So far today, you’ve received not one but two industry peers’ out-of-office messages saying they’re busy attending the SHRM21 Annual Conference and will get back to you upon their return.
You pick up your phone and toggle to Instagram. The first photo in your feed shows a few of your HR pals gathered in front of the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign. The caption? “#SHRM21!”
Sigh … back to work (from home) it is.
If this scenario sounds all too familiar this week—we get it. Whether it’s the prohibitive cost of attending the conference, not feeling ready to travel because of COVID, or something else, not all HR professionals can attend SHRM’s annual conference (including the virtual sessions).
We know the feeling of being on the outside looking in sucks—and, well, isn’t HR all about community and inclusion? We think so, at least.
As such, we’re here to do you one better: We have your complete guide to recreating the SHRM conference experience—from home and for free. We’ve rounded up virtual experiences, top-notch resources, must-read (and must-listen) advice from trusted HR industry pros, and even sprinkled in some ideas for recreating Vegas fun (without the Vegas price tag).
So, tell your conference FOMO to skedaddle. And let’s do this.
If You’re Looking for the Expo Floor Experience…
… booths, booths, and more booths. Part of the appeal of SHRM21 (and any HR conference, really) is the opportunity to learn about all the great HR companies out there that can make your job easier.
So, we thought we’d highlight a few of the “booths” we’d make a beeline for (and think you should, too):
1. Eddy
Hi! It’s us. We thought we’d properly introduce ourselves. We’re Eddy—an all-in-one HR Suite built to help local businesses easily manage your people, payroll, and HR processes.
We know staying on top of today’s ever-changing workplace can be a lot for a small HR team. That’s why we created a software to help take the administrative tasks off your plate, and let you focus on taking care of your employees.
2. Motivosity
Want to get the very best out of your entire workforce? Want to recruit and retain top talent? Want your employees to feel noticed and valued?
Meet Motivosity: A modern employee engagement software for the modern workforce.
3. Reward Gateway
Connect, recognize, and support your people—whenever and wherever.
With Reward Gateway, you have the tools to engage your people and power your business through strategic recognition, communications, surveys, and more.
If You’re Looking for an Educational Experience…
… look no further than our HR Encyclopedia.
From Applicant Tracking System to W-4 Form, we’ve curated more than 100 entries (so far) to help you get started learning about specific HR terms or explore broader topics that interest you.
You can also fill out our HR Skills Assessment and we’ll create a personalized learning plan for you.
P.S. Know of an HR term that should be added to the encyclopedia? You can submit it here.
We also rounded up some of our favorite HR and leadership books to add to your reading list:
- Work Rules!: Insights from Inside Google That Will Transform How You Live and Lead by Laszlo Bock
- ‘Bluer than Indigo’ Leadership: The Journey of Becoming a Truly Remarkable Leader by Dr. Jonathan Westover
- Unleashing the Power of Diversity by Bjorn Z. Ekelund
- The Essential HR Handbook by Sharon Armstrong and Barbara Mitchell
- The Drama-Free Workplace by Patti Perez
- Bring Your Human to Work by Erica Keswin
- The Power of People: Learn How Successful Organizations Use Workforce Analytics to Improve Business Performance by Nigel Guenole
- No Hard Feelings: Emotions at Work and How They Help Us Succeed by Liz Fosslein
- Can’t Even: How Millennials Became the Burnout Generation by Anne Helen Peterson
- Belonging: The Key to Transforming and Maintaining Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Work by Kathryn Jacob, Sue Unerman, and Mark Edwards
If You’re Looking to Network…
… Extroverts, we know you love networking in person, but virtual communities are a fantastic way to connect with other HR professionals and build meaningful relationships (introverts, we see you!).
Plus, it doesn’t cost anything, nor do they require you to travel, to join them—a win-win in our book.
Here are 10 online HR communities to join:
- Human Resources
- Evil HR Lady
- LinkedHR: (#1 HR Group)
- Human Resources (HR) Professionals
- HR Professionals | Powered by HRCI and HRPA
- Human Resource Management (HR, SPHR, SHRM, Recruiter, Resources Manager, Talent Strategy & Staffing)
- Human Resources (HR) Exchange Network – HERN
- Human Resources (HR) & Talent Management Executive
- Human Resources Professionals Worldwide
- HR Jobs and Ideas
If You’re Looking to be Inspired…
… check out the HR Mavericks podcast.
HR Mavericks is a weekly podcast dedicated to helping small businesses know how to streamline their HR processes and improve their employee experience for frontline workers.
As a small business HR leader, you know the difficulties of hiring, managing, paying and engaging frontline employees. You also know the business importance of creating an exceptional employee experience where people can excel.
But how do you make it happen—especially if you’re an HR team of one?
That’s exactly what each episode focuses on; gleaning expert advice from small business HR pros or thought leaders who share tangible tips and first-hand experiences. You’ll learn about topics like managing deskless workers, running payroll, onboarding new hires, building culture, employee journey mapping, employee recognition, employee engagement, internal company communication, and much more.
Already binged every episode of HR Mavericks (so far)? Here are a few more HR podcasts we like:
If You’re Looking for the Next Best Thing to Being in Vegas…
From world-class spas to award-winning restaurants, blackjack tables to rounds of golf, there are seemingly endless ways to spend your free time in Las Vegas—even if it’s just a few hours after a SHRM conference.
But since we’re not headed to Vegas (at least not this year), we’re getting creative with our leisure time instead.
Here are some of our favorite ideas for making the most of staying local (but living large like we’re in Vegas):
- Ordering the best sushi from your favorite local Japanese restaurant—and the nice(r) bottle of sake on the menu.
- Organizing an after-hours poker tournament with your work pals.
- Purchasing giant inflatable pool toys, having a photo shoot, and posting them to Insta. No actual pool required.
- Booking tickets to a Broadway show coming to a theater near you.
- Scheduling a spa appointment for when your “conference” schedule is over. Make a (PTO) day of it. You deserve it.
If You’re Looking to Stay on Top of the Trends Shaping the HR Industry…
Good news: You can stop scrolling or scouring the internet to keep up with what’s going on in the fast-moving world of HR.
Each week, we curate top industry news topics and deliver them right to your inbox. Subscribe below to get these updates. It’s one less thing on your to-do list.
