2011 IL SHRM Conference Agenda Is Out

My wife and her new Cadillac.

Last year my wife and I purchased a new automobile. We looked at a lot of different manufacturers, styles and price ranges before settling on a Cadillac SRX. Quite frankly I never saw myself as a Cadillac owner.  However after looking at all of the vehicles that we thought would fit our lifestyle and were within our price range I was truly dumbfounded to find my wife and I purchasing this car.  My point is this, one needs to look closely when making a buying decision. Sometime the particulars are not always what you think they are, 

Now late last week I was contacted by some of my ILSHRM buds letting me know that the agenda for our State Conference was complete.  I had heard some of the topics and presenter names that were on the docket.  I knew they would be thought-provoking and the leading edge HR, but when I saw the whole listing in a matrix format I was amazed.  

When I look at our conference offering, I liken this to my Cadillac purchase.  Given what Illinois SHRM has put forth I feel like we are offering a Cadillac at an affordable price. The programs are cutting edge, out front subject matter presented by some of the most well known folks in our industry.  While you might think that a conference with this caliber of talent and subject matter would be unaffordable, or somehow out of your grasp, such is not the case.  For the early registration fee $350 you can attend both days August 22 and 23.

Over the next few weeks we will be visiting with our presenters in this space, so you can get to know them better and see if you would be interested to hear what they have to say at this year’s  Illinois State Council of SHRM 12^th Annual Conference.

- Dave Ryan Director of Social Media ISC SHRM

Employee Engagement for Volunteers

Today’s blog subject is employee engagement. In search of a succinct definition I turned to Google.  The third return is from Wikipedia and the first thing they tell us is… “This article needs attention from an expert on the subject.”   So it would appear that even Wikipedia is searching for a great definition just like the rest of us in HR. While there is a lot being said and written about the subject, most of that is in the employer/employee realm.  

Let’s move into the volunteer realm, say for example a local SHRM chapter. For the old HR hand, the old joke is this; we pay them don’t we – there’s their motivation!  Well in this instance the answer is no.  So as a chapter leader (PTA, Boy Scouts, Church club – you pick the organization) leader how do you engage your staff, when money is not one of the tools in your tool box.  Now it gets more difficult.

Hopefully your volunteer joined the organization because they wanted be a part of the group – not because their boss/spouse/co-worker goaded them into joining. They may have a special connection to the group, or their motivation may be somewhat obscured.

But in the long run, the volunteer is not all that different than the employee who needs all of the things that a good employer would be sharing with their top employees.

So to get the most out of your volunteers here are some, oh so simple but effective concepts …

• Treat them like paid staff
• Make them feel appreciated
• Share the organization’s mission and goals with them
• Get to know them
• Be passionate
• Be organized – don’t waste their time (remember we’re not paying them)
• Make sure their efforts are not taken for granted
• Celebrate their successes

This won’t guarantee a successful volunteer but it will help. Just because they are not being paid doesn’t mean that they don’t want to be treated respectfully.

- Dave Ryan Director of Social Media ISC- SHRM

Student SHRM Conference & H.R. Games at NIU

If you are looking for a way to share or renew your passion for HR, I suggest you do two things, talk to those just starting out in HR and volunteer. This past weekend Northern Illinois University hosted the first Illinois Student SHRM Conference and HR Games, and I had the chance to participate.

The conference was planned and coordinated by the NIU Student Chapter of SHRM, headed up by student, John Bruce under the guidance of NIU faculty advisor Dr. Bishop and ISU faculty advisor Dr. Goodman. There were 48 students from 7 different colleges that met on the campus of NIU for two days to networking, to listen and learn from speakers and to test and challenge their knowledge of HR. Schools represented include: Bradley University, Eastern Illinois University, Illinois State University, Northern Illinois University, Robert Morris University, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, and University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign.

The two days were a mix of competition in Jeopardy style HR games, networking and lectures. Thirty HR professionals volunteered to act as judges, timekeepers and score keepers, with John Jorgenson acting as the Head Judge. At the end of the day on Saturday, the final four teams consisted of Eastern Illinois University, Illinois State University, University of Illinois and Northern Illinois University. Eastern Illinois and Illinois State advanced to the finals and in the end Eastern Illinois won the competition. 

Speakers included Jeff DeMoss, District Team Leader at Target, John Savas, VP Business Development at Forest Financial Group and Audrey Southland, Sr. VP HR at Follett Higher Education Group. Topics covered Networking, HR Professionalism, and the Strategic Importance of HR. Sponsors for the weekend were Forest Financial Group, Illinois SHRM State Council, Follett Higher Education Group, Target, Northern Illinois University College of Business, and Northern Illinois University Department of Management.

It was quite amazing to meet these students who represent the future of the HR profession. They are excited to prove what they know, eager to know more and open to all possibilities. The advisors and faculty are dedicated, invested in the success of the students and proud of the student accomplishments. The HR professionals who volunteered were generous in the giving of their time and knowledge, and impressed by the quality of the up and coming professionals. I am truly grateful for having had the opportunity to participate in what hopefully will be an annual event.

-Laura Donahue ISC SHRM Director of College Relations