Future of Work Canada 2025

• How can CHROs lead authentically and inspire their organization with a clear vision and purpose? 

• Building trust through transparent and empathetic communication. 

• How are CHRO’s driving change and fostering a thriving workplace culture? 

• What are their priorities when it comes to shaping the future of their workplaces? 

As the four-day workweek gains momentum, is it mutually beneficial for employers and employees? 

In this discussion, we will look at the pros and cons of transitioning to a shorter work week and talk through the operational challenges this poses. Is it suitable for all organizations or is the traditional five-day week here to stay?

•    Benefit Plan Sustainability: Your benefit and retirement plan costs continue to rise with no sign of abating. Learn strategies to help you sustain programs for changing workforce needs in a challenging economy.
•    Integrated Well-being: Your employees demand more from their benefit and retirement plans. Learn how to support employee well-being through an integrated approach to physical, mental and financial health.
•    Shifting workplace dynamics: Demographic and cultural changes will continue to transform workplaces. Find out what the latest trends mean for your workforce and how to align your benefit and retirement plans.
•    Analytics & Innovation: As the workplace evolves, so do tools and resources. Learn how you can enhance your benefit plan with data insights to deliver quality employee experiences for your diverse workforce.
•    Governance: The rules and guidelines for benefit and retirement plan governance continue to change. Get the latest information on how to stay compliant.

A quick ice-breaker session you can get to know your fellow attendees.

A quick ice-breaker session you can get to know your fellow attendees.

A quick ice-breaker session you can get to know your fellow attendees.

Success in business starts with relationships, and in today’s unpredictable landscape collaboration is your competitive edge. In this empowering, forward-looking talk, Shane Feldman goes beyond the hype and speculation to reveal a fundamental truth — in this new world of work, community and relationships are what will set you apart.

Having researched community leadership and human behaviour across 100 cities spanning 6 continents, Feldman brings audiences on a journey around the world, sharing lessons and frameworks from different cultures. He decodes how to empower human connection, future-proof any organization, and optimize people, planet, and profit through real-world examples and clear strategies that can be applied right away. Audiences are left re-focused, re-connected, and ready to elevate their impact.

Perdita Felicien spent 10 years as a professional athlete, competing for Canada in the 100m hurdles. During that time, she won numerous international distinctions, including becoming a two-time World Champion, two-time Olympian, and being named Canadian Female Athlete of the Year in 2003.

It’s almost ironic that Perdita turned out to be a world class hurdler, because that is exactly what her mother, an immigrant from St. Lucia, had to do to change the trajectory of her daughter’s life to something extraordinary – she had to overcome hurdles.

In this deeply personal talk, Perdita shares the memories from her tumultuous childhood, along with the startling revelations she makes about her own origins and how they fuelled her success on the track.

This talk is told with raw honesty and humour. It is for anyone who has ever had their life shaped by another, or faced an obstacle. It inspires others to take their own experiences and use them to go through life as a more resilient person.

• What recruitment challenges are organisations facing in today’s labour market? 
• Building and promoting an employer brand that attracts top talent. 
• Improving the candidate experience and leveraging technology to improve efficiency. 
• Developing resilient workforce pipelines and discovering fresh talent sources.
• What talent is being left out of the pipeline and why?

• Exploring the key traits, values, and expectations of different generations. What are their differences, their similarities, and how can you use this knowledge when crafting a learning program?
• Strategies for creating engaging and effective L&D initiatives tailored to your employee’s needs and preferences.
• What techniques can be used to promote understanding and collaboration between all generations in the workplace?
• How to best use the latest digital tools and platforms to enhance learning experiences.
• How you can use Gen-Z’s affinity for digital learning to support and upskill workers from other generations. 

• Strategies for building a positive, inclusive, workplace culture that’s built on respect, transparency and trust. 
• The role of leaders in inspiring and guiding teams, what qualities must good leaders have? 
• Ensuring psychological safety, how can you create an environment that encourages innovation and creativity and reduces the fear of failure? 
• Developing open communication channels and understanding engagement drivers.
• Building synergies among the different generations in the workplace.

• Understanding the strategic value of developing leaders at all levels within the organization.
• What techniques can be used for recognizing and assessing leadership potential among employees?
• How to effectively design Leadership programs. What are the key elements of successful leadership development programs? 
• How to integrate classic leadership theories with contemporary practices such as coaching, mentoring, and digital learning.

