I can’t ever remember a time when I haven’t loved school. I LOVE a learning environment. I deeply believe that we are all learners – always and forever.
 
UW Green Bay has you covered. I had the opportunity to catch up with Nicole Virant, Program Specialist, to learn about what UW Green Bay offers, and what you can expect to find at their booth in the Expo Hall at the 2023 Wisconsin SHRM State Conference.
 
 
Q1: Tell us a little about yourself. What is your role with UW and what part of your job are you most passionate about?
A1: Hello everyone! My name is Nicole Virant and I’m a program specialist with UW-Green Bay. I love helping educate others through our customized training, certificate programs and conferences!
 
Q2: What information can attendees expect to find at the University of Wisconsin – Green Bay booth in the expo hall?
A2: The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay booth will offer information on several professional development programs and opportunities, including our brand-new Human Resources Certificate! Our Continuing Education and Community Engagement Division offers various certificate programs as well as customized training development and continuing education units for many industries, so we are excited to share how we can support human resources professionals around Wisconsin!
 
Q3: What is one educational aspect of University of Wisconsin – Green Bay that you think is truly unique? 
A3: One educational aspect that is unique to our team is our ability to collaborate with organizations on creating exceptional learning opportunities. Our division currently serves 80,000 professionals in continuing education and professional development capacities, but it is our ability to work with organizations to ensure that their T&D needs are met that sets us apart. 
 
Q4: What degree and/or certificate programs do you offer that may be of interest to emerging and veteran HR professionals?
A4: We are so excited to present our Human Resources Non-Credit Certificate! This program was created with assistance by regional SHRM organizations, taught by regional subject matter experts in various industries, and will offer participants SHRM Recertification Units. All sessions will be offered live online with a focus on collaborative learning and communication. Registration will start soon, with the first sessions starting in February of 2024.
 
Q5: When and how would a company and/or prospective student connect with University of Wisconsin – Green Bay?
A5: Anyone who is interested in connecting with us can reach out to [email protected] and we can help get you to the right place!
 
Q6: What are you most looking forward to at this year’s Wisconsin SHRM Conference?
A6: We are excited to share our new program and make connections with the people we are here to support!
 
Be sure to connect with Nicole Virant on LinkedIn, and stop by the booth for an introduction and to learn more about how you and/or your organization can benefit for the learning opportunities at UW Green Bay.
 
#WISHRM23 #SMILE23 #HRCommunity #HRShenanigans

It isn’t a secret that a company’s culture can make or break the employee experience. But how do you go from just knowing this on a cursory level to actually taking action? Leadership and HR need to understand their company’s current culture and how to make the changes to help them attract and retain talent, improve employee engagement, and deliver on diversity, equity and inclusion efforts that result in increased satisfaction and productivity, which then translate into increased organizational performance and revenue growth. No longer can organizations hide behind the value statements they slapped on the wall, make an announcement “We’re awesome!” and expect it to actually be true. On the contrary, employees want more. This was most notable in 2021 and 2022 with the (dare I say) Great Resignation. (I actually refer to it as the Great Realization, but I digress.)
 
As HR professionals, we know culture is important. If you’re looking for support to help your organization build and sustain an awesome culture, make sure you register for the 2023 Wisconsin State SHRM Conference (October 11-13 at the Kalahari in The Dells). Randal Weidenaar, Founder and CEO of VP Culture will have an exhibitor’s booth in the Expo Hall. Additionally, he’ll be presenting twice on Thursday, October 12th:

• 6:30am-7:30am CST - Personality Science: The Key to Understanding People
• 10:15am-11:30am CST – Creating Psychologically Safe Teams, A Scientific Method

 
Both sessions are available in person and virtually. For more information, visit Conference At A Glance. Here you can filter sessions by speaker, and then select the day.
 
Read on for more information about Randal and VP Culture:
 
Q1: Tell us a little about yourself and your role with VP Culture. What led you to VP Culture, and which part of your job are you most passionate about?
A1: I'm Randal Weidenaar, the founder and CEO of VP Culture.  As the founder, I am most passionate about what VP Culture does for the leaders and teams that I bring it to. Valuing people will transform a culture from the inside out.
 
