March 2019 

HR InTouch

The Monthly Newsletter of the Greater Madison Area SHRM

In This Edition

President's Message

By Tammy Wacek, SHRM-CP, PHR
 

Government Affairs & Legal Updates


5th Annual WI SHRM Day on the Hill Recap

House and Senate Bills Introduced to Facilitate Employer-Provided Student Loan Repayment Assistance

Professional Development


An HR Director’s and Veteran’s Summary and Review of the SHRM Foundation Veteran’s at Work Certification Program Survey

Supercharged HR: Leveraging Behavioral Science and Big Data
 

Education and Development


SHRM Certification Scholarships
 

Workforce Readiness


Boys’ & Girls’ Club of Dane County – Looking for internship opportunities with your company

Volunteer Opportunity – March 20, 2019; Dane County Regional Job Fair


 

GMA SHRM Media Relations

‘Honest HR’ Podcast


GMA SHRM News & Upcoming Events


Dr. Rick Rigsby Announced as 2019 Human Capital Conference Keynote Presenter ​

HR on Ice Recap - The Membership Committee Plans More Opportunities for You to Meet Other GMA SHRM Members!

Congratulations to the GMA SHRM Scholarship Winners!​

March 19, 2019 - Professional Development Summit
Session 1:  Conscious Leadership = Employee Retention + Improved Engagement!
Session 2:  People Analytics: Adding Some Crunch to your Soft Skills


Madison and surrounding communities consistently rank as a top community in which to live, work, play and raise a family
 

GMA SHRM Member News


Spotlight: Programming Committee 

Welcome New Members!

Movin' Up

In Transition

 


 

 

President's Message

GMA SHRM
2019 Corporate Partners

Platinum Level

Boardman & Clark Law Firm
Hausmann-Johnson Insurance Group
The Payroll Company
The QTI Group
UW Credit Union
UW School of Business - CPED

Gold Level

Career Momentum
Godfrey & Kahn
Group Health Cooperative of
South Central Wisconsin


Silver Level

Cottingham Butler
M3 Insurance
Reynolds Transfer
Summit Credit Union

Bronze Level

The Alliance
Edgewood College
Littler Mendelson
Madison Capitols Hockey
MRA
Restaino & Associates Relocation

Thank you!

 


 

Greetings GMA SHRM Members –

GMA SHRM had the opportunity to sponsor the 2019 Day on the Hill event last month. It was a very engaging event focused on legislative topics and we ended the day meeting with local legislators. I want to thank Jeff Palkowski, Director of Government Affairs, for his efforts in the planning and execution of this event and his representation of our chapter!

I had a great time at our family friendly networking event at Madison Capitols in February and I was happy to see some new faces there. We will continue to look for new approaches with our networking to meet the needs of our membership. Thank you to the Membership Committee for putting that on!

I would like to share a few of our strategic initiatives as a Board for the upcoming year. We plan to focus more attention on our new members with personal invitations to upcoming events and ensuring they feel welcomed and engaged. We are looking for more ways to connect with our membership by providing more content focused on topics like diversity and inclusion and thought leadership. We are also looking for opportunities to promote workforce readiness and philanthropic events. I want to thank all of our volunteers that provide the creativity and effort to make these things happen!

I also want to invite you to get involved and make a difference in our chapter. If you are interested in learning more about our chapter and how to become involved, please join us on April 11th for GMA SHRM Revealed. This will be a fun evening with appetizers, drinks, GMA SHRM trivia and networking with other members. We will highlight GMA SHRM and what our different committees focus on.
 
I hope to see you at an upcoming event this year! Please feel free to reach out to me with questions or feedback at tammy.wacek@wpsic.com.


Take Care,

Tammy Wacek, SHRM-CP, PHR
President
GMA SHRM

Click here to view the full GMA SHRM Board of Directors

 

Government Affairs & Legal Updates

5th Annual WI SHRM Day on the Hill Recap

Submitted by: Jeff Palkowski, Director of Government Affairs GMA SHRM and WI SHRM, SHRM Advocacy Captain (Wisconsin 1st CD)

On February 14th (yes, Valentine’s Day) over 50 human resources professionals from across the state gathered in Madison for the 5th Annual WI SHRM Day on the Hill event. This annual event provides Wisconsin HR professionals with employment law and legislative updates, public policy and advocacy updates from National SHRM, and an opportunity for attendees to visit the Wisconsin State Capitol to meet with their elected officials to discuss workplace issues.
 