• Why prioritizing DE&I in your L&D program will help lead you to overall success.
• How to develop culturally competent training materials. What guidelines should be put in place to ensure diverse perspectives and cultural sensitivity are included in learning content? 
• What strategies can be used to identify and remove any barriers that prevent equitable access to training and development? 
• What tools and metrics are most effective to assess the success of DE&I efforts within L&D programs? 

• How can Talent leaders create a robust employee engagement strategy that not only retains employees but also fosters a high-performing, motivated, and satisfied workforce? 
• What resonates with employees? How to respond back on employee surveys and feedback.
• What key metrics should you be measuring and benchmarking against? 
• The role of AI and data analytics for a better understanding of employee behaviour and to predict engagement trends.

• How can HR stay on top of technology advances so they can effectively lead their organizations through digital transformation? 

• How can technology unlock productivity and enhance the employee experience? 

• The role of tech enabling cross-team collaboration and connecting employees wherever they work.  

• Enabling data-driven decisions through technology and integrated systems that provide a holistic view of the workforce. 

• Developing leaders who can manage and lead across different cultures and geographical boundaries.  
• Equipping leaders with the skills to manage and drive change within the organization, especially in times of rapid technological and market shifts. 
• Short-term versus long-term: creating leadership development programs that serve both current and future-business needs.
• The importance of personalized Leadership Development Plans based on individual strengths and career aspirations. 

• How can talent leaders navigate talent shortages and find and retain skilled employees in a highly competitive market? 
• How can leaders ensure their workforce stays up to date with rapid technological changes? 
• What steps can leaders take to achieve a diverse and inclusive workforce? 
• How can leaders maintain high levels of employee engagement and provide continuous development opportunities? 

• How to utilize tech to complement traditional learning methods already in place.
• How to highlight and tackle challenges that may arise when integrating tech into L&D, like user adoption, support and data privacy.
• What tech is currently trending and how can it be adopted within the L&D space? Learn what tech is worth the investment.
• How can tech be used to create a more personalized and impactful learning experience?

• Reframing DEI as the foundation of company culture and not just a set of rules and headcounts.  
• Beyond DEI initiatives, how can organizations truly embed DEI into their practices and processes? 
• Why do workplaces need a holistic, collective, and long-term approach to DEI? 
• How can organizations be intentional in creating an inclusive environment where all employees feel valued, respected, and empowered to contribute their best? 
• Dealing with DEI backlash, from internal resistance to reverse discrimination lawsuits.

• How can talent leaders create a comprehensive and attractive benefits package that meets the needs of their workforce? 
• What are the trends emerging with employee benefits and reward packages? How do you ensure that yours are competitive? 
• How can you measure the ROI of total rewards to prove to the C-Suite that the investment is worth the buy-in? 
• Using technology to automate benefits administration and simplify the user experience. 
• One size does not fit all. Tailoring benefits and rewards for different generations and demographics and communicating that in the interview process. 

• What key learning trends are we seeing in L&D and how will this impact existing program structures?
• Identifying the critical skills and competencies needed for the future and understanding how as L&D professionals we can enhance them.
• How as an L&D leader can you ensure you meet your strategic responsibilities and align with the business’s overall objectives?
• What tests and scaling solutions can you use to drive impact, while being flexible and sensitive to how your business is changing?
• How can you bring vision and focus to your team to foster a culture of continuous learning and help them evolve from a tactical role to strategic advisors for business stakeholders?

• Going beyond perks and benefits and building a culture where employees feel valued, engaged, and motivated. 

• Empowering employees to make changes to improve their work experience directly. 

• What operational aspects can you improve to enhance employee experience? 

• Understanding the unique needs and experiences of various employee groups and crafting motivating and engaging employee experiences. 

• Creating a workplace that is fulfilling and enjoyable. 

More details to come...

More details coming soon..

• How can talent leaders positively impact the long-term performance of their organizations through a strategic workforce strategy?  
• How can you ensure that the talent investments you are making are the right ones?  
• Seeking buy-in from the decision-makers.
• Forecast talent requirements based on technology changes and market dynamics. 

