More than 1,000 HR and L&D practitioners gathered at the professional body’s Annual Conference and Exhibition in Manchester this morning to hear Peter Cheese, chief executive of the CIPD, discuss the future of HR.

Due economic growth and continued change and uncertainty, organisations were being challenged to innovate and adapt because of skills shortfalls, people risk, corporate behaviours and culture causes of increasing concern. As a result, the need for professional HR and L&D capabilities have never been in greater demand.

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Cheese said: “We know that there’s no one size fits all model for great HR, and we need to adapt our HR practices to the context and needs of our workforces and organisations” says Cheese. “But what guides our actions and decisions?

“Any business is about judgments and priorities that drive decisions and actions, but these need to be framed through principles and values that drive good, ethical and sustainable business more clearly.

“These principles should provide the framework for HR to support the judgments and often the compromises that we are so often called on to make. Furthermore, we need to challenge ourselves in examining our processes, policies, and practices as the world of work evolves. We must look at the purpose and outcomes of what we do more critically, and understand what fundamental principles and base of knowledge make those practices effective.

“Ultimately, we need a new definition of what it means to be an HR professional, with a greater focus on clarity of professional capability and purpose, and a strengthened ability to provide trusted and credible advice to businesses, whatever the circumstances.” 

The theme for this year’s event is ‘Future Focused HR’ and the CIPD’s ambitions for the future of the HR and L&D profession will be firmly in the spotlight.

Cheese also highlighted the huge opportunity for CIPD members to help organisations respond to the changing world of work in ways that create value for businesses, individuals, economies and society.