SHRM-Atlanta

If you missed the GEMs of SHRM-Atlanta in July you should be kicking yourself. The heat, humidity and storms did their best, but nothing could stop the eigh

t SHRM-Atlanta Geographical Emphasis Meetings (GEMs) from serving up a delicious menu of HR networking and educational delights.

The July GEMs began with one of the most intriguing presentations I have heard since joining SHRM-Atlanta 7 years ago. Dana A. Clark, President of Organizational Talent Solutions, traveled from Washington D.C. to speak to the North Fulton GEM on the topic Detecting Deception for the HR Professional. Drawing on her experience as the Operational Psychologist with the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) and Chief Psychologist with the Federal Bureau of Prisons, she shared the importance of detecting deception during the hiring process. She gave us multiple ideas on how to detect deception, whether during an interview or seeking to determine the guilty party in a workplace theft.

HR professionals needing a greater understanding of Qualified Domestic Relations Orders (QDROs) and Qualified Medical Child Support Orders (QMCSOs) were not disappointed with the presentation by William J. Cantrell, with Mazursky Constantine, at the Midtown GEM. This presentation on some of the lesser known regulations pertaining to employee benefits was insightful and provided guidelines that, if followed, could save organizations a tremendous amount of money resulting from fees and judgments.

Attorney Dara DeHaven of Ogletree Deakins informed participants at the Buckhead GEM of the impact of new regulations from the EEOC regarding the consideration of arrest and conviction records of job applicants. “Individualized Assessment” was the key word in dealing with criminal records. Some HR professionals were shocked to hear that the EEOC now recommends employers not ask about convictions on job applications. Several of us left with a realization that we need to update our application and interviewing processes.

With an expansive view of Atlanta as the backdrop, the attendees at the quickly growing Cobb GEM heard from attorneys Adriana Midence and Jonathan Spitz of Jackson Lewis LLP. The topic of HR and Technology provided opportunity for HR professionals to apply best practices and conform to the law in such areas as Electronic Onboarding, Background Checks and Recruiting with Social Media. Recent developments of the NLRB were also discussed. It was this latter topic that left a few of us “freaked out” as we learned of the freedom employees have in badmouthing supervisors, management and company practices—even to customers and online through social media! Attendees returned to their offices the next day to begin updating employee handbooks.

The Gwinnett GEM drew the largest attendance of our GEMs in July. Before the meeting started there was a buzz as participants networked and made new friends. When Heather Stagl of Enclaria spoke, she addressed Leading Change from the Middle. Here, HR professionals learned they can be Change Agents by influencing change even when they may not have direct authority. Heather shared how as Middle Managers in the organization, HR can influence change by providing advice, information and feedback to the Leader. Complimenting the presentation was the energetic audience participation.

The Airport GEM, located near the world busiest airport with a new international terminal, was the perfect location for the topic of “Developing a Global Workforce.” Steve Spires of Outplace Solutions shared about the four forces of Globalization: Immigration, Outsourcing, Technology and Foreign Direct Investment. Steve provided ample information to support the view that diverse teams excel over homogeneous teams in organizations around the globe. Participants also learned how the number of U.S. companies on the Fortune 500 dropped from 179 in 2000 to 133 in 2012; The number of Chinese companies on the list grew from 10 to 55 over the same period. Furthermore, attendees were intrigued to discover how U.S. companies now create more jobs outside of the U.S. than at home.

“Thank You for Thanking Me: The Power of Recognition” was the title of the presentation at the Perimeter GEM and delivered by Katie Lange Stone of Fallon Benefits. It is a standard theme within HR on how recognition is key to employee performance. Seventy percent of organizations have at least some type of recognition initiative in place. In this session, however, there was an emphasis on how recognition is something that should take place on the very first day a new employee joins the organization. Furthermore, noting how employees will differ in how they prefer to be recognized, it was suggested that employers consider the ages of the workforce and individual preferences before implementing recognition programs.

On the last day of July the SHRM-Atlanta GEMs completed the circuit with the Rockdale GEM. In addition to a full breakfast, participants were fed a presentation by Randy Ross of Enthusiasm. As he spoke on “Engaging and Retaining Top Talent,” Randy advised employers to remember how every employee is a free agent—they are free to leave if they so choose. Defining employee engagement as “keeping your heart and your head in the game,” he emphasized how employee and customer experience cannot be viewed separately as they are intricately linked.