• Balancing Resource Constraints: Addressing the unique challenges NGOs face with limited budgets and reliance on external funding.
• Sustainability in Learning Programs: Strategies for creating scalable and sustainable programs that remain impactful despite financial uncertainties.
• Technology Adoption in Resource-Limited Settings: Exploring low-tech or no-tech learning solutions to reach diverse and often remote audiences.
• Collaborative Solutions: Leveraging partnerships, shared resources, and peer learning to maximize reach and effectiveness.

• Understanding new career paths, moving from linear to non-linear trajectories.
• Creating flexible career paths that allow employees to explore different functions and departments within the organization. 
• How can you shift the focus from years of experience to skills and competencies? 
• Using technology and data analytics to provide a customized career development plan.

The 2024 Work Trend Index reveals that AI adoption in the workplace has surged, with 75% of global knowledge workers now using AI tools. This shift is reshaping job roles and creating a talent shortage, making AI skills a critical asset for future hires and career advancement.

Join us to walk through the findings and get insights on how to take actionable next steps to lead your employees through this transformation.  
 

 

•    Enabling collaboration, both in-person and digitally, so employees can contribute effectively no matter where they work. When should collaboration be in person vs online?
•    Connecting employees to the organization's purpose to drive engagement
•    How can you enhance communication and transparency?
•    Generating authentic remote connections and capturing those all-important ‘water-cooler’ moments.

• What are the key elements in designing effective coaching and mentoring programs?
• How do you select coaches and mentors? What qualities do you look for when matching coaches and mentors with employees?
• How can you overcome resistance or lack of participation from employees in coaching or mentoring?
• How are current learning technologies influencing the way coaching and mentoring programs are delivered? How do you think this will evolve/change in the future?
• What are some best practices that can be used to ensure the effectiveness of coaching and mentoring programs in enhancing your L&D initiative?

With so much political unrest and religious conflict in the world, the importance of knowing how to deal with workplace disputes has never been so important. 

• As leaders, how can HR equip themselves to deal with any workplace conflict in a fair and sensitive manner?  
• What practical steps can you put in place to deal with any conflicts? 
• How can you create safe spaces, an inclusive culture, and strengthen relationships for a positive workplace environment? 

•    Successfully aligning HR strategies with the company’s vision, mission, and strategic priorities.
•    How can you tailor change initiatives to fit diverse cultural differences across global teams as well as adhering to legal implications in different regions?
•    How can you build trust and engagement from employees, so they are more open to change, how do you deal with change resistance or fatigue?
•    Ensuring that changes contribute to the long-term success and stability of the organization.

• How L&D can support change initiatives by developing relevant skills and fostering a culture of adaptability. 
• Why is it important to curate change-ready learning programs? Learn strategies for creating training programs that prepare employees for change, including resilience training, communication skills, and problem-solving.
• What techniques can be used for maintaining employee engagement and morale throughout the change process?
• How to measure the impact of change management training. What tools and metrics can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of L&D interventions in change management?

This enlightening talk will be an exploration into the fundamentals of AI design and deployment. Gain strategic insights on how to get started on your Ai journey, integrating AI into HR practices and delve into the critical measures for ethical adoption, ensuring transparency, and maintaining a human-centric approach—all pivotal for advancing HR’s role in the organization’s AI evolution.
 
Key Learnings and Outcomes:
•    Introduction to GenAI in HR:
o    Basics of Generative AI and its relevance to HR.
o    How Manulife started its GenAI journey.
•    Driving Change and Innovation:
o    HR's role in leading GenAI-driven transformation at Manulife.
o    Build, buy, boost considerations 
•    Developing a GenAI Learning Strategy:
o    Framework for upskilling and reskilling employees to work alongside AI.
o    Creating a culture of continuous learning and adaptation.
o    Practical steps for implementing a GenAI learning strategy.
•    Ethical and Responsible AI Use:
o    Ethical considerations in AI implementation 
•    Strategies to Ignite Transformation:
o    Practical steps Manulife took to drive GenAI adoption.
o    Engaging stakeholders and securing buy-in for GenAI initiatives.

·       How to develop an efficient succession plan which is robust enough to withstand constant change in today’s world?
·       Criteria for identifying potential leaders.
·       Techniques to keep high-potential employees engaged and motivated.
·       Developing future leaders through structured development programs (e.g., leadership training, mentorship).
·       Identifying potential roadblocks
·       Create a sustainable leadership pipeline that supports long-term business success.
·       How can you monitor and measure progress of your success programs?

