Workhuman Forum Paris 2025

Dive into the highlights of our 2025 event.

In October 2025, Workhuman took to the stage for its first-ever Workhuman Forum Paris. This exclusive one-day event gathered senior HR leaders from across Europe for an inspiring mix of thought leadership and networking – right in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower.

Guided by returning MC Holly Ransom, the day explored how HR can lead business transformation, featured insights on AI integration with The Wall Street Journal, and revisited the full founder story with Workhuman CEO Eric Mosley. The finale? A powerful session on psychological safety from renowned scholar Amy Edmondson – all before two more days at Unleash World. Read on for what you missed.

A speaker presenting at the Workhuman Forum in Paris, France, on October 20, 2025. The individual is gesturing with their hands while wearing a black outfit and glasses. Bright blue lights form a dynamic backdrop. The image includes the event title and date prominently displayed.
A speaker at the Workhuman Forum sitting opposite another speaker, who is wearing a bright red outfit. The scene features modern-style chairs and vibrant blue lighting in the background, suggesting a professional event with an engaged audience in attendance. The top of the image displays the text "workhuman forum 20 OCTOBER 2025 | PARIS FRANCE."
A woman speaking into a microphone at a Workhuman forum event. She has long hair and is wearing a blazer. A seated audience can be seen in the background, with another woman beside her holding a smartphone. The event details are visible at the top, indicating it took place on October 20, 2025, in Paris, France.
A group of five women smiling together in a booth setup at the Workhuman Forum in Paris, featuring a blue backdrop. Each woman is wearing a name tag, and they are positioned around a rustic-looking structure, engaging and enjoying the moment. The event details "20 OCTOBER 2025 | PARIS FRANCE" are visible at the top of the image.
A panel discussion at the Workhuman Forum in Paris on October 20, 2025, featuring three panelists seated in modern dark grey armchairs on a circular stage. From left to right: an older man with glasses and grey hair in a light grey suit gesturing with his hands, a woman with curly reddish-brown hair wearing a green blazer and patterned dress, and a woman with straight dark hair in an orange top. Behind them, large screens display the 'workhuman* forum' logo against a teal background and abstract green wave patterns. The venue features striking teal light tubes crisscrossing the ceiling overhead, creating a futuristic ambiance, with black line array speakers suspended above. The audience sits in rows of white chairs in the foreground, dressed in dark clothing, some looking at the stage while others check phones or tablets.
A woman with light hair is seen speaking on stage at the Workhuman Forum event in Paris on October 20, 2025. She is wearing a sparkly dark jacket and holding a pen, smiling while engaging with the audience. Behind her, a projection displays text that begins with "What Google Learned From Its Effort to Build Its Paycheck," alongside an image of a microscope and people in discussion. The stage is adorned with colorful lighting that adds to the vibrant atmosphere of the event.
A woman in a vibrant orange blazer stands on stage, smiling and gesturing with her hands in a positive and engaging manner. She has long dark hair and is positioned in front of a blue backdrop with bright lighting accents. The text overlay indicates the event as the "workhuman forum" happening on "20 OCTOBER 2025 | PARIS FRANCE."
A woman in a white dress with a belt is performing with lighted props on stage at the Workhuman Forum event. She is smiling, and colorful light streaks are projected in the background, creating a vibrant atmosphere. The image includes text at the top indicating the event title and date: "workhuman* forum 20 OCTOBER 2025 | PARIS FRANCE."
A busy conference event featuring the Workhuman Forum, taking place on October 20, 2025, in Paris, France. Attendees are engaged in conversations while gathered around tables. Prominent in the scene is a large display featuring the Workhuman logo and a message indicating it is the world's number one rated employee recognition software. A colorful backdrop of balloons adds to the ambiance.

Elevate the Impact of HR by Aligning Culture to Business Goals

Janina Kugel, non-Executive Board Member, Senior Advisor, author, and former CHRO, opened the day with a compelling look at the state of HR amid the rapid rise of AI. Yet she brought the conversation back to HR’s true core: informing, empowering, and inspiring people. She urged leaders to pause and ask their teams where their capabilities lie today and where they want to grow tomorrow.

Stepping outside the comfort zone, she reminded us, is never easy, but it’s where the real magic happens.

The Human Algorithm: A Founder’s Perspective

Eric Mosley, Workhuman’s CEO, joined Holly Ransom for a candid conversation tracing Workhuman’s 25-year journey, founded on a single purpose to make work more human.

