This feedback helps identify systemic issues, areas for improvement, and opportunities to enhance the employee experience for current and future staff.
• Anonymous feedback channels:Providing anonymous ways to give feedback, like suggestion boxes or confidential online platforms, encourages employees to share honest opinions without fear of retaliation. This can surface issues that employees might be reluctant to discuss openly.
• HR Analytics:HR departments can leverage data analytics  to track and analyse various metrics such as turnover rates, absenteeism, performance metrics, and employee engagement scores. Advanced analytics tools can uncover patterns and trends, providing actionable insights for strategic decision-making.

Organisations that use a combination of these methods can gain a holistic understanding of their employees’ experiences, needs, and concerns. This can enable them to have a comprehensive approach to gathering employee insights.

Employee insights: final thoughts on their value 

Employee insights are essential for building a resilient and high-performing organisation in a competitive business landscape. It is critical that HR teams prioritise understanding and leveraging these insights to drive organisational success.

The Top Employers Certification Programme recognises excellent people practices to help organisations grow as an employer of choice. These excellent people practices are often improved by identifying important employee insights to know where to make impactful changes.

Learn more about joining the Programme and how it can help you make  data-driven decisions: get in touch today, become employer of choice!

How Generative AI is Impacting Personalised Learning and Development

How HR Teams are Embracing Technology to Change their Approach to Career Development and Learning Programmes 

Over the past few years, Human Resources professionals have begun to embrace several technological tools to assist in both short and long-term objectives at work. While Artificial Intelligence (AI) has yet to be integrated into many HR plans, this has been the year for HR professionals to learn more about generative AI’s capabilities and the effects it could have in the near future.

As seen already at the end of 2023, the integration of generative artificial intelligence could begin to reshape HR learning programmes by offering a dynamic and personalised approach to employee development.

In this article, we will be looking at what effects AI may have on HR, with a particular focus on how it may affect learning and development programmes.

Additionally, we will explore the potential benefits and challenges for HR professionals seeking to create a future-ready workforce.

What is Generative AI?

Generative AI is a subset of artificial intelligence that, unlike other AI systems, can autonomously create content, including texts, audio, code, images, text, simulations, and video.

In Human Resources, generative AI revolutionises processes by offering personalised solutions, streamlining tasks, and enhancing the overall employee experience. We explored some ways that AI is changing HR in a previous article that you can read now for more general context on the new relationship between AI and HR.

Personalised Learning and Development in 2024

In the annual World of Work Trends Report 2024, one of the significant trends we identified was that there would be a shift in how HR professionals understood learning and career development programmes. That change would be a move towards a more personalised approach that would give employees more of an active and empowered role in advancing their careers, often through the use of digital and personal resources so that they can develop the competencies and skills needed for the future.

To make the employee experience of attaining new skills more individualised, many organisations are developing easily accessible and on-demand micro-learning tools to allow employees the opportunity to learn ‘just in time’ when needed while it can also be integrated into their other everyday tasks. 

Generative AI could empower HR learning programs to move closer to the personalised learning approaches we noted in the World of Work Trends Report.

This tailored approach ensures that employees receive the most relevant and effective training, enhancing their skill development and overall job performance.

How Generative AI Tools Could Impact Learning and Development Programmes

• Improving Personalised Learning Paths: AI in talent acquistion can be impressively useful,Generative AI algorithms can analyse individual employee in insights, including learning preferences, strengths, and areas for improvement, to generate personalised learning paths. That work empowers HR learning programmes to move beyond one-size-fits-all approaches and move closer to the more individual training programmes that HR leaders hope to get.

• AI-Powered Virtual Mentors and Coaches: Generative AI is already giving rise to virtual mentors and coaches that could provide real-time guidance and support to employees. These AI-driven mentors can answer questions, offer insights, and provide personalised feedback, creating a virtual learning environment that complements traditional mentoring programs. This approach ensures that employees have access to guidance whenever needed, fostering a culture of continuous improvement.

• Improving Adaptive Learning Modules: Traditional training modules often follow a fixed structure, regardless of an individual employee’s learning speed and style. Generative AI can introduce adaptive learning modules that evolve based on an employee’s progress. By continuously assessing a learner’s comprehension and adjusting the difficulty level accordingly, HR professionals can optimise the learning experience and improve knowledge retention.

• Gamification for Enhanced Engagement: Gamification has proven an effective strategy for boosting employees’ engagement in learning programs. Generative AI can take gamification to the next level by creating personalised game scenarios based on individual employee profiles. By integrating elements of competition, rewards, and social interaction, AI-driven gamification makes learning more enjoyable and motivates employees to participate actively in their development. 

