The global impact of the recession means that many HR professionals across Europe are facing similar challenges. Members taking part in the CIPD’s international exchange meetings have the chance to share their experiences with their European counterparts and hear from experts and HR leaders on key people management and development concerns.

Earlier this month, Frances Wilson, CIPD international research and practice manager, and Claire McCartney, CIPD adviser, organisation and resourcing, spoke at the Anglo-Belgian-French meeting, held in Brussels as part of the Belgian HR association’s annual conference. Wilson told French and Belgian colleagues about the CIPD’s major Shaping the Future research on high performance and sustainability in difficult times, while McCartney unveiled some key findings from the CIPD’s new War on Talent research.

A round-table discussion – led by French experts in social and economic issues – focused on France, particularly the demographic profile and the implications of more stringent employment law on labour markets.

Participants also discussed the implications of EU legislation, including the fact that labour mobility was becoming a more sensitive issue during an economic downturn. For HR practitioners, the challenge was ensuring good employment practice and sourcing talent in the global market.

One example of efforts to address the downturn came from the Belgian government, which is exploring the idea of short “work placements” in the military for young people.

The exchange meetings are held between members of the European Association of Personnel Management with the next event – the Northern European Exchange – taking place in Dusseldorf, Germany on 2-3 April. The programme will focus on HR practice in response to the economic downturn and John Philpott, the CIPD’s chief economist, will present a UK perspective. The meeting will also include contributions from Germany, the Netherlands, Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Estonia.