All aboard the workforce agility express at Connect Live London 2024

Cornerstone Connect Live London 2024 came to life again following last year’s success in the iconic Stamford Bridge Stadium, home to the Premier League club Chelsea FC. Gathering our incredible community at this legendary venue was nothing short of magical. Walking through the same corridors as some of the greatest athletes in history set the stage for an extraordinary event that was much more than just a conference —it was a celebration of innovation, knowledge sharing, and allowing attendees to connect with like-minded professionals in a one-of-a-kind setting. These opportunities fostered long-lasting relationships, opening doors for future collaborations and partnerships. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who made this remarkable event possible!

In case you missed it, let’s look at the event's highlights and how attendees this year dove headfirst into the future of work, exploring cutting-edge strategies and solutions designed to bridge the workforce readiness gap.

Excitement kicked off a day early with our user group sessions, proving invaluable for learning and networking. These sessions provided a space for detailed discussions, sharing best practices, and gaining insights from Cornerstone's experts. Our customers delved into the ins and outs of Cornerstone products, inspired by real-life success stories. Interactive Q&As offered direct engagement with experts for deeper insights and support. With an emphasis on collaboration, attendees networked, shared experiences, and built lasting connections, fostering continuous improvement and innovation.

In a captivating opening keynote at Cornerstone Connect Live 2024 in London, Himanshu Palsule, Cornerstone CEO, spoke about the rapidly evolving workplace and how workforce readiness is crucial for organizational survival and success. He highlighted critical challenges like the widening skills gap, misaligned employee expectations, and stagnating workforces, which cost organizations millions in unrealized revenue due to a workforce's inability to adapt to rapid change.

Cornerstone, acutely aware of these challenges, has placed workforce agility at the heart of its mission, unveiled Cornerstone Galaxy, the world's premier AI-driven platform designed to offer personalized, holistic workforce solutions, poised to revolutionize the way organizations approach talent development and workforce readiness.

Himanshu also shared insights into Cornerstone's recent strategic acquisitions of Talespin and SkyHive. With Cornerstone Galaxy and integrating these acquired technologies, Cornerstone is well-positioned to lead the charge toward workforce agility. Himanshu's keynote served as a rallying cry for organizations to embrace this transformative solution and shape the future of work together.

Cornerstone Galaxy unveiled

During an energizing presentation, Chief Product Officer Karthik Suri and Product Strategy Director Anna R. Goldberg captivated attendees by underscoring Cornerstone's commitment to prioritizing people and their potential. Karthik unveiled Cornerstone Galaxy, a revolutionary platform designed to transform workforce development.

He spotlighted four new innovations: Cornerstone Immerse, which utilizes XR to enhance soft skill training through AI roleplays; Cornerstone Talent Intelligence, offering advanced skills analytics for strategic development; Cornerstone Extend, a flexible integration tool for customized talent management; and Cornerstone Companion, harnessing generative AI for personalized learning experiences.

These innovations position Cornerstone Galaxy as a key player in preparing a future-ready workforce that is adaptable and proficient in a dynamic business landscape.

Cornerstone's Chief International Officer Vincent Belliveau emphasized the company’s unwavering commitment to enhancing user experience across its product suite. Through consistent engineering investment, Cornerstone strives to provide seamless and intuitive solutions that maximize workforce potential.

Vincent shared several strategic initiatives to elevate user experience, highlighting the integration of cutting-edge AI capabilities for intelligent recommendations, personalized learning paths, and data-driven insights. These AI-powered features aim to streamline processes, enhance efficiency and tailor experiences for each user.

By prioritizing user experience and continually enhancing its products, Cornerstone empowers organizations to navigate the evolving work landscape with agility and confidence. Through intuitive interfaces, intelligent features and seamless integrations, Cornerstone is dedicated to delivering solutions that foster continuous learning, drive workforce readiness and unlock the full potential of talent.

