The SHRM Young Professional Advisory Council (YPAC) successfully hosted over 200 HR YP’s for a networking party at Luxor Hotel & Casino Las Vegas. It was a blast!
Jeromy Manke (@JeromyManke) kicked off the evening with a welcome to our esteemed guests. The greeting included an introduction of the YPAC, Nevada State SHRM Council, and an honored acknowledgement from Elissa O’Brien, VP, SHRM Membership (@obrien_elissa).
Last year (#SHRM14) I wrote a blog about how far SHRM had come with its position on social media presentations since my original involvement in SHRM-related conferencing in 2010.
Note: This week I am at the Annual National SHRM Convention in Las Vegas, NV. And in case you’re wondering if it it’s hot in Las Vegas in July, the answer is HELL YES. The heat…my god, man, THE HEAT.
Not everyone likes to go to conferences.
There are a lot of people. Vendors look desperate. There are too many sessions that seem to look the same, and if you have to get on one more shuttle bus, you may burst into tears.
I had the distinct pleasure of seeing my friend Steve Browne speak this morning at SHRM. His session was intended to fire up the audience, and I’d say it was a smashing success. One of his comments was powerful, and I thought it deserved to be repeated here because I talk about certification quite a bit.
I just had the opportunity, no privilege, to talk with Joe Gerstandt in the blogger’s lounge at the SHRM 2015 Annual Conference & Exposition in Las Vegas.
My phone awakens me that it is 4:45 am. Time to shake off a weekend worth of Dead Shows and head to Sin City to hang out with my Sisters & Brothers in the Human Resources profession. What could possibly go wrong?
Having been to the SHRM Annual Conference nearly 10 times, my event navigation is far more streamlined than a first time attendee. I head to the Dice Bloggers lounge to pick up my badge.
This week, I’m at the SHRM Conference in Las Vegas with 15,000 of my HR brethren, and there is definite excitement in the air. Marcus Buckingham started off Monday’s general session by talking about strengths, leadership, and performance. One of the specific areas he focused on was the importance of a good team leader for the performance of the organization.
I'm here at the Annual SHRM Conference - we're in Vegas!
As always, I'm having fun reconnecting with colleagues I haven't seen in a while and connecting with brand new ones. But alas, it's not all about socializing; I need to attend the concurrent sessions too!
I attended a session today on workplace bullying and was thrilled to hear, within the first ten minutes, the two presenters validate what I have been telling my clients for two years now: we are close, very close, to having bullying be "prohibited by law" and, therefore, the time has come to start preparing for it.
SHRM15 has begun, and the latest numbers puts attendees just shy of 15,500. Whether you're an introvert or extrovert, the sheer number of attendees at this year's conference suggests you may meet lots of meet new people.
It’s exciting to hear that #SHRM15 was one of the top trending hashtags yesterday. The SHRM conference in Las Vegas is hosting 15k+ HR professionals, from early career to senior level roles.
Yesterday, these professionals were posting, liking, re-tweeting and blogging their personal opinions and content of interest. Any concerns? While some posts may have been questionable, all interaction was welcomed and embraced in this “professional community”.
The SHRM Foundation sponsored an informational and fun orientation event for YPs and students attending this year’s SHRM Conference. This was the first event of this type and it seemed to be a big hit!
Jeff Pon, SHRM’s Chief HR & Strategy Officer, started off the event by recognizing the 2015 Graduate and Undergraduate Case Competition Winners. Temple University, East Undergraduate Division winner, was in attendance and received a large round of applause. Jeff also recognized the Outstanding Merit Award winning chapters of which there were 28 this year!
I still remember the first SHRM event I attended in my first days as an H.R. professional. I walked in the meeting room feeling a bit anxious. Would I fit in? Would I have anything in common with the H.R. people in the room?
We all seek connections. We all want to belong. But we are also prone to look for our differences rather than the commonalities we share. That’s what I did that day. I went into that SHRM event expecting to see how I was different. Truthfully, I got what I expected.
Like many of the nearly 16,000 people attending this year’s SHRM Annual Conference in Las Vegas, I have received my fair share of pre-conference mailings from vendors. The pile is impressive, colorful, full of enticements to visit booths, and mostly useless! While some have made efforts to stand out from the crowd and engage on a deeper level, many of the postcards and fliers simply feel like they have been recycled from previous events with updated dates, location, and logo.
