I recently had the honour of speaking at DisruptHR St Peter Port, an evening full of bold ideas, thought-provoking discussions, and a genuine energy for challenging traditional approaches to people, work, and culture. 

The format was fast paced with each speaker given just five minutes and 20 slides (automatically changing every 15 seconds) to get their message across. The result was a powerful line-up of presentations which sparked plenty of conversation. While I was proud to be one of the speakers, sharing some of my own thoughts and experiences, what really struck me was how much I learned from everyone else.

From embracing conflict in the workplace and the role and value - of emotion in the boardroom, to the history of health and safety (made much more exciting than it sounds) and tackling rumination, each talk offered a fresh perspective designed to disrupt and empower. 

Something which stood out for me, was the number of times throughout the evening that I was able to see how Saffery Trust was already implementing some of the ideas that were being presented. For example, People Flow Founder and CEO, Abigail Wilmore, brought real energy to the room with her call for a shake-up in HR, even down to rebranding the outdated “human resources” label. I listened with interest, reflecting on our own “People and Culture” team at Saffery Trust, and how the shift away from labelling people as ‘resources’ already reflects a more human, values-led approach. 

I was particularly keen to hear Walkers Senior Counsel, Danielle Brouard, presentation about parental leave policies as she boldly tackled the question: “Is Jersey better than Guernsey?”. Danielle spoke about the benefits of firms offering paternity leave (which is not a statutory requirement in Guernsey) but emphasised that policies alone aren’t enough. She highlighted the importance of fostering a workplace culture that actively supports and encourages men to take up their leave, rather than having a policy that exists in theory but is rarely used in practice.

As Danielle explained how organisations can better support men in taking their paternity leave, I was reminded of the fathers in the Saffery Trust Guernsey office who have taken up their entitlement, with some even tailoring their leave to suit the needs of their families, such as working mornings and taking their leave in the afternoons.

C5 Alliance Director, John Gamble, delivered a fascinating presentation about integrating AI into HR, showcasing staggering results from testing being undertaken by BDO. Certain that this would benefit Saffery Trust, I reached out to John following the event offering introductions, only to find he is already in conversation with our Transformation and People & Culture teams, reaffirming how forward-thinking the firm is. 

Events like DisruptHR remind me that how important it is for all employees (not just HR team members) to stay connected to the wider community of professionals who are driving change. It was inspiring, refreshing, and a great reminder that we’re all still learning (even when we’re the ones doing the talking!).