A New Look - More White Space

This blog has been in place since July 14, 2010 with our first post.  The concept was to get "some" social media in place before the 2010 Illinois State Conference.  This came right on the heels of the 2010 SHRM National Conference and was really the collective thought of John Jorgensen and Curtis Mikdiff.

Well now that the blog is 10 years old (in dog years) we thought it was time for a little bit of a face-lift, a makeover, a redesign; call it what you will.  We have made some fairly subtle changes, to the layout and design.  While we are using Google Blogger as the platform, there still are a lot of options.  We have tried to keep it simple and go with a lot of so called White Space. I hope this hasn't rocked anyone's world.

Actually, I wonder if anyone would have even noticed.  If you have any comments please feel free to share them of email me Dave Ryan.

Top Ten HR Moments of 2011

There is little doubt which news stories will revisit the airwaves as we recollect and close the year of 2011: the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan, the death of Osama Bin Laden and Moammar Gadhafi, the loss of business icon Steve Jobs, the pop-culture take-it-or-leave-it rants of Charlie Sheen, and the shocking shooting and miraculous recovery of Gabrielle Giffords. Maybe our stories pale in comparison, but as HR professionals we've also watched some highlights in the year 2011.

1. NLRB and its battle with big business Boeing. I love a good case study. Maybe it's because I'm in education or that I've always wanted to be a lifelong student, but this is good stuff. I challenge anyone to find an HR or labor relations class that didn't follow this story in 2011, and while it appears to be wrapping up at year's end, it will be a precedent for future labor issues.

2. Wisconsin vs. Public Unions. Who doesn't love a good union battle? Regardless of your position, or mine for that matter, the full assault between Governor Walker and the public unions was dramatic (yes, I'm a nerd). Throw in some teachers, pension plans, a multibillion dollar deficit and a contentious political environment and you were guaranteed to see cardboard-sign wielding protesters on your Capitol's front lawn.

3. SHRM National. Keith Urban labels us as SHRMies. And yes, the networking is phenomenal, the sessions are the best professional development around, the exhibit hall is second-to-none and who can forget the tweet-ups and the monster party hosted by Monster.

4. Occupy.  A stretch, perhaps,if you think occupy is all about business. But yes, I'll make the ever-heard argument that HR is business. Just ask UC Davis Chancellor Linda Katehi who's being pressured to step down from her position because of the way the campus police handled the protesters, and by handled, I mean doused with pepper spray. Employee relations, employee communications and leadership development could have gone a long way to prevent this event. Maybe.

5. The Herman Cain conundrum. It might not have any long-term influence on HR policy and it might not have had a realistic impact on the polls, but you can bet a lot of HR managers were revisiting their sexual harassment policies. And I guarantee more than a handful of businessmen were second guessing their past actions.

6. SHRM Leadership - The case for real HR Leadership? It exists. Tiffany, Steve, Ellen, John, Tara, Kristi and Dave among countless others are proof. Giving back to the profession never felt so good.

7. Penn State. Ethics, leadership, power and oversight of leaders. Did you see Sandusky was denied a volunteer coaching position after background check? This story continues to evolve and will surely have human resource repercussions. Lesson learned.

8. Illinois SHRM State Conference. It might not be everyone's top 10, but with Bryan Wempen, Michael VanDervort, Jessica Merrell, Dwane Lay, Charlie Judy, Geoff Webb, Joan Ginsberg, Josh Rock, Kristi Jones, Susan Avello, Ryan Estis, John Jorgensen... ok, you get the idea... fabulous.

9. To infinity and beyond: the last space shuttle flight.  As a girl who grew up wanting to be the genie in I Dream Of Jeannie, I imagined nothing but astronauts, palm tress and the beach. As an HR gal, I now see the impact of the shuttering of the space program including over 8,000 jobs lost at Kennedy Space Center alone. The impact area extends into the Space Coast with losses at retail, restaurant, tourism and other businesses. I've got this issue on my watch list for strategic planning initiatives for future developments and municipal and industry transitions (don't you just love a good public administration story?).

10. The Recession. Wait, what year is this? Still? Is this a double dip? Call it what you like, analyze it at will, but for many the recession is still here. Unemployment hovered around 9% in many markets and even topped 10% in Illinois. Our economic woes, health care costs, unemployment, underemployment, and debt continue to influence our HR programs and practices.

Way to go, 2011! It's not a Kardashian wedding implosion, but these stories swept me off my feet... and will be a part of my life for more than 72 days.
Amy Dillman - President Elect Central Illinois Human Resource Group
Photo credit  Lake City Community Church

Vince Caldwell Another SHRM Leadership Story

Vince Caldwell

Those of us who have been to a number of SHRM events notice there is a constant at many of these events.  The constant that I am talking about is the SHRM Bookstore.  You can find them at SHRM National, at SHRM Leadership, at the SHRM Legislative Conference and at  many SHRM State Conferences - and now you can even find the SHRM Bookstore attending NON SHRM events. I know this because I stopped to visit with Vince Caldwell at the Leadership Conference.

Now I have little experience working with Vince as I have helped him set up the bookstore more than once at the Illinois SHRM State Conference and understand that it can be a lengthy and tedious task. Vince along with   Andy Cale are the faces that SHRM members see when we see the SHRM Store.  They bring all of the fine offerings to the shows. I chatted with Vince to learn a little bit more about him and the bookstore.

Vince's official title is SHRM Store Coordinator. He has been with SHRM for 13 years.  The SHRM Store often attends 20 events per year. At every event, most of their merchandise is shipped in from a central distribution point and then returned there after the show/conference.    They had quite a display at the Leadership Conference this year.



As I looked at their display in the Crystal Gateway Marriott ,  I wondered how long it took to set-up.  Vince said this effort was a 10 hour set-up, but it was easy because it was near home - not on the road.  I was curious as to how they decided what materials to bring to each of the various events.  Vince explained to me that that is part of the body of knowledge he has attained over the years. He said different events call for a different flavor of the merchandise they bring to the event.  Vince said very succinctly, the audiences are different.   He did say sometimes it is a challenge and other times they hit the sweet spot on price and product don't have to return ship much of anything.