The next round of GEMs will be in September. Don’t find yourself reading about the GEMs in October and regretting you missed participating. Check out the SHRM-Atlanta events page now for the upcoming dates, locations, topics and speakers. We look forward to seeing you in September for one of our SHRM-Atlanta GEMs.

Jack W. Bruce, Jr., as Chief Operating Officer at BIS Benefits, (Alpharetta, GA), provides general oversight in Finance, HR, Operations, Team Building & Strategic Management for this employee benefits firm. His role is to continually lead the firm by proactively enhancing the service, communications, human resource assistance, and technology for the benefit of their clients. Jack has earned a Professional in Human Resources (PHR) designation. Jack has a few connections on LinkedIn and also enjoys an occasional tweet (Twitter: www.Twitter.com/jackwbruce & www.Twitter.com/BISbenefits. He is a member of the North Fulton Chamber of Commerce, Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce and SHRM-Atlanta—where he serves in a volunteer position as Vice-President of GEMs.

Read more by Jack at his blog for HR & Leadership for Small Business, Jack In The Team Box, which can be found at www.jackintheteambox.com.

SHRM 64th Annual Conference & Exposition being held in our great city of Atlanta on June 24-27, 2012!! SHRM-Atlanta is excited to welcome everyone to ‘Hotlanta’ and put together a short video we are sharing on all of our Social Media channels starring some of our fabulous members and highlighting some of the great places to go and see while here!

Please check it out and feel free to share on your own social sites as well!

Special thanks to our EVP of Marketing, Teela Jackson for making this video happen — as well as my Co-VP of Social Media, Alex Putman, for producing and editing this fun clip to greatness

Just a tip — Be sure to keep an eye on our own blog and other #SHRMAtl social channels to follow coverage leading up to, during, and after the big event, as well as highlights of SHRM-Atlanta’s chapter and membership involvement. We also hope to also cross post the blog activities of myself and Michael Haberman, who will be attending the conference as part of the #SHRM12 social media/blogger press team.

As for the SHRM itself, there is no doubt this conference will be the place to be June 24-27th, but they have created several online opportunities to follow the #SHRM12 conference and network with other attendees. In addition to their Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube platforms, SHRM has also built a new social engagement tool, the BUZZ — which will allow you to connect with your fellow attendees before and during the conference. You can read advice from the SHRM Staff, the blogger press team, speakers, other attendees, AND volunteers — of which so many will come from our own SHRM-Atlanta membership!! Share your own tips or get ideas for getting the most out of Atlanta and the conference experience – from where to go, what to do, and what to pack to asking fellow attendees about their favorite speakers.

It’s gonna be HOT ya’ll, so stay tuned and connected!!!

Chris Havrilla is currently retained as a Consultant through her company Havrilla LLC, where she focuses on all aspects of strategy, process, and technology as it relates to Recruiting, Sourcing, and Talent Management for clients ranging from the SMB market to the Fortune 500. In addition to co-founding and blogging at RecruiterChicks.com, Chris is currently serving as Vice President, Social Media for SHRM-Atlanta, as well as on the board of the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG) Recruiting Society.

Did you know that there are over 1 billion (with a “B”) smart phone users globally?  By 2015 smart phone usage will overtake desktops.  Do you think this mobile explosion will have an impact on talent acquisition?  Consider this scenario…

The year is 2015, the war for top talent continues (yes, it is still happening).  You are at a dinner party and strike up conversation with someone, realizing they are the perfect VP of HR for that long, exhausting search you have been conducting for 5 months!  Here is how it would play out, past, present and future;

In 2004 you hand them a business card, request a resume and wait a few days to receive via email, hoping it does not get caught up in your spam filter.

2012:  You may hand them a business card and then look them up on LinkedIn, sending a connect request (hoping they remember and liked you).

2015:  Snap a picture of them with your mobile device and instantly go to their web profile.  Your device recognizes their image and returns web results instantly via something called augmented reality!

