Last year, I attended SHRM21 in Las Vegas. While Las Vegas isn’t my most favorite place in the world, I was so excited to be in a place where so many of my HR friends were. I had made plans to meet up with my friend Paula for dinner and Tina-Marie Wohlfield, a very good friend of Paula’s was there too. Of course, a friend of Paula’s is a friend of mine! SHRM21 was Tina-Marie’s first SHRM national conference and she was also speaking at the conference. If I recall, her session was at the same time as three other incredible HR powerhouses, so unfortunately I missed her rapping last year; I will not make that mistake this year, btw! Anyway… I remember talking to Tina-Marie at dinner about a blog I had written in preparation for that conference. The tips I had given had helped her with her packing and I was astonished. I write these things, but I never know if they actually get read or not. However, to hear that something I had written actually helped her, made me feel so great! The influencer team ended up adopting Tina-Marie last year and we invited her everywhere with us! I enjoyed getting to know her and was so happy to have made a new friend!
Over the past few months since SHRM21, I have stayed connected with Tina-Marie. We’ve chatted about the frustrations of the hot, employee friendly job market, various pay strategies, hiring challenges, and much more. I have been able to experience firsthand some of the things she will be speaking about this year at SHRM22. This year, Tina-Marie will be speaking in person on Tuesday, June 14 at 3:30 PM Central. Her session is called: When Pay Strategies Fail – Why HR Needs to Act Now. I am going to go ahead and encourage all of you reading this to attend her session as Tina-Marie really knows her stuff. I promise you, you won’t be disappointed. However, if you need some convincing on why you should attend her session over the other 20 sessions happening at 3:30 PM, I took some time to interview Tina-Marie so you could get to know her too and understand exactly why you should be sitting in her session!
Without further ado, please enjoy my conversation with Tina-Marie Wohlfield.
Amanda: I love that you have branded yourself as an HR Storyteller. In your opinion, what does it take to be a good storyteller?
Tina-Marie: In HR, we need to be able to meet employees where they are at and find ways to translate what we are doing through shared experiences to help them connect and relate with us. Storytelling brings people together, so the more we connect with people, the better of an impact we can make with the teams we serve.
Amanda: What inspired you to write “Stop, Collaborate and Listen”?
Tina-Marie: “Stop, Collaborate and Listen” is my HR story. It was inspired by what I was living every day. It is based on my pillars and how I lead in HR. I wrote this book hoping to inspire others through my failures and successes.
True Story – before I wrote “Stop, Collaborate and Listen,” I was sitting down talking to one of the leaders I supported at the time during a talent management session. He asked me, “when is your book coming out?” He told me I was different and my story needed to be told. I felt like I was just doing my job and didn’t realize I was making a difference. His question nudged me to sit down and tell my story.
Amanda: Tell me about HRUnite!
Tina-Marie: HRUnite! is a networking HR community with a focus on impacting our profession though powerful connections. The more we engage and interact, the stronger we are as a profession. HRUnite! is an extension of our Greater SHRM community, ATD, AAAHR, and other HR communities. HRUnite! brings people together for community, conversations, and connections.
Amanda: Who could benefit most from your session?
Tina-Marie: My session could be applicable to anyone at any level, but HR professionals that are in departments of one, or in small to medium sized companies may relate most due to the larger pay strategy challenges that they face. I will be talking about some of the tools needed to focus on pay strategies that they might not have because they may not have someone dedicated to focus on compensation like HR professionals in larger companies.
Amanda: What is one thing you hope your audience will take away from your session?
Tina-Marie: The one thing I hope individuals take away is the need to invest, nurture and maintain your pay strategy. It’s important to know that this process takes time and devotion. We (1) have to commit to finding resources to navigate the necessary decisions, (2) we need to empower people with knowledge and tools and (3) we have to have the curiosity to seek better ways of doing it.
Amanda: How can my readers connect with you?
Tina-Marie: I love connecting with people on Twitter, LinkedIn or in person at the conference. I love to make those in person connections and take selfies with everyone. Come find me in New Orleans!
You can follow Tina-Marie on Twitter at @TMWohlfield and on Linked-In by searching for Tina-Marie Wohlfield SPHR, SHRM-SCP. As a member of the SHRM22 Influencer team, Tina-Marie will be live tweeting during the sessions she will be attending, so it will be easy to track her down during the conference. I heard there may even be a selfie challenge, so make sure to find her, take a selfie with her, and tag her on Twitter or LinkedIn!
We look forward to seeing you in New Orleans very soon! Still need to register? It’s not too late!
Tina Marie Wohlfield is the founder and Chief People Strategist at TIMAWO (pronounced tee-ma-woe). She is a passionate champion of Human Resources, Leadership and Talent Management with over 25 years’ experience in the Human Resources profession.
Tina Marie is an active member of the HR community and dedicated advocate for advancing the HR profession through collaboration, partnerships and mentorship. In 2018 she co-founded HRUnite! a professional networking and advocacy community to support HR professionals. Her first book, STOP Collaborate and LISTEN – Developing Impactful HR Partnerships Through Collaboration is available through LuLu Publishing.
Amanda Brunson is employed as a People Business Partner by Sabre. Amanda has been an active volunteer with SHRM since 2014 in many capacities, including President of the Rollins SHRM Student Chapter, Director on the Greater Orlando SHRM Board, HR FL Conference Committee Member, and SHRM Young Professional Advisory Council (YPAC) member.
Amanda received her Master in Human Resources Degree from Rollins College in May 2016. She holds an Advanced Leadership and Management Certificate from West Virginia University at Parkersburg. Most recently, Amanda obtained her SHRM-CP certification in January 2018.
Amanda is passionate about advocating for the Future of HR. She does this by sharing her knowledge and experience to aid others in attaining their goals.
Amanda currently resides in Orlando, Florida and enjoys bowling, visiting the beach, and visiting Walt Disney World in her spare time.
Connect with her on LinkedIn and on Twitter, @TheHRPanda
- 2
- 35 views
Add new comment