As part of the Erasmus + project, « Circular HRM » funded by the European Commission, POUR LA SOLIDARITÉ organised the final conference of the project on March 2, 2022 at the Auditorium of Brussels Environment, in the presence of the European partners of the project and an audience mainly from the world of human resource management (HRM) and interested in the central place of the human within human resource management.
Circular HRM Partners meet for the last Transnational meeting and Final Conference in Brussels on 1-2 March 2022
After several meetings held over Zoom, Circular HRM partners were finally happy to meet in Brussels for the last Transnational meeting.
The meeting was an opportunity to go through and make the point on all project productions and outputs and to exchange about the various pilot trainings undertaken in the different countries and the initial impacts of the project.
Since September 2021, after finalising the training course and testing the E-Learning Platform, partners have been immersed in intensive activities to sensitise HR professionals and the public about the Circular HRM model and the Training path during dissemination events, mostly online, organised in all partner countries (Belgium, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, North Macedonia and Spain) which gathered around 235 people.
This allowed to raise interest in the pilot trainings that were then conducted in the six countries, by the trainers initially trained in July 2021.
Principles of ECO-CONCEPTION, RECYCLE, REPAIR, REUSE, INDUSTRIAL ECOLOGY, FUNCTIONAL ECONOMY AND SECOND HAND applied to human resource management were fully presented to around 140 student candidates, along with examples of Business Cases from companies in Europe that are implementing these principles.
The E-Learning Platform, containing all 7 modules in the form of syllabus and interactive and Power Point presentations, was also tested by the students. At the end of the learning path, student completed the self-assessment tests and the first Certificates of the Circular HRM training path were generated to those obtaining at least 60%after completing the overall course (and obtaining at least 60% in all 7 evaluations).
An important point debated among partners was to acknowledge that many of the actions proposed under the Circular HRM principles are already being implemented in the different companies encountered and new examples or ideas were also provided during the discussions held with the participants over the pilot trainings.
These are only not labelled under the “Circular Economy” topic, which raise the issue of communication, not only about the concept but about using the right vocabulary when referring to the principles. However, initiating some of the Circular HRM actions also requires a strong will and acceptance from the management that needs to be convinced about the positive effects Circular HRM has not only on the wellbeing of their employee but also on the cost-benefit effects of competencies analysis, training and re-training, upskilling, requalification, mentoring or coaching,… Partners also concluded that the Circular HRM training path is not a one fits approach, what works in one country does not necessarily work in another country and that the concept should be flexible.
About the initial impacts of the project, partners were glad to share the high level of interest the concept has received, coming from all sectors – public, private, not for profit – and that professional in all those sectors participated in the pilot trainings. Through the case studies, companies recognised that they were already implementing some of the principles and this made them realise that they needed to better communicate about those actions. Most of all Circular HRM Partners witnessed for many a paradigm change: that is the change about how HR managers see HR management, and for many this was a change of mindset.
Circular HRM Final Conference, Brussels, 2 March 2022
The project Final Conference, held in Brussels on 2 March 2022, gathered around 60 people at the Brussels Environment Auditorium.
Following a keynote speech by Emmanuel Mossay, expert in Circular Economy, the project results were presented by the Partners.
The Conference ended with a panel discussion and debate to know whether Covid 19 accelerated the need for a Circular HRM.
To find out we invite you to read the Conference summary
Read more