I’m busy.
You’re busy.
You are probably sitting in the airport on your way to #SHRM15 going what.the.hell. I’m not ready. Where do I go? I just sat at gate C3 and recognized 20 others from my small town going to the conference. Multiply that times a jillion other cities. Crap. It’s a big conference.
DON’T SWEAT. You’ll be fine.
If you are late on the upswing prepping for the conference, here are a few things that will ease your mind.
How do we teach the people we hire? Generally, businesses look for people who can already do most of the tasks required of them for a job, then teach them the rest as they work. This is often known as the 70:20:10 rule in learning management, where 70% of employee training comes from simply doing their job, 20% from speaking with their coworkers, and 10% from formal training.
Yesterday, we kicked off our 2015 Annual Conference and Exposition. More than 15,000 HR professionals are in Las Vegas this week to focus on how our careers, our organizations and our profession can thrive.
As everyone knows, SCOTUS ruled 5 to 4 that same sex couples have a constitutional right to marry. The full case is cited below. The opinion is consistent with the growing support for (or at least acceptance of) same sex marriage.
I spent Friday reading social media postings, including tweets. There were strongly felt emotions expressed on both sides of the issue.
These conversations will not end on social media this weekend. They will spill into workplaces next week and for the indefinite future.
Anonymity Goes from Bullying to Hiring? Why It Can Work for Passive Tech Talent and Startups Hiring
On June 24, @SHRMNextchat chatted with Aliah Wright (@1SHRMScribe) about HR and Cybersecurity.
In case you missed this important chat filled with tips and advice for protecting your organization's most sensitive information, you can read all the tweets below:
It is starting to feel like we are truly lying to rest #HRYesterday. The paper pushing, request based, reactive and anti-tech savvy form of operating is our past. Rejuvenating!
Q: My wife interviewed for a job recently and I was amazed that one of the questions she was asked by the interviewer was “Do you have any children?” We do, but what does that have to do with her qualifications for the job? Plus, I thought it was illegal to ask those questions.
We’re now in the home stretch of my tips for harassment policies and complaint procedures. (It’s not exactly like America Pharoah’s “home stretch” run for the Triple Crown – but close!)
“Pregnancy” as a Protected Characteristic
My first tip creates a very cathartic experience because it forces me to admit that nobody’s perfect, including me. In my case, the “no-harm/no-foul” rule saved me. But, there was once a client who wasn’t as lucky.
The SHRM Annual Conference and Exposition starts in one week in Las Vegas !! This venue seems to scream “extrovert” with all of it’s bright lights, shows and casinos. With over 15,000 people, expected the Conference can be overwhelming for everyone.
Fiduciary Standard for Advisers Sparks Contentious Debate
Calif.: FedEx Agrees to Settle Drivers' Misclassification Claims for $228M
Inclusive Culture, Prompt Investigations Prevent Retaliation
Tying Workforce Planning to Business Strategy Still a Challenge for Most
Can HR Help Prevent Shootings in the Workplace?
New Practices Help to Manage Chronic Care
How to Get Real Value from Enterprise Social Networks
Technology Demand is Transforming HR
Job Ads for 'Digital Natives' Raise Age Bias Concerns
Do you feel like you need to have all the answers? Most people do.
This need was ingrained in us from a very early age: When we’re in school and the teacher calls on us, we’re supposed to know the answer. The right answer.
And we are expected to have ALL the right answers, all the time, for years... All the way through elementary school. Middle school. High school. College.
On June 17, @shrmnextchat chatted with Kevin Mottram (@KevyDMottram) and Alex Alonso (@shrmresearchVP) about "Can Holacracy Work at Work."
In case you missed this excellet chat on the Holacracy operating model, you can see all the great tweets here and below:
Final Rule Issued on Summary of Benefits and Coverage
Employer, Safety Consultants Fined for Refusing OSHA Inspection
EEOC Hearing: Make Anti-Harassment Training More Effective
Put Vacation Policies in Writing
Professional development is not exclusively for CPAs, attorneys, physicians, engineers and others who must satisfy the requirements for renewing a professional license. It can help businesses be more competitive by fostering an environment in which employees are more productive, loyal and content.
