Tag: SHRM

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SHRM 2024: A Guide to Chicago Restaurants & Bars

oil painting of chicago's skyline

With the 2024 SHRM Annual Conference & Expo right around the corner, HR folks everywhere are understandably beefing up their itineraries for a four-day stay in Chicago, the host city.

As fate would have it, our team at Workforce.com is headquartered in the Windy City. As locals, we feel obligated to share our insider information on the best restaurants to hit while visiting the city. Of course, as any true local would know, we can’t share the closest guarded spots with you. But this is still a pretty thorough guide, so don’t worry.

Here is our list of must-tries categorized by neighborhoods from several local, self-proclaimed foodies in our office:

LEGEND:

C = Casual

B = Breakfast

L/D = Lunch/Dinner

D = Dessert

Restaurants

  1. Lakeview

    1. C B Ann Sathers – Iconic breakfast spot that serves some of the best cinnamon rolls you’ve ever had. Get the eggs benedict and some rolls to go.
    2. C L/D Will’s Northwoods Inn – Lively casual sports bar with neighborhood vibes. Don’t miss the chicken ceasar chicken wraps, cheese curds, and onion rings.
    3. L/D Dear Margaret – A very cozy, classic french restaurant, perfect for smaller groups and couples. Start off with the charcuterie, a glass of wine, and the duck bolognese for an entree.

  2. Lincoln Park

    1. C L/D Old Pueblo Cantina – Mexican joint with great tacos and even better margaritas.
    2. C L/D Pequod’s Pizza – Iconic pizza that serves what’s arguably the best Chicago deep-dish style pizza in town.
    3. D Annette’s Italian Ice – Window-service ice cream and frozen yogurt shop that specializes in their Italian ice. Known for their fruit flavors like lemon, blood orange, and passion fruit, don’t forget to bring cash!

  3. Logan Square

    1. L/D Cellar Door Provisions – A chill, laid back wine bar whose menu landed it a spot on the Michelin Guide. Please for the love of God, don’t miss out on the burger. One of my favorites in the city.
    2. B D Sugar Moon – A bakery adored with an overwhelming amount of goods, each one of them more delicious and creative than the next. Don’t skip out on their jalapeno-cheddar scones or their tahini chocolate chip cookie.
    3. B L/D Lula Cafe – New american food served in a very old school manner. For breakfast, get the french toast, the breakfast burrito, and/or the tofu and vegetable scramble. For dinner, the pasta Yiayia, fried mushrooms, and sweet and sour onion focaccia are standouts.

  4. Palmer Square / Bucktown

    1. C B Allez Cafe – If you’re looking for one of the best breakfast sandwiches in Chicago, look no further than Allez Cafe. My suggestion: one breakfast sandwich with a cream top coffee. Thank me later.
    2. D Margie’s Candies – Over 100 years old, this ice cream shop is something to behold. I could drink the hot fudge from their infamous sundaes with a straw…
    3. L/D Giant – This is the place you bring someone to when you’re really trying to impress them. Their ever changing menu makes it hard to recommend specific menu items, however you truly can’t go wrong.

  5. West Town

    1. C L/D Mott St – Asian fusion with a great outdoor space and an even better burger (only served prior to 7 pm!)
    2. L/D Kai Zan – Amazing, fresh, quality sushi served at a reasonable price. If you’re feeling up for it, their 10+ course omakase menu for $90 has yet to be beat.
    3. L/D Lao Peng You – Featured in The Bear, this chinese spot has some of the best dumplings and noodles in the city. With no reservations, I’d recommend going for lunch if possible.

  6. Old Town

    1. C L/D Ranalli’s – Sports bar that caters to huge groups, great outdoor space, and even better food. You cannot leave without having the hot honey soppressata pizza. Also, a special shout out to their chicken fingers… best I’ve ever had.
    2. L/D Topo Gigio Ristorante – When you think of an old school Italian spot, this is it. The perfect order: an espresso martini, the calamari, Conchiglie Alla Sarda pasta, and tiramisu to finish. You might not sleep but it’ll be worth it, I promise.
    3. C B Nookies on Wells – An adorable breakfast spot notable for their french toast, crepes (sweet or savory), and eggs benedict.

  7. Gold Coast

    1. L/D Gibson’s – A classic white table-cloth all-American steakhouse. Known for their surf & turf and their absolutely massive desserts – the carrot cake slice is something to behold.
    2. L/D 3 Arts Club Cafe at RH Chicago – One of the most beautiful restaurants is in the historic landmark where Restoration Hardware resides. Their lobster roll is a 10 out of 10.
    3. C B The Original Pancake House – A breakfast chain that has a place near and dear to my heart. I’ve been getting their 49er pancakes with a side of extra crispy bacon for the past 20 years and I don’t plan on stopping anytime soon.