If you ever talk to Vince you will find that he is soft spoken knowledgeable guy.  He is passionate about his work, but I wanted to know a little more about him.  I asked him what is that people don't know about you?  He told me that he is an avid Toastmaster. He said that he has held every position in the district and competed at every level.  He said is planning to compete in the world competition for public speaking.  He said it is an exciting thought to be competing on the world stage.  Now - there's something I  bet you didn't know about Vince from the SHRM Store.

I wanted to thank Vince for taking the time to speak with me, and wish him luck in any and all upcoming Toastmaster competitions.

-Dave Ryan Director of Social Media ISC SHRM

TNL Is Here

Craig Fisher telling the pre-conference tweet-up about tomorrow's events.

I have arrived here in Aurora, IL. I am here for the Talent Net Live (TNL) event on recruiting. There are some very sharp people in for the event.  You can follow the tweet stream at #TNL on twitter. I understand there be some live blogging. Check out Charley Judy's site (www.hrfishbowl.com) on Monday to see what kind of content he his putting up from the event.

And here is some exciting news from the folks at Job Search Television Network.  As the #TNL event is being held at their studio, the JSTN guys are going to live stream several events.  This is not going to be a crappy, jumpy feed. The feed is going to be nearly HD quality.  Here is the link to the live stream http://myjstn.jobs/event/talentnetlive/stream/  . Watch for Tweets promoting which events will stream live.

Stay tuned for more tomorrow...

-Dave Ryan Director of Social Media ISC SHRM

SHRM Leadership If You're Going to Go, Go All In

Amy Dillman

If there's one thing I learned at the SHRM Leadership conference last week it's that these people, these wonderful volunteers, don't do anything half way. They're away from work but still check their emails on route to a session and tap their laptops like they're cracking code all while networking, learning and engaging for the betterment of their chapters and for SHRM. They know to take full advantage of the SHRM Leadership opportunity, so they meet, mingle and Tweet. Those from Illinois, even do it in matching red shirts. It's the ultimate show of supreme multi-tasking. It's also the absolute example of dedication.

And SHRM has dedication. Every year, the SHRM Open House continues to be an enjoyable, light-hearted kickoff to the weekend. These guys were ready for us and are ready for Atlanta 2012. There were Coke vs. Pepsi challenges, Atlanta trivia, an HRCI birthday party complete with cupcakes, and We Know Next swag.  Did you get your custom made luggage tag? The best moment, for me personally, was when I ran into those dedicated SHRMies, Lisa Horn and Michael Layman. Have you had either of these two to your chapter? You should. If you didn't go, you missed out. If you did go, and didn't feel a renewed energy and purpose, you still missed out. I would imagine it would be hard to find a SHRM volunteer who wasn't motivated to lead after that night.

But really folks, how can you not get motivated? With an entertaining and enlightening line-up, including my personal favorites RyanEstis, Pam Green and Joe Gerstandt, you have no choice but to get pulled in by their passion (that's for you, Ryan). All fluff and prose aside, there were sessions for everyone and for every purpose. Need guidance to lead your chapter? Check. Looking for ideas for membership development? Check. Want real, concrete methods and instruction on chapter practices? Check. Check. 

Now just so you don't think I'm a complete pom-pom wielding cheerleader, there was room for improvement. I love a good motivator, but the butterflies on the screen were a bit much for me, but that's just me (ask me about that off line). Many of us wanted a good, hands-on development lab for working on our chapter websites. There was no conference wi-fi (thank God for my mi-fi). And yes, there's just never enough time to ask every question and meet every person. Regardless, I am a crusader for the cause and of SHRM. I believe in HR. It's a strong, invaluable component to bottom-line results and of positive employee work life. And yes, it's a necessity to organizational success.

So, drink the SHRM Kool-Aid. Get on board. Learn your craft. Maximize your ability. Share what you know. Volunteer.

If you're going to go, go all in...and introduce yourself to someone in a red shirt.

Amy Dillman - President Elect for the Central Illinois Human Resources Group (Champaign. IL).  You can find Amy on twitter as @RhumbarFan and on LinkedIn.

SHRM Leadership Wrap-Up and Overview

The SHRM leadership conference is now over for another year. It was my fifth time to attend. I am fortunate to be that lucky.  The event is truly marvelous because the SHRM staff all go way out of their way to make the attendees/volunteers feel like royalty. It is the. volunteer leaders that do a huge amount of work to help keep SHRM moving forward, but for me I know that I  always get back more than I give.  And I like that.

If you haven't been as lucky as me amd have never attended, here is what you need to do.  Get yourself involved in a leadership role in a local chapter or state council.  Not all members "get" to go,  but if you work hard ad s volunteer in your organization you may get an opportunity to attend.

Do you want to know what the conference is all about?  Well I can't divulge certain information about the secret handshake or the funny hats (see below), but I  can go over the format and the usual things I have seen go on.

Melissa Flores SHRM Staff (Notice Funny/Secret Hat)

The conference officially starts on Thursday, although often times the higher ups or some special committees may have some Wednesday meetings. Thursday morning has usually included prep for, and a trip to Capitol Hill, where SHRM members actually lobby Congressmen/Congresswomen and Senators.  There are also pre-conference meetings, which take place. The meetings end, the Lobbyists return and the conference kicks off with a General Session (all attendees).  The top people from SHRM always address the troops. sharing  information on the direction of the organization. There are several speech and then the attendees are invited to SHRM Headquarters. If you ever attend, I implore you to go to Headquarters.  If you were  not before you went there you will be SHRMalized when you leave!

After headquarters you are on your own to ride the motor coaches or the Metra back to your Hotel. Then you are free to do what you want, in my years of attending this usually involves drinking somewhere till a nearly unreasonable hour.

