HRpro.be, the Belgian association of HR Professionals, congratulates UZ Brussels for their nomination as HR Ambassador 2026, following a landmark evening at the Planet Group Arena in Ghent. We also congratulate Barco and VDK Bank. The 20th edition of HR Gala brought together the Belgian HR community for an evening of inspiration, recognition, and celebration. Jan Van Raes accepted the prestigious HR Ambassador award on behalf of UZ Brussels, receiving the trophy from Pieter Timmermans, CEO of VBO FEB and jury chair of HR Gala, and Najwa Abid from DEME Group, the winner of 2025. The two other finalists — Barco and VDK Bank — were equally celebrated for their outstanding HR practices. All three organisations demonstrated that strong HR leadership makes a real difference. Leadership as the Evening's Theme The event opened with an inspiring session on Leadership in Trust, featuring: Prof. dr. Lou Van Beirendonck (Antwerp Management School), who explored the foundations of trust-based lead

A call to action from the PARE Conference in Tallinn On April 23, David Ducheyne took the stage at the PARE Conference in Tallinn in his capacity as Vice President HR of the European Association for People Management (EAPM). His message was direct and uncompromising: HR stands at a defining moment, and the profession's future depends on the choices its practitioners make now. A Profession Both Thriving and Threatened HR has rarely mattered more, Ducheyne argued — and rarely been more at risk. Organizations need the function as never before, yet that need coexists with a real danger: that HR, if left unattended, drifts toward automation, irrelevance, and even resentment. The answer to that paradox, he insisted, is not defensive. It is constructive. HR must build itself into a stronger profession, one that looks forward rather than backward, helps organizations master change rather than merely react to it, builds capabilities rather than accumulates policies, and ultimately helps people

door Ann Vylders Veel organisaties zijn vandaag veerkrachtiger dan ooit. Ze hebben de afgelopen jaren geleerd om te gaan met opeenvolgende schokken zoals pandemieën, verstoringen in de supply chain en economische onzekerheid. Die veerkracht voelt als een succesverhaal: organisaties zijn sneller geworden, wendbaarder en beter in staat om onder druk beslissingen te nemen. Maar precies daar ontstaat een paradox die vaak onzichtbaar blijft. In een gesprek met een CEO van een internationale organisatie werd dat duidelijk. Hij vertelde hoe zijn bedrijf in de afgelopen jaren enorme stappen had gezet in snelheid en adaptief vermogen. Teams schakelden sneller, beslissingen werden dichter bij de operatie genomen en de organisatie leek beter dan ooit in staat om met verandering om te gaan. Toch viel er op een bepaald moment een stilte in het gesprek. Hij zei: “Eerlijk, Ann…ik weet niet of we nog echt nieuwe signalen oppikken.” Die uitspraak raakt een onderliggend patroon dat ik in veel change man

The Central Economic Council issues a first report on the wage margin for 2025–2026 The Central Economic Council (CEC) published a first report on 19 February 2025 presenting detailed calculations of the maximum available wage margin for 2025–2026. This report was drafted within the framework of the Act of 26 July 1996 on the promotion of employment and the preventive safeguarding of competitiveness. The purpose of the Act is to ensure that wage negotiations are compatible with objectives relating to employment and competitiveness. The Act provides that the average hourly labour cost in the Belgian private sector must evolve in line with that of three reference countries: Germany, the Netherlands, and France. By maintaining competitive wage conditions, the Act also stimulates recruitment and promotes the retention of existing jobs. It constitutes an essential safeguard against rising unemployment. A margin of 0% for 2025–2026 The maximum margin constitutes a ceiling for actual wage in

David Ducheyne Algorithms are quietly reshaping how organisations manage performance. From real-time dashboards and predictive analytics to automated feedback and rankings, algorithmic performance management is becoming reality. The promise is compelling: more objectivity, greater efficiency, and decisions based on data rather than gut feeling. But there is a catch. Recent research shows that the success of algorithmic performance management has far less to do with the quality of the algorithm than with the quality of leadership around it. The Myth of the Neutral Algorithm Algorithmic systems are often introduced as neutral and objective tools. By analysing large volumes of data (KPIs, behavioural patterns, productivity metrics) they are supposed to remove bias and standardise decision-making. Yet employees rarely experience these systems as neutral. Algorithms are typically not very transparent. People do not know exactly how decisions are made, which data points matter most, or how m

Employees rarely leave organizations for a single reason. Research consistently shows that turnover is driven by an accumulation of organizational, job-related, and personal factors. Poor work environments, limited growth opportunities, misalignment of values, and sustained stress or burnout emerge most frequently across studies. Core Categories of Turnover Drivers 1. Work Environment and Organizational Culture A weak or toxic organizational culture is one of the most powerful predictors of employee turnover. Experiences of bullying, unfair treatment, low organizational justice, and psychologically unsafe environments significantly increase intentions to leave (Sulastri et al., 2025; Sun et al., 2025; Ak, 2018; Barak et al., 2001). Leadership quality plays a critical role in shaping these experiences. Poor leadership, limited supervisory or organizational support, and rigid, inconsistent, or unclear policies are strongly associated with higher resignation rates (Sulastri et al., 2025;