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A week ago I was listening to Robin Roberts inspire 10,000+ HR professionals with her journey, wisdom and strength. I continue to be impressed with the speakers that SHRM pulls for events, but Robin Roberts probably takes the cake! She was so humble and I love her sense of humor. A week later I’m still sitting her amazed at the honor of sharing a room with her. She was just amazing, but we also heard from one of our own, Heather Abbott.

ORLANDO, FLA.—When a merger, new computer system or remodeled office becomes so jarring that workers are growing stressed, angry and combative, Brad Karsh has five words of advice: Millennials can be your friends. 

Those born between 1981 and 2000 are so accustomed to adapting, comfortable around authority figures and confident about asking questions that they may be best suited to lead older workers in embracing company change, noted Karsh, who spoke June 24 at the 2014 Society for Human Resource Management.  

The third day is when the conference grind sets it and depending on how late your “client meetings” ran, it’s a tough day.

You need to start packing the suitcase and you’re probably wondering why you just didn’t ship that whole bag of “tangible memories” you collected off the expo floor.

Transformation

The theme of the 2014 SHRM Annual Conference, and one that manifested in a number of ways throughout the course of the four days.  The keynote speakers touched on it.  Many of the concurrent and Smart Stage sessions reinforced it.  But the question is, did the HR professionals that attended walk away ready to assume a transformational mindset?

On June 25, SHRM @weknownext chatted about "Returning to the Workforce After a Career Gap."

The sun has set on the 3rd day of programming here in Orlando and those of us who were lucky enough to attend the 2014 Society for Human Resource Management Annual Conference know how the US Soccer Team felt playing in Brazil. Through our blood, sweat and tears we got closer to (re)certification, attained an exorbitant amount of knowledge, found solutions to unmet needs and made a few new friends.

The second day of large conferences has always been my favorite day. Everything is still fresh and new, the speakers are excited, and the attendees are excited… well let me rephrase that, the attendees are excited until they realize that their next session is across the convention center.

We Know Next is finding and interviewing HR Motivators at the SHRM 2014 Annual Conference & Exposition.  Below is a Q&A with HR professional Bobbie Wilson.

Q. What inspires you as an HR professional? 

I like bringing out the good in people, helping them to achieve more or understand more. In the end I'm helping to enrich peoples' lives through their work.

Q. What social media platform do you use most for your job and why?

We at NGA.NET were very pleased to work with Talent Management magazine recently on an in-depth article, “HR Can’t Ignore Big Data” that explored the importance of Big Data in hiring and talent management. The article outlines several things government agencies must consider when implementing a metrics-driven talent management strategy.  I’ve highlighted the key points with a few additional pieces that didn’t make it into the final version of the article, but I felt were important to share.

I spent much of the day Monday roaming the HUGE exhibit hall at the 2014 SHRM Annual Conference. This was by design as my previous venture to SHRM in Chicago ended before I could make it all the way through. For those thinking that I missed out on educational opportunities by not attending sessions, you are mistaken as the 2014 exhibition hall has numerous educational opportunities.

Before I attended my first SHRM Annual, I pondered the important question, “What does Michael J. Fox have to do with HR?” I didn’t understand at that time that SHRM follows a set of specific criteria when choosing its keynotes. (Matt Stollak explains that system here.)

The second day of the Society for Human Resource Management's Annual Conference is in the books and I figured I would share a few highlights from this divinely inspiring day.

“To change ourselves effectively, we first have to change our perceptions.- Stephen Covey

I just met a woman at SHRM14 who I wish had a microphone and a platform as her message is a great one.

As I wrote earlier this week, my goal was to supplement the typical concurrent session, general session or vendor posts with some insight and wisdom from the participants of this conference.

She didn’t want to be named and certainly didn’t want her picture taken so for now, let’s just call her “Jane.”

