Advice for Attending #SHRM22

With over 200 expert led sessions, 500+ exhibiting companies at the SHRM Expo, and 11 content tracks focused on the most relevant topics in HR today - attending this year’s SHRM 22 can feel more like running a marathon than attending a fun and exciting event. And if you are new to HR, it might feel even MORE overwhelming, especially because you don’t have all the “lingo” memorized!

But like running for a marathon, you wouldn’t just get out of bed, throw on a new pair of sneakers and jump into the race. You’d likely train for months beforehand in order to feel adequately prepared mentally and physically.  Though you don’t have months to prepare for SHRM ‘22 (it’s just days away!) - I’ve got some tricks up my sleeve that will help you coast to the finish line.  In this blog post, I will provide some tips on how to make the most of the conference so you can turn that overwhelm into excitement! All the tips you see below were derived from a recent interview I conducted with Joe Ziska (BMW) and Erica Young (SHRM). Make sure to add their session entitled How BMW Leverages Emerging Technology for People and Talent Needs to your itinerary. https://annual22.shrm.org/sessionplanner/session/29231/how-bmw-leverages...

Ready for the tips? Here they come…

BEFORE:
1. Brainstorm lingering problems or challenges that you feel your organization has been struggling to solve and have them readily available should there be time for a Q&A at the end of a particular session.

2. Think about the direction you want your organization to head in the coming months and years. This will help you narrow your focus when choosing which sessions to attend.

DURING:

3. If there is a Q&A, make sure to speak up and ask the leading expert about your company’s complex challenges. If they don’t have a direct solution, it’s likely that they will point you in the right direction, introduce you to someone who can assist, or give you an alternate perspective on the challenge.

4. Write down 2 takeaways. Consider: Could I implement this in my organization? What takeaway would my team benefit from knowing?

AFTER:

5. After the conference is over and you return back to work, ask your leadership team and HR colleagues if you can present some of the things you learned at SHRM ‘22. Make sure to carve out enough time so they can ask questions and provide feedback.

6. Connect with folks you met at the conference on Linkedin and send them a follow-up message. Ask them if there were any key takeaways they had from the conference and keep the learning going!

The SHRM Blog does not accept solicitation for guest posts.
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