Tag Archives: SHRM

2014 SHRM Talent Management Conference

Next week I’ll be attending the SHRM Talent Management Conference in Nashville. It’s an event focusing on recruiting and talent, and I’m excited about attending and sharing some of the sessions I’ll be viewing.

If you’re going to be there and want to connect, hit me up via email and we can try to make it work.

As a preview, here are the sessions I’m planning to check out during the event.

Big Data: Your Best Bet In The War For Talent

Why: As our organization has grown it has become harder to source from some of the same pools that we’ve used repeatedly over the years. I’m hoping to learn more about using data to help find the next person I hire.

Quality of Attrition: Management’s Favorite Human Capital Metric

Why: We have a long-standing discussion at work about the difference between retention and turnover. For our purposes, retention is preventable, turnover is not. I’m hoping to learn more about attrition, what the market averages are, and how we can leverage that for better organizational metrics.

Beyond Performance Reviews: Influencing Performance Improvement

Why: Thanks to my buddy Chris Ponder, I’ve been getting more interested in the field of performance improvement lately. I’d like to look at ways we can take our paper (shudder) performance reviews to another level with more impact to the business.

Effectively Managing a Remote Workforce

Why: We have more people outside our local office and we’re adding new work sites regularly. It becomes difficult to make sure everyone feels included and engaged when they are not physically in the same workplace. I’m looking for ideas on how managers can lead those people as well as how to make sure we’re taking care of the remote staff adequately.

Strategic Talent Acquisition: The “Talent Advisor” Approach

Basically, how valuable would your leadership say your recruiting function is? Do they think it enhances the overall business by finding the right people at the right time? I think we do this pretty well, but I am always looking for ways to improve our service delivery on the recruiting side.

Well? Anything in there look interesting to you? What would you like me to share about?

SHRM 2013 Conference in Chicago, IL

So the SHRM 2013 Conference is in Chicago. I’ll be there, will you?

shrm 2013 conference chicagoThis will be my third SHRM conference to attend, and my hope is that it will be the best one yet. 60+ other HR and recruiting bloggers will be there.

Who else is going? What sessions are you looking forward to?

I know it’s a few months away, but is anyone interested in a quick, informal meetup? Maybe for breakfast or something? I’d love to have the opportunity to chat with some of the smart people that follow the blog.

Hashtag #shrm13 for those following on Twitter.

Tips for SHRM 2013 conference first timers

Here’s a short video where I talk about my tips for the first-time attendees for the SHRM 2013 conference. Subscribers click here to view. The video notes are below if you don’t have time or can’t watch it now.

Video notes

Here’s what I wish I had known ahead of time for my first SHRM conference events.

  • Plan to talk with 2-3 vendors who might be valuable partners for your company. Maybe not today, but six months or a year from now you might be looking for an applicant tracking system, a rewards supplier, etc. Take this time to talk with them face to face in the expo.
  • Look for the “parties” or after-hours events. I’m not a party kind of guy, but those events are great in that you can develop friendships and lasting connections. Bottom line: leave some space open for unscheduled networking and learning. Some of the best experiences you’ll ever have!
  • Start connecting with people before the event. That way you’ll have connections there on site that you can meet with and those connections can greatly enhance your enjoyment of the event.
  • Definitely plan to learn, take notes, and take things back with you. But those three areas are some that I wish I’d known about when I attended my first SHRM conference.

So, anyone else planning to attend? Do you have any tips for the first-timers out there? 

2011 Alabama SHRM Conference

I’m so excited about the upcoming AL SHRM State Conference on May 18, 2011.  We are expecting over 500 attendees.  As usual, we have very informative and timely sessions planned for our attendees this year.  In the past, we have did not have much time available for networking and socializing, this year I’m looking forward to our first pre-conference reception at Saks Fifth Avenue.  As an HR Professional, you cannot afford not to attend the AL SHRM State Conference. –Carmen Douglas, President of the Alabama State SHRM Council

SHRM AlabamaOne of the first blog posts I ever wrote back in 2009 was about ALSHRM. It was the first event I attended as a blogger and Twitter user, and I will never forget it. This year I am going back to cover the event at the request of the ALSHRM state council. I’m excited about content and connections.

