Human Resource Management Day is an annual career fair for students in the Human Resource Management and Working Life program, held at the Business School at Karlstad University.
The event offers lectures, exhibitors, and booth mingling designed to inspire and create connections ahead of students’ future working lives. This year’s theme: Together we shape the future of work.
Kristin Larsson, one of the project managers, was pleased with this year’s event.
– We want to be a link between working life and students. Many wonder what happens when you graduate and may feel a bit anxious about entering the job market. We want to start addressing that already during the study period and make sure students begin networking before graduation. We are very pleased with this year’s HR Day and with all our sponsors and speakers.
One item on the program was the HR Panel, where Ariella Brandt from the Swedish HR Association, John Johansson from Karlstad Business School, Viktor Göransson from the union Akavia, and Elida Kleine from Region Värmland answered questions submitted by the audience. How to handle situations where business goals clash with work environment or ethics, what the biggest challenges in HR work are, and which previous experiences have been most valuable in their HR roles were some of the questions posed. Their responses were thoughtful and well‑reasoned.
When asked about which competencies will be most important in the next 5–10 years, Viktor Göransson answered:
– Become skilled at using AI as a tool. And, in contrast to that, human competencies will also increase in value.
Karlstad Business School’s John Johansson added:
– AI will be part of what matters in the future. But also ask yourself: what can you do without AI? The more machines we have, the more people we need for creativity and feedback. And this applies already within the next five months.
Voices from exhibitors at Human Resource Management Day 2026
The Higher Ambition Program is a trainee program that collaborates with many companies in the region. Its vision is to bridge the gap between industry and students, making it easier for newly graduated students to enter working life.
– We’re here today to network with students who are about to graduate, says Vilma Brolund, herself a student at the Business School and a project assistant with the Higher Ambition Program. This year we are collaborating with companies like Thermia, Västra Värmlands Sparbank, and Innovation Park. So we’re here to promote our program to students. Many think what we offer sounds very exciting – especially the job opportunities we provide and the competitive edge you gain through the Higher Ambition Program.
Sofia Kyrk works as a recruiter for Forshaga Municipality and participated in HR Day to showcase the job opportunities available there.
– We are a small municipality and want to take the opportunity to present ourselves as an employer. It’s important for us to be visible both to HR students and to those who want to learn more about Forshaga Municipality. The interest today has been great—an event like this makes it easy for students to ask questions.
Speakers at this year’s HR Day included Linda Hammarstrand from Culture Academy AB and Julia Eklöf from Viaplay Group. The event was organized by the student association Pelikan at Karlstad Business School.