Friday there is a breakfast (served) General Session with a notable speaker. Later there are smaller breakout sessions (usually by chapter size).  There is a General Session Lunch, with a keynote speaker.  This year's speaker was Ryan Estis, and he killed it! I might also mention that  Ryan was our opening keynote speaker at our 2011 State Conference, where again he rocked the house with a fabulous presentation.

Friday after lunch there are usually a two more breakout sessions.  And again I saw one session that was great.  I saw Chester Elton speak on teams.  He was great.  Chester writes along with Adrian Gosttick and together they are the Carrot Culture and Think Orange,  So two sessions end and then it is the HRCI Silent Auction.  This is also a social hour(drinks).

Left to Right - Jenny Hughes - SHRM, Dave Ryan,
Kathy Plouzak and Donna Rogers - From the Tweet Up

The auction goes until 6:30 and then it is the Friday Night Dinner. Sometime there is entertainment,  this year the Pinnacle Awards were moved to this slot.  I particularly enjoyed them this year as three good friend of mine all were involved with teams that won awards.  Those fine SHRM folks were Cathy Plouzak, incoming ILSHRM State Director, but her Peoria Chapter is who won.  Also winning we're Tara Mauk Arthur for her work with the West Central Arkansas Chapter.  And Nancy Slotnick for her work with the WSC (Washington). Kudos folks!

This year just like last year, there was a Tweet-Up Hosted by The SHRM Social Media Guy Curtis Midkiff!  Drinks, great music, tweeting, funny pictures with old friends and new friends makes for a great event -Thanks Curtis!

Saturday is often housekeeping stuff and the go home day.  This year however there was a lot going on.  Speakers, and a visit from Hank and Jose.  We will look to another ILSHRM blogger to fill in the Saturday portion.

If you do get a chance to go book yourself a couple extra days in Washington,  There is a ton of stuff to  do and see.     Hope to see all of you SHRM volunteers there next year!

-Dave Ryan Director of Social Media ISC SHRM

SHRM Lobby Day

Today was really an amazing day.  I am this guy from a relatively small town in the mid-west.  But today I had an impact on the way our country is governed. While my impact may not alter the events of history, it might.  I was one of 900 people who are in Alexandria, VA attending the SHRM Leadership Conference.  Of the 900 more than 400 of us went to Capitol Hill (The US Senate and House of Representative) as citizens but also as members of the Society of Human Resources Management.

We had been coached in what to do, what to say and how to say it. Still, it takes just a little cache to put yourself in front of your elected official (or one of their staffers) and suggest to them how they should vote on a particular piece of legislation and why they should vote that way.  For me part of that process included telling our elected officials how this bill was going to impact me and my employer.

So after preparing us as best they could the SHRM Legislative Affairs gang put their members on buses and hoped for the best.

Rep Schock with Sandra Donelson

My first stop was Representative Aaron Schock's Office.  My partner in crime for this was Sandra Donelson. She too is represented by Rep. Schock.   We were welcomed into the office and spoke to one of Rep. Schock's staffers, Margie Almanza.  She was most cordial and allowed us to present our case on the H.R. 3094 and S 1843.  We made our case - I am not sure how eloquent, but we did our best.  Then we were introduced to Rep Schock.  We got to speak briefly with him, and talk about our concerns and then were offered a photo op with him.  We were happy to accept.

It was the noon hour and Sandra and I split up.  I headed over to the Hart Building where  I was to have a 1 PM meeting wth Senator Durbin or someone from his staff.   I grabbed some lunch in the basement (with the $10 bill provided to me by SHRM - Yes they were handing out money).

I headed up to the seventh floor to Sen Durbin's Office and hooked up with 7 more of my fellow lobbyists. We were invited in right at 1PM as was scheduled.  We did not meet with Sen. Durbin, which was not really much of a surprise.  We met wtih Nathan Sandals, a Legislative Assistant.  He listened to our concerns and allowed us to make our points.  He was extremely non-commital on everything we talked about.  He did ask a couple questions.  He also said he did not know much about SHRM. We educated him about the organization, its mission, its size and strength.  Our meeting wrapped up after about 30 minutes.  I don' t know that we secured any votes on the two measures, but again we did our best.

I feel proud to have done what I did. I feel fortunate to have had the opprotunity to do what I did. And I hope that our visits changed some minds.

I would like to thank the entire SHRM Legislative Affairs Staff: David Lusk, Michael Aitken, Michael Layman and Lisa Horn.  Thank you for putting this together and giving each of us the chance to feel like we are participating in the democratic process.

-Dave Ryan Director of Social Media ISC SHRM

JSTN and TNL Pairing Up for Chicago

This is another call to action for those of you out there who are still sitting on the fence about an upcoming event in the Chicago area.  TNLive is coming to the Chicago area. Please click the link then you can see a video about the upcoming event.  The video is the product of Job Search Television Network (JSTN). This is the actual location where the event will be taking place as well; JSTN Hdqrs. 2880 Vision Court Auroa, IL 60134.

Those of us in IL SHRM met the folks from JSTN last summer as they were in attendance at the 2011 State Conference.  You may having seen them working closely with Curtis Midkiff, while at the event. They were shooting video of the event and interviewing folks.

Now my question when I read about the location was this; so what's the connection TNL and JSTN.  A reasonable question, which I put forward to Lindsey Stanton Chief Client Officer with JSTN.  She responded that the two organization are both at the forefront of social media, technology, recruiting and building talent communities.   Mike France, Director of Sales for JSTN had hooked up with Geoff Webb (aka the Radical Recruit) at an unconference in Madison, WI , where Geoff in turn introduced Mike to Craig Fisher, who runs and is TNLLive. And viola, there it is - got all that?

Back to the event, where JSTN will be showcasing their unique video capabilities with a LIVE PRODUCTION shoot during the conference. Take advantage of special pricing offered to attendees who produce videos in conjunction with the event. Click here to learn more . . .