Now granted, snapping a picture of someone to search their image may sound creepy, but so did “following” someone just a few short years ago.  How realistic is the above scenario?  Want to learn more about what the future of talent acquisition holds in terms of mobile and social recruiting?  Then join me at the 22^nd Annual SHRM-Atlanta Conference where I will discuss the future strategies, tools and practices of talent acquisition.

Session Date and Time:                  Wednesday, March 14, 1:45 pm – 2:45 pm
Session Title:                                   The Future of Talent Acquisition
Content Area:                                   HR and Technology

Alex Putman has led successful teams in global talent acquisition for high growth companies encompassing five continents. In his role as Director of Global Talent Acquisition with Case-Mate he is responsible for talent acquisition, recruitment branding and building talent communities on a global scale. You can connect with Alex via most social networks including LinkedIN & Twitter and follow his blog Social T-Rex.

Sign Up for the 22nd Annual SHRM-Atlanta HR Conference at the Lowest Available Rate!

We’re lining up the heavy hitters for the 22nd Annual SHRM-Atlanta HR Conference at Cobb Galleria Centre March 13 and 14, 2012.  We have top presenters for over 50 breakout sessions in eight content areas and a keynote speaker who was recently named one of SHRM national’s top ten highest rated! Mark Toth is vice president and chief legal officer of employment services firm ManpowerGroup and author of The Manpower Group Employment Blawg (“Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Employment Law – But Didn’t Want to Pay a Lawyer to Ask”).

Plus, you can personalize your curriculum and earn HRCI recertification credits. Our agenda covers eight critical content areas for the human resources professional in 2012: Business Acumen, Employee Relations, Talent Acquisition & Management, Law & Legislation, Total Rewards, Diversity & Inclusion, HR and Technology and Global HR.

We’re still hard at work finalizing the session speakers and descriptions – the detailed agenda will be announced soon.

Decide now to make 2012 your best professional year ever by registering for the conference at the Super Early Bird Rates ($300 for members; $420 for non-members) – a savings of $230 off the on-site rates. Super Early Bird Rates are only available through January 3, 2012. Register today!

This two-day event is packed with opportunity to learn, share and make connections. Want to know more? Bookmark the 22nd Annual SHRM-Atlanta HR Conference website and visit often, as we’re releasing new details every day. But don’t delay on the Super Early Bird Rate.

We look forward to seeing you at the conference!

Are you an Atlanta area Human Resources professional, 35 and under and thirsty for events and networking opportunities tailored to you and your needs?  Well, this Community and kick-off event is for you!

SHRM-Atlanta is starting a new community group called HR Young Professionals.  The first event is a networking social on Thursday, November 10th from 5:30pm – 8:00pm at one of the best pubs in Atlanta…..Fado in Buckhead!

This is such a great opportunity to be able to network and share best practices with the BEST HR Young Professionals in Atlanta.

What will happen at this event?

• Networking and meeting new, young HR Professionals here in Atlanta to discuss best practices, ideas, and HR trends!
• Introducing you to more upcoming events and initiatives and “wins” by the SHRM-Atlanta community
• Hearing from our speakers as to how they have achieved success in the HR field and how they are currently making a positive impact in the HR Community

Who will be there?

• Young, dynamic and innovative HR Professionals in Atlanta and the surrounding area from all industries

Let’s make this event the “go-to” networking event for the young professionals in the HR industry in Atlanta by inviting your peers, clients, prospects, and friends to be a part of this groundbreaking movement.  Young HR Professionals (under 35) only at this event.

RSVP now and invite someone to join you!!

We look forward to seeing each of you on November 10th and if you have any questions at all, please email SHRM-Atlanta at info@shrmatlanta.org.

We’re looking forward to seeing you there!

HR Young Professionals Community Chair – Katy Colvin kcolvin@manh.com

EVP of External Relations – Teela Jackson teelajackson@talentconnections.net

The 21st Annual SHRM-Atlanta HR Conference will feature a two day track on Business Acumen & Leadership.  These sessions build the business know-how of HR practitioners ranging from the specialist/generalist to the mid-level manager to the seasoned leader.  Specialist/generalist and mid-level professionals can select from sessions that develop and enhance their fundamental business “literacy”.  Seasoned leaders can learn about the impact of their actions on decision-making and how this in turn affects outcomes at the functional, unit, or corporate level.