 Dear SHRM Foundation,

 We’ve known each other for years.  We’ve had our ups (your support of the HRGames) and our downs (the 247 Director’s Circle pins you sent me as a sign of your affection).  However, despite this rollercoaster of emotions, I’ve always supported you and been in your corner.  So, in this public forum, it is time to declare my love for you and say that you’re the best thing under the SHRM umbrella.  How do I love thee? Let me count the ways:
 

In his Monday morning session at #SHRM14, Steve Browne urged those attending his session to be themselves at all times, even at work! Now I know this may frighten some of you as much as the thought of missing out on the latest iPad giveaway in the exhibition hall. This should not be a scary prospect, even in a formal environment. After all, if you are not yourself, then you are either a fake or a poor imitation of someone else.

Well it’s time. The center of the HR Universe has descended upon central Florida to catch up with old friends and colleagues, meet and network with new people, and gain some continuing education credits.

All while it feels like 90 degrees outside with 90% humidity.

I’m excited to participate in the conference as a blogger and here’s my dispatch for day one:

Benefits communication is one of those topics that everyone hates to love…or just hates. There are rules and procedures in place that make being fun with benefits communication almost impossible. Today I attended a session titled, Perception is Reality: Best Practices in Benefits Communication” with Mary Schafer of ADP. For those who are new to benefits you’ll quickly learn that getting people to enroll in different programs can be a challenge, especially with rising costs and uncertainty on how Obamacare is really beneficial for the everyday employee.

Re-entering the workforce after a long break to raise children, to care for aging parents or for other life-changing reasons can be an intimidating--and sometimes humiliating--experience.  

Before I jump in, I realize that there is some cost associated with everything. My love of economics doesn’t allow me to get away with the idea of a “free lunch” without mentioning that; however, I’m talking about increasing the perceived value without increasing the direct cost of the various options offered. Hang with me, there’s good stuff to share. 

Be careful out there, all you web surfers; cyberspace can be a dangerous place.

Even though the Internet has evolved into one of the most effective tools for companies to connect with customers, communicate with employees, identify talent and recruit new workers, an active online presence has become risky business. Malicious software and viruses have proliferated across the Web and are now lurking in innocuous-looking e-mails, file attachments and websites.

Here is a short post...but was inspired this afternoon after being disappointed by people stirring the pot.

I had the pleasure of spending some time with two fantastic HR professionals, Joel Peterson and Enrique Antonio, this afternoon. After catching up with our lives and careers, the conversation turned to professional certification, and the recent decision by SHRM to manage it on its own.

I start this post as I hurdle along at 501 mph in seat 30C over the skies of Ohio on my way to the 2014 SHRM Annual Conference in Orlando.  It occurs to me that I am very fortunate in so many ways in life and this certainly counts as one of them.

Transformation can inspire. Hear how Steve Browne, SPHR inspires through his work in HR. Visit annual.shrm.org to register for the SHRM 2014 Annual Conference & Exposition. #SHRM14 #HR

We Know Next is finding and interviewing HR Motivators at the SHRM 2014 Annual Conference & Exposition.  Below is a Q&A with HR Young professional Callie Zipple.

Q. What do you see as being the biggest challenge for HR in the next 10 years?

Finding a way to stay competitive during the hiring process.  Candidates often have more than 1 offer…why yours? 

Q. What book are you reading right now?

We Know Next is finding and interviewing HR Motivators at the SHRM 2014 Annual Conference & Exposition.  Below is a Q&A with HR Young professional Chanel Jackson.

Q.  What book are you reading right now?

A. "Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit" of Less by Greg McKeown.  As an HR professional you always feel the need to respond to so many people and you find yourself so stretched that you’re not effective. This book helps you to identify and focus on your top priorities to be more productive.   

We’ll make this nice and easy.

SHRM National is big. This ain’t your local conference.  To navigate big you need to logistically think small.  If you logistically think small, you can save all your big energy on networking, learning, and thinking.

My list is broken into 3 sections.  Learning Essentials, the Expo Hall,  and Clothing/Accessory Essentials.