Hopefully you clicked the learn more link above and got an idea of how powerful of tool JSTN is offering up. They have an impressive client list, like Mc Donalds, Liberty Mutual, Verizon Wireless, Lowe's, U.S.Air and Macy's to name a few.  Not only have they figured out how to do video and do it well, they can also teach you and help you get your video in front of the people you want to view it.  When that is done they will report back to you - yes analytics!  They can tell you where your video traffic is coming from, even if it is mobile with some very sophisticated mechanism. 

So this would be a good chance to learn about JSTN because they won't be taking the show on the road for a while.  Lindsey tells me the next show they are doing is not until February where they will be attending an HR Conference in Sarasota, FL.  

Oh so let's not forget, while you will get to meet, greet and video with the JSTN gang the purpose in attending the even is to participate in the TNLLive Event, so you can register here.  I promise you this, TNLLive will be one of the best events you will attend in 2012 and without a doubt will be the cheapest.  Hope to see you there!

-Dave Ryan Director of Social Media ISC SHRM

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

Social Media, SHRM and Shoes

This post is a welcome to the newest Director of Social Media to a SHRM State Council.  Please join us at ILSHRM in wecloming Kristi Jones as the Director of Social Media  for the State of Missouri.  Now here is where it gets interesting.  Kristi is alleged to be somewhat of a fashion diva. I am basing this on the fact that she brought a lot of shoes with her to the Illinois State Conference this year for a three day stay.

We were quite happy to have Kristi join us.  She brought a certain let's call it cache with her. She is a charming young lady as well.  Now just as I was thinking about Kristi, in her new role, I was reading my SHRM weekly newsletter and I read a blurb about SHRM collecting shoes at the Leadership Conference.  Then I make the connection; this is ....ummmm  strange.  I will see Kristi again, in about a week at the SHRM Leadership Conference, and again the focus will be on footwear.

I am not sure how this all fits in but it seems to be the convergence of Kristi and shoes where ever she goes.

Good Luck in your new role as Director of Social Media for the Missouri State Council of SHRM!

-Dave Ryan Director of Social Media ISC SHRM

#SHRMChat Goes Live

Last night was an exciting evening at least for about 24 people that I know from twitter.  Now I have met many of these folks face to face, but not all of them.  The reason last night was exciting is because it was the first night of #SHRMChat.   This was and will be an on-line chat on twitter.  This is the brain child of our good friend Joan Ginsberg.

SHRMChat Brain Child Joan Ginsberg

Joan wanted to do something to bring together some of the most active and enthusiastic social media users who are at the forefront of using social media on behalf of their SHRM organization, be it a state council or chapter.  Well she did it.  Joan pushed it and got it out of the gate; so kudos to her!  The plan is to do this chat monthly on the second Tuesday of the month at 8 p.m. Eastern.  The hashtag is #SHRMChat.

I could not get a good tweet count, as it appears that tweet cloud has gone inactive.  Looking at the tweet reach stats we see we had 24 participants on the hashtag.

There were some interesting ideas thrown out during the chat.  Perhaps we could take action on some of these and move the ball forward.   If you are involved in any SHRM organization and you are trying to move the organization forward with social media then you should plan to participate in the next chat on December 13th at 8 p.m. EST.  

Those of us at the SHRM Leadership Conference will talk this up, but we need more support so please join in next month.

One last thing - THANKS JOAN!

-Dave Ryan Director of Social Media ISC SHRM

TNL Live Coming to Chicago Land

I recently became aware of an event that is coming not only to the mid-west but right here in the Land of  Lincoln and Illinois SHRM. Many of you have heard of HREvolution.  Some of you have heard or the Tru Conferences as well, and you may know that they are similar events. Well I am so excited about his event I must go back to one of my favorite video clips of all time from my man Kent Dorfman- enjoy...



What is great?  The Talent Net Live show coming to the Chicago area.  Craig Fisher is the guy who has put this together. Craig is social media when it comes to recruiting. Where can you find him Linked IN  Twitter  (Yeah that's right 35,000 followers) Facebook (+2500 Friends) His Blog site.

Craig is taking his show on the road.  He has done a number of events in his backyard in the Dallas area, but this is about as far from home as he has taken his Talent Net Live.  Talent Net Live is joining forces with JSTN Studios in Aurora.   Here is an overview of the December 5th event.

There will be a number of prominent social media folks who are active in the HR space both presenting and attending.  Now having said all of this I also have a discount code for Illinois SHRM Members.  Simply go to the registration form here. For a 25% discount use the discount code "tnlspecial".

- Dave Ryan Director of Social Media ISC SHRM

We will do a follow-up or two to this even, but I hope to see you there.

SHRM Diversity and Inclusion Conference Access Denied

Conference Planners the Game has Changed: Get on Board or get off the Sinking Ship

The theme for this week's SHRM Diversity & Inclusion Conference at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel is "Game Changers". This inspired this post as I assert that the game for conference planners is "the conference" itself. You could also include seminars, programs, education, etc. as the game that has changed.

The point is we soon will have 5 generations in the workplace and our newest generation is being referred to as the "always on" generation. In some circles, this "always on" mentality is wholeheartedly embraced and in others, they are not embraced at all. How can one be "always on" when conference centers, generally hotels, BLOCK access to what folks want to be "always on"... The Internet.

This conference is not the first SHRM conference to deny my access to “get on" during the conference. However, SHRM is not the only organization I have attended where this has been a problem.  I can think of my own Chamber of Commerce function where there were all kinds of businesses from all types of industries trying to get on the internet. My second point is it doesn't matter if you’re a conference planner within the HR space; this is probably an issue at other conferences all over the world. If we are going to consider marketing conferences to the "always on" generation we should consider their needs. Not only that, there truly is a real benefit to your organization to promote, drive and encourage live communication from the conference. It can drive future attendance. Just like employers should really rethink their ban of internet access on the job, the same goes for organizations and business who want people to frequent their organization. I can imagine a time when people will choose a lunch location based on free wifi or not. Even if you don't have free wifi, if you ban it then you will lose. I already chose hotels for vacation based on whether or not there is free wifi. If lunch is the next decision, conferences will be right behind.

