As organisations continue navigating the changing world of work, one question remains at the forefront: what makes people actually want to come into the workplace?

In this session, Kay Sargent, Director of Thought Leadership at HOK, and Louise Sheppard, UK Head of Corporate Real Estate & Workplace Services at Zurich Insurance, explore how human-centric design and inclusive leadership can reshape the workplace experience, transforming offices from spaces of obligation into destinations of purpose, belonging and connection.

Drawing on their deep expertise, they'll discuss how workplaces can adapt to meet the diverse needs of today's workforce: from neurodiversity, menopause, and faith inclusion, to social value creation and post pandemic expectations around flexibility and wellbeing. The conversation will also look ahead to how technology and AI will continue to redefine how, when and where we work.

What defines a human centric workplace and why it matters now more than ever

Rethinking "return to office" through inclusion, experience and trust

How neurodiversity, wellbeing and culture shape a sense of belonging 

Social value and purpose as drivers of workplace engagement

The next evolution of work and what leaders aren't yet thinking about

Together, Kay and Louise will challenge assumptions, share real world insights, and explore how to create workplaces people not only use but choose.

The Human-Centric Workplace: Inclusion, Design and the New Meaning of Work