Background:
The UK government’s central mission is to grow the economy and deliver effective and efficient public services. Public debate around addressing the UK’s stagnant productivity performance has focussed predominantly on macro-level issues. There has been comparatively little attention paid to performance and productivity at the organisational level. Yet, people-related issues lie at the heart of this challenge. To improve performance, there is a pressing need to build more engaging work and workplaces, effectively manage the adoption of new technology, develop capabilities and promote wellbeing.
With a shifting employment relations landscape, a key national challenge is how employers, employees and their representatives, and government work together to realise the vision of high investment, high skill and high-performing workplaces.
Questions we addressed included:
• How can HR best drive organisational performance and productivity through people?
• How can we enhance employee engagement?
• What is the role of employee voice and relations in enhancing productivity?
• How can enhanced wellbeing at work support productivity and performance in the workplace?
• How can we adopt AI in ways that support wellbeing and productivity?
Slides:
IES annual conference 2025 slides
Speakers:
Naomi Clayton, Chief Executive, IES
Neil Carberry OBE, Chief Executive, REC
Matthew Ambrose, DEEP (Delivering Excellence in Employability Practice) UK Project Lead, The Institute of Employability Professionals (IEP)
Dr Sarah Pass, Senior Lecturer, Nottingham Business School & Advisory Board Member, Engage for Success
Professor Maura Sheehan, Professor of International Management at Edinburgh Napier University
Lucy O’Melia, Head of Learning & Development, Involvement & Participation Association (IPA)
Dr Sally Wilson and Dr Alison Carter, Principal Research Fellows, IES