January 2015

Service. The Oxford English Dictionary defines service as “the action of helping or doing work for someone.”
And when the energy of this GMA SHRM community is focused on service, something even more powerful happens: we help transform people’s lives. Every two years GMA SHRM enters into a partnership with a local non-profit to help that non-profit reach a larger audience. In the past we’ve partnered with Operation Homefront (that provides support for active duty service members and their families) and, for the past two years, Reach-A-Child has been the focus of this service initiative.

Reach-A-Child partners with local first responders (police officers, firefighters, or EMTs) to supply each first responder vehicle with a REACH BAG. Each REACH BAG includes 10 children’s books and 10 drawstring backpacks. Why the REACH BAGS? Because when the first responders encounter children-in-crisis, they can grab that bag and offer the child a book. And the calming influence of a simple book can make all of the difference to the child in terms of how they experience the crisis. First responders consistently report that giving a child a book helps them cope with the situation around them. For more information about Reach-A-Child, visit their website here: Reach-A-Child.

Our chapter’s golf outing last June raised over $2,300 to support Reach-A-Child . . . which enabled them to deliver more than 15 REACH BAGs to first responders. This is one way our chapter meets the definition of “service.”

Service is also evident in the great work that we do each year by hosting the Job Boot Camp. The goal of Job Boot Camp is to provide training and education to strengthen career search skills for job seekers who live in the Dane County community. Workshops and one-on-one coaching conducted by GMA SHRM member volunteers focus on resume creation, job interviewing, and other job search related topics. At this year’s Boot Camp thirty-five GMA SHRM members and six student chapter members provided support for forty-four job seekers. Each attendee also received a padfolio and a flash drive pre-loaded with helpful career search documents and presentations.

Jeff Westra and Michele Thoren helped create this life-changing program three years ago and every year the program gets bigger and better. Job Boot Camp epitomizes the definition of “service” and is a great example of how our members help make a difference in the lives of others. It would be difficult to find something more fundamental than this member service to others: helping individuals get and keep a job to support their families.
GMA SHRM creates and supports these service opportunities to enable our members to give back to the communities we serve. And none of this important work would happen if it weren’t for you, the generous HR professionals of the Greater Madison area. Thanks for your contributions to enable us to be of service to this great community.

I look forward to seeing you at our future service opportunities!

Regards,

Jeff Russell

Click here to view the full GMA SHRM Board of Directors

Return to Top

Government Affairs

Be an HR Advocate!
Contributed by Tammy Wacek

Are you interested in being a Human Resources advocate? If you want to make an impact on legislation and make your voice heard, you should join the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) Advocacy Team. The goal for this program through SHRM is to establish a network of committed volunteers to serve as the face of HR within the legislative district. This will help make HR’s voice heard when legislators are developing workplace policies. As a member of the SHRM A-Team, you will also be invited to monthly webinars with updates on legislative events. To join and find out more, visit SHRM’s website at http://www.advocacy.shrm.org/about

Return to Top

Compensation and Benefits

The GMA SHRM Compensation Survey

Local compensation data is hard to find and the GMA SHRM Compensation survey is a great resource!

Losing a key employee over compensation can be expensive (recruiting costs, training a new employee, etc.) and so can over paying employees. The new GMA SHRM Compensation Survey Report will provide local compensation data related to Base Pay, Total Cash Compensation, Salary Range Information and Pay Practices.

About the 2014 GMA SHRM Compensation Survey

88 participating organizations in the GMA SHRM membership area. Click here to see a list of participating organizations!
256 exempt and non-exempt jobs included. Click here to see a listing of jobs with definitions.
Participant breakdown by industry -
Report also captures data on 10 pay practices questions.
Those who purchase the survey results will be able to share access with up to two additional users within their organization.

Return to Top

Professional Development

The 2015 Programming Calendar

The GMA SHRM Programming Committee is proud to roll out the 2015 calendar of topics for Summits, Toolboxes and HR Roundtables groups! Mark your calendars today and keep an eye on your inbox for registration and more information.

You can view the full calendar of programs on the GMA SHRM Event Page or download a pdf version of the calendar by clicking on the image to the right.