Greater Madison Area SHRM has been a Gold Level sponsor for the past few years as Madison serves as the host city for this important annual event. GMA SHRM also played a prominent role in this year’s event with two chapter members serving as presenters.
 
Abigail Darwin, an attorney with Quarles & Brady, LLC and GMA SHRM Government Affairs Committee member, organized a panel of experts to talk about the rise in student loan debt and possible federal and state legislation that would provide tax benefits to both employers and employees through employer-sponsored student loan repayment benefits. Hearing from Abigail, as well as executives from Summit Credit Union, CUNA, and student loan repayment program administrator, Peanut Butter, Inc. provided one of the highlights of the morning presentations.


2019 WISHRM Day on the Hill attendees at the Wisconsin State Capitol

I had the honor of presenting a brief overview of the framework of Wisconsin State Government in a presentation I titled “Under the Capitol Dome.” In this short presentation, I provided a comparison of the branches of federal government vs. state government, discussed the current makeup of the Wisconsin State Legislature, and provided some tips for those that would be visiting the Wisconsin State Capitol later that day.
 
GMA SHRM also had a presence during the afternoon legislative visits by assisting first-time attendees. Government Affairs Committee members Hilary Stone (Chair), Mary Wilkosz, and I served as guides providing directions as well as accompanying several first-time attendees to their meetings in the Wisconsin State Senate and Assembly.
 
If you missed this year’s Day on the Hill event, don’t worry, the 6th annual Day on the Hill will be back in Madison in 2020 and we are hoping to make it the best one yet. In my new role as Director of Government Affairs on the Wisconsin SHRM State Council, I look forward to an even stronger partnership with GMA SHRM and with the GMA SHRM Government Affairs Committee to help with programming, logistics, and other important details to ensure a great experience for both new and returning attendees. If you are interested in helping plan next year’s event, please contact Hilary Stone or me to learn more about the GMA SHRM Government Affairs Committee. Visit WISHRM for more information about this year’s Day on the Hill and watch for information later this year about next year’s event.

 

Return to Top


 

House and Senate Bills Introduced to Facilitate Employer-Provided Student Loan Repayment Assistance

Submitted by: Abigail Darwin, GMA SHRM Government Affairs Committee Member and Employee Benefits Attorney at Quarles & Brady LLC

In February 2019, companion bills were introduced in both the U.S House and Senate that would provide tax benefits to both employers and employees for employer-provided student loan repayment assistance benefits. The Senate bill, S. 460, was introduced on February 12 by Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) and John Thune (R-SD), and the House bill, H.R. 1043, was introduced on February 7, by Scott Peters (D-CA) and Rodney Davis (R-IL). As of February 16, 2019, the House bill already had 101 co-sponsors, and the Senate bill had 18 co-sponsors. Importantly, the bills have bipartisan support in both chambers.

Under existing law, if an employer wants to help an employee pay off his or her pre-existing student loan debt, that money is counted as taxable wages to the employee. S. 460 and H.R. 1043 would allow an employee to not have to include up to $5,250 per year of employer-provided student loan repayment benefits as wages, and would also allow an employer to take a tax deduction up to that same amount if they provide such benefits. S. 460 and H.R. 1043 would accomplish this by extending Internal Revenue Code ("Code) § 127 to include employer contributions toward employee student loan repayment. Currently, Code § 127 only allows employers to deduct, and employees to exclude from wages up to $5,250 per year for tuition reimbursement for classes employees take while currently employed.

Currently, over 44 million people (about 1 in 4 adults) in the U.S. have student loan debt, and collectively, they owe over $1.5 trillion! Student loan debt has surpassed credit card debt in the U.S. and is second only to mortgage debt. With college tuition increasing about 6% annually nationwide, and the current national unemployment rate hovering right around 4% (or a little less), student loan repayment benefits are likely to increase in prominence as an important tool to recruit and retain employees, especially Millennials. Allowing the benefit to be tax-qualified would make it much more palatable and useful to both employees and employers.

