HR Connect Virtual Conference

November 9-10, 2021 | 10:00 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. EST daily | Virtual

Day 1

November 9, 2021
10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Open Enrollment Season Is Here! Establish or Fine-Tune Your Communication Strategy for Hassle-Free Enrollment

Open enrollment can be the bane of existence for many HR professionals—and for good reason. Benefits can be confusing for many workers, and the onus is on HR to help employees make sense of it all. On top of communicating benefits, HR professionals must also ensure that the benefits their organizations offer will be utilized.

The way COVID-19 altered the work environment, and possibly the benefits needs of employees, makes effective, multipronged outreach all the more critical. And given the current climate of digital communication and socialization (socializing?) on top of new resources like telehealth, your workforce may need more handholding when it comes to making sense of their benefits selections. At the end of this session, attendees will be able to:

• Know what to look for when reviewing current plans and how to decide on any plan changes.
• Implement timelines and due dates for open enrollment.
• Understand best practices for creating accessible benefit plan links and resources.
• Establish, conduct, and analyze periodic surveys of employee needs.
• Develop a communication strategy that encompasses all mediums to maximize engagement.
• Identify key channels of communication that are most effective for reaching all employees.
• Provide clear and concise information on benefits plans to help employees better understand their offerings.

11:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
Legal Do’s and Don’ts to Rehiring Laid-Off Workers

In April 2020, the United States saw one of the highest unemployment rates on record at 14.7% due to the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent layoffs and furloughs. While the country is continuing to recover and the unemployment rate has continued to drop, there are still many laid-off workers looking to reenter the workforce and find gainful employment again.

Before you hire back your laid-off or furloughed workers, you must understand your legal obligations, and this session is here to help. After attending this session, you’ll:

• Establish a return-to-work plan.
• Understand best practices for communicating with laid-off employees.
• Learn tips for handling furloughed employees who refuse to return to work.
• Implement strategies for drug testing, background checks, and other employment screenings with returning employees.
• Successfully administer benefits to rehired furloughed or laid-off workers.

12:15 p.m. – 12:45 p.m.
Break
12:45 p.m. – 1:45 p.m.
Cracking the Code to Effective Talent Optimization

Even before the pandemic, and certainly throughout, many companies fell short of their business goals year after year, even with lots of planning and financial resources. What if there were a better way?

By shifting focus to include both business strategy and talent strategy, companies can design teams with clear road maps and ensure the right people are in the right positions, optimizing productivity.

Using firsthand knowledge and insight, our expert will crack the code to talent optimization to help your organization remain successful in the years ahead.

This session will uncover:

• The importance of understanding your people data;
• Tips for developing a people strategy;
• How to integrate your business strategy with your people strategy;
• How the success of your organization stems from the engagement of your workforce and the success of your workforce stems from the success of each employee;
• Ways to successfully engage individual employees and teams;
• Best practices for aligning each stage of the employee life cycle to your talent optimization strategy; and
• How to design talent road maps to keep workers engaged and retained.

2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Setting Gen Z Up for Success: How Mentoring Programs Aid in Retention and Succession

Generation Z has entered the workforce and they have made it clear that employers who want to engage and retain them must offer training and developmental opportunities. And it’s no wonder why, when you consider Zippia survey findings, which reveal that 93% of Gen Z workers—more than any other generation—spend their own time learning new skills to advance their career.

While Gen Z seeks out learning opportunities on their own, why not create a learning program that can train these workers on the ins and outs of your organization? That’s right: We’re talking about mentorship programs. Offering Gen Z workers a chance to learn from colleagues will help spread organizational knowledge and prepare these workers (and your business) for long-term success.

At the conclusion of this session, participants will be able to:

• Understand the importance of offering mentorship programs to Gen Z (and all workers).
• Understand the ins and outs of developing mentorship programs.
• Learn how to overcome the challenges brought on by institutional knowledge loss when a key employee leaves or retires—and why mentoring can solve this problem.
• Learn how to emulate successful mentoring programs based on real-life examples.
• Develop a program within their own organization

3:15 p.m. – 4:15 p.m.
Employee Classification: Applying the Old ‘New’ ABC Test

Increased spending to identify and penalize worker misclassification is a clear budget goal for the Biden administration, with both the Wage and Hour Division (WHD) and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announcing their intent to focus on the volatile topic.

The additional goal of bringing more independent contractors under the protection of the labor and employment laws is likely to be pursued by the DOL’s various agencies, including the WHD, the EEOC, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP), and the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).

It is predicted that the Biden DOL will rapidly propose reverting to the ABC test that allows for “indirect control,” which could result in the reclassification of many independent contractors as employees, making them eligible for overtime and protection under a state’s wage and hour, antidiscrimination, and safety laws. Get ahead of the change by getting a refresher course on employee classification!

This session will explore:

• The difference between employees and independent contractors under the FLSA,
• Applying the “economics realities” or ABC test to correctly classify workers,
• Identifying applicable state regulations that take precedent over the new federal rule,
• Defining the benefits and obstacles of the independent contractor role,
• The repercussions of misclassifying workers,
• How to adjust your compensation structure for newly designated employees,
• And more!

Day 2

November 10, 2021
10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
All Things Vaccine: Passports, Protected Status, and Rules on Employer Mandates

There have been several recent headline-makers that have likely got people wondering about the trends arising from the COVID-19 vaccine. Should vaccines be mandated in the workplace, and what exceptions are or should be allowed.

