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It was 102 degrees at 10:25 p.m. when we sat down to eat dinner after arriving in Las Vegas on June 27th. I just knew I’d be in for a heck of a week at #SHRM15!
The Society for Human Resource Management’s National Conference was bursting with energetic speakers, relevant topics, and every vendor an HR person could ever need.
It was four days of walking, talking, listening and learning until complete exhaustion took over. That’s why I loved it. I came away with practical tips and advice I can apply back at my desk from how to reach Millennials, to advice for women, to how to bring better health into the workplace. And the best part: it’s all super simple!
All-In With Twitter
I’ll be honest; I’m a bit of a novice where Twitter is concerned. Twitter is simple but widely effective at reaching the newest generations in today’s workplace. The savviest of X’ers and Boomers use it as well. That is what makes it an easy and exciting way to communicate the little things about benefits to employees.
This is not groundbreaking by any means. It is so simple, so why haven’t I done this yet? The answer is I just haven’t had time to explore Twitter and figure out how to use it. Well, #SHRM15 motivated me to figure it out. Most of the attendees there were Tweeting constantly and in one of the benefits sessions I attended, the speaker said it is a must for communicating in today’s face-paced workplace.
So I took some time in my hotel room and explored Twitter. Now I know enough to be dangerous! I already have 20 or so Tweets ready to go (easy to jot down during my flight home to Cleveland). My first few Tweets will be simple “Did you know…” messages that will highlight the lesser known benefits we offer our employees.
Women Professionals: Press Reset
The next piece of simple but sound advice came from Mika Brzezinski in her morning keynote. “Press the reset button” she said. She related how women tend to carry all the memories of past embarrassing moments into every new meeting. We never seem to let go of these awkward moments that should be left in the past. Her advice was for women to press the reset button. Let those embarrassing moments go because the men in the room have already forgotten them. We need to reset, start each encounter with a fresh slate and move on positively.
Investing in What Matters
Finally, Dr. Oz summed it all up: “Employees are not expenses, they are investments.” Employers often state payroll is their biggest expense. Our employees are not expenses and we need to stop looking at them that way. They are investments. The healthier they are, the healthier our organization (and bottom line) will be. We need to take time to educate them (via Twitter even), motivate them (by encouraging all of them to press the reset button), and help them get and stay healthy through positive reinforcement.
Dr. Oz offers his website (www.doctoroz.com) and all the tools on it to help educate and motivate employees to live a healthier lifestyle. In fact, some of my future tweets will be quick bits right from his website. It doesn’t get easier than that!
I’ll Be Back
I’ve learned that #SHRM16 will be in Washington D.C. next June. I can’t wait to bring back more simple tips to use in my everyday HR life! In the meantime, follow me @SKovacsNaps and Oswald at @OswaldCompanies.
About Stephanie Kovacs
Stephanie Kovacs, MBA, PHR, SHRM-CP, is an enthusiastic human resources professional with progressive experience and HRCI certification. With more than 15 years of experience in the profession, she has knowledge of all facets of human resources including benefits, employee relations, wellness programs, compensation, employment law and HRIS. She is also very active in the HR and civic communities, including SHRM, the Oswald Women’s Leadership Council and is a Board Member of the Cleveland Rape Crisis Center. Connect with Stephanie on LinkedIn.
