Have you ever been on a virtual boat listening to Meta’s research director?
Did you ever have an opportunity to learn how Yale University implements its HRIS?
Do you happen to know what Mindvalley leaders are implementing to stay connected?
Those questions, and many more, were answered the last week of November on a cutting-edge virtual platform for all of 10k HR Week’s participants.
We have gathered HR professionals from over 62 countries and what is even more remarkable is that over 50% of attendees hold senior positions in their companies. That comes as no surprise since the agenda was stacked with over 150 speakers, which generated over 2300 minutes of content!
Our virtual stage was home to leadership experts from SAP Success Factors, along with LinkedIn top managers, Former Senior Director of Engineering at Google, as well as many high executives from NIS, Nestle, sa.global, Deloitte, and many more.
On top of having thought leaders from established companies, we provided a safe space for entrepreneurs, visionaries, and pioneers to discuss sensitive issues, taboo topics, and new waves of innovation.
In addition to the conference itself, the event included an Expo with 39 vendors showcasing their offerings across 139 booths in 6 zones. Through the 5 days of the event, HR Expo generated more than 200k clicks, and its popularity will only rise since this year it will remain open for 6 more months!
Another first at this year’s conference was the HR Tech startup stage. The competition hosted 7 startups whose pitches were judged by established industry experts. In the end, ZenHire won the coveted prize – 20K EUR in promotional activities for 2025!
During the 100 sessions of this conference, we focused on several key themes that are shaping the future of HR. These include the intersection of technology and human touch, the future of the workforce, and innovative ways to integrate technology into our daily work while keeping people at the center of it all.
The most talked about theme this HR Week was the line between artificial intelligence and human touch. Through various case studies, fireside chats, and keynote speeches, we got a chance to see a glimpse of what kind of future awaits us but also learned how to be mindful of what we want to bring in from the past.
The consensus remains that even though AI brings incredible breakthroughs and should be leveraged to its full potential, the importance of human touch should not be underestimated. The perfect balance between the two is the key to scalable growth, solid employee experience, and profit increase.
A big portion of the conference was dedicated to the know-how. Just because AI is all around us, it does not necessarily mean we know how to use it. Most tend to focus on the measurable and visible impacts of implementing AI to their processes, but there are still a lot of smaller but meaningful tasks that can be done by robots, instead of people. Before implementing AI to company processes, we should first consider implementing it to streamline our own – from contact import to note-taking, from reminders to meeting minutes – applications are many, as is room for growth.
On the other side of the coin are the people. The ones who do not want an AI to asses them, to judge them, to extend an offer. As we dive deeper into technologies that aid us, the need for connection is stronger than ever. Common themes heard throughout the conference resonated with the need for authenticity, direct communication, flexibility, in-person gatherings, and space for banter and laughter. No one minds that AI sums the data and gives predictions, but when they face an issue, they want a human to resolve it.
What mattered to a lot of participants was discussing the future of work. A big part of the conversation revolved around remote and hybrid work. Even though the pandemic is long gone, the need for flexibility that it offers is not. Across the globe, companies are establishing new procedures, rules, and structures that allow them to maintain both productivity and engagement with teams that are scattered across the globe. When to work, where to work fro,m and what to do is a decision best left in the hands of employees, for the benefit of all.
Through these sessions, we’ve provided a deep dive into the daily challenges HR professionals face across various areas of expertise. But more than that, we’ve shed light on the profession’s future and the opportunities within each challenge. As the HR industry continues to evolve, these discussions offer valuable insights into how innovation can drive success while maintaining the human element in all that we do. This year, Europe’s biggest virtual HR conference was a playground for the opportunity, choice, and for connection.
If you’re eager to stay at the forefront of HR innovations, mark your calendars for November 17th–21st, 2025, and join us for HR Week 2025: New Horizons!