So, conference planners are most likely saying the hotels charge an arm and leg for it. We have the power to increase demand and negotiate for what we want and our member's need. I know I will have comments that say we tried and it's easier said than done. The point is why these conference centers not cater to what the customer needs. If they start losing business because of it, they will eventually listen.

The game has changed. Participants do not want access blocked. Get on board with this demand or it can have an effect on future attendance. Do you want a sinking ship or to go forward full throttle?  Full throttle is catering to the "always on" generation.

-Donna Rogers, Director ISC SHRM 

SHRM Leadership Conference 2011

It happens every November in Alexandrea, VA. It is the SHRM Leadership Conference.  This annual event is put on by the mothership to help spread the word about the SHRM mission and message. If you attend you will find: many first time attendees, many veterans of 10 or more conferences, and many of the SHRM staffers.   The event usually offers up the annual Pinnacle Awards which are awarded at a luncheon, it also includes a trip over to SHRM Headquarters with some excellent food and drink.

It is also a great place to network and meet other people.  But over the years some folks have become concerned about sharing their contact information with other attendees.  Those of us active in the social media are internet extroverts, we want to share and meet new people make new connections, and meet-up in real life (IRL) with people we have met on line.

So having said that at Illinois SHRM we would like to coordinate sharing of contact information for those who wish to do so.  You do not have to participate, but if you do you will be given access to all of the others who sign up to share thier contact information.  This is somewhat of an experiment in using Google Docs integrated into the blog post.

If this works like we plan, we will share with anyone who is interested how to very easily gather data as we are doing here.  If you would like to be included simply fill out this form.  Via email you will then be given access to view the spreadsheet so you may see who all wished to network in somewhat of an open fashion.



Thanks for joining in our networking efforts.

-Dave Ryan Director of Social Media ISC SHRM

WANTED Talented Writers Interested in Promoting HR

This past summer, we proudly unveiled the first edition of ILSHRM Magazine, a publication of ILSHRM designed to promote the human resources profession in the State of Illinois.  With a circulation of more than 10,000, ILSHRM Magazine  provides up-to-date news and features on topics of interest to HR professionals at all career levels, in addition to highlighting the importance of human resource professionals in achieving strategic business objectives.

As we look forward to our second edition, we hope to build off of what we did in the inaugural issue by improving the relevance and sophistication of our content.  Future editions will include scholarly pieces, articles about regulatory changes, case studies, and real world examples of how corporations are using leadership and management principles in their organizations.  Authors will include HR practitioners, educators and consultants who provide a unique perspective or insight on a timely HR topic. 

With this publication, we hope to grab the attention of not only HR professionals but business leaders, legislators and all those who contribute to and who advocate our profession.  Since the magazine is fully funded by advertisers, they are also a large part of our target audience. Many advertisers place ads around articles that are related to their business products or services, and we welcome content of that nature.  We do, however, respectfully request that contributors steer clear of “sales pitches” and focus on products and services generically.

If you or someone you know is interested in finding out more about being a contributor to the second edition of ILSHRM Magazine, please email our Marketing/Communications Chair at newsletter@ilshrm.org.  The bulk of needed articles will range in length from 500-1,000 words with feature articles averaging 3,000 words. Final copy will be submitted to our design team in late November.  So, we hope to have our contributors secured in the coming weeks.  (Keep in mind that your contributions may qualify for recertification credits through HRCI!)   Our next edition is slated for distribution in early February 2012.

We are truly excited about this important initiative, but we need your help.  Whether you choose to pursue advertising opportunities, write copy for the magazine or simply support ILSHRM by reading and spreading the word, we thank you for your support!

Haven’t seen the inaugural edition of ILSHRM Magazine?  Click here  for an electronic download or email us at newsletter@ilshrm.org to be put on our mailing list.

-Heather Hammit Director of Public Relations ISC SHRM

SHRM Strategy Conference Wrap-Up

As a final follow-up to the SHRM Strategy Conference I wanted to share the following press information with you that was written by Kate Kennedy, @SHRMPress.

Oct. 5, 2011    HR Executives Consider Business Risk and Innovation

As human resource executives gathered Tuesday, Oct. 4, in Chicago to examine business risk created by technology, global competition and market uncertainties, an Internet entrepreneur turned the risk posed by social media upside down.  The biggest risk associated with social media is not investing enough time with it, BranchOut CEO Rick Marini told the 100 business leaders.

Social media is the most scalable way to get real-time information from customers, who in turn become marketers for you, he said. And Facebook, he added, brings incredible efficiency to keeping in touch. BranchOut is a professional network on Facebook

Marini was the dinner speaker on the opening day of the SHRM Foundation’s Thought Leaders Retreat -- “HR’s Role in Managing Business Risk” -- an exclusive event for chief human resource officers and CEOs.

Other quotable moments included:

·        To drive innovation, organizations need to set an aggressive vision and challenge orthodoxies, said Arun Leslie George, senior vice president and head of HR at Coromandel International of India. Align innovation to business goals and metrics, he suggested, noting: “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.”

·        The retreat, held before SHRM’s Strategy Conference (Oct. 5-7 in Chicago), continues Wednesday with speakers including Susan Podlogar, vice president of global compensation and performance for Johnson & Johnson.

Oct. 5, 2011    HR Thought Leaders: Balancing Risk and Opportunity

The Society for Human Resource Management’s Strategy Conference opened Wednesday, Oct. 5, with former General Electric HR executive Bill Conaty admonishing the 500 attendees not to forget the “human” in human resources.

“Don’t forget why we are at the table,” he said.

Conaty, co-author of The Talent Masters: Why Smart Leaders Put People Before Numbers, said the HR leader of the future will need to have a critical fit with the CEO and CFO, the trust and confidence of the senior management team and a capacity for complex problem solving and operational savvy.

