Civil Society Media’s inaugural People and Culture conference, which aims to help charities create the best workplace environment, is now open for booking.
The event, which takes place on Wednesday 16 September, will include sessions on the Children’s Society’s new digital strategy, featuring Karina Brisby, its director of digital, and Lucy Wappett, its digital manager.
Gareth Edwards, partner at law firm Veale Wasbrough Vizards, will provide an update on the latest developments in employment law, and Rob Hayter from recruitment agency TPP will present a session on recruiting and retaining future leaders alongside Kate Collins, director of fundraising and marketing at the Teenage Cancer Trust.
Other sessions include those on ActionAid UK’s mission to boost staff morale, led by its head of human resources Graham Salisbury, and on the Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s journey to become an anti-poverty employer, led by Shaun Rafferty, its chief operating officer.
Tania Mason, group editor of Civil Society Media and chair of the event, said: “Charity workplace environments are unique; often populated by passionate and committed individuals who care deeply about their organisation’s cause.
“But the reality of managing diverse teams, and keeping people motivated and satisfied when pay levels may be lower than in other sectors, also brings unique challenges, and many charities grapple with the problems of low staff retention rates and a disproportionate number of employment disputes.”
The conference has been designed to address such issues by combining updates on employment law and HR practice with ideas for delivering positive cultural change. The agenda will provide delegates with effective strategies to improve staff engagement and foster a happy workplace environment. It will feature practical examples from organisations that are seeing tangible results from their own activities.
The opening keynote will be from Nic Marks (pictured), chief executive of Happiness Works, which aims to help make workplaces become “better places to work”. A pioneer in the field of well-being research, Marks will show delegates how understanding employees’ needs can benefit organisations, and present some steps for managers to place happiness at the centre of an effective business model.
The closing keynote will be from Linda Cruse, founder of Be the Change Academy, who will talk about how a personal crisis led her to re-evaluate her life, leading her to spend 12 years as a humanitarian aid worker, working on the frontline of the world’s most catastrophic natural disasters. She will discuss the importance of looking beyond your immediate goals to deliver maximum impact.
The People and Culture conference will take place at the British Library Conference Centre on Wednesday 16 September, sponsored by TPP and Veale Wasbrough Vizards. Click here for more information.