Q2: How does VP Culture serve its customers?
A2: We serve our customers by establishing training for teams and leaders of a business or company. The VP Culture School of Leadership is available in person and through our website via video courses. I've also written a workbook to accompany the VP Culture training course.
 
Q3: What service does VP Culture offer that you think is truly unique? 
A3: Everyone knows that a company's culture is top priority. Toxic company culture leads to huge turnover. Bad for business! VP Culture's training is unique because it is based on neuroscience, scientific study and research from the past 40 years.
 
Q4: How do you define “culture”, and why is this so important to organizations?
A4: Culture is what happens between team members, leaders, and each person that interacts within your company. It's the currency of your organization. It's living and dynamic.
 
Q5: What is the connection between culture and business growth?
A5: Everyone wants to know the ROI. Here are the facts: Employee Engagement leads to 21% higher production and 22% higher profits, according to Gallup Research. 
 
According to an MIT Sloan article “High-Purpose Cultures see substantially more significant results. They had an average of 11.5% on stock returns annually over 17 years, compared with an overall market average of 6.4%. They also had employee turnover rates approximately 50% lower than competitors in their own industries. With average turnover costs estimated at 90% to 200% of the exiting employee’s base salary, these lower rates result in significant cost savings as well as knowledge retention within the organization.”
 
Q6: What information can attendees expect to find at the VP Culture booth in the expo hall?
A6: Booth visitors will find information about our training programs. I will also be presenting on two topics Thursday: Personality Science (6:30) and Psychological Safety (10:15) so would love to engage anyone on how they were impacted by these presentations. I'll also have copies of my workbook available.
 
Q7: What is the best way for HR pros and leaders to connect with you and VP Culture?
A7:  Feel free to come and talk to me after the sessions on Thursday. I love to engage with HR professionals! They are in the trenches.
 
After the conference, here's how best to reach me:

• My website: https://vpculture.com  
• Linkedin: Randal Weidenaar
• You can also book a one-on-one with me here: https://vpculture.zohobookings.com/#/customer/randal

 
Q8: What are you most looking forward to at this year’s Wisconsin State SHRM Conference?
A8: I've spoken all over the nation, and I can honestly say the Wisconsin State SHRM is the most well-run of all I have attended. So it's hard to choose, but if I had to, I would say engaging with the people on all levels.
 
#WISHRM23 #SMILE23 #HRCommunity #HRShenanigans

I am passionate about continuous learning and professional development. I prioritize and protect it. While I strongly believe that each person should own their own career, it’s also important for leaders and organizations to provide professional development support if they want to retain top talent. Let’s remember that development isn’t always a straight vertical path. Providing employees with the opportunity to grow in different ways – in different functions and roles – not only supports the development of high-potential employees who may be considered key talent and/or a successor, but it may be one of the missing links to your retention strategy. People want to be developed. And if you don’t offer opportunities, another organization will.
 
I’m so excited to welcome Taura Prosek back to WISHRM23!  Last year, she presented “Empower Employees to Lead Their Careers” (you can read the interview here). This year, her session “6 Steps to Building a Robust Career Development Solution” addresses the organizational need to develop a solution that supports internal mobility and embeds development into its talent strategies.

 
Q1: Tell us a little about yourself and your role with Stewart Leadership. What led you to Stewart Leadership, and which part of your job are you most passionate about?
A1: My role at Stewart Leadership primarily focuses on solutions and sales where I build new and strengthen current client relationships. What drew me to Stewart Leadership over 7 years ago was their partnership approach tailoring to the unique needs of their clients.
 
I am also an executive coach and career development strategist so do quite a bit of work in these areas.  I’ve been passionate about career development since my role as Manager, Early Talent, over two decades ago when I facilitated hundreds of career coaching conversations.
 
When I’m asked, “Why would we provide career development support to our employees? Aren’t we preparing them to leave?”  I confidently reply, “No, you are preparing them to stay!” I LOVE this work and view it as one of the most important benefits an organization can provide their employees today, which was the inspiration behind this presentation.
 
