Running into the Storm: Biggest HR Challenges Ahead According to SHRM24

Written by Lisa Oyler | 7/2/24 4:26 PM

Lisa Oyler is the HR director for Access Perks and her sister company, Access Development, and has been for nearly a decade. In all, she has over 30 years of experience in the human resources field. Her time with Access Perks has made her a leading authority on employee discount programs, and on how employee benefits affect employee retention and engagement. From June 23-26, Lisa attended the SHRM (Society for Human Resources Management) Conference in Chicago, IL.

Last month, the GOATs descended upon Chicago.

No, I’m not talking about barnyard animals or even famous basketball players. I mean the record-breaking number of the "Greatest of All Time" HR professionals who attended the 2024 SHRM (Society for Human Resources Management) annual conference. You people rock!

I feel so privileged to have been among you, learning how to build a better workplace. If you couldn’t attend, but you are also an HR professional looking to improve your workplace, you’re a GOAT too.

The conference opened to grim predictions that a storm is coming. SHRM CEO Johnny C. Taylor described the simultaneous challenges as a “polycrisis” that we cannot run from, cannot hunker down and weather. “We will and need to run into [the storm] and through it,” said Taylor.

Thank goodness for the learning and resources at SHRM24 which encouraged, empowered and educated us on how to do just that. I’m sharing my notes and impressions from the conference, so even if you weren’t there, you can join me. Let’s get running!

After all, no athlete, musician, public figure, or HR professional ever became the Greatest Of All Time without overcoming challenges—especially ones that seemed insurmountable.

Running Into the HR Storm

Why do they think an HR storm is coming? According to Taylor, we have not one, not two, but many major challenges hitting all at the same time. AI is projected to transform 1 billion jobs over the next decade, bringing with it an urgent need to upskill workers. Incivility is plaguing the workplace and is expected to get worse as the presidential election draws near.

Of course, these challenges only compound the ones HR professionals have always faced like supporting employee mental health & wellness, recruiting & retaining employees, cultivating positive workplace culture, implementing new laws and regulations and so much more.

The sessions were organized so attendees could follow a “content track” which would give them a deep dive into a specific topic of interest—whatever each person thinks will best prepare them for the challenges ahead. And of course, the headlining speakers are always inspiring as they tell their stories of their fascinating lives.

Here are some of my favorite quotes and takeaways from the main speakers at SHRM24.

“We are more the same than we are different.” — Al Roker

Al Roker entertained us question-and-answer style. Betty Thompson, Chief People Officer of Booz Allen Hamilton, and Chair of SHRM’s board of Directors led the chat. Roker talked us through his eventful life, everything from the recent loss of a beloved dog, to the unexpected course of his illustrious career, to his experience with cancer, and he made us laugh through it all.

He spoke of the importance of giving people the benefit of the doubt. It’s easy to find things we disagree about. Finding the things that unite us with others is harder, but more rewarding. He reminded me that I never wake up thinking “Gee, I sure hope I have an awful day today.” Instead, we need to remember that people want to do good, and they want to get along. Focusing on negativity can shift any interaction toward incivility.

Now more than ever, the world is focused on negativity. Roker pointed out that people used to learn about world events the next morning by reading the newspaper. Now, we are living in a digital world. Gen Z hasn’t ever known anything different. Social media is 24/7 and we’re constantly being bombarded by it. This realization was a paradigm shift for me. “I think we’re in a time when there’s a lot of stress and it’s harder for people to get along,” he said.

In a recent survey, SHRM calculated that civility in the workplace has dipped to unacceptable levels. Worse, 1/3 workers believe workplace conflict will increase over the next year. Workers who experience incivility at work are significantly more likely to be dissatisfied or even desire to leave their job. Roker plea to remember that we’re more the same than we are different can go a long way to helping us achieve civility in the workplace.

“Do it scared.” — Sherri Shepherd

Before Sherri Shepherd was a famous and Daytime Emmy Award winning comedian, she was shy, poor, occasionally homeless and most of all, fearful. She told the story of a formative moment in her life. Shepherd knew she wanted to be a comic, but when a noted comic encouraged her to take the stage, she told him that she was afraid. What he said to her became her mantra for the rest of her life and career: “Do it scared.”

Her formula for success includes 4 principles: follow your intuition, empower your team, articulate your vision and most importantly don’t be afraid. She said, “if you can manage your fear and do it scared, there are so many blessings if you can get on the other side of fear.”

This made me remember that there is a lot of fear about the future, especially in regards to AI, and the radical disruption it is bringing to the workplace. HR professionals will be in the thick of this inevitable change. We may be doing it scared, but we have to run toward learning, and lead the employees to the other side of fear.

Shepherd also told us that our legacy is every life we touch. Good and bad, every conversation we have makes an impact and becomes our legacy. If we remember that, it will help solve the problem of civility.

“We need agile, curious learners who can adapt and uber-empathetic managers who can lead confidently through uncertainty.” — Johnny C. Taylor

SHRM President and CEO Johnny C. Taylor reminded us that HR professionals have withstood the volatility of the pandemic, the Great Resignation and other disruptive events that required adaptability and empathy to get through.

That’s nothing compared to what’s coming.

However, Taylor’s words inspire us to “embrace the challenge.” He reminded us that those previous challenges served to prove the worth and influence HR can have in the success of a company. He explained that HR is not the same as HR used to be. Companies can be better off when HR is a strategic business partner. Sounds intimidating, right? We in HR already wear so many hats, now we need to be experts in the business we serve, too? Not only that, but we may also need to produce some data to justify HR’s seat at the table. However, HR’s expertise and insights into the needs of the workforce will be imperative to lead the company into the future.

In short, HR professionals need to lead the charge in practicing civility, embracing AI and upskilling workers. Widening skills gaps already stress “our competitiveness, economy, our communities and our families,” Taylor said. It may take a shift in the way we educate the next generation of workers. Certainly it will take a world-wide effort to upskill 1 billion workers as AI and other technologies transform the type of work they do.

Most importantly, we need to lead the way toward these monumental changes with agility, curiosity and lots and lots (and lots) of empathy.

Access Perks Unveiled Latest in Paycheck-Stretching Solutions at the Expo

The SHRM Conference Expo just gets bigger and better every year. I practically needed an extra suitcase to bring home all the free swag. Better yet, I learned about the latest and greatest in HR products, services and benefits that can help us face the coming storm. With nearly 700 vendors sending in their best experts, the expo alone is worth the cost of admission.

Access Perks was there, telling every GOAT we met about the advantages of offering a well-formulated employee discount program as an employee benefit. With the cost of living (and everything else) soaring ever higher, employees have named personal finances as their number one worry in 2024. By their own admission, it’s keeping them up at night and even distracting them at work. The best employee discount programs help them keep more of their paychecks in their pockets with big savings on the everyday necessities—you know, the stuff they must buy anyway like food, clothing and travel.

If you missed your chance to talk with us (maybe next year!) you can schedule a product demo of the world’s largest and most comprehensive employee discount program at your convenience here. We’ll even throw in a free t-shirt just for hearing us out. Our clever and cheeky HR themed T-shirts were so popular, we opened a merch store where you can buy as many as you want. They make great gifts for HR heroes and superstars in your life.

Let’s keep collaborating. What are your best strategies for facing the HR storm?

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