National SHRM has indicated that it plans to issue legislative letters in support of S. 460 and H.R. 1043.

Return to Top



Professional Development

First in a Two-Part Series on Veteran’s Recruiting, Hiring and Engagement

An HR Director’s and Veteran’s Summary and Review of the SHRM Foundation Veteran’s at Work Certification Program

Submitted by: Brian Wolhaupter, Colonel U.S. Army (Retired) - MBA, MSS, SHRM-SCP, HR Director, Willy Street Co-op

“Thank you for your service!” I am not sure how many thousands of times in my 30-year military career, and even now as a retired service member I have heard this humbling and truly gracious statement. For those who serve or have served, that simple five-word statement is fulfilling and rewarding in a way that is impossible to explain. It always was and is now for those in uniform our privilege and honor to serve with or without the thanks.
 
The same simple five words for many transitioning service members, whether leaving service after a short period or a complete career can also take on a frightening air of finality and isolation from the rest of the working world. An effective understanding of veterans, their skills, strengths, needs, and tendencies in the development of well planned and well designed veteran’s hiring programs can mitigate a great deal of that feeling on both sides of the hiring process. The SHRM Foundation Veterans at Work Certification program represents an invaluable resource and starting point for anyone in this process, with only a few very small misses in its approach.
 
SHRM Foundation’s Veterans at Work Certification Program
This program provided by the SHRM Foundation hits almost every critical point for employers looking to build or improve veteran’s hiring programs and engagement of any veterans they already have within their organizations. The wholly online program is provided free for any who want to participate. It consists of four basic phases – enrollment and application; reading/review of the SHRM Recruiting, Retention and Hiring of Military Veterans guidebook; completion of a short exam on the guidebook materials; and completion of several video courses and a few quizzes at the PsychArmor Institute.
 
All of the materials are excellent. The guidebook alone provides all the materials for an organization that is passingly familiar with military service to frame and build a program to support all phases of veteran employment. The sections in the guidebook on building the business case to hire veterans is later mirrored and expanded upon in a number of the PsychArmor courses. Discussions and program recommendations in both the guidebook and the PyschArmor courses surrounding the business case tenants are filled with fantastic information and insights that are commonly overlooked by those with little or no exposure to military service and veterans.
 
Guidebook sections on engagement and retention are also particularly well done and touch on many of the reasons veteran hiring initiatives in part or whole do not work from both sides. Reading some of the retention and engagement recommendations you may get the sense that veterans can be needy in the same way we often incorrectly categorize “millennials.” For example, the similarity between the two groups in the desire for purpose and impact are truly much alike, but the propensity for intense loyalty, deep adaptability and broad skills are often much stronger in veterans than others. Both the guidebook and the PyschArmor course also deal directly with some of the common misperceptions that hamper adoption of veterans hiring programs including “all veterans have PTSD” (not true), veterans have less formal education (also not true), and many others.
 
After completion of the guidebook and exam, the extensive and curated set of video Pysch Armor Institute classes strengthen and complete the program. The PyschArmor Institute courses are well done and cover a wide variety of topics that both deepen and augment the first phase of the certification course. HR leaders or organizations having little experience with veterans should review all the PsychArmor military basics courses a couple of times. They provide acceptable descriptions of military norms and life, but do fall a little short on clear translation of military structure and terms to civilian matches. Some of the specific multi-part courses are very detailed reviews of previous major corporate initiatives (Hilton is one of the programs presented). These provide insight and relatable process steps, but may not be applicable to all organizations simply based on the scale of the programs they describe. Taken as a complete set the PsychArmor section of the program lays out some very useful and practical application examples and military cultural background that is not in the guidebook.
 
