This year’s theme is “empowering people to lead change” and reflects a fundamental shift in how organisations are operating as workplaces are reshaped by technology, global uncertainty and employee expectations.
The EAPM says that traditional, top-down leadership models are becoming less effective and that success depends on leaders who can build trust and give employees greater autonomy while equipping them with the skills needed to navigate the emerging AI technology. Meanwhile, the Future of Jobs Report 2025, highlighted that human capabilities such as creativity, resilience, adaptability and curiosity are becoming critical differentiators.
Berna Öztinaz, the first female President of the EAPM, CHRO of Genel Energy Plc and Chartered Fellow of the CIPD, highlights the importance of creating workplaces that evolve with today’s economic and technological realities. She said, “Driving change is at the heart of what we do in HR, and empowering people to lead that change has never been more important. This means giving employees a real voice, equipping them with the skills to understand how AI and technology will shape the future of work, and creating environments where balance, fairness and meaningful work are prioritised. These are not just ideals — they are essential to sustaining performance, boosting productivity and enabling people to truly thrive.”
The EAPM is also stressing the importance of continuous learning, warning that widespread reskilling will be required as roles evolve due to technological, demographic and climate-related pressures.
Mary Connaughton, Fellow CIPD, represents Ireland on the Board of the EAPM and sits on the International HR Day working group. She highlights the prominent role of leaders in this year’s theme, “Having supported transformation to cope with global crises, our leaders are looking to us for guidance and we should be ready to help them on this next journey. Investing in leadership development and encouraging leaders to actively listen and support continuous learning will be essential. We must enable practices that foster trust and empower employees at every level. By taking a proactive, people-centric approach, the HR profession can help organisations build resilient, high-performing teams for the future.”
Alongside virtual and in-person events, the HR community will be using #InternationalHRDay across social media platforms to share their experiences. Full details of the event are at www.eapm.org.
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Headshots of Berna Öztinaz and Mary Connaughton are attached
ABOUT EAPM
The European Association for People Management (EAPM) is a network association and the European body for human resource management. It forms a European umbrella body of national HR organisations and facilitates experience exchange without any profit-related objectives. It is purely professional and specialist in nature
(see https://www.eapm.org/ihrd/ for more info).
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Sinead Aherne, Healy Communications on behalf of EAPM
📱+ 353 87 7143129 or 📨 sinead@healycommunications.ie