Q2: Why is building a robust career development solution so important?
A2: People often leave organizations because they don’t see options to grow and develop if they stay.  Recent stats note that as high as 70% of employees say they would be forced to leave to advance their careers. This is crazy!  When an organization supports internal mobility and combines this with offering career development programming and support, amazing things can happen. The benefits include retention, engagement, agility, improved employer brand, better succession planning, and more.
 
Q3: You mentioned that recent studies identified a gap in career development capabilities among internal talent development professionals.  What is the gap, and how can organizations begin to close that gap?
A3: Gone are the days of the typical career path, thus, HR professionals must play a facilitator role in supporting the employee and their manager in a collaborative approach to career planning. HR professionals may not be traditionally skilled in the areas of career coaching, career goal setting, internal resume building, conducting skill gap analysis, interview preparation and skill practice, event networking strategies, and more.  Over 24,000 talent development professionals have assessed their capabilities within the Talent Development Capability Model™ and “career and leadership development” is identified in the bottom five of the total list of 23 capabilities. So, at a time when HR professionals must play a more active role in the career space, it continues to be identified as a skill-set area that needs to be strengthened. This gap can be improved through aligning career development efforts with current talent systems and processes and upskilling HR professionals through workshops, certifications, and resources in all areas related to career.
 
Q4: For organizations that have never had a career development solution, where should they start and how much of their budget do they need dedicated for this initiative? How can HR professionals support a career development initiative in their organizations?
A4: Although HR professionals may lead the career development strategy internally, each employee is ultimately responsible for leading and owning their own career decisions. They simply need the skills and internal sponsorship to do this effectively.  People leaders are responsible for having the important and frequent career conversations that employees are demanding today. Stewart Leadership offers a workbook called “Lead Your Career: A Step-by-Step Workbook for Achieving Professional Fulfillment and Helping Others Do the Same” for only $35 per copy.  Although it is written for the individual employee to career plan for themselves, it doubles as a guide to help anyone who facilitates career conversations. The final chapter is focused on helping people leaders prepare for and hold those authentic career conversations that employees crave.
 
An easy first step is to identify a group of HR professionals who want to strengthen their career development skills to participate in a pilot Lead Your Career workshop with a focus on their own careers. This is a low-risk and economical way to gauge interest for expansion across the organization and there is no better way to learn a topic than by experiencing it first-hand as a user of it.
 
Q5: What can participants expect during your session, and is there anything that attendees can or should prepare ahead of time to maximize the discussion?
A5: Six steps will be outlined as a roadmap to follow as career development is prioritized and integrated into an organization. To prepare in advance for this session, participants can informally pulse fellow coworkers with the question, “How can we better support you and your career here?”
 
Think about a recent role where there were internal and external candidates on the slate for consideration.  Were your internal candidates as prepared as external?  When an internal candidate doesn’t interview well and an external gets the role, consider the message this sends and the cost that results in the short-term and long-term.
 
Q6: What is one thing you hope attendees of your session will take back to their workplaces?
A6: Career development is no longer an “extra” type of benefit. It’s expected. As a first step, I hope that when attendees go back to their workplaces, they prioritize gathering the voices of their key stakeholder groups.  What are employees and people leaders saying about career development and internal mobility?  What are key performance indicators telling you? Conduct a baseline analysis to figure out where you are today so you can put a plan together that supports helping people to grow and STAY in the future! 
 
Q7: What is the best way for attendees to connect with you and Stewart Leadership?
A7: Please visit leadyourcareer.com and stewartleadership.com for more information about our career development solutions and services.  Connect with me on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/tauraprosek/, and email me directly at [email protected].
 
Q8: What are you most looking forward to at this year’s Wisconsin State SHRM Conference?
A8: The in-person connection at this conference can’t be beaten.  This conference is filled with people buzzing in the gathering spaces and the energy is contagious! See you all there!
  
Taura’s session is offered virtually and in person on Thursday, October 12th from 10:15-11:30am.