No program is perfect, and I found that there are areas where the program as a whole falls short and other areas that are just not very applicable to the GMA SHRM audience. Though these points are minor they are worth discussing:
 

  • Like most programs provided by industry or the military itself to support transitioning veterans, this program is overly Active Military centric in its tone, materials, and approaches. As a lifelong solider, until very recently, who served in the Active Army as a Traditional Drilling National Guardsmen (Reserve Component) as well as a Full-Time National Guardsman, I can confidently state that the Reserve Component of the Army (and the other services) has members with the same valuable traits as transitioning Active Duty members who have full familiarity with and experience in the civilian business world. Yet, very little discussion of actively recruiting both traditional part-time and full-time transitioning reservists is discussed. In fact, the entire concept of Reserve members in the corporate world as veterans and valuable business leaders is significantly under-addressed.
 
  • The accessibility to Active Duty transitioning veterans in the GMA-SHRM area, and the upper Midwest in general, is extremely restricted in comparison with many other parts of the country. There are many reasons for this including a lack of Active Military facilities, poor ongoing TRICARE medical support, and many others. This limitation is not clear in the program as the material is fairly general in nature. It is an important fact to understand for a local organizations sincere about working towards a veterans hiring and employment program. In this region the typical veteran candidate will more often be a reservist of some type who may or may not still be serving in a traditional weekend drilling role.
 
  • Related to the previous point, the PsychArmor program section around veteran and service member spouse hiring programs is nearly irrelevant in the GMA-SHRM area, at least in the way the program presents it. . It is important to note that you may still have military spouses that will need support, care, and employment flexibility. This need is generally in response to reserve component deployments, and not the relocation issues directly addressed in the program section.

 
The program as a whole is a wonderfultool for HR leaders and organizations seeking to support veterans and enhance their teams with the skills they can provide. I highly recommend this as a part of every HR team’s toolbox. It is well worth the time invested, which is all it requires since the program is provided free to any who take it. Programs like this will definitely help reduce many of the struggles transitioning veterans and organizations have in connecting. To highlight some of these struggles and provide a bit of insight to the transition process, the April issue of GMA SHRM InTouch will include part two of this series, “A Tale of Two Transitions,” in which I share my viewpoint and experiences as a veteran transitioning to the civilian corporate sector twice – once in 1996 as a young leader in the rank of Captain, and this last fall as a senior Colonel.


Return to Top


Supercharged HR: Leveraging Behavioral Science and Big Data

Submitted by Submitted by March PDS Presenter, Steven Utech, CEO of Illumyx

It was November of 2018 and we were running an action planning session with a cross-functional group of employees for a utility company in the deep south.  The focus: aligning stakeholders on how to improve the workplace culture.  In walked Ted, a respected field technician.  One of the first things out of his mouth was this, “What’s this about again?  Ah man, is this more of that HR b&**%&t?”  We had to laugh at his honesty.  We hear comments like this a lot.  Despite the best of intentions, many corporate initiatives are diminished and minimized as being a “flavor of the month” or a pet project for a department (IT, HR, Finance, etc).  And once employee sentiment goes against an initiative it is an uphill climb to reach the tipping point required to make it a success.

The segmenting of corporate initiatives and programs is a necessary, but limiting approach to change.  When you look at things systemically in an organization, everything is an interconnected web of actions and responses.  Let’s take culture as an example.  When you view culture through a lens of behavioral science (i.e., culture as a set of ingrained behaviors that govern how work is accomplished), it broadens the importance of culture.  Culture is no longer this “soft” thing that HR focuses on.  In this context, culture can be used to improve organizational effectiveness, employee health and wellness, employee safety and more obvious things like employee retention.  Don’t believe us?  Let’s look at the data.

In 2018 we conducted a study for a mid-sized healthcare organization who wanted to understand how their workplace culture impacted employee wellness.  Looking beyond the HR-driven wellness program, we examined relationships between employee wellness and various aspects of their culture, such as role clarity and problem-solving.  We built a predictive model for them which measured employee perceptions of workplace culture and predicted employee wellness scores with 70% accuracy.  Within the model, four factors stood out as having the most predictive significance:

  1. Relationship with leader – Those with an open, trusting relationship tended to have higher morale and higher wellness scores.
  2. Working on a development plan – Employees who were actively engaged in professional development tended to be more committed to the organization and also had higher wellness scores.
  3. Having input into decisions – Supervisors who sought input before making a decision tended to lead employees who were more engaged and also reported greater wellness.
  4. Relationship with co-workers – Employees tended to have higher wellness scores when they experienced positive team dynamics, such as:
    • Feeling accepted by team
    • Troubleshooting problems, instead of blaming others
    • Openly addressing conflict, instead of gossiping with co-workers
    • Cross-department communication, instead of departmental silos

This data made sense to managers, but was still surprising.  When you think about it, the above-mentioned factors can all be a source of great joy and excitement when they are going well, but can also be a source of great frustration and disappointment when they’re not.  It startled the mangers because the data put them in a position of having to take greater responsibility for employee wellness.  They couldn’t pass it off as an “HR thing” anymore. Now, as they use this information to make better leadership decisions, they are able to calculate the return-on-investment for making improvements to workplace culture and employee wellness.

As we get into the data around key business challenges, we continually uncover findings such as these.  Data is here and its reshaping how we look at business problems.  Business problems are truly systemic in nature.  It’s an exciting time to be a part of HR.  The future of HR is not only data-driven, but is a future where HR initiatives no longer exist in isolation.  All “people challenges” become “company challenges” because people are still the unifying fabric that ties companies together.  Using data to understand organizational behavior is the key to unlocking your workforce’s potential.

Return to Top
 

Education and Development

SHRM Certification Scholarships

Submitted by Clara Tavarez, Media Relations Committee Member GMA SHRM
Is one of your new year’s resolutions getting a SHRM certification? SHRM Foundation wants to help you reach this goal!

Every year, the SHRM Foundation awards scholarships in support of students seeking undergraduate, graduate, certification and professional development opportunities. Scholarship funds may be used for any combination of test preparation expenses, such as SHRM Certification Preparation tools and/or exam fees.

For eligibility information and to apply go to the SHRM Foundation Scholarship page.

Now accepting applications for the spring offering through April 15, 2019.

Return to Top

 

Workforce Readiness

Boys’ & Girls’ Club of Dane County – Looking for internship opportunities with your company

Submitted by Jennifer Brikowski, Director of Workforce Readiness Committee, GMA SHRM

“Partner with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Dane County to create great futures for youth through our summer internship program! In collaboration with career partners in Madison, we provide our students with meaningful, paid summer internship opportunities which allow them to explore interests while building skills in the workplace. If you are interested in helping us prepare these emerging leaders for the future workforce, connect with TOPS Manager, Mentoring & Career Development Taylor Jackson to learn more at tjackson@bgcdc.org.
 

Volunteer Opportunity – March 20, 2019; Dane County Regional Job Fair, Alliant Energy Center, Madison

Submitted by Jennifer Brikowski, Director of Workforce Readiness Committee, GMA SHRM

The Dane County Regional Fair is coming up fast. The Workforce Readiness Committee is a partner in this event. We are looking for volunteers to give an hour or two of their time to the job seekers coming to attend this event.
We will be opening the Job Seeker Preparation area at 10am. The event begins at 11am.
 
As HR professionals this is a fun and engaging way to demonstrate your skills in resume and interviewing for those less experienced. How rewarding to have a chance to affect a resume for a job seeker before it is submitted and help prepare them for some basic interview questions!
 
We are looking for volunteers to assist from 10am to 11am. The job seeker preparation area is open from 10am to 3pm. 11am to 3pm is the time that job seekers can meet with the employers. Last August we had over 100 job seekers take advantage of the time before the event began to work with an HR professional to tweak their resumes and hone their interviewing skills.
 
If you have time and are willing to spend one or two hours helping out, please email Jennifer Brikowski: Jennifer.brikowski@dwd.wisconsin.gov. The GMA SHRM members who have helped out in the past have always enjoyed this opportunity to make a difference for the job seekers in our community.
 
Thank you.

 

GMA SHRM Media Relations

‘Honest HR’ Podcast

Submitted by: Brittany Hanson, Director of Media Relations, GMA SHRM
 
Do you love podcasts?  Do you love HR?  We know your answer is yes to AT LEAST one of those questions 😊  
 
Check out SHRM’s ‘Honest HR’ podcast, hosted by Callie Zipple (a fellow Wisconsinite & former WI-SHRM Council Member!).
 