Content

This is what I’m looking for as my plan for the day. Pumped!

  • Opening Keynote Session: From Boomsters to Linksters: Managing Friction Between Generations
  • Absolute Honesty: Building a Culture of Straight Talk and Integrity
  • Lunch Keynote Session – Just Like Fine Wine: Cultural Emotional Intelligence
  • The Laughing Warrior: How to Enjoy Killing the Status Quo
  • Closing General Session: How Aflac HR Impacts the Bottom Line

Connections

I have some old friends who will be present (@adowling, @thewitchinghr, @incblot, etc.), and it’s always great to catch up with them. I’m also excited about meeting some new people, including at least one of the speakers. Dale Dauten, author, speaker, and all around great guy is going to be talking about innovation, and I can’t wait to hear what he has to say.

If you’re following on Twitter, I’ll be on the #ALSHRM11 hashtag with some of the other attendees.

In short:

Cheap cost.

Valuable content.

Welcome to the Alabama SHRM State Conference.

SHRM-Membership discounts and the value proposition

SHRM, you make me laugh. I see emails coming in from you on a weekly basis with offers for discounts, free totes, and more. The value of membership? It’s there. Let’s focus on that.

See, I’ve been a Society for Human Resources Management member since August 2010. Why did I join? Well, it wasn’t for a reason most people end up joining SHRM. I didn’t sign up for the white papers, the templates, the webcasts, or even the discounts on attending their events.

I signed up to volunteer.

Chuck Salvetti, the manager of the student and YP programs at SHRM, reached out to me last summer to see if I would be interested in being the chairman of the SHRM Young Professional Advisory Council. I leaped at the chance, but the caveat was that I had to be a member in order to volunteer on the committee. So, grudgingly, I signed up.

I’m so glad I did.

Since then, I’ve been more than confident that it was the right decision for me. Not only have I had the opportunity to participate in some great discussions that will shape the focus of the SHRM YP program, but I’ve also started using the tools that the organization provides. Last November, just a few short months after becoming a member, I took on a new HR role in a startup company. Suddenly I needed those webcasts, white papers, and templates to do my job on a daily basis.

I still tell people to join local SHRM chapters for the community/connections and the national SHRM for the content. However, after seeing the work they are doing with SHRM Connect, I could be recommending national membership for building connections if they can get the tool cleaned up and re-released.

Bottom line: SHRM is doing some great things in both traditional HR spaces and in social media. If you are not a member, I highly encourage you to give it a hard look. If you are where I was a year ago and membership doesn’t make sense for you, then pay your local dues and help them rock their chapter. There’s a role out there for everyone. It’s up to you to find yours and fill it.

Thank you to SHRM for sponsoring HRevolution!

SHRM Connect-SHRM’s Social Networking Tool

Recently I had the opportunity to visit Washington D.C. to work with the Society for Human Resources Management and a great team of individual contributors on SHRM’s social media tool, SHRM Connect. While some of us have criticized SHRM for moving slowly at times, it looks like they are making great strides on this project.

Check out the video below for more information.

SHRM Blog Carnival-Leadership Style

My friend Stephen Harrison from the HR Florida state council is hosting this week’s SHRM Blog Carnival on leadership and engagement. He is an amazing resource and was the first person I talked to before starting the RocketHR blog for NASHRM, because he already had established a popular blog for his own local chapter in Florida.

The SHRM Blog Carnival is a way for the volunteer bloggers writing for SHRM chapters and state councils to share content, build connections, and increase the chapters’ social media footprint.

Check out previous editions of the SHRM Blog Carnival at the links below. Please click through and read some of the posts to support the other volunteers around the country!

What does HR certification cost?

The cost of HR certification isn’t great, but the value is what you make of it. The letters behind your name can be just one more thing for you to have to keep track of, or they can be a leverage point for finding a better job, getting a promotion, or growing in your current position.

I shot this video a while back as a special bonus for people who sign up for the free PHR/SPHR email newsletter, and I wanted to share it with you guys. Lots of SHRM chapters (ours included) have certification prep classes on their Spring calendars. My friend Bobbi is the one running the program for NASHRM, and it’s going to be pretty awesome. Wondering how getting certified can impact your career? Check out the video below.

Email subscribers will have to click through to view the video.