Return to Top

Community Events

The Literacy Network offers a variety of courses, tutoring and other services to Dane County community adults to further reading, writing and speaking skills. Specifically the Literacy Network offers customized language instruction to improve employees' English communication skills both on and off the job. Literacy Network excels at developing programs tailor-designed to meet your company's specific workplace needs. If you are interested in learning more please visit us at: http://litnetwork.org/programs/index.php?category_id=4493

Return to Top

CFA Society Madison

The CFA Society Madison is looking for 2-4 individuals interested in spending about 3 hours on January 29th (2-5pm) reviewing resumes of financial professionals and students looking to get into the investment industry. Their members are largely involved in institutional investing; however they do have a good number involved in private wealth management, among other occupations. They are holding a career planning event for their members to fine tune, seriously revamp, or get started on refining their resume, as well as hear from a career coach on proactive steps they can take to advance their careers, regardless of the stage they’re in. If you would like to help out, please contact Jeff Westra at jwestra@herzing.edu.

GMA SHRM Social Media

Our Member Directory is Now Mobile Friendly!

Wish you could stay connected with GMA SHRM members? Now you can search for a member, call, e-mail or find directions to their listed location and be confident that it’s up to date. Check it out today, you can now stay better connected to GMA SHRM members and it’s just a click away at http://www.gmashrm.org/mobile

Forward HR

Want to know what’s going on in HR for the other areas of Wisconsin? WI SHRM has a new blog, Forward HR. Click here to take a look.

Return to Top

GMA SHRM Upcoming Events

January 20, 2015 - GMA SHRM Strategic Summit

Topic: Raise Performance in Record Time, Using the Focus Framework
Location: The Alliant Energy Center

Each year brings us the opportunity for a reset. We often reflect on what we liked, what we learned and what we desire in the coming year.

The Programming Committee is thrilled to begin our 2015 programming with an opportunity for all members of GMA SHRM to reset. Join us as we welcome David Levin for “Raise Performance in Record Time, using the Focus Framework.”

This re-focusing workshop will be our first of a series of Strategic Summits, and like always, will be held at the Alliant Energy Center, offering networking at 8:00 AM, with the program start to begin at 8:30 AM. This summit will be on Tuesday January 20th.

David is a rock-an-roller turned author and speaker. He realizes that many of us face more pressure and distraction in our professional lives. In addition to his goal of having participants say this is one of the best speakers they have ever heard, he wants to help us to bring our best in spite of the pressure we are feeling. His new Focused FrameworkTM is about finding the quickest and easiest way to massive improvements in our performance and life.

Register for this summit today!

Return to Top

February 10, 2015 - GMA SHRM HR Toolbox

Topic: Sifting Through the Generational Drama – Reviving the Fascination We Once Had For Our Differences
Location: Olbrich Botanical Gardens

For the first time ever, businesses are faced with an exciting and yet complex challenge of having four generations in the workplace at one time. Each generation brings different values, skill sets, and perspectives on what “work ethic” and “loyalty” mean. These differing views can easily lead to conflict, which hurts performance and productivity. Vast amounts of knowledge and expertise exist within each generation, yet they are commonly left untapped. This program will help you gain a competitive advantage by showing you how to appropriately funnel this wealth of different experiences and turn the challenges of diverse generations into a strength.

In this presentation, attendees will:

Understand generational differences as a strength
Learn how to connect with and motivate each generation
Increase collaboration across generations
Empower teams to delegate according to generational strengths and interests

Our speaker Karrie Landsverk is a Partner with AmericanWay University and Professional member of the National Speakers Association. Karrie brings 16 years of leadership expertise from businesses of all sizes including high-level leadership roles with a Fortune 500 company. She connects with each group she interacts with using her dynamic and energetic style while educating on topics involving leadership, communication, employee engagement, and the key to powerful relationships.

Click here for more program information!

Return to Top

GMA SHRM Announcements

2015 WI SHRM Student Conference and HR Games Competition

Volunteer at the Student HR Games!

Registration is now open for the 2015 WISHRM Student Conference and HR Games. UW-Whitewater is hosting the event on March 6^th and 7^th, 2015. The deadline to sign-up to volunteer is February 16^th, 2015. In addition to the HR Games portion, there is a number of speakers and networking opportunities for student and professional attendees.

To view opportunities and register to volunteer, click on this link: http://www.wishrm.org/2015-HRGames. If you have any questions, please contact Matt Nechodom, PHR, mnechodo@amfam.com or 608.242-4100, ext. 38692.