Great leaders balance a passion for business with compassion for people, he said. Among his advice for professionals: “Great leaders do great succession planning.” “Be problem solvers vs. problem identifiers.” “When you stop growing, the game is over.”

SHRM CEO Henry G. (Hank) Jackson also included the importance of talent management in his remarks. “The question for all of us is: How do we differentiate our organizations and ourselves?  I would argue that as HR professionals … we must ensure that every employee has the opportunity to succeed at his or her greatest degree of potential.”

The 2011 Michael R. Losey Human Resource Research Award was presented to Dr. Sara Rynes, the John F. Murray professor of management and organizations at the University of Iowa and editor of the Academy of Management Journal. In accepting the award, Rynes described research as “the new competitive advantage.”

The conference, which features 17 speakers, continues Thursday, Oct. 6, with presentations by Jeffrey Garten, former undersecretary of commerce, and Bridget van Kralingen, general manager of IBM North America.

The conference followed the SHRM Foundation’s “HR’s role in Managing Business Risk,” an exclusive event held Oct. 4-5 for CEOs and chief human resource officers.

Why are HR executives considering risk now? Wayne Cascio, the Robert H. Reynolds chair in global leadership at the University of Colorado, said concern about business risk is a “byproduct of what happened and what we’ve been through with the global financial crisis.”

But he noted, “The danger of focusing on risk is that we miss out on the flip side – opportunities.” He encouraged HR leaders to put their organizations in “a position to benefit from an uncertain future event.”

 Oct. 6, 2011   SHRM's Strategy Conference: Talent Management Critical to Transformation

The company of the future defines its purpose so employees are truly inspired, has a global mindset and a broad network of ideas and talent, and is agile and resilient, finance expert Jeffrey Garten told attendees at the Society for Human Resource’s Strategy Conference in Chicago.

At the heart of the company of the future is HR. “It’s all about having the right people in the right places at the right time,” said Garten, dean of the Yale School of Management.

“The company of the future is a talent machine.”

Garten, former undersecretary of commerce for international trade, opened Day Two of the conference attended by top HR executives. “Leadership development has to be elevated to the same level as strategy and risk management,” he said, adding that he believes top executives need global experiences that allow them to experience culture and an understanding of public policy.

Brian Dickson, senior vice president of professional development at SHRM who hosted the conference, told the 500 attendees about a recent visit to Cuba by a SHRM delegation. At the heart of dramatic change on the island nation, he noted, is a shift from the public sector to the private sector. “Our time in Cuba brought home to me in a very vivid manner that change, anticipating change, adapting and managing change is integral to the well-being and very survival of our institutions.”

Thursday afternoon’s keynote speaker, Bridget van Kralingen, general manager of IBM North America, spoke about lessons learned from transformation and longevity. “Move to the future before it moves to you,” said the executive of the 100-year-old company. Don’t move when everyone sees it. “Move when it’s lonely.”

During the Oct. 5-7 conference, SHRM’s vice president of research, Mark Schmit, briefed reporters on the 2011 Job Satisfaction Survey, which will be released later this month. For the fourth year, job security was the top driver of job satisfaction, Schmit said.

For the first time, research included data on employee engagement and identified gaps between what employees value and how satisfied they are with what matters most to them. While 63 percent of employees responding to the survey said job security is very important to them, only 28 percent said they were very satisfied with their job security.

For more information about the Job Satisfaction Survey, contact SHRM Media Relations.

SHRM’s conference, “Creative, Effective and Scalable Strategies that Deliver Results,” ends Friday with Don Tapscott, author and authority on the impact of technology, speaking about “Rethinking Talent for the Age of Networked Intelligence.”

Birds Fly…Supervisors Die!

The title above is the outcome of critical thinking that occurred at the end of the SHRM Strategy Conference yesterday at the Chicago Fairmont as Don Tapscott delivered and ended his talk with an analogy that was extremely powerful.  Of course, we are not talking about individual Supervisors literally dying.  Instead, focus your thoughts on the potential idea of “supervision” perhaps going by the wayside as we continue to move toward more collaboration in organizations.  Whereas, I see collaboration is people who work “together” and not “for” others to accomplish the mission of the organization. 

As you watch the video here that I found on You Tube (not exactly the one he used), listen to the author describing the way these birds join forces (as an organization) and what they are doing together in the first place (mission).  It reminds me of how I chunk the information presented in my Organizational Behavior class at UIS.  First we talk about the individuals (the bird), then the groups which are made up of individuals (listen for “groups” of birds), and finally the makeup of the organization and how the individuals, groups and organization itself affect organizational behavior (the swarm).  Notice that no one bird continuously takes the lead (supervisor).  Ironically, they don’t even collide (conflict).  The work together elegantly, swiftly, and precisely to achieve the organizational objective (in this case spotting their prey). I will forever see swarms of birds in a totally different way than I did the day before Don’s talk. 

This presentation, by far, was the most thought provoking of all those I attended this week.  I give credit to the SHRM conference planners for choosing some outstanding speakers.  My second favorite was the one I wrote about in my first ILSHRM blog Steve Cadigan.  Others I found insightful, educational, and inspiring where Bill Conaty, Bridget van Kralingen, Cynthia Worden Lee, and of course one of this year’s ILSHRM keynoters Jason Lauritsen.  If you are having a conference, I would definitely recommend any of these speakers above.

Other posts written about this conference are:  ILSHRM Represented at SHRM Strategy Conference  and CEOs Sit-Up, Take Notice, & Incorporate THINK DIFFERENT.

-Donna Rogers, Director ISC SHRM 

ILSHRM Represented at SHRM Strategy Conference

As the State Director of the Illinois State Council of The Society for Human Resources Management (ILSHRM), I am honored to be writing for the SHRM Press/Social Media. My first time but not so for some of my peers here such as Charlie Judy @HRFishbowl, Susan Avello @SusanAvello, John Jorgensen @jkjhr and of course our fearless leaders Curtis Midkiff @SHRMsocialmediaguy and Kate Kennedy @SHRMPress.  Honored to be on the same team!  So what do I have to write about at the end of this first day. A hellofalot!

