Banner Graphic - Rustat Banner Graphic - Rustat
Managing Organisational Change in the Economic Crisis - 4 December 2012


The Rustat Conference on Managing Organisational Change was held at Jesus College on 4 December 2012. The conference report is now available to download here.


Sponsors: Harvey Nash - Cobbetts - Penna

Agenda: Welcome and Introduction

Conference Chair - Professor Ian White, Master Jesus College and Van Eck Professor of Engineering Professor Sir Leszek Borysiewicz, Vice Chancellor, University of Cambridge

1. Overview
Indi Seehra, HR Director, University of Cambridge

Western economies have seen exceptional changes over the past five years, working through both the credit crunch and banking crisis. These changes have presented new challenges for leaders worldwide. This conference aims to bring together leaders from business, government and academia to address the topic.

2. Employment and Low Pay - The Challenges:
Professor Willie Brown, Montague Burton Professor of Industrial Relations, University of Cambridge
Richard Donkin, author The Future of Work and The History of Work, and FT columnist

There are an estimated 1 million unemployed ‘young people’ (between the ages of 16-25), in part because employers are not prepared to pay for inexperienced labour. Should the National Minimum Wage be cut/suspended/frozen so that employers are incentivised to give young workers experience? What can we learn from other countries and their experience of this challenging area?

3. Reward & Engagement - Future Directions
Albert Ellis, CEO, Harvey Nash
Duncan Brown, Principal, Reward & Engagement, Aon Hewitt

Many European HR professionals believe that maintaining and improving employee engagement is a key driver of the rewards agenda. Employees are found to be significantly more satisfied with reward programme design now than a few years ago but concerns are still evident over tactical implementation and delivery. What are the future directions and how should issues of fairness and executive pay be approached and communicated against the background of unemployment and recession?

4. Talent Management - Finders Keepers
Karen Moran, Director,Resourcing, Talent & Leadership BBC
Lesley Uren, Lead Adviser, Talent Management, PA Consulting Group

How can businesses ensure people are available to resource future roles – can centrally-controlled talent management do this? With the recession acting as a strong lever in getting HR noticed, will the skills and capabilities of human capital be the driving force behind economic, political and social developments or will talent gaps restrain any progression? How does the UK compare with Europe, the BRICs, and the United States?

5. Workforce Planning - Managing Recruitment and Retirement
Professor Simon Deakin, Centre for Business Research, University of Cambridge>br> Ashley Norman, Partner, Cobbetts Gary Browning, CEO, Penna

The abolition of the Default Retirement Age is a trigger for organisations to review practices and processes for managing their employees. With an ageing population, challenges in managing an older workforce and resourcing constraints will be evident.

6. Commentary
Indi Seehra, HR Director, University of Cambridge.

Closing Remarks
Professor Ian White, Master, Jesus College and Van Eck Professor of Engineering