• HR’s role in fuelling business growth and driving innovation in uncertain times. 
• How can organizations create powerful employee experiences that accelerate business growth? 
• Encouraging intrapreneurship and creativity so employees are not bogged down by red tape and permission seeking. 
• Leadership’s role in modelling and supporting innovative behaviours. 

• How to take your global company learning initiative scale it down and personalize it for your teams across the world, whilst ensuring quality and consistency are kept across diverse departments.
• Why a ‘one size fits all’ approach will never work. How to regulate budgets and resources fairly, dependent on locations, team sizes, and roles.
• Carrying out needs assessments and identifying key differences by working with your top teams in each location.
• How to ensure communication is consistent with your different offices and teams to show the company’s support and enthusiasm for learning and development of the employees.

• Understand the strategic value of L&D and its impact on overall organizational success.
• Why is it important to align L&D initiatives with the overarching business objectives of the organization?
• Looking at your primary sources of data, what tools can be used to analyze it and what key metrics should you identify to measure the effectiveness of your initiatives?
• How do emerging technologies like AI and machine learning impact data collection and analysis in L&D?
• How to develop strategies to secure and maintain executive sponsorship for L&D programs.
• Measuring and presenting the ROI of L&D initiatives in a manner that resonates with senior leaders. How can you reassure them when there is a lag in ROI or no immediate results?

They may not be wearing dark glasses and suits, but the AI agents have arrived, and they've brought with them a host of opportunities, questions, and challenges that will shape the way people engage professionally, and the ways they will experience learning. 

• We'll consider the current state of AI adoption with a special lens into the opportunities for L&D leaders and practitioners
• We'll explore how the improving sophistication of Gen AI - and its still very present limitations - is forcing L&D to ask tough questions about human-centered learning, and how we can imagine, evaluate, and prioritize the way we work and how people engage with learning.
• Finally, through a three-part Generative AI framework, we’ll consider the strengths and challenges of this ever-emerging technology, with examples of Generative AI applications, including enabling L&D activities, expanding learner experiences, and effective decision-making.

In a world of rapid technological innovation, it’s easy for L&D professionals to be swept up by the latest trends and lose sight of the value of human-centred approaches. This session explores why human connection remains essential and how to keep learners at the heart of development.

• What strategies can be used for embedding learning into daily activities and making it a normal part of work life?
• How to effectively conduct a needs assessment, identify performance gaps, and gather and analyze data.
• What does it take to design a performance enablement program that aligns and integrates with the organization’s business objectives?

• What are the business benefits of becoming a skills-based organization? 
• How to shift your talent strategies across the employee lifecycle for skills-based planning. 
• Approaches to implementation, where should you start? 
• Leveraging technology to increase skills visibility across the organization.
• Measuring the ROI and communicating the business value to the wider organization. 

• Understanding the ‘value’ of cultural values in organizational development.
• Defining and envisioning an aspirational state for your organization.
• How to embed organizational values to diagnose, track, and measure culture and leadership for talent strategy.
• How leaders play a critical part in exemplifying and influencing culture from current to future state.

• Gracefully accepting the pitfalls we all experience.
• Adapting to what the business can manage.
• Building foundational capabilities among managers and employees.

• Does your EVP address the changing priorities and values of the modern workforce? 
• What do employees now expect from employers? 
• Can your leaders deliver what they promise employees and candidates? 
• How can you ensure your EVP drive employee engagement and retention setting you apart from the competition? 

•    How can organizations foster a sense of purpose and belonging that aligns employees with organizational values and goals?
•    Strategies to inspire employees to take pride in their roles and become advocates for the company, both internally and externally.
•    How can leaders model and reinforce behaviors that strengthen employee loyalty and enthusiasm for the brand?
•    Practical approaches to re-engaging employees who feel disengaged or disconnected from their work or company culture.

• How can organizations strategically invest in technology and leverage data-driven approaches to enhance DEI efforts, mitigate biases, and create a more inclusive workplace?
• Measuring hiring rates, promotion rates and employee satisfactions scores for an understanding of DEI progress
• Eliminating algorithmic bias and ensuring you still maintain a human touch.
• Training and best practices for data driven DEI

As our workplaces continue to adjust to population trends and demographics, pandemic recovery, retirements and organizational drivers – how can we use this opportunity to rethink the power of diversity?  Mercedes Watson, Chief Talent Officer and Associate Deputy Minister with the Treasury Board Secretariat with the Ontario Public Service will share insights on how strong leadership, succession planning, change management and workplace culture can reinvigorate organizations.

