Tag Archives: HRevolution

HRevolution 2013 Closing Thoughts and Comments

I’ll keep this as brief as I can. It’s been a long few days and I’m still trying to catch my breath.

I’m always floored by people who say they read this blog. I see the stats–there’s a lot of you out there. However, it’s always interesting to meet someone face to face. Jane, you know who you are. Thanks for reading.

The session I led with Matt Charney was a success. We wanted to cover specific topics with regard to generations in the workplace, and although we didn’t prepare heavily (you normally don’t for an unconference-like event like HRevolution anyway), it went exactly as we had hoped. We helped the audience to open their eyes to the idea that maybe everything they “know” about Gen Y isn’t really as solid as they once thought.

The HR improv session was, by all accounts, pretty freaking hilarious. My only regret? I was running the A/V and wasn’t able to do videos again this year of all the presentations. Darn. Next year…

The session on “anything but HR” was a blast. I left there with some new ideas and am still trying to decide what it all means to me. Thanks to Jennifer McClure for asking some big questions.

We’re already discussing the next HRevolution. This year we had about 50% new participants. That’s amazing. And so many that I spoke with were itching to come back again. It’s tough to measure the effectiveness or success of the event quickly, or from year-to-year, but this year’s event was above par, even for our high standards.

For those of you who wanted to come but couldn’t make it, I urge you to make it happen next time. Tickets are cheap. The experience and deep questions you leave with are anything but.

Thanks again to my great teammates and to the volunteers who jumped in last minute to help this event be as successful as possible. I appreciate all of you, and I’m honored to know you.

The Buddy System (#HRevolution 2013)

Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, you probably know that HRevolution 2013 is coming. The agenda is out. We have some great things planned. But some of you still don’t understand what the whole thing is about.

I’ll admit–it’s slightly unnerving. We promote this thing as a participatory event. It’s not just another opportunity to sit at the back of a room, hear a speaker blab for an hour, and collect your HRCI recertification credits.

We want people to talk, share, converse, and interact with the rest of the participants. If you’ve attended previously, I want to challenge you to bring someone with you. We’ll call it the HRev Buddy System. It’s your job to help them understand the format, content, and event at a high level.

For those of you who haven’t been, this is your chance to jump in. If this recent post spoke to you at all, then HRevolution is an event that you would enjoy. It isn’t the everyday HR seminar. It’s so much more. We’d love to welcome you to the family, even if we don’t always agree on everything (hint: if we both agree on everything, then one of us is redundant!).

Plus you get fun sessions like HR Improv, point/counterpoint with people who aren’t afraid to share their ideas, and more.

Vegas housing is crazy. Many of us share rooms (though certainly not necessary), so if that’s a sticking point, let me know and we can discuss options. We don’t want little things like room or travel costs to get in the way of “in the trenches” HR pros attending this unique event.

HRevolution 2013 in Las Vegas

HRevolution 2013If you’ve been wondering about HRevolution 2013, wonder no more! On Sunday, October 6th we’ll be visiting the amazing city of Las Vegas for another fantastic event.

As always, we have an amazing sponsor to help keep costs down and to help bring you the HRev you know and love. This year Sum Total Systems is working with us as our exclusive sponsor. Check them out!

In addition, our good friends at the HR Technology Conference will also be helping us by providing a meeting space, among other things. We appreciate them as well!

Please check out the event site or the HRev website to learn more.

What is HRevolution?

Click here to check out the HRevolution archives to learn more about the experience. If you want the highlights, check out these two:

HRevolution 2013
brought to you by Sum Total Systems

So, what now?

Wondering if this event is for you? Feel free to contact me at ben@upstarthr.com and I’d be happy to give you an honest assessment. If you want to sit down, take notes, and then walk out of the event without a plan to make any changes in your organization, then it’s probably not a fit for you.

I’ve made some great friends and long-time connections at HRevolution events, and they’re unlike anything you’ve ever been to in the HR world before. Just check out the funny session we had on HR Improv last year.

I hope to see you there!

#HRevolution HR Improv Session Videos

HR Improv was a session at HRevolution where participants had to present on a slideshow that they had never seen before and somehow tie it back to employee relations, recruiting, etc.

Please forgive the shaky portion of the videos. I grabbed the camera halfway through the session when I realized how hilarious this was going to be. I didn’t have a tripod, so I did the best I could with what I had.

Sean Conrad

Sean Conrad of Halogen Software was one of our volunteers. The random presentation we drew for Sean was a slideshow invitation to vacation in Nnoordwijk, Holland, and he had to try and relate that to the recruiting and talent management process. The first few minutes of his session were cut off, but this was the winner of the contest, so I wanted to get him a little love anyway! Continue reading →

HRevolution 2012-What Just Happened?

Wow. As I’ve said before, it takes a little time to decompress and consider just what is going to come out of the event, and this is no different. There were amazing sessions, fun times, and all kinds of new experiences for the attendees.

A few highlights:

  • the HR Improv session was a hit-hoping to post some of that video soon
  • the deep, honest discussions in the Diversity and The Oreo session were sworn to secrecy
  • nearly 50% of the attendees joined us for their first time; great to expand our circle to include some new voices

I clarified a handful of things with regard to my own HR role, but they were good ones. This event is always tough for me, because the discussions are often theoretical (though certainly not always).

I was discussing the event with Jason Lauritsen, and he framed it as a chance to recharge and renew his spirit to face challenges on day-to-day basis. I thought it was appropriate and a fitting tribute to the reason we started the event in the first place.

Some people walk away with action items. Some people walk away with new ideas and concepts. Some people, apparently, walk away with the spirit and energy they need to continue their own “revolution” in their workplace. That’s just incredible for all of us who created this event to see how much of an impact it’s having on people everywhere.

Quotable Quotes

You don’t create a great place to work. You defend it. –Bret Starr Continue reading →

HRevolution 2012-Sponsors, Dress Codes, and More

We’re just a few short days away from HRevolution 2012 in beautiful Chicago, and we have a few announcements to make as we gear up for yet another fabulous event.

Best. Sponsors. Ever.

First off, thank you to our awesome sponsors. We truly appreciate each of you helping to make this event a success. Please check out our sponsors page and see if one of the sponsors offers something that is right for your business. They are the reason we are able to put this event on at such a low cost, and without them HRevolution just wouldn’t be the same.

To our supporters and friends at Aquire, Ceridian, Pinstripe, and SilkRoad, we are all grateful for your support!

The pre-show show Continue reading →

HRevolution-Is it for the “little guy?”

A few months back I read a great post by Keith McIlvane about wanting HR conferences to offer more content toward small companies. My first answer for HR conference problems is almost always going to be an event like HRevolution, because it allows participants to drive the conversations and topics that they find interesting, not what some organizer slapped on the agenda.

Keith’s post goes on to discuss this specific content request:

Don\’t get me wrong, the big-brand case studies are extremely strategic in how they launch each initiative and often in a very impressive manner. But most companies have a more limited budget. I would love to hear how they took their huge wish-list and walked through the strategy and reasoning about going in the direction they chose.

I think I have a solid strategy in place, but know it is by far from perfect. Wouldn\’t it be great to hear what similar obstacles are happening in your industry or other industries that might be similar pain-points to what you are encountering.

Can HRevolution really do that?

I say we give it a shot. We’ve had solutions created on the spot for actual participant case studies, activities like the hack labs where participants walk away with a list of ideas to try in their own organization, and other highly participatory content. Why not this one?

What else are you looking for that isn’t being provided by the “traditional” conferences?

Interested in attending HRev? Click here to get your ticket.