Here is what you can expect to learn more about in this track:

Savvy Leadership Acumen | Speaker:  Karla Brandau, CSP, Workplace Power Institute
Monday, October 17, 8:00 am – 9:00 am | Strategic Management Credit

Are charismatic leaders born or grown? The question has been asked for centuries. The truth is that no baby is born with a silver leadership spoon in their mouth. Most anyone can become a charismatic leader if they work from their own leadership attributes; work to implement admirable traits they observe in others; and resist the urge to be a copy cat of a popular yet perhaps flamboyant individual. The engaging and charismatic leader has a brilliant comprehension of personal innate strengths and an intuitive discernment of the inner assets of team members and employees. This knowledge generates savvy leadership acumen and provides a powerful concentration of courage and fortitude in the face of the indomitable challenges of the 21st Century relationships. Navigating work relationships and forging ahead to increased organizational productivity with the full support of colleagues, team members, and employees is a phenomenally complex endeavor. In this session, Karla simplifies it for you and gives you real help, not just theory.

Developing Your Strategic HR Business Partner Capabilities | Speaker:  Walter Boehm, Talent Connections
Monday, October 17, 12:40 pm – 1:40 pm | Strategic Management Credit

This session looks at the various ways in which an HR professional, develops leadership skills to work in the C-Suite delivering HR startegic value to the organization. We will do this through looking at two different buisness case studies on companies based in Atlanta. We will review the skills and HR startegic initiatives which drive bottom-line business results such as productivity and share-holder value.

Leading in Tough Times | Speaker:  Luis Castro, Cameron and Associates, Inc.
Monday, October 17, 2:20 pm – 3:20 pm | Strategic Management Credit

This session will bring hope, share proven strategies, ideas, tips and suggestions that really work while leading in tough times. Luis will discuss leadership greatest challenges; how leadership styles affect outcomes; management vs. leadership; ten strategies when leading in tough times; six rules for successful leadership; choices to make before and after the crisis; moving from the comfort zone to the challenge zone; and seven rules for leading in tough times.

Using HR Data to Make the Right HR Investments | Speaker:  Cathy Missildine-Martin, SPHR, Intellectual Capital Consulting
Monday, October 17, 3:35 pm – 4:35 pm | Strategic Management Credit

HR Departments are faced with decisions about which programs, initiatives and deliverables should be implemented almost on a daily basis. HR must compete for dollars and resources both within the HR Department and with other functional areas. Post recession, CEO’s are more risk adverse, therefore driving the need for HR to create a solid business case when competing for investment dollars. What if you had to choose between a wellness program and a new rewards and recognition program? How would you determine which of the two had the greatest impact on business results?  By understanding strategic mapping, HR professionals can directly link programs and activities to business outcomes.  Once key relationships are established in the mapping process,  simple statistical methods can be used to determine which investment has the most “bang got its buck.”

Get a Vision | Speaker:  LynnMarie Earl, Earl MKTG, LLC
Tuesday, October 18, 8:15 am – 9:15 am | General Credit

In this seminar you will learn how to assess future goals and convey them to others in a positive and encouraging way.  Your staff will be able to create their own goals as you work with them to visualize. You will learn how to empower yourself and others through a better understanding of characteristics, strengths, and weaknesses.  You will be able to share the importance of having, creating, and following through on individual and corporate visions to improve individual, team, division, and corporate growth.  Specific techniques are shared to ensure incorporation of methods learned and taught to staff and employees. Emphasis is placed on learning your, and your staff’s, characteristics that help or hurt you, time schedules, goals/numbers, and true focus on specific goals over general statements of growth.

F&B, Tweets & Green Peppers:  Practical Leadership Techniques | Speakers:  Joyce Chastain, SPHR, HR Florida State Council; Carol McDaniel, HR Florida State Council
Tuesday, October 18, 10:00 am – 11:00 am | General Credit

Using a conversational style, this session provides useful leadership strategies using real-life examples of lessons learned in the trenches of senior leadership positions. These three HR professionals are currently co-authoring a book by the same title which is expected to be completed in late 2011. In the book, “F&B” relates to business necessity (financials, mission, etc.); Tweets relates to outside influences (how you got here, who’s cheering you on, who’s attacking you); and Green Peppers relates to distractions (things that divert your attention from what’s important to what someone else thinks is urgent.)