#WISHRM23 #SMILE23 #HRCommunity #HRShenanigans

I'm so excited to highlight Restaino & Associates as one of the 2023 Wisconsin State SHRM Conference vendors. When I was relocating my family (husband, 2 young children and dog) from Colorado to Wisconsin in late 2018, I was referred to Restaino by a colleague. I reached out, and was immediately met with such an enthusiastic welcome. I was sent a package that included a ton of materials about the city, surrounding activities and communities, and places to eat, shop, and explore. Restaino helped with connecting me to reputable movers for the entire pack & ship experience, and as well as to one of their realtors (shout out to Matt Silvern) to assist with temporary housing and to help us with home buying locally. I highly recommend Restaino & Associates to all of my friends and colleagues who are looking to sell/purchase a home, and for those looking to relocate for business or personal reasons. 

I'm thrilled to introduce you to Gail Johnson, Corporate Relocation Manager and Concierge Director:

Q1: What information can attendees expect to find at the Restaino & Associates, Relocation booth in the expo hall?
A1: You will be greeted by Restaino Relocation Specialists, Nayda, Gail, and Kate who are vital resources for you when hiring talent from outside the community. They are happy to answer any of your questions. Pick- up brochures on the state parks, biking trails, farmers markets and more! Plus, sign- up to win a $50 Amazon card, our famous chocolate suckers, pens, Wisconsin cookie cutters, and more!
 
Q2. You’ve been with Restaino for many years now.  What drew you to this company, and what has kept you here for so long?
A2: 14 years!  What drew me to Restaino Relocation- they value people! They set you up with the tools and resources you need, along with flexibility of work-life mix.  The people we have had the privilege to serve over the years has made my career with Restaino purposeful and fulfilling. Helping people settle into the community, to call it home, provide connections to anchor them, and acclimate them to the community is priceless to them.  What’s kept me here for so long?  The wonderful team I work with, recruiters, HR team, and the clients we serve.  The trust they place in us is valued and we want to deliver on what we say we can provide. 
 
Q3.  What is one service that Restaino & Associates offers that you think is truly special?
A3: We tailor our assistance to our clients' interests and needs.  It’s not a cookie-cutter approach and it’s not a script that we read.  We truly care about the people we assist in transition and understand the decisions that they are striving to make.  Plus, with a team of three, we are available seven days a week.

One service we added several years ago has helped so many transferees is our assistance to their spouse/ partner in their search to find a career in our community. We have a large network of recruiters and HR Associates to share their resumes which is a win- win for both people.

Kyra, you were a joy to work with! Your excitement to move in and get acquainted with the community was wonderful! It has been nice getting to know you and watch you flourish. The Madison community was truly lucky to have you bring your talents and warm personality to the community. (**All the feels.**)

Q4.  How do you personalize the relocation experience? 
A4: Taking the time to host a conversation to learn of your interests and needs, and start the process from what matters to you throughout the entire process and settling in.  From setting up your tour, researching housing (whether rental or home finding), school information / introductions, moving companies, mailing a welcome box and so much more.

Q5. When and how would a company connect with Restaino for services?
A5: We recommend early in the interview process, as many people exploring a position haven’t been to the area and may not know all the amenities we offer: green space, the arts, lakes, parks, farmers markets, and so much more. 

If you would like to learn more about Restaino Relocation and how they can assist you or your company provide personalized relocation and home buying (or selling) experience, start the conversation by emailing: gail@restainohomes.com. 

Gail Johnson, Corporate Relocation Manager and Concierge Director 
Website: MadisonRelocation.com or Restainorelocation.com
LinkedIn: Gail Johnson

#WISHRM23 #SMILE23 #HR #HRCommunity #HRShenanigans

Employees face some hard things in their personal lives. Somewhere along the line, we decided that people need to leave all of that at the door when they report to work. I have no idea where this became the expectation, but this is just silly.  You cannot expect your employees who are dealing with incredible personal challenges to be able to switch all of that off when they walk in the door. To think that we can pretend that all of that isn't happening for 8-10 hours a day is ridiculous. Especially in this "bring your whole self to work" movement, we need to understand that the stuff going on in personal lives will, in fact, affect the work life to some extent or another.

