A recap of RGER Live: 2025 HR Trends

This year, we welcomed over 1,000 HR leaders from across Australia, both in-person and online, for a day of thought leadership, innovative people strategies, and invaluable networking. With an incredible lineup of speakers and engaging discussions, the event provided fresh perspectives on the evolving world of work, leadership, wellbeing, and employee experience.

As one of the event’s hosts, alongside my colleague Belma Kubur, it was my privilege to kick things off and welcome our attendees at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).

In this recap, I’ll take you through the key RGER Live: 2025 HR Trends sessions, highlighting the insights and themes that shaped the day.

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us, whether in person or virtually. Your enthusiasm and commitment to creating better workplaces made this event truly special. If you’d like to continue the conversation on how to bring these strategies to life in your organisation, our team would love to chat. Reach out to us here.

Unveiling Australia’s 2025 Workplace Engagement Index

We kicked off the day with a look into Australia’s 2025 Workplace Engagement Index, led by APAC Managing Director, Kylie Green, and Director of Consultancy, Kylie Terrell. In our second annual index report, we uncovered what’s driving employee engagement in Australia today and the key trends shaping HR strategies for the year ahead. 

RGER Live was the first exclusive look at the data. This year’s research reveals what truly drives productivity and retention including reward and recognition (43%), strong and supportive leadership (41%) and competitive compensation (38%). Attendees gained valuable insights and left with actionable takeaways on how to enhance connection, motivation, and productivity within their teams.

Get all the insights here.

Rethinking Leadership and Management for the New World of Work

As workplaces continue to evolve, so must leadership. Lauren Stanton, Oceania Talent Leader at EY, Merril Hotchkin, Head of People, Performance and Culture at Metricon and Alicia Lykos, Founder and Chief Talent Optimiser at Red Wolf Group each took the stage to challenge traditional leadership models and discuss how HR can empower managers to lead with authenticity, adaptability, and empathy.

This session explored the shifting expectations of leadership, the role of psychological safety in high-performing teams, and the importance of developing emotionally intelligent leaders.

You can watch the recording here.

Creating Healthy, Happy & Productive Workforces Through Sustainable Wellbeing Strategies

Employee wellbeing isn’t just a buzzword. It’s a critical factor for business success, as we found out in this session. 

This engaging panel was moderated by Steph Met, one of our Employee Engagement Consultants, who was joined by:

• Kate Ludwig, Head of People & Culture, Story House Early Learning
• Neha Patel, Manager - Performance, Recognition & Benefits, Suncorp

They unpacked strategies to foster long-term, sustainable wellbeing initiatives that go beyond quick fixes. From mental health support and burnout prevention to designing holistic wellness programs, this discussion gave HR leaders a fresh perspective on how to create thriving workplaces that support both employee happiness and organisational performance.

Watch the panel here.

The CEO Perspective: Securing Investment for Critical People Programs in a Tough Economic Climate

With many businesses facing financial pressures, securing executive buy-in for HR initiatives is more crucial than ever. We heard from Diana McManus, People Director at Ramsay Health Care, Nick Burns, CEO at Reward Gateway, and Kylie Terrell, Director of Consultancy, APAC Reward Gateway, who provided an insider’s look at what CEOs prioritise when allocating budgets and how HR leaders can successfully build the business case for critical people programs.

Attendees walked away with practical strategies for aligning HR initiatives with business objectives, demonstrating ROI, and effectively communicating the impact of employee engagement programs.

View the recording here. 

Empowering Managers to Meet the Evolving Employee Needs in 2025 and Beyond

In this thought-provoking session, Daniel Laverty, Head of Client Success at Reward Gateway, Peter Elkhuizen, Learning and Development Manager at Starbucks, and Kylie Terrell, Director of Consultancy, APAC at Reward Gateway explored the role of psychological safety in fostering inclusion, innovation, and high performance.

The discussion highlighted how HR can drive cultural change by creating environments where employees feel safe to share ideas, voice concerns and take risks. Without fear of judgment or repercussions.

Watch this session here. 

Bringing an Attractive EVP to Life for a Diverse, Multigenerational Workforce

A strong Employee Value Proposition (EVP) is essential for attracting and retaining top talent, especially in today’s diverse workforce. Alex McGrath, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Wellbeing at REA Group, Carolyn Vo, Organisational Development Specialist at Scope and Kate Smith, Executive General Manager - People & Culture at Cirka spoke on a panel led by Reward Gateway's Group Retail Director, Daniele Iezzi. They led a compelling discussion on how to craft and communicate an EVP that resonates across multiple generations and demographic groups.

From personalised employee experiences to inclusive benefits and flexible work models, this session provided actionable insights on how HR can differentiate their organisations and build long-term employee loyalty.

Get all of the insights from this panel here. 

Closing Keynote: Emma Murray – High Performance Mindfulness

We wrapped up the day with an inspiring keynote from Emma Murray, Founder of High Performance Mindfulness. Emma shared her expertise on how mindfulness techniques can drive peak performance, resilience and focus, both at work and in life.

Her powerful session left attendees motivated to rethink how mindset, mindfulness, and mental fitness can be leveraged to fuel professional success and personal wellbeing. And wow, what a session this was! 

A massive thank you to all our speakers, panelists, and attendees who made RGER Live: 2025 HR Trends such an unforgettable experience. The conversations, insights, and energy throughout the day showcased the incredible passion within Australia’s HR community.

You can get all of the sessions and insights from the day in one place via our RGER Live 2025 Content Hub.

Want to explore how Reward Gateway | Edenred can help bring these HR strategies to life in your organisation? Get in touch with our team today.