“The debate over whether or not HR is important is over.” These empowering words were responded to with applause and fervorous nods from the crowd at the 2016 HRMA Conference + Tradeshow.
Over 900 HR professionals with various backgrounds and industries gathered for this two-day conference presented by the Human Resources Management Association (HRMA). We were fortunate enough to attend as early talents, immersed in enriching discussions and celebrating the importance of “taking people practices to the max”. This conference was particularly inspiring for me as an aspiring HR BBA in my last semester, because it offered the opportunity to network, listen to inspirational speakers, and learn about industry used approaches to instigating and responding to change in the HR industry. A testament to the importance of open sharing and discovery, the HRMA Conference featured session with topics such as: improving organizational resilience with meditation, building strategic thinking for competitive advantage, project management without authority, responding to absenteeism, supporting the growth and learning of millennials in the workforce, and leading change. In two days, participants were engaged by four keynote speakers, selected four breakout sessions out of 24 relevant HR topics, and interacted with over 100 exhibitors during the tradeshow breaks.
Day 1 of the HRMA Conference + Tradeshow opened with a warm welcome from the HRMA leaders and a keynote from Rabia Siddique, an international humanitarian and criminal and human rights lawyer. Quoting Mother Teresa and the capacity of small changes to create ripples that build into powerful waves, Rabia shared her story of overcoming the discrimination that she faced during her time as a British Army Officer. She openly talked about feeling like a square peg in a round hole during her childhood, insecure after being abused and feeling different because of her mixed background and religion as an immigrant to “a very white Australia”. Rabia decided to become a lawyer so that she could give a voice to those who needed help, and many years later in 2005, found herself as the only lawyer in a UK brigade stationed in Iraq. It was then that Rabia embraced her culture, built trust, and gained the respect of local community leaders, playing an integral role in a hostile negotiation and surviving a hostage situation. Rabia relentlessly pursued justice to instigate fundamental and cultural change in the UK Ministry of Defence so the courage and bravery of officers regardless of gender, cultural background, or religion would be recognized. Rabia’s story insisted on the “power of one” and energized the audience at the HRMA Conference to make value-based choices and be open to changing perspectives. More details about Rabia’s incredible story can be found in her TEDx talk here.
Filled with optimism from Rabia’s keynote and assertion that the control, persuasion, and influence of the HR industry shows “there’s nothing soft about HR skills”, participants went to their breakout sessions, networked during coffee breaks, and checked out the tradeshow. At the end of the first day, a moderated panel with top HR executives from Nordstrom, Petronas, Nurse Next Door, and GoPro discussed predictive analytics, the need to redefine performance management, and the differing preferences of a multi-generational workforce as key disruptions in HR.
Day 2 began with a keynote from Geoff Colvin, author of “Humans Are Underrated: What High Achievers Know that Brilliant Machines Never Will”. He described that in our changing world, what another speaker called “increasingly volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous”, empathy, collaborative creative problem solving, and storytelling are the drivers that make human interaction more valuable than technological advancements. This was a theme throughout the conference, as many speakers addressed how organizations can champion strategic change by operationalizing and investing in their people practices. In the final keynote, John Herdman, Head Coach of the Canadian Senior Women’s National Soccer Team, emphasized that HR is the practice of lighting people’s fires and infusing passion. His genuine and spirited presentation described the simplicity of pursuing high performance by consistently “being good”, and was an energizing way to close an impactful two days of engagement and learning.
This is only a snapshot that describes the 2016 HRMA Conference + Tradeshow. With so many recognized speakers, the largest tradeshow in Western Canada, and gala highlighting the 2016 Professional Awards, the two days were packed with the opportunity to share knowledge and connect with HR professionals with diverse backgrounds. Attending this conference as my first event since joining the HRMA network made me feel optimistic and excited about moving forward with my career in HR. I am looking forward to what HRMA has in store for participants at the 2017 Conference!
Jessica is in her final semester at Beedie, pursuing a concentration in Human Resource Management with a minor in Early Education. Valuing co-curricular involvement as an essential complement to the academic experience, she has actively sought out opportunities to learn and grow outside of the classroom at the SFU Beedie School of Business. She has been involved with the Business Administration Student Society (BASS) as President, Vice President of Human Resources, and Manager of Corporate Relations. Jessica is currently completing her fourth Co-operative Education work term in consultant training and enablement at SAP after working in not-for-profit event planning and HR at Goldcorp. She is passionate about pursuing her personal and professional development by continuing to seek enriching experiences within Beedie and the Vancouver business community.