SHRM24: Interesting Insights into HR Changes

Imagine more than 26,000 human resources (HR) professionals in one place, all looking to learn how to stay relevant on the latest HR trends, understand the newest technology, and find people to network with on a variety of HR management issues. Welcome to the SHRM Annual Conference.

In June, I had the opportunity to attend my first SHRM conference, and it was both invigorating and exhausting (I still don’t have my voice back). SHRM brought HR professionals together to learn from each other on topics like Artificial Intelligence (AI); employee engagement; diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and civility; and change management. Many speakers generously shared tools, models, and practical tips in their sessions that were invaluable to the learning experience.

Avaap’s attendees from our human resources and organizational transformation teams share the top takeaways for HR teams to consider and leverage in their organizations.

AI and the HR Experience

Not surprisingly, attendees were both seeking out and avoiding AI vendors in equal numbers. Those seeking more information were mostly looking for ways to leverage AI to streamline processes, while still allowing the team to do most of the work. People understand AI is more than a buzzword, however, many are resisting the notion of AI until they understand how it translates to their specific business area.

A large theme of the show was the unique intersection of HR and AI. An equation that really stood out was AI+HI=ROI. AI can be an incredibly helpful tool assisting HR teams, but the human work within the HR team is ever more important in AI efforts to verify the nuances, quality, sources, and ethics behind the content. Leaders must look for ways to ensure responsible and transparent use of AI and the cruciality of confidentiality.

There is consensus that AI won’t replace workers, but the people who know AI will replace the workers who don’t.

Employee Engagement and Expectations

Engaging team activities that build employee personal relationships are making a strong comeback. As many organizations navigate return to office or hybrid work environments, it is essential to keep employee engagement up. In an exploration of the expo floor, we saw at least 10 different activity-based booths, including everything from competitions to learning games, and even one giveback activity that benefits thousands of children each year.

With five different generations in the workplace, there are a variety of employee expectations. HR teams must determine the best way to manage these expectations in a way that is fair to each employee.

A Focus on DEI and Civility

Diversity, equity, and inclusion is under significant pressure and scrutiny, especially in the recruiting and retention space. People don’t care what you know until they know that you care, and part of caring is setting people up to perform successfully.

Civility or ‘human to human” interaction is needed in the workplace, not just an education on the importance of DEI. How do we engage and encourage civility and civil conversations at work when more people are working from home? There is a need for more engaging conversations around turning conflict into opportunity, communicating with compassion, and fostering civil conversations at work.

HR's Role in Change Management

Change management support continues to be an important topic for HR management. Because change management focuses on the people side of change, many HR professionals embrace the opportunity to learn more about how to support and encourage employees through change. How can we engage our employees authentically? How are we using employee feedback to drive real change? How are we delivering clear messages at the right time to the right audience? These are all questions HR professionals navigating change need to consider in their organization.

Swag is Always King

Last, but certainly not least, people love their free swag. Attendees accumulated dozens of unique swag items from various vendors. Very few attendees that passed the Avaap booth did so without stopping to at least see what freebies we had to offer.

HR leaders are responsible for managing the people experience in their organizations and need to learn more about focusing on the role AI has in the HR experience, how to actively engage and meet expectations of employees, and how to move employees through change successfully. Get in touch to learn more about how Avaap is helping HR leaders accelerate transformation.