2021 IOTA HRM Forum Outlines Post-COVID Workplace Practices

Adrienn Juhász's picture
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The 2021 IOTA Forum Meeting on Human Resource Management took place 16th-17th November, with 77 registered participants from 30 member countries. This year’s digital event focused on concepts and practical aspects of organising the working environment in IOTA tax administrations after the forced home office and hybrid operation.

The digital forum meeting was organised as a combination of plenary sessions and group discussion sessions. During the first day, four speakers gave presentations about the hybrid operation mode in post-pandemic tax administration:

  • ‘The Future World of Work and what it means for the Civil Service’ by Victoria Jones (UK)
  • ‘Transforming the Way We Work’ by Natasha Harris (UK)
  • ‘Home Office and Hybrid Operation as a part of Digital Transformation‘ by Karl Wappel (Austria)
  • ‘Visions for New Ways of Working in Finnish Tax Administration‘ by Pirta Karlsson (Finland)

Following a Q&A session, participants were split into groups to discuss and exchange experiences between members about setting up or planning a hybrid operation mode. More precisely, they shared how HR processes (e.g. recruitment, trainings) had to be adjusted recently to meet demands posed by the new operational mode, as well as challenges and success stories associated with the implementation of these.

During the second day of the Forum meeting, the plenary session followed the previous day’s theme of Hybrid Operation Mode with presentations about:

  • ‘Belgian case: Finances ways of working 2.0’ by Arnaud Vajda (Belgium)
  • ‘Hybrid office program - supporting new forms of working’ by Külli Meier (Estonia)
  • ‘Agile - the way we do it!’ by Suvi Juola (Finland)
  • Management of remote working risks’ by Ingra Rastentye (Italy)

On this day, groups continued their discussion on the hybrid work mode, specifically on questions on the optimal hybrid mode and HR policy updates considering new operational modes.

At the last plenary session of the Forum meeting, presenters provided experience from the private sector about the operational mode in different organisations. This session intended to cover various aspects of establishing an optimal work regime and managing teams in this mode with presentations on:

  • ‘Hybrid Discussion Pack’ by Victoria Robinson, PWC
  • ‘The Hybrid Workplace’ By Petra Tito, Deloitte

A virtual panel debate with business sector participants concluded the digital event, where the discussion revolved around best practices of the private sector on how to best organise the working environment

Presentations, group discussion notes and the full recording of the plenary sessions are available for registered IOTA website users on the event’s webpage.