Challenges with Implementing Generative AI in Learning and Development Programmes

Generative AI in HR learning programs holds immense promise, but HR professionals must navigate potential challenges and ethical considerations. These include:

• Ensuring data privacy.
• Addressing algorithmic biases in learning recommendations.
• Employee trust and adoption.
• And maintaining a balance between automation and the human touch in the learning experience. 

Ensuring Data Privacy 

One of the most challenging aspects of implementing generative AI tools into an organisation’s strategy is the aspect of data privacy, especially as organisations are still relatively early in their adoption of AI tools.

As AI programmes rely heavily on collecting and analysing vast amounts of employee data to personalise learning experiences, HR professionals must establish robust data protection measures. HR leaders should ensure that they comply with data protection regulations by obtaining informed consent and adopting encryption protocols. These are essential steps to mitigate the risk of unauthorised access or misuse of sensitive employee and organisation information. 

Mitigating Algorithmic Biases 

It should be common knowledge that generative AI systems are not entirely unbiased. In fact, they are only as unbiased as the data they are trained on. HR professionals need to be vigilant about potential algorithmic biases in learning recommendations.

If the training data used to develop AI models contains biases, the algorithms may perpetuate or even exacerbate existing inequalities. Regular audits of algorithms, diverse and representative training datasets, and continuous monitoring for bias are crucial to ensure fair and equitable learning opportunities for all employees. 

Employee Trust and Adoption 

Introducing generative AI into HR learning programs may raise employee concerns about job security, privacy, or the perceived objectivity of AI-driven decisions. HR professionals must proactively address these concerns through transparent communication and educational initiatives.

Building trust in AI technologies requires demonstrating their value, emphasising their role as tools for empowerment rather than surveillance, and involving employees in the process to alleviate apprehensions and foster a positive reception. 

Balancing Automation and Human Interaction 

While the automation capabilities of generative AI can significantly enhance the efficiency of HR learning programs, it is imperative to strike a balance with human interaction. Employees still value the human touch in learning experiences, and specific aspects of development, such as mentorship and interpersonal skills, may be better served through direct human engagement.

HR teams should carefully design AI-driven learning initiatives to complement, rather than replace, the essential human element in the learning journey.

Final Thoughts: Became an employer of choice to embrace HR AI trends before your competition

Generative AI in HR represents a significant leap forward in redefining the employee experience. Organisations can harness AI’s power to streamline processes, enhance employee engagement, and contribute to their overall success.

They must do this by being aware of the ethical practices and staying attuned to the evolving landscape.

Organisations can begin to navigate this transformative journey in the hopes of creating and maintaining workplaces that thrive in the digital age. By joining Top Employers Instite you will access a library of HR AI best practise and anticipate all its trends. Get in touch for free today, become an employer of choice!

Helvetia Case Study: The Impact of Internal Best Practices Sharing



Certified Top Employer Helvetia Insurance, established in 1858, is headquartered in St. Gallen Switzerland. As an organisation they currently have over 11.500 employees and more than 7 million customers across their different operating countries.

Helvetia have prioritised improving their people practices over the past few years as they joined the Top Employers programme. In recent years they have wanted to improve their practices not only through benchmarking but also through learning from the various Helvetia branches. This desire for improvement and learning lead them to create an internal best practice sharing session.

Download the Case Study to learn how:

• Helvetia have been able to create a unified best practice sharing session that has improved HR practices across their offices.
• They use the Top Employers programme to guide the improvement of their HR practices.
• Employees in Helvetia have experienced the internal best practices sharing sessions.

UniCredit Bulbank’s ESG Learning Journey



Certified Top Employer UniCredit Bulbank is the leading bank in Bulgaria and a member of UniCredit, a successful pan-European commercial bank operating in Italy, Germany, Central and Eastern Europe. It has a unique service offering and its purpose is to empower communities to progress, delivering best-in-class for all stakeholder, unlocking the potential of clients and people.

UniCredit puts integrity, ownership and caring at the heart of its decision-making in everything it does, and digitalisation and a commitment to ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) principles are key enablers for delivering this. Their commitment to their ESG values and the ambitious energy goals that have been set in the EU for 2030 and 2050 is what started their award winning ESG Learning Journey in 2021.

For UniCredit Bulbank, ESG is not the responsibility of one department, team or individual, but everyone’s duty.

Download the Case Study to learn how:

• UniCredit Bulbank Bulgaria used a pyramid approach to restructure their ESG principles.
• They created an integrated group and local learning offer for ESG that had targeted initiatives for different groups of employees across the organisation that addressed specific needs and accountabilities for them.
• UniCredit Bulbank Bulgaria created ESGpresso, an ESG education platform, for colleagues to have easy access to information about their policies.

Download the case study now.