#SHRM14 Learning Essentials: 

Here are 14 tips as the countdown begins for #SHRM14.  Most will be useful for SHRM Annual Conference newbies and some will be great reminders for those of us who are SHRM Conference veterans.  Looking forward to seeing you in Orlando!

1.  Be prepared to walk!

Pack tennis shoes because you’ll need them.  No one will make fun of you if you’re wearing your HR lady pantsuit and a pair of tennis shoes.  Bonus: bring compression socks, you’ll thank me later.

2.  It’s HOT, stay hydrated.  Water is best!

3.  Eat for fuel.

I’m looking forward to next week’s big SHRM show which officially kicks off on Sunday; I’ll be arriving on Saturday in order to spend some time at the SHRM Annual Student Conference before the majority of the hordes descend upon the Orange Country Convention Center.

NEW YORK—Organizations are most fragile as they transform an idea into a product or new business and move from plan to reality. To succeed, they should speed through “the first mile” by being deft, managing uncertainty and recognizing when to ditch an idea.

After more than 1,100 responses from our members, I am enthusiastic to announce that we have a name for the new SHRM certification. There will be two levels to the new certification:

On June 18, SHRM @weknownext chatted with Jerome Ternynck (@JeromeTernynck) about "

Laurie McIntosh, SPHR, Director of Member Engagement at SHRM, discusses the unprecedented level of research that went into the three-year process to develop the SHRM HR Competency Model. 

Dr. Alex Alonso, PHD, SPHR, and Vice President of Research for SHRM  discusses how the SHRM is establishing the firewall between the Certification examination and the certification preparation materials. 

It’s hard to believe that in just a few days the largest conference for human resources professionals will be taking place in Orlando, my hometown. SHRM Annual is a huge event and, for the first-time attendee, it can be a lot to take in. Who are we kidding – even for those of us who’ve been to SHRM Annual before – it can be a lot!

As you’re putting together your strategy for the conference, here are a few things to build into your schedule:

It’s about that time!

It’s about time to think about packing.

It’s about time to touch base with friends I haven’t seen in awhile.

And it’s about time to get excited about learning something new.

SHRM 2014 National Conference starts in less than a week, and it’s about time to get prepared for it!

When employers want to customize their voluntary benefits program, they have plenty of options. The list can include anything from employer-negotiated banking fees and travel insurance to a dry cleaning pick-up and drop-off service and discounted days at amusement parks.

1. You'll see friends you don't see often enough.  It is possible the NLRB may prohibit H.R. from having friends, so enjoy the friendships while you can.  You might be thinking, “The NLRB cannot regulate HR." Silly rabbit. Friendships among HR professionals could chill concerted activity by employees covered by the NLRA. As logical as.....

This weekend I’ll be heading to Orlando for the #SHRM14 Annual Conference and Expo.  Many of you may be joining me; for some of you it may be your first time, others of you may be SHRM Annual veterans.  No matter if it’s your first time or tenth time attending, I ask you this question: Are you maximizing your conference experience?

The Society for Human Resource Management Annual Conference is upon us. How do I know? Because my inbox is flooded with requests for interaction from the world's finest sales people. If you haven't attended the SHRM Annual conference in the past, the Exhibitor Hall can be a bit intimidating.

How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world. - Anne Frank

I have three talents…none of them are bowling.

I have bowled quite a bit in my 44 years; I used to be on a team in my late 20s but that’s mostly because it came with pizza and beer and, to be honest, there wasn’t much else to do in Juneau, Alaska in the wintertime so I thought, “why not bowl…and eat and drink with friends?”  

Employer branding should be one of the top concerns for every executive in today’s highly competitive and social talent market. A strong employer brand cuts through the noise of social media, creates opportunities for recommendations, and gives talent (past, current and future) a sense of positive identification with your company.

In a long-awaited decision, California’s highest court on May 29, 2014, affirmed a 2012 state court of appeals decision vacating a $15 million judgment in a misclassification class action brought under state law. In the lawsuit, which was brought against U.S.

