A huge thank you to Rebecca Peters, SHRM, and CHCI for inviting me to #SHRM18! Fresh out of college, I am grateful for the opportunity to develop professionally and expand my network.
My initial perspective that HR merely files paperwork and polices the workforce was shattered at #SHRM18. I am excited to discover, there is room for number crunching, strategic decision-making and most importantly, creativity. Johnny C. Taylor hit the nail on the head in declaring, now is the greatest time to be an HR professional.
After navigating through the content-rich conference, I made three key observations:
1) Innovation is alive and well. HR is not static. There is an urgency to think differently about HR problems.
2) HR is at the forefront of social change. Coming hot off the #MeToo movement or the push for pay equality, HR is on the frontline of addressing hot, social justice topics in the workplace. As our world grows more complex, HR serves as an advocate for integrity.
3) Moving the HR profession forward will be a challenge. It only makes sense the #SHRM18 mantra is, “Together Forward”. It’s going to take the entire community to elevate the profession and prove its value.
In reflection, I can’t help noticing that these three insights align with millennial ideals. Among the many millennial stereotypes, both positive and negative, millennials are often associated as entrepreneurially-minded, hungry for social justice, and ambitious. The underlying themes seen at #SHRM18 match the natural passions and attributes of the millennial demographic. The Department of Labor reported in 2017 that 32.7 percent of HR employees are under the age of 35.* That’s a huge representation of young talent in the field!
I leave you with this…
To all the HR millennials: How are you leveraging your innate creativity, passion for change, and drive to move your department forward?
To all the HR departments: What is your department doing to shape the HR workforce for the future? What are you doing to engage and mentor millennial talent into HR leadership?
At the end of the day, it's going to take all types of talent, new and seasoned, to move the profession forward. Thank you #SHRM18 for the enlightening insights. Check out my 1-minute video recap of the conference above. Up next...#SHRM19!
*Bureau of Labor Statistics. Household Data Annual Averages 11b. Employed persons by detailed occupation and age (2017)
Chloe Arriaga is a Human Resources Intern for SAG-AFTRA in Los Angeles, CA. She was introduced to SAG-AFTRA through a connection with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute. She holds a Bachelor’s of Science from the University of Southern California.
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