From Sunday, June 17, to Wednesday, June 20, the largest gathering of HR professionals in the world will unite in Chicago for the Society for Human Resource Management’s Annual Conference & Exposition, aka SHRM18. From one HR manager to another, here are my key tips to getting the most from this year’s conference … and having a little fun as well!
1. Download the conference app.
Repeat: Download the conference app. This is the absolute best source of information because it helps you plan your sessions. In addition to keeping you organized, the app includes PowerPoints and notes from each session, even the ones you missed!
2. Do not miss the general session speakers.
There is a great lineup – did someone say Sheryl Sandberg and Jeb Bush? – and these sessions are always amazing. Personally, I can’t wait to hear Adam Grant’s session. If you aren’t up to speed on Grant, an organizational psychologist, check him out on YouTube and I’ll just plan on seeing you Tuesday at his session, “Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World.”
3. Do not miss these sessions, either.
As an HR manager, I am a steward of my organization’s culture, which is why I cannot miss Steve Browne’s Tuesday session on “Cultures That ROCK! Five Proven Ways to Develop and Sustain a Phenomenal Workplace.” I always enjoy the legislative updates and Sunday afternoon’s “Tsunami or Wave: The Washington Outlook for HR Public Policy,” from SHRM’s own Michael P. Aitken, is going to add so much value to my conference experience and compliance knowledge base.
4. Enjoy Chicago.
Deep-dish pizza, Chicago-style hot dogs and hot beef sandwiches are just the start of your Chicago experience, as architecture tours, Willis Tower, Hancock Tower, Navy Pier Park and Millennium Park await. In addition to growing your career at the conference, you’ve got to take a few moments and enjoy, in my opinion, one of America’s historical treasures, and the home of the Cubs and Michael Jordan.
5. Schedule your sessions, but be ready to improvise.
You are going to run into someone you know and miss the session you had scheduled. You’re going to get caught up in the expo hall and lose track of time. That’s OK, because you have to balance overscheduling with going with the flow.
6. Last, but not least, have fun!
We take over the city. More than 20,000 HR professionals come together for this conference and although it’s the exact opposite of how our profession can, at times, be portrayed in the movies, we know how to have a good time. Enjoy the after-hours events. Make it to the Pentatonix concert! Network with people you’ve never met. Collect swag from the expo hall and don’t forget to come by the Paycom booth (No. 250!) and visit me, as well as enter to win $5,000 toward a vacation anywhere in the U.S.!