SHRM Lobby Day

This week I will be starring in my own version of Mr. Smith goes to Washington.  I have the good fortune to be attending the SHRM Leadership Conference. This year there will be over 900 volunteer leaders at the Crystal Gateway Marriott. We will be hearing about the SHRM agenda,  sitting through sessions on agenda items, seeing the Pinnacle Awards being handed out, and networking with one and other.

I will be arriving on Wednesday evening. On Thursday morning I am having breakfast with over 400 other SHMR members and volunteer leaders,  who will be descending onto Capitol Hill as pseudo lobbyists.  Mr.Michael Layman, one of SHRM's official lobbyists has done some cursory preparations with the group last week. He presented an hour long webinar for attendees to hear what our mission was going to be. I have accepted the mission and am most excited about it.

We will be meeting with members from our House Districts in the morning and then with Senators in the afternoon.  While they have prepared us to expect to meet with Staffers in many instances, I am sure a number of folks will actually have a chance to speak to their elected representatives.  SHRM does have an official agenda for each of us, either as groups or individual, to present to our legislators. It is important that we do this.  As it was explained to me earlier in the week of the 535 Senators and House Members - 2 yes Two of them actually have practical experience in Human Resources. Expressed as a percentage 0.4% of our elected representative have HR experience - shocking!

We will have more than 20 attendees from Illinois at the conference.  Of those there will be at least three making the trip over to Captiol Hill . We will share with you our fledgling lobbying efforts later in the week, as well other goodies coming from the conference.  Stay tuned!

- Dave Ryan Director of Social Media ISC SHRM