Post Leadership North Central MAC Update

While we are still in process of finalizing our year-end report to include some of the following information (with much less detail), I think it is necessary to provide you with an interim report much like those provided earlier in the year. The MAC (membership advisory council) meets twice annually.

SHRM Board

The last few days at SHRM Annual Leadership Conference has proven to be quite fruitful as a MAC rep. We met with the SHRM board yesterday to report on findings from our most recent MAC volunteer leader survey for which we had over 730 responses. The demographics of the volunteers who responded actually mirrors the majority of the overall SHRM members worldwide.

Thus, most respondents (over 70%) work in departments with 1-5 HR professionals and have 15-25 years of experience in the field. The majority were mid to top level HR professionals considering their skill set in the senior category. With that said, many are over the need for HR basics and business acumen focusing instead on the desire to grow professionally. Executive coaching, strategic planning and other related topics were at the top of the list and are already currently being provided by SHRM especially with their most recent rollout of opportunities via the website.

The most telling piece of advice that I gleamed from this report that will have the professional development department working to resolve is just how to deliver said programs. The cost is the most important issue to resolve whereas we suggested multiple price points. While cost will affect delivery options, the respondents did say the best method was leader-led/web-based. I personally just completed a program led by SHRM that used Adobe Connect which is a perfect example of what the respondents find most desirable. Therefore, I know it is possible but the question is can it be done more affordability. One of the board members was curious as to how members will use this education and while we did not inquire, I responded personally based on previous feedback I have heard from members in our region earlier in the year:

"To be CHRO" - its been said that CHRO's don't see any successors in the pipeline even though there are so many of us at the senior level who feel that we are...perhaps this additional knowledge, experience and coaching will convince those currently in the CHRO role that we are ready. It certainly can't hurt!

HRCI

In addition to the SHRM board we also met with the director and incoming board chair of HRCI. While the website has been updated all the backend technology is still in process which will have positive impact for certificants who are entering data for recertification and pre-approved providers such as vendors, chapters, and state councils.

SHRM Foundation

Finally, we had the opportunity to meet with four staff members and three board members from the SHRM Foundation. They too had already implemented several of our suggestions from the June meeting to include the SHRM Foundation Story brochure that will be helpful to explain the history, research, and scholarship offerings to chapter and state council. Boards as well as members in advance of the ASK for money. Personally, I use the foundations products at least weekly and see the value in fundraising and giving, but I have also been a volunteer for over 16 years now and have the benefit of what I have learned over those years. However, as a lead volunteer I have seen less experienced and educated volunteers turn their nose up at all the fundraising efforts. This piece as well as the shift in approach will go along way to helping bridge those gaps in my humble opinion.

Summary

All-in-all progress is being made and the MAC is making a difference. I am so very blessed to be a part of this process and look forward to what my successor, Steve Brown, will do for our region in the coming year.

Thank you all for always being there for me as I work to make North Central Region of SHRM a great place to volunteer. Happy Thanksgiving!

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I had a company encouraging me to update this list over the last couple of months. Since they focus on veteran hiring and I am a veteran supporting other veterans I am happy to add the following to this original posting from 2017. Silent Professionals is a free veteran recruitment service. Their differentiating factor is that they focus on a very specific subset of veteran employment which is the combat arms veteran. Their site is much more than just a job board because they actually provide a service behind it which is all free to the veteran. As combat veterans themselves, with a vast amount of experience in the private security sector, they are able to use that experience and influence within the industry to act as trusted advocates for the veteran candidate. They boast an incredible 84% job placement success rate for candidates that they recommend to employers. One of the reasons they're able to do that is because of their focus on jobs for combat veterans who are seek

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Another Day in the HR Field

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