Episodes are brief, mega-relatable, & rich with HR guidance.
 
Upcoming episodes may even feature some of your very own GMA SHRM colleagues…….stay tuned!
 
Subscribe on your podcast-platform of choice, or click here:  https://www.shrm.org/mlp/pages/honest-hr.aspx
 
New in 2019….’Honest HR’ podcast episodes are eligible for RECERTIFICATION CREDIT!  That’s right – listen to an episode while driving, exercising, working, etc. and earn credits!



Return to Top


Newsletter Suggestions 

Hey GMA SHRM Members! We’d love to hear from you on topics of interest for our monthly newsletter in 2019. What would you like to see in future newsletters? Please send your suggestions to our Newsletter Editor here.

Return to Top
 

GMA SHRM News & Upcoming Events

Dr. Rick Rigsby Announced as 2019 Human Capital Conference Keynote Presenter 

For 2019, GMA SHRM is proud to bring to our members and guests a once in a lifetime opportunity for a full morning keynote and workshop with Dr. Rick Rigsby!  

When audiences hear Rick Rigsby . . . they are never the same.

"Bringing a speaker like Dr. Rick Rigsby to our conference continues our tradition of bringing national caliber speakers to our Madison HR and business community.  To be able to spend a full morning with Dr. Rigsby takes our conference to another level and is going to be amazing!" says Director of Human Capital Conference Dana Denny.  

The 14th Annual Human Capital Conference will be held Tuesday, May 14, 2019 at the Alliant Energy Center and also features 6 breakout sessions from industry experts!   Breakout session topics include:

  • Engagement, Retention & High-Performing Teams
  • Finding Your Way in the Modern Compensation Data Landscape
  • Smoke and Mirrors: Separating Real Trends from Fads in Benefits Strategies
  • Adult Learning “Better” Practices in Diversity & Inclusion
  • and the latest HR Legal Updates!

 Click here for full conference details.



HR on Ice Recap - The Membership Committee Plans More Opportunities for You to Meet Other GMA SHRM Members!

Submitted by: Gene Sarmiento, Director of Retention and Recruitment, GMA SHRM

This year we started with HR on Ice on February 22 at Madison Capitols.   Thank you Andrew Joudrey and the Madison Capitols staff for the drinks, appetizers and exceptional service provided. It was a great time with over 20 in attendance for the networking and those that stayed for the game.  Wow, we were on ice at the 39th Anniversary of ‘Miracle on Ice!’
 
We continue to plan other events this year and would like to see you there so keep an eye out for future events. 
 
Our first Eat, Meet & Greet will be in April so watch out for upcoming announcements.

Photos from HR on Ice!
   



























Return to Top


 

Congratulations to the GMA SHRM Scholarship Winners!

Submitted by: Tyler Wood, Director of College Relations, GMA SHRM

GMA SHRM is proud to recognize the 2019 GMA SHRM Student Scholarship Award winners! This scholarship was established to recognize outstanding students who have an interest in the human resources field, have positive academic standing, participate in university and community activities, and demonstrate leadership qualities. Each student will receive $750. Congratulations to these students on this incredible achievement.

“As a student and aspiring HR professional, I am most excited to learn about how organizations can utilize their HR departments in a strategic manner. Many contemporary companies are beginning to realize the full potential of the HR department beyond administrative duties, and are including HR workers as strategic business partners, leading to more effective hiring and training and improved alignment of company goals. Understanding methods to develop an administrative HR team into a strategic business partnership, especially within staffing and team creation, will support my long term goals of working within the field of leadership development. As a passionate learner, I also have the long-term goal of receiving my MBA.

Although I was not aware of SHRM before this semester, I was inspired to become a member after attending the GMA SHRM Student Night. I appreciated learning from HR professionals, and was excited to learn their take on the world of HR beyond the textbook. I have signed up to become a student member, and am looking forward to networking with more HR professionals in the upcoming year. I appreciate the opportunity to join GMA SHRM as a student, and appreciate your dedication to students via the scholarship.”