The speakers have been fabulous so far and after only one day I would recommend this conference to all SHRM members, chapter members and non members in this great state which if you look at IL BLS data that's about 66k. There are actually about 400 here from around the world.

Let me give you a few examples of why I would recommend this conference so early in the game. First, I started out with a concurrent session lead by the VP of HR for Linked In @SteveCadigan. I chose this session primarily because I have asked my HR students to open a profile to search how Recruiters are using the platform to source candidates (in connection with the two chapters in the text covering recruiting and selection). I also work with several clients who are either looking for talent or looking for a job. My initial objectives were complemented by three words in the session description "employer of choice". My students do a presentation on a chosen organization who have won an award for above. They have not chosen Linked In yet but have chosen employment competitor & neighbor of LI, Google.

The session covered the companies growing pains related to talent acquisition, policy development, competition as an employer of choice and more. So while they are a company who helps other companies with talent acquisition, they have the same problem because of growth. For example 60% of their employee have less than one year of tenure. They have almost 1800 employees now who all help others with services like Linked In Recruiter, Jobs Network, Talent Direct, Recruitment Ads, Career Pages. All of which I have never personally used because my trench HR experience is prior to the birth of this company.  I am looking forward to reading the case studies (Allstate, US Cellular, Kimball International, Kaiser Permanente, & Logitech) they provided in the handout.

The day ended with a 40 year HR veteran (and follow-up reception) who had a very straightforward message that all CHROs, CEOs, & CFOs should hear and incorporate in everything they do. Treat people like humans not numbers (aka remember the "Human" in Human Resources). The veteran was Bill Conaty, former GE HR Executive who worked closely with Jack Welch. He was promoting his book Talent Masters but he really got me interested, as you can see from my tweet stream, towards the end when he shared some of his observations of top HR pitfalls. That information is valuable to those who are working on strategic planning in their organizations.  Some of us were talking at dinner that this is the kind of keynote we need at SHRM national instead of former movie stars or other big names who have really not made a difference in the HR profession. #JustSayin

Looking forward to Day 2 starting with one of our ILSHRM keynotes @JasonLarquist whom I did not hear at our conference since I was "taking care of conference business" 99% of time in Oakbrook.


- Donna Rogers State Director ISC SHRM

Charlie Judy ILSHRM OHSHRM and LASHRM

If you have seen some of the things we have posted up here lately, we have kind of slighted our state council.   Even though our conference is over for the year, we are already working on next year's event and moving forward with many of our on-going projects, like hosting the SHRM Strategy Conference in Chicago. Oh and by the way this is our 100th post on this site! Thank you very much!

Among other things that John Jorgensen and I did while we were over visiting the Ohio SHRM State Conference, we had a chance to review some things from our conference.  One of the more interesting things we did was to check out some digital video from our conference.  We compared what we had done to what Ohio had done, in terms of conference openings.  Without argument, you must agree that the conference openings for Illinois compared to Ohio were at opposite ends of the spectrum. Each was unique and fit the flavor of their event.   After looking at the video below, I think you will find Mr. Judy's comments most enlightening.


Charlie Judy Emcee at ILSHRM 2011 from Illinois SHRM on Vimeo.

Now we think Charlie did a great job.  And not only do we think that he did a great job but apparently our friend Robin Schooling, from Louisiana who attended IL SHRM, thought Charley did a good job as well.  In fact, she thought Charlie did such a fine job, Robin invited Charlie to emcee at the 2012 Louisiana SHRM State Conference.   We found out about this  on the trip return back to Illinois from our Ohio experience. I understand Charley attended school at Tulane, thus the willingness to return to Louisiana, or perhaps just Ms. Schooling's sheer charm, who knows.

The bottom line is this. It is all good stuff.  Our SHRM state organizations are sharing experiences, speakers, topics, ideas and concepts, and it benefits everyone and it hurts no one.

-Dave Ryan Director of Social Media ISC SHRM

OHSHRM Rock Star Brad Galin

I just returned from the Ohio SHRM State conference and was reflecting on the trip.  I had a lot of time to relect - 7 hours in my S10 to be exact.  The conference was in Steve Browne's words AMAZING, and I agree.    I was fortuntate to hear some talented people present on some pertinent topics (that is another post in and of itself). I also met a lot of nice folks from the Buckeye state.  And I also got renew some old friendships. 

The more time you spend with people the better you get to know them.  The whole program was themed with Rock | HR Rocks | and Rock Stars.  Well I hung out with a true rock star, and an HR guy. My buddy Brad Galin is a rock star.

 That's Brad with the shades on.  HR guy by day - rock star conference attendee at night. I have met Brad before but I got a chance to spend time with him at OHSHM as a fellow out-of-stater.  Brad works by day in the not-for-profit sector.  He is also active with the Indana State Council of SHRM.

It is alway enjoyeable to spend time with someone who is like minded, and Brad and I share a number of similiar interest. 

I plan to stay in touch with my neighbor to the east over in the Hoosier state, and look forward to catching up with him soon.  I plan  on attending thier State Conference in Indiana next year. Lastly, I had to put up the post so that I could make him the talk of the office with his rock star pictures.  There are a few more here.

-Dave Ryan Directof of Social Media ISC SHRM

On the Road at Ohio SHRM

I have the good fortune of attending my second SHRM state conference in about a month.  I revel in the opportunity to learn about my field of HR.  Not only am I learning about HR topics, but also about the task of putting on a Conference itself and all of the details that requires.

I am in awe to learn from two of the best in the business: John Jorgensen and Steve Browne. John is more of a behind the scenes guy and Steve is more of an out front guy, kind of like a say- lead singer of a band. So far, I have attended two sessions, and I am in the third as I write this. The first session was thought provoking and insightful. The speaker was Mark Stelzner. His topic was Social Media and HR policies. After lunch Simon Bailey addressed the group of over 700 HR pros and discussed leadership, leading change, being positive and assertive in your workplace. Simon, a former Disney executive communicated about his time at the happiest place on earth and it came through. Once a cast member, always a cast member.