Leadership GPS:  Goals, People, Systems | Speaker:  Seth Davies, Competitive Solutions, Inc.
Tuesday, October 18, 11:15 am – 12:15 pm | General Credit

What is your organizational direction? Are you ready to emphasize growth over survival? Are you ready to demonstrate to your organizational leaders that they are vital and valuable? Are you ready to re-calibrate your organizational GPS? In this interactive presentation, participants will receive a lively overview of the four key elements necessary to create and sustain a high performance mentality and process throughout any organization. The presenter will focus strongly on the role of organizational leadership to create, emulate, communicate and reinforce the non-negotiable strategies necessary to sustain business success. This presentation will look at the real-world business challenges facing organizations today, as well as give participants a specific implementation methodology to begin practicing upon immediate return to the workplace.

The Future is Here: Human Capital is the New ROI | Speakers:  Marcus Harwood, CPA, CPIM, MBA, OND; Vallerie Parrish-Porter and Jerry Glazier (both formerly of Embarq)
Tuesday, October 18, 1:45 pm – 2:45 pm | Strategic Management Credit

Imagine a world in which HR owns the single most value-rich improvement initiative, an initiative that dwarfs the value of the next ten, most significant improvement initiatives spanning the company – combined! That future is here. We will describe how one company leveraged a simple language and rich methodology to lay the foundation and take the first major step toward that future. The CIO (HR’s customer) and senior HR executive (IT’s business partner) from a top telecom will discuss the problem they faced, the bold new approach they took, the results they achieved, and, how they see the next steps – the future. The future calls for radical changes in talent acquisition, deployment, development, evaluation and recognition. The improvements in company bottom-line and competitiveness will make the “reengineering movement” and the “SAP movement” small in comparison. The only thing mind-boggling about this movement is that it has not already happened. The movement will unleash unprecedented productivity gains, turn around the performance of all mission-critical teams, enable truly productive collaboration for a purpose, and, materially elevate employee commitment and passion – raising acquisition and retention of top talent to levels thought impossible before. The movement takes HR from playing cop to sitting at the table as major initiatives are planned and implemented – as an integral part of mission-critical business processes from vision through implementation.

Influence for Impact | Speaker:  Hodges Golson, PhD, ABPP Management Psychology Group
Tuesday, October 18, 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm | General Credit

Psychological assessments of thousands of executives, sales people and technologists have shown that skills of influence are in short supply. These are most often mentioned as “developmental opportunities” in a very wide range of people. This talk presents a distillation of what psychologists have found out about influence and persuasion over the past 50 years. And it offers practical advice about how to use this knowledge to your advantage.

Register today!  You will not want to miss out on this great two day conference.  And keep in mind that this is not the only track being offered at the session.  We will have six current tracks covering seven specialty areas.

SHRM-Atlanta is starting a new community for young HR professionals.  This new community will target our 35 and under members and will be aimed at providing younger professionals an exclusive opportunity to network with peers, get connected with SHRM-Atlanta leaders, and develop in the HR Profession.  We need your help to name this community!

From now until August 23^rd, members can submit their community name idea via our online form https://m360.shrmatlanta.org/admin/forms/ViewForm.aspx?id=25048.  Once the contest closes, the volunteer chair for this new community will compile the entries and select the winning name.

The winner of this contest will receive a complimentary one year membership to SHRM- Atlanta (a $135 value)!

Ready, set, go!

Are you looking for an opportunity to develop or fine tune your presentation and public speaking skills?  SHRM-Atlanta has a great way for its members to grow and develop in these areas while giving back through our partnership with Junior Achievement!

The SHRM-Atlanta/Junior Achievement partnership is looking for volunteers to participate in JAMS (JA Means Success) program.  JAMS is a 9 week after school program for 6th – 9th grade students. Students work alongside volunteers to explore real world business challenges, develop analytical and problem solving skills, and learn about educational pathways available to youth. JA curriculum volunteers lead project based activities which address the workforce readiness needs of Georgia’s youth while showing students the benefits of completing high school and pursing a post secondary degree.