Failing marriages. Miscarriages. Drug use. Elderly and ill parents. Car accidents. Deaths (family members, friends, pets). Financial hardships. Cancer. So many tough things that we all face in our lives.

If you're practicing HR well, you should know by now that you need to be present with your employees. This requires abandoning your office frequently, and working where your people work. Belly up in an area where employees basically have to interact with you. And, ya know, talk to them. If you haven't been doing this, start now. It may seem weird at first, and certainly employees will wonder "WTH?" But over time (and it happens quickly), as you engage in chit-chat, employees will start to open up to you, about their business concerns, their opinions about the company, coworkers, managers and leaders. They will also open up to you about their personal challenges. 

And here's the kicker. Don't just ask, "Is there anything I can do for you?" This is a very well-intentioned question.  I would like to believe that when people ask this question, they really mean it. The problem is that when people are dealing with incredibly difficult, emotional issues, the last things they are thinking about are ways that others can help them get through it. In fact, most of the time, people don't even really know what they need. On top of that, if they are even remotely Type A, they would never dream of asking for help because this shows some sort of weakness and they are accustomed to pulling up their big-person pants and just getting through it. (Although, in secret, they are struggling, stressed out, losing sleep, crying in the bathroom, etc..)  

Want to know how you can help? Show up. Be there. Offer some flexibility in their work schedule. Help them get connected to the right professional (counselor, financial adviser, elder care resources, fill in the blank....). If the issue is related to a medical challenge, talk to them about FMLA and/or the other leave options they have available to them. Explain whatever other benefits they have available - short term disability, bereavement, etc. Allow them to emote without fear of losing their jobs. Bring them a token of kindness that shows you empathize and you're there for them. If you have a close relationship with your team and employees, maybe even consider showing up at their house to help mow the lawn, clean the gutters, do laundry, drop off a few freezer meals. The ways you can show up are literally endless.

And, shhhh, you can even offer them a hug. **GASP** I know... crazy talk that we in HR would ever think about physically touching an employee. (You really do need to know if this is ok. Because there are people who do not like to hug, and that needs to be respected.) There are ways to do this that don't make people feel uncomfortable or make you look like a creeper. But let me tell you, I've had grown men who seemingly have their shi.... stuff together in my office crying like a baby. And, yes, I offered a hug. Yes, they took me up on the offer. And, yes, I've had a shoulder full of tears. (And, no, there wasn't anything inappropriate about this.) Personally, I think this is a beautiful moment. It demonstrates the impact you have on others when you just listen, empathize, and give them a safe place to express the mess in their heads and hearts. It's amazing to me just how many people need a hug, as evidenced by how they lean in, and how tightly they hold on.  I think we need to put our constant fear of being accused of sexual harassment aside to allow ourselves as humans to offer a very human expression of empathy - if you are comfortable with it and it is appropriate. (I feel like I should write a disclaimer, but you know what I mean.) 

The point is, be present and available. Be the HR Pro that your employees know they can trust and with whom they can share their personal struggles. Don't steer clear. Show up.

A Word About EAPs
These programs can be very valuable. HOWEVER, you need to know and understand your employee population. Not all EAPs are created equal. In fact, if you're in a first-responder environment (firefighters, police officers, paramedics, EMTs, ambulance responders, rescue workers, emergency room and/or trauma-related medical teams, etc.), likely you need to really evaluate the EAP offerings.  I could write several posts on this topic alone. This is a population that deals with things that most of us will never see in our lives - and they see it on the daily.  Refraining from going into graphic detail, these employees have different needs, and require a completely different level of emotional/mental support. Not only is this population even less likely to ask for help, they are exposed to horrific, awful, terrible, violent, unfathomable situations. This is an environment where you may want to consider a formal peer support program where employees are trained to identify certain behaviors, and become a safe place for peers to turn as a bridge to mental or behavioral professionals.  If you are an HR professional in one of these environments, and you're interested in learning more, please contact me. I can provide you with several resources to help you develop and implement a peer support program that very well could mean the difference between life and death for your employees.