  8. River North

    1. C B Doma Cafe – Small, european-influenced breakfast spot known for their hash browns, cevapi, olive oil cake, and burek.
    2. L/D Lil’ Ba-Ba-Reeba! – Spanish tapas perfect for big groups. Must-haves: the dates, the brussel sprout salad, and the patatas bravas.
    3. L/D Bavette’s Bar & Boeuf – My favorite restaurant in the city, hands down. Albeit, a more pricey option, but offers immaculate vibes, top-notch service, a french dip that will knock your socks off, a wedge salad worth crying over, and an ice cream sundae that I dream about. Can’t get a reservation, try their sister restaurant just next door: Gilt Bar.

  9. West Loop

    1. C L/D Green Street Smoked Meats – Open concept BBQ hidden in an alleyway offering some of the best BBQ Chicago (& beyond) has to offer.
    2. L/D Duck Duck Goat – From Top-Chef and Chicago icon, Stephanie Izard’s take on Chinese fusion is done beautifully here. Please get the goat slap noodles, xiao long bao, braised short ribs, and the duck fried rice. Oh and save room for the seasonal soft serve ice cream.
    3. L/D Au Cheval – All I have to say is they are known for their burger for good reason. Be sure to get it with their bacon.

  10. Greektown

    1. C L/D Greek Islands – Arguably the best Greek restaurant in Greektown, this place lives up to its name. Keep it classic with some saganaki, moussaka, and grape leaves.
    2. D B Lou Mitchell’s – Opened in 1923, this old school diner is perfect for the classics: silver dollar pancakes, waffles, a Denver omelet (hobo style), and a side of raisin toast.
    3. L/D Monteverde – One of Chicago’s most popular Italian restaurants. Hard to get a reservation with their handmade pasta and amazing appetizers. If you are able to snag a spot, start with the Burrata E Ham, any of their pastas for your main will most definitely suffice, and end with the butterscotch dessert or the tiramisu.

  11. The Loop

    1. L/D Cindy’s Rooftop – This rooftop restaurant and bar has incredible views of the lake and Grant Park. I recommend going for happy hour and grabbing a drink or two with a couple starters.
    2. C B L/D Revival Food Hall – This place caters to everyone and anyone. A huge food hall that truly has the best of the best. From their on-site cafe for your coffee, to artisan sandwiches at Danke, fresh poke from Aloha Poke, health-focused bowls from Fare, and so much more. Definitely worth just checking out if you’re in the area.
    3. C B L/D The Exchange – This place is pretty unassuming on the outside, but once you’re sat inside their atrium, you’ll understand why I strongly recommend this place. I encourage going for lunch and grabbing their turkey club sandwich with a side of fries.

  12. South Loop

    1. C L/D Nepal House – Authentic Nepalese Indian food can be found here. Keep it simple with their garlic naan, chicken makhani, and Momo’s.
    2. L/D Bistro Monadnock – This french bistro is located in the historic Monadnock building. I strongly suggest grabbing a french onion soup to start as well as their croque madame for an early lunch.
    3. C B Eleven City Diner – Another iconic Chicago diner serving up some old-school Jewish favorites. Think matzo ball soup, pastrami on rye, and a brisket sandwich on brioche-like Challah. Beyond good.

  13. Bridgeport

    1. D Runaway Cow – Newly opened vegan ice cream spot that serves oat-based soft-serve. I swear non-vegans won’t be able to tell the difference. It’s that delicious. Get a snowstorm; their take on a Dairy Queen Blizzard.
    2. C L/D Kimski – This casual korean-polish fusion sounds like it might not work, but I promise it does. Don’t believe me? Get their Maria’s Standard and report back to me.
    3. C L/D The Duck Inn – Worth it simply for their outdoor space. I’d sit outside and order the duck for two, prawns, and the mushrooms and polenta.

  14. Chinatown

    1. C L/D QXY Dumplings – This place is worth the wait. Put your name down, walk around Chinatown, and be prepared to feast on some unreal soup dumplings. Specifically the pork and cabbage, beef and onion, and the lamb and coriander. I also recommend getting a side of kimchi, wood ear mushrooms, and cucumber salad.
    2. C L/D Go 4 Food – This casual Chinese seafood spot has been awarded a Michelin star for good reason. Be sure to get the bao taco, the walnut shrimp, and of course, the dungeness crab.
    3. D Chiu Quon Bakery – A classic Chinese bakery that almost always has a line. Known for their pork buns, Portuguese egg tarts, sesame balls, and so, so much more. Be sure to bring cash with you!

  15. Bronzeville

    1. D Shawn Michelle’s Ice Cream Shop – One of our claims-to-fame when it comes to ice cream. The honey cinnamon ice cream and the banana pudding are incredible. But truly… you can’t go wrong with any of their flavors.
    2. C L/D Cleo’s Southern Cuisine – This creole spot is known for having some of the best chicken wings Chicago has to offer. Order the sauced six with the mac & cheese. You won’t regret it.
    3. L/D Bronzeville Winery – Whether or not you’re partaking in their wine list or cocktails, be sure to get the sweet potato ribbons, brussel sprouts, and watermelon steak (I know, just trust me).