I admit - I love Vegas. While I’m at this year’s SHRM Annual Conference, I do plan on checking out the latest restaurants and maybe even taking in a show. But the most fun I have during the SHRM conference is spending time networking. It’s really fun to meet people I’ve only traded tweets with or connect with longtime friends from my days as a volunteer leader.
Expansion Plans for Foreign Student Work Authorization Revealed
Employers' Health Costs Projected to Rise 6.5% for 2016
Engagement Is Important for Hourly Workers, Too
Calif.: Tips for Lawfully Hiring Teenagers for Summer Jobs
Manufacturers are facing big problems when it comes to recruiting enough top-tier factory workers, but there’s a fix few employers think about — #workflex.
Look at this chart. Does it resemble your employer’s organizational chart?
Now envision this: No pyramid. No managers. No directors. No vice presidents, senior vice presidents or chiefs.
The SHRM Annual Conference & Exposition is just around the corner and the YPAC is gearing up for the event!
What does “YPAC” mean?
“Winter is Coming” is a key theme of the popular HBO series Game of Thrones. With its warning of constant vigilance, the meaning is clear – no matter how good or calm things seem now, the good times and serenity won’t last forever…and you need to prepare and be proactive to ensure you’re ready for when the tide turns.
Stay-Put Counteroffers Can Backfire, CFOs Say
Health Plans Must Pay PCORI Fees by July 31
Mere weeks before sick pay becomes mandatory in California, the state legislature is racing to cure what is ailing employers. Beginning on July 1, 2015, the Healthy Workplaces, Healthy Families Act of 2014 (HWHFA) will obligate employers in California to offer sick pay to employees in nearly every category. The minimum obligation is to provide sick pay at the rate of one hour for every 30 hours worked or a lump sum allocation of three days or 24 hours per year.
SHRM's Aitken Represents U.S. Employers at International Labour Conference
Coding Helps with Reporting Offers of Health Insurance Coverage
Many Don't Know They're Paying 401(k) Fees
Employers Plan to Expand Onsite Health Centers
USCIS Clarifies When to File Amended H-1B Petitions for Worksite Changes
USCIS Considering Retroactive Relief for Employers Impacted by Simeio
I read a recent story from Bloomberg BNA about plummeting revenues at McDonald’s—and the company's proposal to fix the problem with "toasted buns" and "grilled burger patties"—and had two immediate reactions. First, Burger King has been saying this for years. Char-grilled flavors arebetter (granted, I'm biased). Second—and more important—is there another cause? Is a toasty bun really the answer to a decade of dwindling revenues?
Posted on the Delaware Employment blog by Molly DiBianca
On June 10, @shrmnextchat chatted with @williamtincup and @johnsumser about Perfecting the HR Tech Implementation.
In case you missed this informative chat that was filled with great tips and advice, you can read all the tweets here:
Calif.: Significant Employment Bills Still Pending in Legislature
Family Plans Must 'Embed' Out-of-Pocket Limits in 2016
SHRM's Aitken Represents U.S. Employers at International Labour Conference
I attended an HR conference last month where I heard some of the savviest business speak ever. Speakers from all over the globe discussed “leveraging,” “ROI,” “streamlining,” “interfacing,” “synergy,” and “big data” more eloquently than ever imagined. I’ll be honest though. By the time I got to the fifth speaker, I was snoring because my head could not make anything palatable out of this jargon salad. Everywhere I looked someone was tossing business-speak land mines as if they were trying to make my head explode.
I've been a youth sports coach for several years. I've coached a number of successful teams: sometimes we win sometimes we lose. Wavering focus and the direction in which the ball bounces are unpredictable. What is always predictable is that the sidelines/bleachers will be filled with people who have not volunteered their time to help but are full of opinions as to how to manage the game. The easiest thing to do is to never devote yourself to anything but pretend you know everything.
If you’re in the human resources profession (or plan to be), you will most likely experience at least one—if not several—HR technology implementations throughout your career. Technology implantations affect every part of HR, not only the human resource information system managers, and they affect every part of the organization.
If you’ve never experienced an HR technology implementation, you’re in for an exciting challenge.
