HR Conference

Keep Calm and Let HR Navigate

The forecast for business is constantly changing. Some employers are reporting sunny skies and fair weather while others are feeling the front roll in. Some organizations are already knee deep in the storm surge. How does HR navigate under these conditions? Join your peers and learn how to keep calm and navigate in a changing environment.

NEW THIS YEAR: Mix and Mingle from 3:30 – 5:30 p.m.

Sad the conference is over? Don’t leave! Keep the conversation going while enjoying a cocktail, snacks and trying your hand at corn hole! Network with your peers and share your conference takeaways on our Wall of Great Ideas!

*NEW* Please consider donating a gently used purse to support Dress for Success. The mission of Dress for Success is to empower women to achieve economic independence by providing a network of support, professional attire and the development tools to help women thrive in work and life.

6 HRCI/SHRM credits applied for.

Opening Session:

8:05 to 9:30 a.m.
Navigating the Journey Ahead: Achieving Greater Success at Work
Matt Jones, Motivational Leadership Speaker

How do you stay motivated when faced with adversity in the workplace? What happens when change, burnout, or stress threatens your team’s continual growth? What daily actions help to increase workplace productivity and perseverance? These are important questions for leaders of successful organizations. Join Matt Jones in this inspiring talk, to glean practical ideas and solutions for your work journey, based on his experience of conquering cancer three times, surviving a bone marrow transplant, and completing seven marathons on seven continents.

9:30 to 10:00 a.m., Session 2
Winds of Change: Hiring the Untraditional Candidate
Beth Mathison, Director, Employment Services, MRA – The Management Association

Companies are looking to get creatively identify talent with the learning aptitude and culture fit for their organization. More and more companies are looking at training new hires vs. expecting them to come in with all the skills on day one. But where do you start? How do you market to a different candidate pool and achieve success? What is the impact on your current workforce? Beth will discuss 5 untraditional groups and a few tips for connecting with each.

• Veterans
• Individuals with disabilities
• Former convicts
• Interns
• Retirees

10:15 to 10:45 a.m., Session 3
Sunny Days Ahead: Transform Your Managers
Cheryl Lucas-DeBerry, Learning & Development Manager, MRA – The Management Association

Companies are revolutionizing how people work but what about the managers? Organizations now need to transform their managers to become leaders. Learn the difference and skills needed to move from eing a manager to being a leader. Traditional ways of managing will not be as effective in the 21st century organization. Leaders should be empowered and possess a more inclusive style in order to have followers. Cheryl will discuss key transformational skills needed for today’s leaders including strategy, people-centric, decision making, emotional intelligence and coaching.

10:45 to 11:15 a.m., Session 4
United Front: Connect Your Customer and Employee Experiences
Jenny Mangone, Director, Talent Management, MRA – The Management Association

Strong client relationships are built on trusted partnerships reinforced with memorable experiences that delight your customers. The new business paradigm connects the customer experience and the employee experience for greater organizational success. Enhance your competitive edge by creating extraordinary united front. Takeaways include:

• Learn why successful customer experiences depend upon putting your employees first
• Everybody matters – identify key steps to aligning the customer and employee experience
• Explore how an active HR management approach to employee experience helps bring a company’s brand to life

11:15 to 11:45 a.m., Session 5
Partly Sunny or Partly Cloudy? Your jobs are dynamic.Your job postings are boring.
Elena Valentine, CEO, Skill Scout; Abby Cheesman, COO, Skill Scout

The future of hiring is creating an experience that immerses candidates in what the job is like. Interactive video and behind-the-scenes media are the tools to make this happen. Only 1% of job descriptions have visuals, yet video is slated to become the largest driver of internet traffic by 2020. How can HR use this trend to its advantage? In this interaction session, we will provide tangible tips that you can integrate tomorrow to refresh current job posts and attract more candidates. We will dive into what it takes to develop a compelling video content strategy driven by those that matter most - your employees.