But the real show stealer was lead conference organizer Steve Browne. Have a look



-Dave Ryan Director of Social Media ISC SHRM

Strategy Equals Improved Bottom Line

Yes indeed!  In my professional opinion, strategic decision making, when it comes to company profit and how good or bad the bottom line is go hand in hand.  Having a military background I can appreciate the Wikipedia definition for strategy:

Strategy, a word of military origin, refers to a plan of action designed to achieve a particular goal. In military usage strategy is distinct from tactics, which are concerned with the conduct of an engagement, while strategy is concerned with how different engagements are linked. How a battle is fought is a matter of tactics: the terms and conditions that it is fought on and whether it should be fought at all is a matter of strategy, which is part of the four levels of warfare: political goals or grand strategy, strategy, operations, and tactics. Building on the work of many thinkers on the subject, one can define strategy as "a comprehensive way to try to pursue political ends, including the threat or actual use of force, in a dialectic of wills – there have to be at least two sides to a conflict. These sides interact, and thus a Strategy will rarely be successful if it shows no adaptability."^[1] Strategy has been extended beyond its traditional fields, military and grand strategy, to business, economics, game theory and other fields. Reference Wikipedia.

So looking back at the definition above, I would consider words like: plan, goal, achievement, action, engagement, adaptability, and success.  Strategic success, from an business & HR perspective, if the majority of your overall operating expenses is payroll and benefits (which is typically more than half), would be more than advantageous to maintain a strategic staffing plan at the very minimum.  However, don’t take my word for it!  In a few short weeks you will be able to hear from Bill Conaty, Former Sr. VP of HR at GE, Jeffery Garten, Juan Trippe Professor in Practice of International Trade, Bridget van Kralingen, GM at IBM, and Don Tapscott, Thought Leader on the Strategic Value & Impact of IT.

To top it off one of ILSHRM11’s keynote speakers, Jason Lauritsen, of Talent Anarchy is one of the concurrent speakers.  Personally I’d go just to see him!  He was awesome at our conference!  That’s not the best part!  We at ILSHRM have partnered with SHRM to bring you an improved bottom line as well when you register for this conference today.  How, you ask?  By using the following promo code:  SHRMIL2011.  This code will save you several hundred dollars on your registration.  So register today to move your company toward improved bottom line results!

The SHRM Strategy Conference is a signature event for top-level HR professionals and other business leaders who want senior-level sessions that focus on developing and executing creative, effective and scalable strategies.

Donna Rogers, SPHR @DonnaRogersHR - Chair ISC SHRM

Tim Sackett - The Most Powerful Man in HR

Kyle Lagunas

Today's guest post is from Kyle Lagunas. He is  the HR Analyst at Software Advice – a company that does human resources software reviews. On the surface, it's his job to contribute to the ongoing conversation on all things HR. Beyond that, he makes sure his audience is keeping up with important trends and hot topics in the industry. Focused on offering a fresh take on points of interest in his market, he's not your typical HR guy.

*************************************************************

Tim Sackett
(Presenter at ILSHRM11)

Though my inbox and Twitter feed are flooded daily, rare is the article that catches my eye quite like a recent piece published by Fistful of Talent. It posed a simple question: “Is Tim Sackett the Most Powerful Man in HR?” The answer (“Yes.”) was news to me. After reading Sackett’s piece, I was left with another, more pressing question: Who exactly is this guy?

Having determined that his was a brain worth picking, I scheduled a Q&A with Sackett and quickly found out he’s an HR veteran with a big personality. When I asked him how he got into HR, Sackett said that, like a lot of college kids, “You just fall into something. You either like it and do well, or you don't and you start looking for something else.” 

Fresh out of college, his mother – the CEO at HRU Technical Services – offered him a sourcing position as a research assistant. From there, he launched into a 10-year career in corporate HR before returning to take the reins at HRU. Now the Executive VP, Sackett seems to have found his place in the HR world and, thankfully, was willing to share his lessons learned.

Q: HOW CAN RANK-AND-FILE HR PROS BRING THEIR HR DEPARTMENT UP TO SPEED WITH LIMITED RESOURCES?

Sackett: If you have limited resources, the only thing that is going to help you become more efficient is technology.

The only way you are going to do more with less is to utilize the technology that you have available to you, and to educate yourself.

Everyone should be using Google Reader. There are organizations out there that drive a community of HR professionals that share resources and information, and all you have to do is subscribe to them to get their updates in your inbox. I also use Twitter, and at any minute I could go out there and say, “I'm looking for a total comp statement to use.” I have roughly 3,500 Twitter followers, and within five minutes I will have five people send me a link or an email of a total comp statement that they put together.

At that point, I'm not just one single HR professional in northern Wisconsin working on my own. I have all these people who are saying, "Let's use this community to really go out and drive better HR in our organizations individually.” But you’ve go to plug in first.

Q: BEYOND YOUR PHONE, EMAIL, AND THE INTERWEBS, WHAT’S ONE PIECE OF TECHNOLOGY EVERY HR PROFESSIONAL SHOULD HAVE?

Sackett: There's some basic automation in HR that you need to be effective. For me, an applicant tracking system is invaluable. You have to find a way not only to process incoming talent, but also to go back and find that talent that has found you already. When I first started at HRU as a research assistant, I worked with file cabinets full of resumes. A recruiter would say, "I need a Process Engineer.” That's file 63, and the file would literally be five inches thick of resumes. You would start calling and looking at notes people wrote on them six months ago. Really from that experience, I can tell you that an applicant tracking system is worth its weight in gold. You're always going to get your return on investment from that standpoint.

For further reading, check out the full Q&A on Kyle's blog:

-Thanks To Kyle and Tim for a wonderful post - Dave Ryan Director of Social Media ISC SHRM.