Join us for a small roundtable focused on the critical role of human resources policies in creating a fair, structured, and thriving workplace...

Questions: 

• Why does the ‘HR policy - practice gap’ matter for organisations?  

• What are the key enablers for implementing HR policies effectively?  

• What are the common pitfalls of translating well-intentioned HR policies (like EDI, Workforce Wellbeing, or Conflict Resolution policies) into meaningful change on the ground?  

• What role does leadership play in bridging the gap between policy creation, implementation and actual practice? 

Leaders are responsible for shaping the future of their companies, cultures, and workforces. To meet organisational goals, they must focus on strategic talent management, organisational culture, and employee engagement, while also managing risk. These priorities cannot be fully addressed without effective Human Resource policies that govern how employees, teams and the organisation itself are expected to behave. Well-designed Human Resource policies are vital for creating a fair, structured, and thriving workplace and serve as a foundation for organisational and employee success. 

However the challenge lies in translating these policies into tangible outcomes. Even the most thoughtfully crafted policies can fall short if they are not aligned with existing practices, applied consistently, or integrated across the organization. When this HR policy-practice gap is left unaddressed, it can undermine the effectiveness of these policies, leading to disengagement, inconsistent performance, and missed organisational goals. 

Drawing on research in Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI), workforce wellbeing, and workplace conflict management, this session will explore how senior leaders can adopt a systems-based approach to policy implementation, ensuring that policies are not only created but also effectively designed and embedded in everyday operations. Using real-world case studies and scenarios, we will help leaders navigate the complexities of Human Resource policy-to-practice translation and provide actionable strategies to overcome common barriers. 

This seminar will provide an opportunity to hear from our experts at Queen’s University Belfast and discuss specific areas of interest for you and your company, in a small group setting. 

This event will include a Q&A session after the presentation.  

Please note that this will be a small roundtable, informal event. Spaces will be limited only to CEC members and University partners, and will be allocated on a first come first served basis. 

Please RSVP to portia.ellis-woods@qub.ac.uk  indicating any special dietary requirements. 

About the Speaker

Dr Heike Schröder

Dr Heike Schröder is a Reader in Human Resource Management (HRM) at Queen’s Business School. Her research focuses on career transitions and trajectories of workers and how these are shaped by social policy, organisational HRM, and individual-level factors. She is particularly interested in how the implementation of HRM policies, such as age management, gender equity and wellbeing policies, affects employment and career outcomes of workers. Her research spans different national contexts, including Germany, the UK, Japan and Korea, as well as different occupations and sectors, such as health and social care, teaching and engineering.  

Heike has published widely in academic journals and edited books in HRM, social policy as well as health and social care. She has extensive teaching experience in global HRM, People Management, Organisational Behaviour, and Business, Government and Society at Undergraduate and Postgraduate level. She is also currently supporting the career and employability skills development of students on work placement abroad as well as of international students seeking to build careers the UK. 

Dr Denise Currie

Denise is a Reader in Human Resource Management at Queen's Business School. Her research focuses broadly on employment relations, with specific interests in conflict management, partnering and collaboration, and workforce wellbeing. More recently, her work has explored the implementation of HR policies and their implications for workforce outcomes. Her research spans both national and international contexts, covering a range of sectors across for-profit and non-profit organisations, with a growing emphasis on health and social care. 

Denise has published widely in leading academic journals and co-authored two books on workplace conflict resolution. She has extensive teaching experience in human resource management, employee relations, and change management at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. In addition, she collaborates with the International Training Centre of the International Labour Organization (ITCILO) to deliver masterclasses on workplace conflict and employee relations. 

Denise also serves on the Executive Committee (as a trustee) for The Cedar Foundation, a charitable organisation supporting individuals living with disability, autism, and brain injury to live the lives they choose.