12:45 to 1:45 p.m., Session 6
The $400 Employer Brand: Real World Lessons from a Fortune 1000 Company
James Ellis, Employer Brand Nerd, Podcaster and Noted Speaker

Think employer branding requires a capital campaign or a complete overhaul of your budget? Nope! You can make meaningful impact in your brand that recruiters, hiring managers and execs can feel by being smart. Don’t believe me? Take lessons from the 100% true story of how one Fortune 1000 company with seven years negative press, low ratings and virtually no resources turned things around without going broke. Learning Objectives:

• How to establish a baseline employer brand using tools you already have
• How to develop a brand activation strategy without starting a P.O.
• How to communicate your strategy and impact to all your stakeholders to get a real budget next year

1:45 to 2:15 p.m., Session 7
Calming the Storms! Creating Connection in the Age of Isolation
Keith Peterson, Vice President – Learning & Development, MRA – The Management Association

Today’s workplace is full of constant change, pressure to perform and workplace practices that either build or tear down engagement. With an ever increasing number of employees working remotely or with teams across the country, there’s a new feeling of isolation. This session will explore best practices and lessons learned for leading teams in the "Age of Isolation." Keith will explore the importance of building trust, setting input and feedback rhythms, making technology an asset, building rapport through new "watercooler" conversations, learning to treat employees equally but not the same, and the importance of asking the right questions. This presentation will share lessons learned and practical tips for success.

2:30 to 3:30 p.m., Session 8
Fair Weather or Perfect Storm? Scanning the Business Horizon
Jim Morgan, Vice President - Member Experience, MRA – The Management Association

Jim will identify the top 5 challenges employers are facing and provide practical and relevant solutions to tackle each challenge, including trends such as:

• Recruitment – is anyone out there?
• Aging Workforce – how do you navigate with dignity?
• Technology – will robots take our jobs?
• Diverse Workforce – why is inclusion important?
• Wellness – is your program sinking or providing ROI?

3:30 to 5:30 p.m., Mix and Mingle

Sad the conference is over? Don’t leave! Keep the conversation going while enjoying a cocktail, snacks and trying your hand at corn hole! Network with your peers and share your conference takeaways on our Wall of Great Ideas!

Matt Jones

Matt Jones is known as the "Seven Continent Marathon Man." He went from being a three-time cancer conqueror to relearning how to walk, to going through a bone marrow transplant, to completing seven marathons on seven continents and yes that includes Antarctica. Matt was diagnosed with cancer on September 11, 2002. After spreading to the fluid in his brain doctors did not think he would live. After victoriously conquering cancer he was told that there has never been anybody go through what he went through and be alive one year later. Baseball Hall of Famer George Brett said, "Matt is a true champion and his story inspires others to be a true champion." Matt is the author of numerous books and travels around the world sharing his inspiring story and message. For more information about Matt please visit MatthewDJones.com.

Beth Mathison, Director, Employment Services, MRA – The Management Association

As the world of business changes at a fast pace, Beth enjoys identifying improvements and new opportunities to help industry colleagues be successful in the primary areas of recruiting and retention. In order to be a strong HR Business partner, Beth believes in listening and asking thoughtful questions. Organizations and colleagues who have worked with her in the past agree that this strength is one of their favorite things about partnering with her. As a Director of Employment Services, she looks to connect the talent strategy with the organization’s business strategy. Beth’s primary area of expertise is partnering with C-Suite and Senior Leadership to identify and implement actionable changes to advance the talent life cycle. She enjoys partnering with leaders to build the business case for desired talent strategies and help companies ensure the best return on investment for their talent acquisition and offboarding strategies.

Cheryl Lucas-DeBerry, Learning & Development Manager, MRA – The Management Association

A vibrant presence--that’s Cheryl Lucas-DeBerry. And that’s what Cheryl brings to every training experience. Participants report that her programs are interactive and involving, yet comfortable and fun. With her casual, inclusive style, she has a reputation for excellence among participants who routinely refer coworkers and colleagues. Cheryl’s more than 18 years of experience includes the development programs in human resources, leadership, customer service, and diversity. Her career has also included management of training department operations and supervision of a basic education program for adult learners in the nonprofit arena. During years as an independent consultant, she advised and trained numerous managers in effective communication techniques and leadership skills.

Jenny Mangone, Director, Talent Management, MRA – The Management Association

Jenny strives to help others be at their best every day, sharing her wealth of knowledge to help individuals be successful and achieve results. Regarded as a consummate professional by those who know her, she employs her positive attitude and energy to find innovative solutions to business challenges and initiatives. Trustworthy, adaptable, and open-minded, Jenny values what creative activist Barbara Januszkiewicz has said, "Creative thinking inspires ideas. Ideas inspire change." Certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) and as a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP), Jenny is an accomplished human resource professional with nearly 20 years of comprehensive human resource and management experience in dynamic environments.

