Gartner HR Symposium/Xpo, London: Day 2 Highlights

We are bringing you news and highlights from the Gartner HR Symposium/Xpo taking place today through tomorrow, Thursday, October 9 in London, U.K. Below is a collection of the key announcements and insights coming out of the conference. You can read the highlights from Day 1 here.

On Day 2 from the conference, we are highlighting evolving organizational culture, power dynamics in a shifting labor market, and building a change-resilient talent strategy.  

Be sure to check this page throughout the day for updates. 

• Gartner Says AI Revolution and Cost Pressures Are Two Forces Driving the Top Four Trends for Talent Acquisition in 2026
• Gartner Research Finds Only 8% of HR Leaders Believe Their Managers Have the Skills to Effectively Use AI 

Presented by Jessie Knight, Vice President, Research, Gartner 

Organizations are relying on culture to navigate uncertainty and accelerate transformation, but cultural dissonance, or conflict with operating realities, is hindering culture’s relevance and impact. In this session, Jessie Knight, Vice President, Research, Gartner, discussed how to reset culture strategy and unlock the power of an organization’s unique cultural attributes.

• “Only 43% of employees believe that their culture helps them succeed.”
• “To stay relevant amid continuous change, organizational culture must keep pace with changing operational realities.”
•  “Leaders need to shift the focus of their culture strategy from helping culture endure to helping culture evolve.”
• “When organizations focus on helping culture evolve, employees are:
  • 1.6 times more likely to produce high quality work
  • 3.5 times more likely to successfully implement new ideas”
• “When moving from an ‘endure’ to an ‘evolve’ cultural strategy, HR leaders should do three things:
  • Challenge cultural norms: Analyze emerging trends to anticipate where their impact will challenge the current culture.
  • Role model from dynamic jobs: Identify and activate culture role models in the organization’s most dynamic jobs, not just senior leaders.
  • Equip employees to navigate emotional discomfort:  Process the uncomfortable emotions that are a natural part of culture change.

Journalists can receive additional information and/or request an interview with the Gartner expert by contacting Gerri Weinberger at gerri.weinberger@gartner.com. 

Presented by Shannon Wiest, Senior Principal, Advisory, Gartner 

As the labor market shifts, power dynamics between employers and employees change and CHROs must navigate these shifts as skilled negotiators. In this session, Shannon Wiest, Senior Principal, Advisory, Gartner, shared strategies to achieve a balanced EVP.

• “Employee value proposition (EVP) means focusing on what employees truly value, yet EVPs are often designed for ideal scenarios instead of the realities organizations are actually navigating.”
• “In today’s dynamic labor market, candidate and employee expectations are rising, and competition for talent is fierce.”
• “The risk gap is growing – 80% of boards of directors say talent risk is a top concern, but only 4% of CHROs are discussing it with them.”
• “Organizations need an EVP that is responsive, transparent, and ready for change.”
• “CHROs should follow three imperatives to shift their EVP from a static promise to a dynamic leadership tool:
  • Listen for what matters: Shifting from passive data collection to decision-centric listening can surface hidden tensions to guide EVP investments.
  • Anticipate and adapt: Using scenario planning and cross‑functional sensing can help anticipate disruption, simulate EVP trade-offs and adapt.
  • Act for impact: Moving quickly and communicating openly to align EVP promises with actual delivery builds trust and delivers value where it matters most.”

Journalists can receive additional information and/or request an interview with the Gartner expert by contacting Gerri Weinberger at gerri.weinberger@gartner.com. 

Presented by CV Viverito, Director Analyst, Gartner

Today’s CHROs are facing great difficulties in leading their talent strategy through continuous organizational changes. In this session, CV Viverito, Director Analyst, Gartner, shared the three elements necessary for organizations to thrive in high-uncertainty environments.

• “Most organizations have experienced at least one major change in the last year alone, such as senior leader transitions, organizational restructuring, culture change, significant layoffs and more.”
• “While CHROs list change management as a top priority, only half feel confident they can deliver on change goals.”
• “When asked about the three biggest barriers they face when it comes to change resilience, CHROs answered:
  • Managers are not equipped to lead change: Business leaders spend nearly 3.2 hours per day on change-related activities.
  • Employees are fatigued from change: Employees spend roughly three hours per day on change-related activities.
  • Ineffective measurement of change success: Organizations can't measure change success effectively, making it hard to know what they are doing wrong in the moment and unable to fix it before it becomes a problem.”
• “To address these barriers and build resiliency, CHROs should leverage the 3R framework:
  • Remove clutter: Provide leaders with prioritization tools to refocus time and energy on change.
  • Reinforce what matters now: Add “SOS” actions to change dashboards and provide employees with daily routine roadmaps.
  • Reframe uncertainty as opportunity: Design opportunity mapping templates for leaders and teams.” 

Journalists can receive additional information and/or request an interview with the Gartner expert by contacting Gerri Weinberger at gerri.weinberger@gartner.com.