By Tina Marie Wohlfield
Fall is my favorite season, not just for the cooler temperatures, crock pot tailgates and pumpkin spice – but because fall is jam packed with must attend HR conferences!
One conference I am excited to attend as a first-time attendee (and speaker) is Wisconsin SHRM! Held annually in October in the Dells, it is one of the regional gems that has been on my wish list for some time and October 12 – 14, 2022 could not come fast enough!
I was humbled at the opportunity to be able to volunteer on the conference SMILE team (Social Media Influencers Leading Engagement). This is an incredible opportunity to volunteer to support and build excitement for our HR community. I eagerly raised my hand to offer my assistance since I serve in a similar capacity for our MISHRM Conference (taking place the following week).
The WISHRM22 conference is stacked with some amazing speakers and topics that are timely and relevant. I am honored to be part of this year’s speaker line-up!
If you are a first-time attendee or a veteran – here are the reasons, I am most excited as I share my tentative what sessions to attend agenda for my first WISHRM conference.
From Sessions to Connections
The best part of our #HRCommunity is our #HRCommunity. I look forward to meeting old friends and making new ones at WISHRM22. If you are also first-time attendee let’s connect for a #WISHRMSelfie to celebrate the new memories made!
Planning your Agenda
Here are a few of the sessions that caught my eye on the conference agenda. The conference committee provided some great breakout options to choose from. I am going to highlight a few that I would like to attend (or will make friends with other attendees so that we can divide and conquer!) I am also going to challenge myself to try to make an early bird session if I can.
Wednesday October 12th
Psychological First Aid. This session facilitated by Myra D. West is on helping employees navigate change. As ah HR leader helping an organization integrate due to a merger – I am hoping to take away practical tips and applications to apply when I get back to the office on the Monday following the conference.
Thursday, October 13th
HR for Small Business. Christie Engler is an amazing speaker, and her sessions are lively and engaging. Regardless if you work in small business, Christie brings practical application and insight much of which can be applied to HR in any size organization.
Everybody’s Got Something. Matt Glowacki is the DE&I Workforce Director for WISHRM and his session is a timely and needed conversation on inclusion of marginalized communities. I got to interview Matt for a speaker spotlight and look forward to sharing more about his session soon.
Leading Organization Change. Tom Daniels spent a majority of his HR career in Org Development and this is one of my favorite sessions he presents. I will not be able to attend Tom’s session as I will be speaking at the same time, but If you are curious to know what it is like to be evicted from the “Dungeon of Denial” stay tuned for an upcoming speaker spotlight on Tom’s session coming soon!
Social Media and the HR Pro. Paul LaLonde is an HR leader, like me that is active on social media. He will be sharing insight on how we in HR can build a social media presence and sphere of influence.
Friday, October 14th
Second Chance Opportunities. Kody Green will be sharing the benefits of granting second chances to those often overlooked in the hiring process due to criminal background or past mistakes.
Pay Transparency Today. Jenna Bidwell & Matt Shefchik will be speaking on a topic I am very passionate about as an HR leader, pay transparency. As an advocate for why this is a good practice, it is always a challenging conversation with leaders who are reluctant to embrace this practice.
WISHRM 22 has something to offer for HR professionals at every level, industry and specialty. I look forward to seeing you and sharing with you my conference experience. If you are attending, volunteering, speaking or exhibiting, I can’t wait to be a part of your conference experience and thank you for being a part of what will be three #HRAwesome days at #WISHRM22