Elena Valentine, CEO, Skill Scout

Workplace Filmmaker and Design Researcher, Elena spends her days leading the team at Skill Scout to bring jobs and company culture to life on video. Every workplace has a story to tell about the team, skills, environment, and output. Elena helps tell those stories to attract the right candidates for the job and keep existing employees happily where they are. As CEO, Elena wears many hats, but really geeks out on: new media (360, VR, POV videos, silent storytelling), and building Skill Scout’s diverse workforce! She was recently named "HR Superhero of the Year" by the DisruptHR Chicago community. She’s also the founder of Mezcla Media Collective, an organization that provides opportunities for female filmmakers of color to connect, partner, and build their skill sets as leaders and storytellers.

Abby Cheesman, COO, Skill Scout

Workplace storyteller, ethnographic researcher and IO Psychologist, Abby is Co-Founder of Skill Scout. She spends her days bringing jobs to life on video for companies like Unilever, American Airlines, Nike and Thermo Fisher Scientific. Abby geeks out on new media techniques like 360 Video and Virtual Reality, Silent Storytelling and Employee-Generated Video. She's been featured in Crain's Chicago Business, Forbes, and WBEZ Radio. She lives in Chicago with her husband Ben and 2 kids.

James Ellis, Employer Brand Nerd, Podcaster and Noted Speaker

James Ellis is an employer brand consultant and the host of The Talent Cast, a weekly deep-dive into the mechanics and theory of recruitment marketing and employer branding. He has worked with Target, SavATree, Aprilaire, QuEST Global, and many others to attract better talent faster. Most recently, he transformed Groupon's employer brand, reaching Hired's list of strongest employer brands in Chicago. He lives in Chicago with his wife and daughter.

Keith Peterson, Vice President – Learning & Development, MRA – The Management Association

Keith loves to tell stories, motivate teams, and help people find their personal gifts. He’s passionate about mentoring others and helping organizations build and lead effective teams. He leads MRA’s Learning & Development division, with responsibilities to expand leadership and HR training programs and educational offerings, including scheduled/public programs, tailored onsite training, and virtual e-learning throughout MRA’s four-state Midwest footprint. Keith is a marketing leader, trainer and educator, and keynote speaker. He’s a highly influential and collaborative executive best known for creating motivated, high-performing teams. As an HR industry veteran, Keith brings to MRA considerable knowledge and expertise from his 25-year HR industry career. Most recently he served as the vice president of marketing at Ceridian, a global human capital management software company.

Jim Morgan, Vice President, MRA – The Management Association

Talent attraction is like the weather...everyone is talking about it but no can do anything about it...or can they? All over the upper Midwest, employers and human resources professionals are grappling with attracting, developing, and retaining talent. Jim has been working on that issue for 30 years. He helps employers understand that demographics are driving their troubles and provides solutions for talent acquisition based on best practices. Jim has facilitated strategic planning sessions for businesses, chambers of commerce, and economic development groups, primarily around developing a talent pipeline for employers. He has provided keynote presentations for groups from 50 to over 1000 CEOs, policymakers, educators, and students have enjoyed his mix of data, experiences, research, stories, and humor.

Registration Fees:

• $250 Member Early-bird
• $300 Member
• $375 Nonmember

Cancellation and Refund Policy:
Attendee substitutions may be made at any time and are encouraged when the original registrant cannot attend. If you must cancel or reschedule, please notify us at least three (3) business days prior to the program to receive a refund of the program price, minus a $50 processing fee. Cancellations or date changes made less than three (3) days prior to the program will incur the full registration cost.

Sponsoring MRA events is a tremendous opportunity to bring your message of business value to our growing membership of organizations HR professionals and business leaders. Our members represent all industries including manufacturing, service, distribution, finance and health care! 80% of event attendees are new at each event offering you the opportunity to network with new contacts. We are very excited about the event this year and hope you can join us!

Note: MRA is a nonprofit, 501©(3) tax-exempt organization. All sponsorship donations for events are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.

For more information on sponsorship and exhibit booths, call Angela Fischer at 262.696.3418 or angela.fischer@mranet.org.

Gold Sponsor:

Silver Sponsors:

Wisconsin In-Person:
Milwaukee Marriott West
W231 N1600 Corporate Ct.
Waukesha, WI 53186

Directions

Iowa/Western Illinois In-Person:
Quad-Cities Waterfront Convention Center
2021 State Street
Bettendorf, IA 52722

Directions

Minnesota In-Person:
Minneapolis Marriott West
9960 Wayzata Boulevard
Minneapolis, MN 55426

Directions