  -  Erin Faella, Wisconsin School of Business, BBA Management and Human Resources, University of Wisconsin – Madison, Class of 2019

 
“I am a conscientious and self-driven UW-Whitewater senior majoring in Corporate & Health Communication and double minoring in Human Resource Management and Health Promotion. The reason that I chose this path in college is because it combines my three biggest passions: people, wellness, and Human Resources. By being an active member of SHRM, I love being able to network with HR professionals, learn new HR tactics, and attend chapter events, which has only grown my passion for HR. Through my work experience as a Peer Mentor and Wellness Peer Educator at UW-Whitewater, as well as having been a Store Management Intern at Kohl’s last summer, I have gained skills that I could not learn inside the classroom: training, instructional design, conflict management, leadership, team collaboration, interpersonal communication, and much more.

The idea of bettering an organization by educating staff members, creating strong relationships with others, enhancing productivity, and contributing to the organization’s bottom line excites me more than it probably should, which is why I would like to eventually get my Masters in Adult Education, once I have experienced the work world for a few years. One day, I aspire to become a Corporate Trainer, Director of Talent Acquisition, or HR Director. No matter where life takes me, I believe that my strong passion for Human Resources and drive for excellence will guide me to be an influential Human Resource professional.”

  -  Anne Zietlow, Corporate & Health Communication Major, Health Promotion, Human Resource Management Minors, University of Wisconsin Whitewater, Class of 2019

 

March 19, 2019 - Professional Development Summit


Session 1:  Conscious Leadership = Employee Retention + Improved Engagement!

Session 2:  People Analytics: Adding Some Crunch to your Soft Skills 

Program Details



 

Return to Top
 


Madison and surrounding communities consistently rank as a top community in which to live, work, play and raise a family

Submitted by: Gail Johnson, Restaino & Associates, Relocation Division, GMA SHRM member

A sophisticated medium-sized city, Madison is distinctively situated on an isthmus between our area's two largest lakes, Mendota and Monona – a setting with impressive beauty.   Against the backdrop of high-tech businesses and admired academic institutions, Madison emanates the casual, down-to-earth feel and small-town vibe, yet impresses us with big city amenities.  Madison is also the center for health care, information technology and manufacturing industries.    The State Capital and home to the University of Wisconsin, Madison features more than 15,000 acres of picturesque lakes and beaches, as well as 260 parks and is one of the most accommodating cities for cyclists.   It’s a vibrant cultural hub with plenty of activities to do all year round! 

Time after time, Madison and surrounding communities rank as a top community in which to live, work, play and raise a family. And here are some recent honors showcasing our beautiful city!

  • #10 Best Cities for an Active Lifestyle, WalletHub.com, Jan. 2019
  • #7 Best States to Raise a Family, WalletHub.comJan. 2019
  • #1 Best Place for Work Life Balance, SmartAsset Dec. 2018
  • #12 Top Place to Retire, WalletHub, Dec. 2018
  • #7 Best Places to Live, Livability.com, 2018
  • Madison-One of the Best Small Cities in America, National Geographic Traveler, 2018
  • #2 Best State Capitals to Live In, Wallethub, 2018
  • Greenest City in Wisconsin, Insurify.com, March 2018
  • #3 Best Cities for Runners, SmartAsset.com, April 2018
  • #6 Best U.S. Cities for Biking, peopleforbikes.org, May 2018
  • #2 Most Walkable Cities, Expedia.com, May 2018
  • #4 10 Best Cities to Raise a Family in the U.S., TheBalance.com, June 2018
  • Most Educated City in Wisconsin, Insurify.com, July 2018
  • #1 Best Cities to Raise a Family, Zumper.com, August 2018
  • #2 10 Best Cities to Start Your New Career, Zippia.com, August 2018
  • #9 Best U.S. Cities to Find a Job, TheStreet.como, August 2018
  • Fitbit Ranked Madison as America’s Fittest City for Health and Wellness, 02/2017
     



GMA SHRM Member News

Spotlight:  Programming Committee

Submitted by: Brian P. Goodman, Vice President: Programming and Attorney at Boardman Clark

The Programming Committee is a lively group of people who love both HR and education.  We are fortunate to have many long-standing members on this committee, and new members join each year as well.  If you are interesting in volunteering with GMA SHRM, the Programming Committee is a great place to start.