Wellness programs are on the rise in the workplace because ‘a healthy employee is a happy employee’, right? While this statement may be true- the statement ‘a healthy employee means lower company health costs’ should receive credit for increased wellness initiatives as well.
You are a fair employer. You try to look at all candidates equally and don’t discriminate based on demographics. You care about talent. But like it or not, stereotypes and unintentional bias impact our thought process and decisions in complex ways — ways we don’t even realize.
“When the Council puts a panel together these are the movers and shakers of all the key agencies. And to have them 25 feet away from you, and to be able to say, ‘I was in Washington and was able to hear from the director of USCIS’… That carries a credibility that’s priceless.” - Thomas Barnett, JD.
President Obama's executive action on immigration is bringing major changes to the U.S. employment-based immigration system. Employers cannot afford to fall behind.
Majority of Workers Expected to Be Present During Severe Weather
For the past several years, San Francisco officials have scrambled to find jobs for younger residents as summer approaches. And through partnerships with local nonprofits and the private sector, the city to date has matched nearly 20,000 of its youths with warm-weather work gigs.
To continue reading this article, please click here.
Handle Same-Sex Harassment Claims the Same as Other Harassment Claims
More Regulation to Prevent Sleep Deprivation on the Job May Be Brewing
A towering yellow excavator dug into packed dirt and placed it into the back of a dump truck. As the truck backed up, it let out a loud, "BEEP... BEEP... BEEP..." and forced an awkward explanation to my co-workers on the other end of the conference call. I'd spend a good part of my afternoon that day watching the construction site outside of my office. All the while, reminiscing about when I was a kid playing with my trucks and action figures in the dirt.
On June 3, @shrmnextchat chatted with the #SHRM15 bloggers in an hour filled with the best tips and advice for attending the 2015 SHRM Annual Conference & Exposition.
In case you missed this amazing chat filled with great information, you can see all the tweets here:
SHRM Opposes Expansion of Small-Group Market under ACA
When a Highly Creative Worker Tends Toward Neuroticism
It’s that time of year again! 30,000 of the smartest people in HR will be heading to Sin City to talk employment policy, certification process, succession planning, performance management, employee engagement, hiring, firing and a whole lotta generational stereotyping. Indeed friends, #SHRM15 is upon us!
Here are my top 10 words or expressions that none of us should dare say at the Annual Convention under penalty of listening to Barry Manilow for 24 hours straight while reading the FMLA intermittent regulations:
10. Matrix
Yesterday, the United States Supreme Court, in an 8-1 decision, ruled that an employer that does not know that a job applicant may need a religious accommodation can discriminate against that job applicant. All that matters are the employer’s motivations.
Allow me to explain.
It’s not what you know; it’s what motivates you.
New Guidelines Clarify Contractors' Reportable Safety Violations
Supreme Court Rules for EEOC in Religious Accommodation Case
We have heard it before. The proposed regulatory changes to the white collar exemption are “imminent.” And, then they were delayed.
Well, the regulations were sent by the DOL to the OMB. The conventional wisdom is that they will be published on June 18, 2015 (I suspect so the DOL can say “Spring”).
We know the purpose and effect of the proposed regulations will be to increase the number of individuals who are non-exempt. At a minimum, exempt status will carry a heavier price tag.
Marimba! Marimba!
Over the past several months, it has been my great pleasure to get to know SHRM members and others through a series of conversations around Sheryl Sandberg’s book Lean In. This effort began in March when I posted on SHRM’s LinkedIn page to ask for volunteers to take part in a kind of virtual book club.
Labor Laws Apply When Your Intern Is Really an Employee
New Law Would Make OSHA's Voluntary Protection Programs Permanent
Keeping Sales Compensation on the Rails
The 2015 SHRM Annual Conference & Exposition is fast approaching and whether you’re a first-time attendee or an experienced conference veteran, there will be something for everyone at this year’s event.
Most employees think flexibility is critical to their job satisfaction: are employers listening?
It’s always interesting to hear how the people management profession differs worldwide. Workplace laws, business culture and social mores vary country by country. What works in one nation, industry or even company, may not work in another because when it comes to managing people—the most complex but critical aspect of business—there is no one-size-fits all approach.
Still, some keys to HR’s success are universal.