More than a quarter of a century later that purpose holds true, even as the world has transformed. Mosley shared how Workhuman’s research reveals the immense value hidden within recognition data – messages that not only show how work gets done, but illuminate the skills people demonstrate in the process. Unlike self-reported data, recognition offers an authentic record of human and behavioural strengths.

This insight points to the future of work: efficiently matching skills to tasks, whether performed by humans or AI agents. As AI approaches its plateau, Mosley reminded us, human knowledge and creativity will remain the ultimate differentiators.

Metrics that Matter: Elevating Humanity in an AI-Driven Workplace

In the session, KeyAnna Schmiedl, Chief Human Experience Officer at Workhuman, and Alan Murray, President of The Wall Street Journal’s Leadership Institute, explored how HR can link its vital work directly to business strategy.

In a wide-ranging conversation, they discussed the pressure on HR teams to evolve at the speed of AI – while ensuring their organisations evolve with them. AI, they reminded us, is simply another tool, and every initiative should start with the question: is this the right tool for the job?

KeyAnna introduced her framework, “Build, Buy, Borrow, Bot”: assess the talent you already have, determine what to hire or contract for, and then augment with AI where it adds value. Her closing thought: map out the skills best suited for humans and those for AI, to create a truly collaborative future. Alan’s parting message was clear: change is inevitable, so get on the right side of it.

Want to Improve Your Organisation? Make It Fearless

The day closed with Amy Edmondson, celebrated author and Harvard Business School professor, who shared how to build truly fearless organisations.

Drawing on her seminal book, she unpacked the power of psychological safety – what it is, what it isn’t, and why it matters. It’s about creating practical systems that enable honest, high-quality conversations. They may not be easy, but they’re essential for teams to thrive.

Edmondson encouraged leaders to foster environments where dissent is welcomed and learning comes from experimentation. In her words: aim high, team up, fail well, learn fast – and repeat.

Workhuman at Unleash World

We returned to the Paris Convention Centre for Europe’s largest HR conference. Over two action-packed days, we explored a rich variety of topics on stages big and small, and in boardrooms where the doors closed for more intimate discussions.

Our booth quite literally took the experience of work to new heights – with a hot-air balloon visible across the entire show floor. Our activations focused on exploring the current shape of workplace culture and capturing top-of-mind questions from HR professionals across the continent.

A professional networking moment at the Workhuman Forum in Paris on October 20, 2025, featuring two attendees engaged in conversation in the foreground. A man with short grey hair in a dark suit jacket and light blue shirt gestures while talking to a woman with dark brown hair wearing a dark blue jacket over a rust-colored top with a silver necklace. Behind them, event branding displays 'workhuman* forum' and '20 OCTOBER 2025 | PARIS FRANCE' with orange tote bags hanging nearby. A large screen shows 'Turn DISENGAGEMENT into DRIVE' in white and orange text. A beverage station features glass dispensers with infused water (cucumber and lemon), and other attendees are visible in the background. A decorative orange and white striped hot air balloon hangs from the ceiling, adding whimsical flair to the modern conference space.
A camera is focused on a woman with blonde hair speaking passionately during a discussion at the Workhuman Forum event. The background features a gradient design with the Workhuman logo and text indicating the event's date and location: "20 OCTOBER 2025 | PARIS FRANCE." Another person is seated across from her, actively engaging in the conversation. Microphones are set up in front of both speakers, emphasizing the interview or panel format.
A woman with long dark hair is engaged in conversation at a Workhuman forum event, speaking to two attendees who are listening attentively. The backdrop features a banner with the text "What defines a high-flying work culture?" alongside another banner displaying "EMPOWER YOUR PEOPLE. POWER YOUR BUSINESS." There are various people mingling in the background, and the setting appears to be a bustling event with a modern, professional atmosphere.

We also brought an exceptional line-up of stage talent. CEO Eric Mosley delivered a mainstage keynote on the powerful link between AI insights and recognition data. President Tom Libretto joined a panel discussing what’s new and next in client needs, while Jesse Harriott revealed what your HR dashboards don’t tell you – to a standing-room-only crowd. And Raj Verma of Sanofi demonstrated how recognition done right can unlock culture and accelerate initiatives like AI adoption.

That's not all! Our partners at HR Leaders hosted senior HR professionals from around the world for exclusive podcast recordings. Guests included Microsoft, ServiceNow, LEGO, Ericsson, Airbus, SAP, Novartis, Orange, Allianz, AXA, and more, joining inspiring conversations about what's next for HR – and how to solve for it. The full podcast series will be available here.

It was a jam-packed week in Paris, filled with new connections, familiar faces, and unforgettable moments. Above all, it showcased how recognition done right can transform culture and drive results for people and for business.

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