The Programming Committee is responsible for organizing five professional development summits each year.  Each professional development summit is four hours long and completely free to GMA SHRM members.  That is over 20 free hours of educational programming each year.
 
The Committee works hard to ensure that this significant member benefit is of the highest quality and of greatest interest to our members. The Committee oversees the annual member survey, which it uses to obtain information on topics of interest to members.  In August, the Committee sends out a Call for Proposals to dozens of interested speakers.  The Committee vets these proposals and selects programming that addresses member interests, will be delivered by high-quality speakers, and qualifies for certification credits.  The Committee’s goal is to have an entire year of programming scheduled at the start of each year.

The Committee meets every couple of months, but more frequently in the fall when proposals are reviewed.    If you are interested in serving on the programming committee, contact Brian P. Goodman at bgoodman@boardmanclark.com or 608-283-1722

Hope to see you all at the March PDS on March 19!
 

Welcome New Members!

GMA SHRM welcomes the following members who joined our chapter in January 2019!

Bailey Adkins QTI Consulting
Kathryn Benson State of Wisconsin
Sarah Dahl Hawks Quindel
Vernon Franklin NeuGen, LLC
Eileen Goode Goode Solutions LLC
Mike Gotzler Littler Mendelson
Emily Greenall Willy Street Co-op
Sara Gussine Student - Herzing University
Robin Hayward Reynolds Transfer & Storage, Inc.
Andrew Joudrey Madison Capitols Hockey - USHL
Ashley Kidd Iconica
Melissa Klein Eastman Klein Consulting Group, LLC.
Kyra Matkovich Exact Sciences
Arrington Muhl Bell Laboratories
Taylor Orton Cottingham & Butler
Natalie Scharine RateLinx
Riley Schartner Drake & Company of Madison Inc
Taylor Schultz Bluetree Network
Sara Stanfield Widen
Dan Truehl Lift Consulting, LLC
Nathan Wood zizzl Benefits & Payroll Co.


Return to Top


 

Movin' Up

Have you started with a new company? Has your organization recently promoted you to a new position? Or do you want to recognize a new person or promotion within your department? If so, we want to hear about it. Send us an e-mail, and we’ll publish your good news in the next HR InTouch!  
 

Return to Top


In Transition

If you are a member who is in between jobs, or who is currently employed but seeking new positions or career paths, write us a brief description of your skill set, areas of expertise, what you’re looking for, etc. Send us an e-mail. We’ll publish your information in the next HR InTouch.

Return to Top 


 


HR InTouch Guidelines

Article Writing:

Do you have an interest in writing for the HR InTouch? We have an interest in learning more about your area of expertise!

Why should you volunteer? Top three reasons: 1) to share your knowledge and experiences to educate others; 2) to become more connected in the HR and Dane County communities; and 3) to contribute towards the advancement of GMA SHRM and the HR profession.

The first step is for you to choose a submission option: you can pre-submit an article to GMA SHRM at any time for us to use in any of the upcoming newsletters, you can sign up to write for a particular month, or we can put you on a list of people to contact in future months whenever we need articles.

Article length:

Because the HR InTouch is now in an online format, the size is flexible. The article should be engaging and hold readers’ attention. Include the core information in your article, and we will advise if it is too lengthy.

Solicitation:

GMA SHRM is conscious not to allow solicitation through the articles, in an effort to protect the interests of our partners and members. The nature of the article should be educational (i.e., what are the business advantages of having a product like yours) or informational. Otherwise, if you truly are interested in advertising through the HR InTouch, you can work with our Marketing Committee. As a rule of thumb for article writing, if the submission relates to a for-profit event, or specifically markets your company (vs. your industry), it is an advertisement, and should be purchased. If it is a not-for-profit event that your company is hosting, or an announcement (i.e., a SHRM member recently joined your company), it is an acceptable addition to the HR InTouch content. If you have any questions related to the appropriateness of your submission, please contact us.

If you have questions, or to submit an article, contact GMA SHRM at chapteradmin@gmashrm.org .

 

 Amended