On October 8, hundreds of HR leaders gathered in San Francisco and London to learn, connect, and chart people strategy’s final frontier. They were accompanied by thousands more who tuned in virtually.
Lattiverse, the sixth edition of Lattice’s annual conference, was billed as the biggest HR event in the cosmos — and it didn’t disappoint. After four years of being virtual-only, the event finally welcomed its first in-person crowds since the pandemic. And while some of the event’s discussions revolved around evergreen themes like engagement and culture, few people in 2019 could have imagined the topics on this year’s agenda — like how best to navigate artificial intelligence’s impact on the workplace.
Whether you missed this astronomical event or want to relive your day among the HR stars, we’ll recap some of the highlights from this year’s event.
1. People are your North Star.
In business, Unprecedented Times™ sure are starting to feel precedented. Workplaces have been wracked with uncertainty for years now. Power shifts between employees and employers, interest rate hikes, and a “definitely-happening, actually-maybe-not” recession have left HR teams in limbo.
If you’re ever feeling lost, follow true north: your people. As Lattice CEO Sarah Franklin emphasized, when people thrive, business thrives. She opened the day with an inspiring keynote that set the tone for the day.
“We're all here as people, as humans, that want to do great things together,” she said. “And the more that we can champion each other, that we can be in the service of people, the better the world will be.”
As much change as we’ve seen in the last half-decade, some things remain constant. The organizations that endure are championed by leaders who don’t lose sight of those most responsible for their success.
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2. Improving performance starts with feedback.
Countless ebooks, webinars, and articles (some written by yours truly) talk of a need to “drive” employee performance. But what does that actually mean, in practice? Performance reviews are an important part of the puzzle, but they remain one piece. It’s no surprise then, that feedback was especially top of mind at this year’s event.
“A healthy feedback culture is where feedback is normal. It is not something that is stress-inducing. It is not anxiety-producing. It's just a part of your day. It feels like a gift and it's safe,” said Farrah Mitra, founder of Green Reed, in the completely sold-out session, How to Build (or Destroy) Your Feedback Culture.
Mitra isn’t just an authority on feedback, she might be the authority — being one of only twelve certified Radical Candor coaches in the world. Radical Candor, written by Kim Scott, is considered scripture for enthusiastic feedback givers and receivers.
“There's a lot of research out there that folks from underrepresented backgrounds don't get as much feedback and they get worse feedback. So the worst thing you can do is not give the feedback, especially [to] someone coming from an underrepresented group,” added Sana Rahim, head of HR business partners at brightwheel.
“Give the feedback, ask for help, approach with a lot of curiosity and kindness. You might not get it perfect, but it's way better to do it. Don't let perfection be the enemy of doing something,” Rahim said.
3. Balance AI innovation with responsibility.
If you mentioned AI on the stage of Resources for Humans Live in 2019, the remark would have been met with an ovation of eye rolls. And rightly so — the technology wasn’t ready, and HR teams are a discerning bunch when it comes to lofty promises about software.
Fast-forward to today, and it’s a totally different story. AI is everywhere, and naturally, it was one of the hottest topics of discussion at Lattiverse 2024. It was impossible to walk the conference floor without hearing chatter about the latest tools. But while AI offers incredible opportunities for improving efficiency and decision-making, speakers stressed the need for responsible use.
Making AI Work for the Business featured a lively discussion about how HR can use the technology in ways that enhance, rather than complicate workforce management. Mendy Slaton, director of people operations at Lattice, led the panel in SF, while Tessa del Rio led the same panel in London. They focused on the power of AI in augmenting managers’ impact.
“AI is a game changer for managers, but we have to invest in them and make sure they can use it well so that they can look after their staff better,” said Paul Devoy, CEO of Investors in People. “It's a bit like when you're on a plane when they tell you you've got to put your mask on first before you can help anybody else. We don't do that in organizations, managers tend to come last. So if you put them first, they'll have a better chance of looking after their employees.”
The AI conversation wasn’t limited to tactics and strategy — leaders from Lattice’s product team showed their latest developments. The Autumn 2024 Product Release session introduced features like AI-powered individual development plans (IDPs) and custom compensation statements, designed to help HR leaders make smarter, data-driven decisions that directly impact employee performance and experience. You can learn more about those features in our Autumn 2024 Product Release.
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4. DEIB isn’t going anywhere. It’s just evolving.
Diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) practitioners have endured a rollercoaster ride. The 2020 murder of George Floyd shook the country to its core — leading to a surge in investment in DEIB across most industries. Maurice Bell, senior director of DEIB and people analytics at Lattice, framed it as a renaissance period for the profession while leading the panel Writing the Next Chapter of DEIB.