How job seekers perceive your organization is critical to your hiring success. The key to capitalizing on  the power of perception lies in how you connect with talent on a human level. Prioritizing people-focused initiatives, such as workplace wellbeing, and a strong employee value proposition have proven financial impact on companies as a whole, and are essential to stand out in the labour marketplace. Join Élise Marcotte, Head of Talent Intelligence at Indeed Canada, as she shares insights from Indeed and Glassdoor to help you humanize your recruitment strategy and build a genuine, compelling EVP that resonates with top candidates. In this 30-minute session, you’ll discover how to refine your recruitment efforts and build stronger, more meaningful connections with talent.

Why you won’t want to miss it:

•    Strengthen your recruitment strategies by leveraging your EVP to boost your hiring ROI and improve long-term talent retention.
•    Understand the needs and expectations of today’s job seekers to communicate more effectively.
•    Learn how to define your employer identity and craft authentic storytelling that attracts the right candidates.
•    Ensure leadership investment in shaping and championing your employer brand.
•    Explore how to integrate inclusion, wellbeing, and other people-first priorities into your EVP.
 

• What is your annual net production of talent?
• What percentage of your leaders are leading at the right level? - how to unlock the value of the leadership you are already paying for. 
• Fortune survey shows that only 10% of CEOs believe their company’s leadership development initiatives have a clear business impact. How to deliver measurable change in leadership behavior.
• 90% of middle managers agree; it is critical to have good front line managers, yet less than 5% of front-line managers report being developed as leaders – how to build a leader-led development culture.

•    Developing human leaders and equipping them with skills to lead with empathy, authenticity and inclusiveness.
•    Getting leadership buy in and making sure they model healthy behaviours and recognize wellness initiatives.
•    What steps can organizations put in place to embed health and wellbeing into everyday work practices?
•    Meeting employees’ individual needs and creating a sense of purpose and belonging.

Connecting employees to your company's purpose is a proven driver of organizational impact and performance. Yet, recent Gallup research revealed that there has been a dip in this critical connection. In this workshop, we will explore the what it means to be a purpose-driven organization, share strategies for activating your organizational purpose and highlight the essential role of cohesive communications in stimulating impact and performance.

Workshops are available via an add-on to your ticket at the time of purchase. Capacity is limited. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to reach out to our delegates team via - attendees@m-mediaevents.com

In today’s world, where attention is a premium, learning experiences must not just deliver content—they must resonate, inspire, and create lasting impact. Join us for an interactive and dynamic workshop where we’ll explore how to design learning experiences that truly matter. Through proven methods like discovery sessions, empathy mapping, and experience design, you’ll learn how to identify and amplify the moments that drive growth, engagement, and transformation.

Key Topics

• Discovery Sessions
  • Learn our step-by-step approach to uncovering the real needs of learners.
  • Explore tools and techniques for extracting insights that align learning to real-world challenges.
• Empathy Mapping
  • Participate in a hands-on empathy mapping exercise to understand learner perspectives and emotional needs.
  • See how empathy maps help design learning programs that are targeted, impactful, and human-centred.
• Experience Design
  • Discover how to intentionally design every moment of your learning programs to be engaging, memorable, and meaningful.
  • Explore strategies to align experiences with organizational outcomes and learner growth.
• Key Takeaways

  You will leave this workshop equipped with:

  • Practical tools for conducting effective and insightful discovery sessions.
  • Proven techniques to use empathy mapping for creating targeted, learner-focused programs.
  • Actionable strategies for designing learning experiences where every moment contributes to organizational impact and individual growth.
  Format

  This is not your typical sit-and-listen workshop! Expect a highly interactive, hands-on experience that includes:

  • Practical exercises you can replicate immediately.
  • Small group discussions to explore real-world applications.
  • Case studies and examples to bring concepts to life.

  By the end, you’ll walk away inspired and prepared to transform how you design learning experiences—because every moment matters.

Workshops are available via an add on to your ticket at the time of purchase. Capacity is limited. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to reach out to our delegates team via - attendees@m-mediaevents.com