Return to Top

Professional Award

Applications are now being accepted for the GMA Professional Scholarship! This is a $1,000 scholarship which will be awarded to a GMA SHRM member to support his or her professional development. Examples of covered eligible programs include:

Attendance at a National/State SHRM conference
Post-secondary degree in business or human resources related discipline
Support of certification or re-certification (PHR, SPHR, GPHR, SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, CCP, CEBS, etc.)
Certificate programs in business or human resources related discipline

Applications must be or emailed as a PDF by April 17, 2015 to be considered. Please review the qualifications and application process by visiting the Professional Award Information Page. To make the application process easier, everything will be submitted electronically and there is no separate application form to complete!

Return to Top

Certification – Obtain your SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP for free!

The Pathways program for the new SHRM Certification is now available! Your existing HR certification constitutes your eligibility to earn the SHRM-CP (equivalent to the PHR) or SHRM-SCP (equivalent to the SPHR) which indicates to the global HR community that you have the competencies, knowledge and skills to perform effectively in today's ever-changing workplace.

If you are a current holder of an HR generalist certification (eligible HR generalist certification programs include: PHR, SPHR, GPHR, HRBP, HRMP, CHRP, SHRP, MCIPD, FCIPD and IPMA-CP*) or will obtain your certification by January 31, 2015, you are eligible for SHRM's new certification, the SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP—at no cost—by completing the following three simple steps between January 5 and December 31, 2015:

Document that your current certification is in good standing.
Sign the SHRM Code of Ethics.
Complete a brief online tutorial on HR competencies.

Once you complete this process, you will earn the new SHRM credential and begin a three-year SHRM recertification cycle. You will not lose or have to give up any of your current credentials in order to obtain the new SHRM Certification.

Please visit www.shrm.org/certification/pathway to learn more and to participate in the tutorial. To learn more about the new SHRM Certification, visit www.shrm.org/certification.

Return to Top

GMA SHRM Student Scholarship Winners

GMA would like to recognize and congratulate our two student scholarship winners! Gabrielle Marzella & Silun Li are both seniors at UW-Madison. Congratulations to both!

Return to Top

GMA SHRM Member News

GMA SHRM Member Spotlight

Name: Karen Thompson

Where do you currently work?
Quincy Bioscience

What is the focus of your position?
Human Resources Manager

How long have you been in the Human Resource field?
23 years

Which of your career accomplishments makes you proudest?
Developing team members to be successful in their careers.

What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
Always gather the facts and do what is right even if it isn’t popular.

Why did you decide to join GMA SHRM?
Networking and staying up to date with HR topics.

If you’d like to be published in an issue of HR InTouch, please complete this profile and submit (along with a photo) to Tia Gibson @ tia.gibson@covance.com.

Return to Top

GMA SHRM Volunteer Spotlight

Name: Mary Wilkosz

How long have you been volunteering with GMA SHRM?
I began volunteering with SHRM in August of 2014.

What committee are you volunteering with? Have you volunteered on other committees? If yes, which one?
I am volunteering for the Government Affairs Committee; this is the first SHRM committee I’ve participated in.

What do you enjoy about volunteering?
I really enjoy having the opportunity to meet and work with new people; it’s great to be able to share ideas, develop goals, and bring a project to fruition.

What would you say to others who are considering volunteering with GMA SHRM?
I would highly recommend volunteering to all SHRM members. The committee work helps one to grow and network at a much deeper level. Volunteering is really the best way to make the most of your membership.

What have you gotten back from volunteering with GMA SHRM?
I’m rather new to the HR field and I find the wealth of new knowledge and expertise the other members bring to the committee has been enlightening and inspirational. The Government Affairs Committee is an awesome resource for all SHRM members as the committee provides the most up-to-date information regarding exciting changes to the laws that impact our daily operations.

Welcome New Members!

GMA SHRM welcomes the following members who joined our chapter in November 2014!

Todd Ashburn, PHR	Hallman/Lindsay Paints Inc.
Corrie Bjerke	Woods Hollow Children's Center
Karol Buckingham	Dimensions, LLC
Donna Chapman Stone	Delta Dental
Robert Masnado	Wisconsin Department of Health Services
Rachel Meyer	Alliant Energy
Rachel Meyer	Alliant Energy
Daniel Stewart	Stewart Leadership

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 .