Recently, the question was posed on Twitter... "Why do you work in HR?" 
This is an important question for everyone to ponder. (Side note: Everyone should consider this question, not just those of us in HR. I think everyone should know why they work in a specific field.) Many of us landed in HR as a freak accident. Some chose it specifically. Some slowly dipped their toes in the water somewhere along the way, perhaps they were responsible for some basic ancillary HR duties as part of another role, and eventually made their way out of the kiddie pool. Whatever the reason you're here, the question isn't necessarily why do you work in HR, but why do you continue to work in HR?

HR isn't for everyone. Working with people, their choices and behavior can be extremely exhausting. Let's face it. We've probably all had conversations with grown adults that sound eerily similar to the conversations we've had with our four-year-olds. "There are consequences for your actions... We all have choices to make... Stop hitting and biting."

At some point in our careers, many of us come to the moment of truth. That being the moment when we become so dismayed, disappointed, exhausted, and, frankly, hurt by our organizations (leaders, co-workers, peers) that we just don't know if we want (or even can) continue. I came to this place a few years back. The environment I worked in at the time was incredibly toxic. Unethical and immoral behavior, it seemed, was rewarded. The culture was so toxic that everyone had this "every man for himself" mentality purely for survival.  Complete lack of transparency, accountability and honesty. Employees were mean-spirited, spread malicious gossip solely intended to harm reputations and destroy credibility. The CEO would make comments like "100 people are standing in line for your job. If you don't like it, leave." Working in an environment like this takes its toll.  (I'll spare the sordid details... but many of you, I'm sure, can relate.)

Every year I could, I would attend the SHRM Annual Conference. This particular year, I decided that if I didn't come away from the conference feeling reinvigorated for my field, I would change careers.  I decided to dig in, be present, make connections, and really think about the field I had chosen for my profession.

What happened was actually quite amazing. Not only did I come away feeling energized and refueled. I also came to the realization that while we may have every good intention to be an advocate for employees, develop and implement amazing onboarding, training and development programs, and help build a culture of trust that allows employees to bring their whole selves to work every day and be highly engaged in the mission, vision and values of the business, the truth is that not all organizations are healthy enough to allow you to operate that way.  This particularly year, I realized that the employees of my org were basically taught that "to eat our own" is the MO. THAT was the culture.  So... I made a plan and eventually resigned. And it was one of the best decisions I have ever made for my career (and my sanity). I realized that HR wasn't the problem. Even the employees weren't really the problem. The organization and it's leaders who allowed that type of culture to exist were the problem. 

Why am I in HR? I’m in HR because it’s the one place in business that I believe we can have the greatest positive impact on people’s lives. We spend the majority of our time at work. We have the opportunity to make the work experience not just good, but GRAND!

Do not let others steal your joy. In other words, don't let other people, situations, or organizations rob you of the love you have for your chosen field. I urge you to consider that maybe the environment you're in is the main culprit, and not the field of HR. I'm not suggesting pointing fingers or blaming others for your choices. (I mean, really, maybe you're part of the problem.... Self-reflection is a really good habit to get into.) What I'm saying is this: Take ownership over your choices. You know when you're in a toxic environment. Humans have this really cool thing called gut instinct that, if we listen, can tell us a lot. If you are simply unable to rise above all the crap that is around you, don't give the org any more power over you! If you know you're in the wrong environment (like a toxic, abusive relationship), then start taking the necessary steps today to find another position and resign. Think back to the reasons why you got into HR in the first place. Write them down. Ponder them. 

If, after all of that, you do decide to leave HR, that's ok. Again, maybe it is not an ideal field for you. But if you decide that HR is where you should be, then make a plan to leave your organization. And when you do, choose to leave well. (We'll talk about that in a future post.)

HR is an incredibly rewarding field. Everything we do impacts people. Don't let toxic environments determine your future.