Top "Wow Moments" and Insights from 2025 C2HR CON C2HR CON delivered timely topics and dynamic speakers, energizing more than 200 attendees from across the media, tech and entertainment industries. There were several lightbulb moments that we want to share with the C2HR community at large. We hope these key takeaways will inspire you to attend C2HR CON in 2026! The topic of AI was a repeated theme throughout the day. Several C2HR CON speakers advised that we must prepare for a future where bots and other forms of AI are prevalent in our day-to-day operations. HR professionals can use AI to create value (strategic), apply its strengths to increase cost efficiency (operational) or simply continue business as usual and risk irrelevance. Humans must guide AI ethically and strategically as AI cannot function independently. In fact, during the session “Beyond the Buzz: Using AI to Empower HR,” panelists likened AI to a junior assistant who lacks empathy and context. Experts in “HR Reimagined: Unlocking HR’s Potential in the Age of AI & Market Disruption” identified three levels of AI involvement in the workplace: human-led, AI-augmented, and AI-powered. Speakers predicted that due to AI, HR jobs may decline in functional depth but will experience growth in problem-solving, adaptability and creativity. ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Capacity topped the experts’ list of favorite AI tools. Keynote speaker, Natalie Nixon, PhD, shared that creativity, especially amidst uncertainty, is a core skill — it is projected to be the #2 most in-demand skill by 2027. It’s strategic, not optional. It is a skill that can be built and honed, rather than an innate ability. To help cultivate creativity, HR professionals should approach their work with a balance of wonder and rigor and learn to toggle between them to solve problems and create value. Natalie shared a 60-second exercise to approach problem-solving with question-storming rather than brainstorming. She also encouraged HR professionals to embrace creative friction during cross-functional collaboration. It may result in some short-term discomfort, but the resulting energy often leads to more innovative results. During the session “The Future of Talent: People Analytics as a Strategic Compass,” the panelists reminded us that every data point has a human behind it. Analytics should always be framed with empathy and context, especially when analyzing big data. In addition, we must actively build our data fluency, in order to master analytics, empowered storytelling and applied AI literacy. Several sessions suggested prototyping and creating pilot programs for a smaller group before scaling for the masses. The session “Supporting Employees Through Disasters: Strategies for Resilience” emphasized the importance of having a comprehensive, documented plan in place that puts people first, emphasizing employee safety, wellbeing, morale and trust. A successful crisis management plan will manage 80% of the chaos that arises in an emergency situation, leaving only 20% requiring decisions in the moment. Communication with identified stakeholders is vital. “Transforming Talent: The HR Approach to Upskilling and Reskilling” highlighted an intriguing approach for HR, the mantra “build-buy-borrow-bot” as a talent strategy. In addition, panelists emphasized the importance of research. For instance, one company’s assessments identified employees’ top three desired skills. Those findings guided their entire L&D program. Another key takeaway: customized training is nearly always better than generic. Tailored, business-specific training drives higher knowledge retention and ROI. In the coming months, HR Pulse will feature articles that deep dive into several of the key topics from C2HR CON. Stay tuned! In the meantime, you’re invited to view the photo gallery capturing memorable moments from the event.   SHARE THIS ARTICLE