Bell moderated the panel featuring Regina Ross, Kelly Blackmon, founder of B.E. Consulting, and Justin Phalichanh, SVP of global talent development and product enablement at Kinesso, who dug into the future of DEIB efforts. They shared strategies for keeping DEIB front and center, even as these initiatives come under increasing scrutiny (especially this year). After all, who could forget SHRM’s appalling and widely condemned statement deprioritizing equity
DEIB is about more than hitting quotas and performative statements — it’s about building a lasting culture that works for everyone. The most effective people strategies tackle issues like belonging and equity not with words alone, but with systems. Thoughtfully designed performance reviews that consider equity or paid time off policies that consider employees with disabilities are just some example ways of integrating DEIB into your strategy.
“Let's start building systems versus trying to do one-offs to really conquer a system of inequality that's existed forever,” Blackmon said.
5. Lattice HRIS is finally here.
Lattiverse 2024 marked the beginning of the general availability of Lattice HRIS. As organizations increasingly value data-driven decisions, having a tool that connects employee data with talent management strategies is more important than ever.
During the Lattice HRIS Deep Dive, Ryan Hinshaw, senior director of product at Lattice, walked attendees through how the platform integrates core HR data with workflows and insights, helping companies manage their talent strategy more effectively. The system’s ability to provide real-time data and streamline processes was a hit with attendees looking to boost performance, improve employee experiences, and streamline operations.
Lattice HRIS shows how an intuitive, flexible platform can bring together your employee and performance data for maximum efficiency, insights, and impact. To learn more, request a demo.
6. Managers are your differentiator.
Managers are the backbone of any organization, but they’re facing more challenges than ever.
The session Building a Meaningful Partnership Between HR and Managers explored how HR teams can offer the right kind of support to managers who are often overwhelmed by change and stretched thin.
Lattice’s head of learning and development, Mollie Duffy, moderated a discussion with panelists from Ethena, Pinterest, and Klue, sharing real-world examples of how HR can help managers lead effectively in a fast-paced environment. Melanie Naranjo, VP of people at Ethena, placed particular emphasis on the importance of listening to (and not discrediting) managers’ day-to-day challenges.
“All of these things come back to listening to your managers truly…Instead of fighting them and trying to make them accommodate you, find ways to accommodate them — which, by the way, will build trust,” Naranjo said. Doing so doesn’t just do right by managers, it helps drive adoption and buy-in for future people program rollouts.
“The next time you roll out of training or a tool sheet, they're going to pay attention,” she said.
In London, Wolf & Badger’s Head of People Amber Panting shared additional insights into the B Corp’s unique “high love and high support” manager enablement philosophy, as well as how to create intentional and impactful one-on-ones.
7. HR leaders wowed us at the People Strategy Awards.
More than 200 nominations were submitted this year, proving that HR practitioners and teams deserve all the love. This year’s winners were announced both in London and San Francisco to wrap up the day.
ROI Innovator Award
Winner: NPact
Finalist: FairMarkit
Community Member of the Year Award
Winner: Fred Leong, CPO at dv01
Finalist: Nic Hopkins, Up & to the Right Consulting
Onboarding Trailblazer Award
Winner: Coca-Cola Peninsula Beverages
Finalist: Strive Health, Platinum Cubed
Insights to Impact Award
Winner: Superside
Accelerating Growth Award
Winner: Envoy
Finalist: Ruffwear
Lattice Champion Award
Winner: Long-Term Stock Exchange
Finalist: Torchy’s Tacos, BSE Global
People Success Visionary of the Year
Winner: Kayshia Kruger, director of organization development at O.R. Colan Associates
Finalist: Will Leahy VP of people at Greenhouse
Finalist: Madeeha Khan, people operations manager at Heady
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Lattiverse 2024 made it clear that HR’s role has long been a foundational source of strategy and impact for businesses — and will continue to be increasingly so. Whether it’s investing in people, embracing data, or leveraging technology like AI, HR leaders have the tools to create more resilient, people-centric organizations that last.
As the future of work continues to unfold, these insights from Lattiverse will help guide HR teams in building workplaces where employees (and businesses) can thrive.
To soak up even more nuggets of HR wisdom, watch the on-demand sessions from Lattiverse.
▶️ Recommended Session:
People-Centric Organizations: Growth Through Human Investment
Lattiverse audiences also enjoyed a candid conversation between Gianna Driver and leading CPOs Regina Ross and Donald Knight about how investment in people leads to business growth. This session is available on Lattice+ now.
▶️ Recommended Session:
Making AI Work for the Business
HR leaders Mendy Sloan, Ariana Moon, Anisha Thomas, and Gianna Driver met to discuss the need to balance innovation, responsible use, and compliance with AI in the workplace. This session is available on Lattice+ now.