An increase in employee lawsuits challenging mandatory vaccines for work and vaccine status as a protected class (like race, gender, etc.) are just a few examples of the current challenges that employers are faced with.

This webinar will discuss all the potential legal pitfalls regarding implementation of a vaccine policy, how to respond to employee concerns and objections, and all other guidelines for an effective and safe transition back to the workplace.

At the conclusion of this session, participants will be able to:

• Determine the best vaccine policy for their organizations
• Implement that policy while avoiding legal pitfalls
• Properly respond to employees who object to vaccine requirements
• Utilize best practices and guidelines to align their organizations with state, local and federal laws

11:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: How to Implement Actionable Change in Your Hiring Process

As you continue to build back your workforce in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, now is the time to ensure that your recruiters and hiring managers are sourcing and recruiting diverse talent to fit your organization's needs.

But when it comes to making actionable change to DEI hiring practices, many companies are falling flat—and all you have to do is look at their DEI metrics to see this. According to one consultant, "Metrics help employers committed to diversity and inclusion stay on track by encouraging the identification and management of bias blindspots—mindsets and practices that promote homogeneity but which are largely hidden."

So which metrics should you be tracking to make sure your organization is meeting its DEI goals? And how can you implement actionable change to make sure your recruiters are sourcing and hiring diverse talent? Get these questions answered, and more, when you join Mariam Malik for this insightful session. After attending this session, you'll be able to:

• Define DEI in your organization and communicate your DEI goals to jobseekers and candidates.
• Uncover risk areas and opportunities for improving DEI.
• Track the progress of your DEI initiatives.
• Implement new sourcing strategies to uncover diverse talent.
• Utilize new social media channels, like TikTok, to source workers.
• Apply actionable change strategies in the hiring process for better DEI recruitment.

12:15 p.m. – 12:45 p.m.
Break
12:45 p.m. – 1:45 p.m.
EQ in Times of Uncertainty: Transforming Teams to Be Agents of Change

Change management is a notoriously difficult endeavor in virtually any organization, and the larger and more complex an organization is, the harder it typically is to implement. But emotional intelligence (EQ) may offer help. A strong EQ not only will help employees deal with personal emotions of confusion and frustration in times of uncertainty but also can be key for employees and managers alike to help the rest of the organization come to grips with the change they currently fear.

Additionally, emotionally intelligent employees and leaders are much more engaged and are less likely to leave an organization. They also have higher customer ratings, prompt more profitability for an organization, have higher rates of productivity, report fewer theft and safety incidents, and have lower rates of absenteeism.

If you want your organization to remain a competitive force in these times of uncertainty, you’ll have to begin training your employees to be more emotionally intelligent moving forward, whether you like it or not.

During this session, attendees will learn:

• The core competencies of EQ
• How to help managers find their EQ
• Tips on how to raise EQ in your workplace
• How to motivate managers to help drive change
• Best practices for understanding team members’ strengths and weaknesses
• How to use strengths and weaknesses to build more diverse, productive teams

2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Sourcing Hacks: Cheap and Easy Ways to Source and Recruit Top Talent

If COVID-19 killed your hiring budget, you’re not alone! The coronavirus pandemic has forced a new normal upon many businesses and organizations, and because of this, hiring budgets are getting cut as companies look to save money and overcome this crisis.

If you think finding top talent can only be done with a robust hiring budget, think again. There are various ways to source and recruit talent on a tight budget, with some methods even being free! Attend this session to learn all about the cheap and easy ways to source and recruit top talent! You’ll learn:

• Which tech tools are best for sourcing and recruiting talent
• How to use these tools to source talent
• Top strategies for engaging talent on social media
• Basic Boolean tips for sourcing talent on the Internet
• How to convince your boss that you need a hiring budget now!

3:15 p.m. – 4:15 p.m.
Harassment, Bullying, and Toxic Behaviors: Creating a Culture of Compassion and Empathy to Eliminate Hate and Negativity

COVID-19 wasn’t the only factor that turned 2020 into a roller coaster for employers. The continuation of the #MeToo movement, Black Lives Matter, a turbulent election, and other social unrest contributed to an already chaotic year. Unfortunately, these issues have spilled over into the workplace, and it is up to HR professionals to unite their workforce and create a cohesive and caring culture. And your culture is the key to harassment prevention at work—even more than training.

Many managers are unaware of how to change or turn around bad behavior, so over time, it becomes the organization’s culture. Anyone not stepping in to put a stop to these behaviors—whether an employee, a supervisor, or a manager—unknowingly becomes a reinforcer of them. All employees, from top to bottom, should know what to say and how to act in order to have a civil work environment.

Learn how to create a culture of compassion and empathy in this informative session! You’ll also learn:

• The different forms of bullying and harassment, which may be subtle and insidious at times;
• How to identify “bad” behaviors on a spectrum from incivility to violence and how they can fester as a social phenomenon;
• How employees, managers, and company leaders may inadvertently support a negative environment;
• Organizational risk factors for bullying and harassment so you can work to change them;
• How to review and update your harassment policies and ensure they are communicated to the workforce;
• How to communicate with your employees and allow them to let you know when things are not good at work;
• How not addressing incivility is causing people to lose their trust in you; and
• Techniques to use when a negative employee blames others or denies responsibility.

Register Today