Workforce reductions are unavoidable at times, but poor design can damage capability for years. This session shows how one organisation built a data-led approach to right-sizing that distinguished between redeployment, reskilling and genuine redundancy. Delegates will see how internal mobility options were surfaced, how conversations were supported, and how risks were managed. The speaker explains how skills adjacencies, performance signals and business-critical roles were brought together into a single view that leaders could act on with confidence. The result is a practical blueprint for reducing cost while protecting long-term capability and maintaining transparency with employees.


CHRO and Director of Human Resources
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency
Organisations across Europe are facing cost pressure, productivity stalls and shifting talent pools. Reductions and footprint changes are increasingly common, but blanket cuts harm capability and trust. Leaders need approaches that balance cost targets with skill retention, responsible treatment of people, and regulatory awareness – especially with tightening reporting expectations and Works Council scrutiny.