HR Forum: Member-to-member discussions for Human Resources leaders

As part of its ongoing commitment to fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange among its members, ICMIF facilitates regular, virtual member-to-member discussions for HR leaders.

The HR forum was introduced in 2021, designed for HR Directors and Chief People Officers, but also available to other HR specialists, depending on the specific topics being discussed.

The purpose of these discussions is to enable knowledge/experience sharing between members in all HR-related matters. Recognising the evolving landscape of work and organisational dynamics, ICMIF understands the ongoing need for collaborative platforms as our ways of working continue to transform. Members attending these sessions report that they find it extremely useful to be able to discuss common challenges with their peers at fellow ICMIF members in an open and supportive environment.

The HR forum typically takes place on the first Wednesday of the month and lasts for one hour.

What are they and when are they held?

• Regular one-hour meetings for ICMIF members
• Held virtually using Teams
• Usually, the first Wednesday of the month, 3pm (UK time)

The 2024 sessions took place on the dates below (topic shown in brackets):

• 7 February (The future of insurance workforce)
• 6 March (Employee wellbeing initiatives)
• 18 April (Delivering the employee value proposition)
• 5 June (Wawanesa University: an integrated approach to talent development)
• 4 September (Navigating organisational change: HR’s role in transformation)
• 2 October (Fostering workplace culture in a ‘remote first’ environment) 
• 6 November (The future of HR functions)

Dates for 2025 sessions are:

• 5 February
• 2 April
• 8 May
• 10 July
• 3 September
• 5 November

Who are they for?

• Human Resource Directors and HR specialists

What does a typical session look like?

• The average attendance at the HR meetings is 16 people. Since the introduction of the HR forum, we have had a total of 106 different participants from 43 member companies from 16 countries.
• The normal format of the meeting is 40 minutes discussion about pre-agreed topics in virtual breakout rooms, followed by a report back from each group in the main session.
• Sometimes there is a guest presentation on a specific topic, followed by shorter breakout discussions.

What kinds of topics are discussed?

These are some of the topics that have been discussed in the HR forum:

• The future of work and insurance workforce
• Enabling a hybrid workforce and the role of the office
• The role of HR in shaping workplace culture
• Wellbeing and resilience
• Leadership development
• Talent retention and attraction
• Diversity and inclusion in the workplace
• HR technology

What do participants say?

• I’ve so appreciated these sessions and the amazing thought leadership
• I just wanted to share with you that I am really enjoying these sessions you are arranging – I am especially looking forward to tomorrow’s talk
• The topic for tomorrow is fantastic. Looking forward to it as we are in the process of developing our hybrid work environment
• The format is excellent, I find the small group discussion very valuable. Thanks to ICMIF for creating these opportunities