Junior Achievement provides all of the teaching materials as well as orientation for all volunteers.

Volunteers are needed at 3 schools, from 4 – 6pm, one day a week after school for 9 weeks (August 15th – October 14th). The schools are:

B.E.S.T. Academy
Coretta Scott King Leadership Academy
Coan Middle School

Please contact Argentina Murphy at argentin.murphy@att.net or 770-335-5352 for additional information.

The job market has changed. It’s more competitive, more fast-paced and the use of social media is now the norm. Job seekers must take an even proactive role in finding opportunities and the importance of networking has never been more relevant. How do you make the big world out there a bit smaller?

One great tool is LinkedIn.

Called “The Facebook for Professionals”, it’s a place where over 100 million people have posted their professional backgrounds for purpose of expanding their network, sharing their expertise and getting known.  Do you have a LinkedIn profile?  If not, you may be left out.

Here are 6 tips on how to get the most out of putting yourself out there.

1. Create a complete free profile at www.linkedin.com.  The site will walk you through the process. Have your resume handy for easy access to key information.
2. Post a professional photo. Key word here:  Professional.  Not a picture of you and your dog, a cartoon or avatar, or worse; no picture at all! Forward-facing, SMILING, professionally dressed, head shot with a neutral background.
3. Invite others to connect with you. You’ll be surprised at how many people you do know out there!  When sending a message to connect, edit the text in the invitation to make it personal. It shows that you took the extra time and makes a positive impression.
4. Be easy to find. To make your public profile URL easier to find, edit it and use your full name. For example, mine is www.linkedin.com/in/MarieCumbest. LinkedIn ranks higher in search engines than Twitter and Facebook so promote your link by putting it on your resume, cover letter, business card, and all marketing materials.
5. Join groups. There are more than 700,000 to choose from and you can join up to 60.  Click on “Groups You May Like” and LinkedIn will make some suggestions for you. When you join the groups, you can connect directly with others in the group – expanding your network!
6. Remember to keep your postings and comments professional. You won’t get a second chance to make a positive first impression.

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Utilize these tips to get your LinkedIn profile up and running and you won’t be left out.

This post was submitted by guest blogger Marie Cumbest.  Marie is the VP of Client Services at Career Spa, LLC,  the organization that provides one-on-one coaching and support for all professionals who want to elevate their careers to the next level. Find Marie on LinkedIn or on Twitter (@mariecumbest).

Please join us on Tuesday, May 17 for the SHRM-Atlanta Buckhead GEM Meeting, sponsored by Saint Leo University, at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse.  Enjoy some great networking, and learn “The Top 10 Wage Payment Mistakes That Companies Make … That Create Huge $$$ Legal Exposure!”  Plus, you can earn 1 general HRCI credit!

Topic Details:
Employers continue to face an epidemic of lawsuits concerning wage and hour violations under the Fair Labor Standards Act.  This session will provide an update on the DOL’s rigorous enforcement plan and audit strategy.  Attendees will obtain practical advice in key areas aimed at decreasing potential wage payment liabilities, including: exempt/non-exempt determinations; classifying workers as independent contractors; when deductions may be taken from exempt employees; reducing “off-the-clock” exposure; how to handle pay issues regarding travel time, on call time, training time, etc.  Don’t miss this informative session!

Speakers:  Lauren Zeldin & Greg Hare of Ogletree Deakins Law Firm

This meeting is part of our legislative community.  Our communities come together with the purpose of discussing various areas of specialty in and around HR.  Communities are woven into all of our programming at GEMs, Chapter Meetings and Conferences.  Download our roadmap of learning to see where each community will be featured throughout 2011.

Date of the Buckhead GEM: Tuesday, May 17, 2011 | 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Location:  Ruth’s Chris Steak House | 3285 Peachtree Road, NE | Embassy Suites Buckhead | Atlanta, GA 30305

Agenda:
11:00 a.m. – Networking/Announcements/Lunch
11:40 a.m. – Speaker Presentation

Registration: Click This Link!

If you haven’t already, you can join the Buckhead subgroup or the legislative community within the SHRM-Atlanta LinkedIn group.