It makes me happy to think about journeying to Orlando in less than two weeks to attend my second SHRM Annual Conference.  Having experienced my first last year, I now know that the event is much bigger than the sessions held in the conference center. The variety of events that occur along with the conference bring opportunities for not only learning, but fun as well. I’ve heard some discount the importance of these events, but they are an important element of advancing our profession.

Human Resources is often written about in vast layers and fantastic catch phrases !!  When I see posts about “harnessing the synergy of human capital” I start to twitch.  One of the shortcomings of what we do is that we try to make it harder than it needs to be.  I think that HR has fallen into the trap that if we sound like we’re more intricate, then people will give us more credibility.

It’s almost upon us; that wild-frenzied time when HR professionals from across the US (and the world) travel to a VENUE that can accommodate 15,000+ attendees to get their HR groove on.  The Expo Hall is chock-full of swag and the booze flows freely during the Sunday night opening.  The SHRM bookstore is loaded with thousands (thousands!) of titles for review, immediate purchase or shipment.

It’s hard to believe, but the 2014 SHRM Annual Conference is only about a week and a half away.  This year’s location is right in the heart of tourist mecca Orlando, Florida, at the Orange County Convention Center, and runs from June 22^nd to the 25^th.  Once again, I’ll be heading down and reporting in as part of the SHRM Social Media and blogging team.

Organizations around the world are losing an estimated 5 percent of their annual revenues to internal theft, according to the premier study on occupational fraud published by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE).

The biennial 2014 Report to the Nations on Occupational Fraud & Abuse includes data compiled from 1,483 cases of fraud investigated globally between January 2012 and December 2013.

If an organization’s short-term incentive programs are not driving better employee performance, they are just wasting money.

You’re sitting in your office, in front of the computer. Stacks of paper, files, and forms sit on your credenza, your desk, and one of the side chairs. The door to your office is slightly ajar, and anyone passing by can see that you are there. Suddenly, a gentle knock, and a head appears in the doorway. “Got a minute?” You, of course, reply, “Sure.

California voters legalized the use of medical marijuana in 1996. Twenty years later, in 2016, will they also give the nod to the recreational use of marijuana?

As the days grow warmer, California employers with outdoor places of employment should think about compliance with California’s Heat Illness Prevention Regulations (Cal. Code of Regs. tit. 8, § 3395). To comply with the regulations, California employers should take four essential steps:

*Develop and implement written procedures for addressing heat illness prevention. 

*Train employees and supervisors. 

*Provide adequate water.

*Provide adequate shade.

Coverage

In June, hiring rates will reach four-year highs for the month in the manufacturing and service sectors, according to the Society for Human Resource Management’s (SHRM) Leading Indicators of National Employment (LINE) survey for June 2014. 

Implementing strategies and applying them to business operations may not be as easy as some corporate leaders believe. Research released by BTS, a consulting group based in Stockholm, Sweden, found that CEOs are much more likely than lower-level executives and managers to overestimate their organization’s ability to translate strategies into successful business plans.

To name my blog I listed ideas and adjectives describing the philosophies and passions that shape how I approach life and work.

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) held a listening session with Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) officials and members on overtime regulations, which the Labor Department is considering amending, on May 20, 2014.

Last week Tuesday am, our Office MacGyver Joanna Savio resigned. It’s sad to see her go, but we all wish her the best of luck in her next position as a college recruiter for the good folks at Google.

Social media has become so popular on the web that it is now the single most common thing we do online.

Given that most employers provide internet access, you can bet that employees are using social media at work – for business and for pleasure – at a staggering rate.

Most organizations realize the importance of an effective onboarding experience for new employees.  They’ve moved past the ages-old idea that onboarding merely means a day of new employee orientation accompanied by checklists and realize that onboarding is a seamless experience that begins at the time of the accepted offer and continues well past the employee’s first day, week or even month.