In an enlightening customer panel discussion, moderated by our Chief Customer Officer, Toya Del Valle, with industry leaders from the Metropolitan Police, abrdn, DHL Group, Bain & Company, and Cornerstone's Chief People Officer, Carina Cortez—shared invaluable strategies for fostering workforce agility in today's dynamic landscape.

The session delved into the challenges organizations confront today, spotlighting pioneering solutions with a special emphasis on Cornerstone's pivotal role in driving organizational triumphs. Panelists accentuated the imperative of continuous learning, the harmonization of employee aspirations with corporate objectives, and the empowerment of the workforce to swiftly adapt to change. Real-world success stories showcased how leveraging Cornerstone’s cutting-edge solutions bridged skills gaps, promoted talent mobility and enhanced retention through personalized learning paths and data-driven insights. The discussion highlighted the critical nature of workforce agility and provided pragmatic strategies to future-proof organizations to unlock the full spectrum of their talent's potential.

At Cornerstone's event, attendees were immersed in the future of work through a series of insightful breakout sessions. These interactive discussions spanned various crucial topics, offering practical strategies and actionable insights to navigate the dynamic landscape of workforce agility and close the workforce readiness gap.

• A standout session by Luke Hicks and Anna R. Goldberg demonstrated how Cornerstone seamlessly integrates skills, talent analytics and intelligence to create a cohesive framework for a future-ready workforce.

• Mark Lamswood, Kristie Willix, and Sarah Drever Spence showcased a balanced roadmap for continuous learning.

• At the same time, Dominic Holmes and Mark Debono offered strategies for achieving true workforce agility through skills-based talent management.

• David Lyons, Gerben Ooijevaar, Gary Lacey, and Josie Goldberg also provided a deep dive into Cornerstone's content integration capabilities.

These sessions collectively offered a robust toolkit for future-proofing organizations and underscored Cornerstone's pivotal role in driving workforce agility and success.

Participants experienced the transformative power of immersive learning through VR and AI. Cornerstone's state-of-the-art solutions redefine how organizations cultivate essential soft skills, such as leadership, conflict resolution and communication.

Donning VR goggles, participants engaged in realistic simulations featuring AI-driven virtual human characters, enabling them to practice and hone their skills within a safe, controlled environment. This hands-on approach provided real-time feedback and guidance, offering a personalized and engaging learning experience.

In her insightful keynote, Lynda Gratton highlighted HR professionals' pivotal role in building an agile and future-ready workforce. She emphasized five critical trends demanding proactive attention: evolving multi-stage career paths, the reshaping of work by Generative AI and technology, shifts in work expectations post-pandemic, the rise of the gig economy and the necessity for organizational agility.

Lynda emphasized that addressing these trends requires HR professionals to act as the "golden thread" connecting employees, managers, and leaders. By helping managers foster a culture that nurtures growth and retention, HR can significantly shape an agile and future-ready workforce.

As the sun set magnificently behind Stamford Bridge, attendees gathered one final time for a closing celebration brimming with fun, food and camaraderie. This vibrant finale perfectly encapsulated the spirit of an event that inspired and invigorated everyone present. The pressing reality of the widening workforce readiness gap underscored the critical necessity of workforce agility, a realm in which Cornerstone leads with unparalleled expertise. Equipping organizations with essential tools, insights and support, Cornerstone diligently prepares them to tackle current challenges while seizing future opportunities.

With London in our rearview mirror, we're excited about what lies ahead in our Global Connect Live Tour of 14 Cities. Visit the Connect Live website here to register for any of the upcoming 2024 Connect Live Tour events and build your personalized agenda.

We couldn’t have hosted such a great event without our Connect Live sponsors. A special thanks to Deloitte, isEazy, SQEPtech, Vitro Global, Educe, NIIT, eConsulting, goFLUENT, Jam Pan Learning, SAI360, SureSkills and our supporting sponsor, Google Cloud.