The Illnois SHRM conference was a 2-day tour de force of all things HR. Red e App was a proud sponsor of the event and we also enjoyed watching our CEO give a presentation on the Profile of the Hourly Worker: Insights to Embrace & Empower the Non-Desk Workforce.
I heard amazing feedback on all the sessions and as I drive back from the conference, I wanted to share some thoughts that I had on 3 themes I overheard from people at our booth (and at the amazing yogurt spread that I may have visited more than once).
Engage Your Workforce
Long gone are the days that you just hire people and never see them again. In today’s world we need to Encourage, Listen, Involve and Increase our interactions with our entire workforce. We all need a little “warm fuzzy” now and then. Make sure you are making the extra effort because the payoffs are enormous.
Jeff Kortes spoke on this topic and has a catchy acronym for engaging employees … Give your employees C.R.A.P.
Laws, Laws and (yup) More Laws
Yes, it’s enough to make your head spin but employment laws change at a rapid pace and we all need to stay up to date. It doesn’t matter your company’s size because everything from hiring to firing has its own set of requirements and it’s part of the job to stay up with it all.
Three IL SHRM speakers gave very informative legal presentations:
- Mike Fowler — From Likes to Lawsuits: The risk of engaging social media in the hiring process
- Kathryn O’Connor and Mary Lunn Fayoumi — FLSA: Compliance and Cultural Complications
- Neil Dishman — Employment Law Update for 2016
Create a Change Friendly Culture
I enjoyed Mary Faulkner’s tips for Laying a Foundation for a Successful Workplace — such as:
- A strong culture exists when there is alignment of values, beliefs and standards.
- A culture is made (or destroyed) by its articulate voices.
- Prepare for the future. Although cliche, it’s easy to get caught up in a reactive mode and lose your ability to plan, measure and reward.
Let’s face it, HR isn’t known for being the first department to jump onto crazy new fads, new practices or technology. However, change is inevitable these days and planning the next step forward is crucial. So now is the time to break out of your comfort zone and take that first step toward creating a culture that embraces change. Who knows, you might like living life on the wild side. (If so, you can always come join me in the tech world!)
If you attended the conference, I would love to hear your biggest takeaway from #IllSHRM2016 and how you are going to put it into action (comment below).
