Conference Day Two

PANEL DISCUSSION:
Unlocking Talent In A Multicultural Workforce: Training And Learning Initiatives To Unleash The Potential Of Culturally And Linguistically Diverse Employees

• One size does not fit all: The cost and consequences of blanket training and development initiatives
• What is the best way to overcome the challenges brought about by diversity in language, prior knowledge and interpretations?
• The magical mix: Accepting differences and making them complement each other

Joy Xu, VP Talent Management MENA, PepsiCo, UAE
Karen Thorburn, Regional Director Of Training, MEA, Kempinski Hotels, UAE
Akif A. Tashkandi, Head Of Talent Management, Nestlé Middle East, UAE
Abdulrahmen Alrefaie, HR Director, Azizia Panda United, KSA

PANEL DISCUSSION:
The Challenge Of Reconciling Nationalisation Targets With Business Strategy And Goals

• How to source and attract nationals with the necessary skills and competencies to drive growth
• Fast-tracking nationals: Does it benefit the organisation in the long run and is it sustainable?
• Exploring other, more profitable and sustainable alternatives for meeting nationalisation targets
• How to make sure that investment for national development is ideally utilised

Dr. Muhammad Farhan Sher, HR Director, Saudi German Hospital, KSA
Ergham El Bachir, HR Director, Waha Capital, UAE
Cheryl J. Thornton, Head Of People And Capability, ADAC (Abu Dhabi Airports Company), UAE

Overcoming The Challenges Of Attracting And Retaining National Employees To Achieve Nationalisation Targets

• Meeting salary and rewards expectations: How to compete with the public sector
• Has unemployment become a favourable option? Competing with high employment benefits
• Developing an engaging reward and recognition mix: Leveraging career development as a reward to build engagement and retention

Abdulrahman Alrefaie, HR Director, Azizia Panda United, KSA

INTERNATIONAL KEYNOTE:
Integrating Leadership Frameworks Into Talent Management Strategy And Why This Is Important To The Overall Business Strategy

• Identifying core competencies and critical roles and their importance to the overall business strategy
• Aligning leadership and development frameworks to improve effectiveness
• Developing and implementing leadership programmes to high potential and critical employees to ensure they are empowered to execute and lead business strategy

John McGurk, Advisor – Learning & Development, CIPD, UK

Effective Succession Planning For Senior Management: Ensuring Business Continuity And Supporting Organisational Growth

• Is succession planning critical to ensuring engagement and retention of senior management?
• How is succession planning critical to business continuity and business strategy?\
• Aligning succession planning to people strategy and business strategy
• Avoiding the glass ceiling for senior managers: Creating new positions and redefining hierarchies
• Horizontal movement: Can this be an attractive alternative career path for managers?

PANEL DISCUSSION:
Golden Escalators, Customary Promotions And Upward Mobility: What Do They Mean And Do They Contribute To The Organisation’s Business Strategy

• Are Golden Escalators and customary promotions the key to building engagement?
• Promotions redefined: Is it more than just a raise? Taking into account the core competencies and skills required to make the change
• Ensuring that promotions are aligned with business strategy and support business goals

Moving From A Training Culture Towards A Learning Culture And Empowering Employees To Take Ownership Of Their Own Development

• Is it more effective in the long run in facilitating holistic development and transfer of skills?
• Learning vs Training: The pros and cons to the business and holistic employee development
• Innovative training tools: Are they more effective than traditional classroom and on-the-job training in maximising transfer of skills?
• Focus on non-technical training methods: Will the introduction of leisure and physical activity boost learning and retention?
• Creating a work environment that supports continuous learning and development
• Empowering employees to take ownership and responsibility of their own development and learning

Mumtaz Hussain, Senior Director, Learning & Development, Du, UAE

ROUNDTABLE:
Redefining Training: Improving Transfer Of Skills And Raising ROI On Training And Employee Engagement

• Redefining the design and implementation of training and curriculum that target gaps in core competencies and skills
• Incorporating a suitable mix of content and practice to maximise skills and knowledge transfer
• Developing and implementing individual training plans
• Utilising technology to increase accessibility of training and lowers costs: Incorporating video conferencing , online learning and mobile learninge

Mumtaz Hussain, Senior Director, Learning & Development, Du, UAE
Fares Zeidan, Nokia Academy Manager, MEA, Nokia, UAE
Fatima Karriem, Senior Director, Training & Education, Cleveland Clinic, UAE
Ramnath Venkatraman, Head of Business Learning, Noor Islamic Bank, UAE

PANEL DISCUSSION:
Rewards And Recognition: The Key To Increasing Employee Engagement And Retention

• Developing an attractive reward mix: Leveraging non-monetary benefits, individual employee goals, expectations and recognition
• Do environmental factors matter? Can lighting, temperature, hygiene and other comfort factors influence employee engagement?
• Are structured training and career development plans attractive rewards?

Fatima Karriem, Senior Director, Training & Education, Cleveland Clinic, UAE
Fares Zeidan, Nokia Academy Manager, MEA, Nokia, UAE

EMPLOYERS EXCHANGE:
Tips, Tools And Tactics To Boost Employee Morale And Motivation
As employees move through the employee lifecycle there is an inevitable dip in motivation and morale. This in turn influences engagement and retention which affects the bottom line. Maintaining high levels of employee motivation and morale is one of the biggest challenges that organisations face. This forum will explore different strategies and solutions that HR professionals can implement to boost motivation and morale in the workplace.

• The Employee Lifecycle: Changing expectations, drivers and goals
• Work Environment: Does ventilation, seating area, noise, lighting make a difference to morale and is it worth investing in?
• Job role – A platform for self-actualisation?

Dana Al Hafeed, Regional Talent & MARS University Director, MARS, UAE
Marta Shapiyev, HR Director, The Fairmont Bab Al Bahr, UAE