Bars

There’s nothing better than a productive day at the SHRM conference; connecting with others in HR, checking out the latest in tech, and learning from some knowledgeable speakers. But the best part? Rounding it all out with a drink at a beautiful cocktail lounge, beer garden, or a rooftop bar. Here is a list of great spots to grab a drink near the McCormick Center for your next team happy hour or solo nightcap:

  1. Moody Tongue Brewery
  2. M Lounge
  3. Best Bar
  4. 16th Street Bar & Coffee Lounge
  5. Skylark
  6. Mitchell’s Tap
  7. Turtle’s Bar & Grill
  8. VU Rooftop Bar
  9. Reggies Chicago
  10. Spoke and Bird
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The 10th nominee for the Worst Employer of 2020 is … the whistleblower whacker

SHRM, whistleblower

The Society for Human Resource Management describes itself as “the foremost expert, convener, and thought leader on issues impacting today’s evolving workplaces.” Physician, heal thyself!

According to a recent lawsuit filed against SHRM (as reported by The New Yorker), SHRM may have a huge whistleblower retaliation problem on its hands.

Here are the key allegations, which SHRM denies:

  • Bailey Yeager, a former director-level employee with a history of glowing performance reviews and promotions, expressed concern when the organization asked her in May for feedback about its proposal to return employees to the office after two months of working from home.
  • Expressing concern about potentially infecting her two daughters, she requested that she be allowed to continue working remotely “until returning to work is both more widespread regionally and there is a decline in the metrics regarding cases/hospitalizations.”
  • She also asked to see SHRM’s plans for reopening safely.
  • Two weeks later she, along with three other employees who had expressed similar concerns (including two with pre-existing medical conditions), were fired.
  • According to her OSHA complaint, SHRM CEO Johnny C. Taylor Jr. held a conference call during which he outlined plans to “outsource” job functions in departments in which employees had expressed resistance to returning to work in person.
  • Yeager’s complaint also alleges that Taylor bragged that he had spoken to his friend Eugene Scalia, the Secretary of Labor, and that an OSHA representative contacted Yeager to implore her to withdraw her complaint. (To be fair, it unclear if there is any nexus between Taylor’s call to Secretary Scalia and OSHA’s call to Yeager, but it is definitely implied in her complaint).

If you fire employees who reportedly dare ask for the ability to continue working from home, and potentially wield your influence with the federal government in an attempt to leverage the dismissal of the resulting lawsuit, while at the same time holding yourself out as the “foremost expert on issues impacting today’s evolving workplaces,” you might be the worst employer of 2020.

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Day 2 at #SHRM19 — It’s All About the Underutilized Talent Pool

It’s no secret that HR pros face a broad range of challenges every day. 

And if, like me, you were waiting to hear the broad range of topics that the world’s largest HR association is addressing from the organization’s CEO as the first full day of the Society for Human Resource Management’s annual confab dawned in Las Vegas, you were probably pretty disappointed.

That said, if you were eager to hear about the untapped talent pool consisting of the formerly incarcerated, people living with disabilities, veterans, and those people considered to be too old for the workplace, well, spending a little time at the general session Monday morning in the Las Vegas Convention Center was your little slice of heaven.

SHRM CEO Johnny C. Taylor Jr.’s mini-keynoter before the real keynoter Brene Brown didn’t shed new light on the direction of his 300,000-member-plus association’s present or future. He skirted any potential controversies and closely stuck to the message of building a more inclusive, diverse and empathetic workplace. It was a valuable message, no doubt.

#SHRM19
SHRM CEO Johnny C. Taylor

At times I felt like I was at a political rally. It’s clear that Taylor knows how to stoke an emotional response with videos and people’s up-close and personal stories. Taylor introduced four people representing underutilized pools of workplace talent to emphasize his signature push to put these people back in the workplace.

Taylor also reminded us that overlooking these potential employees not only causes them a disservice but tears at the “very social fabric” and causes harm for generations.

“Workplaces are where real social services begins,” Taylor said.

Taylor also noted that HR’s expanding role in talent acquisition is to remember that those who do not think, walk or talk like us deserve dignity of work. “As stewards we play huge role not keeping out wrong people but bringing in the right people,” Taylor said.

Then came a quick video set in a courtroom. The criminal was guilty and sentenced to life in prison.

That led to Alice M. Johnson, whose life sentence was commuted by President Trump after a push by Kim Kardashian, to walk onstage. Johnson, now an author, briefly and passionately told her story and offered a moving example of the second chance movement.

“There are so many more like me who are not so fortunate after serving their debt,” she said. “They were shut out and they only want to find their purpose in the dignity of work. HR pros like you can stop the cycle of poverty, you create a better world.” Her talk understandably drew a large round of applause.

#SHRM19
Alice M. Johnson, whose life sentence was commuted by President Trump, was a surprise guest during Johnny C. Taylor’s keynote speech. SHRM photo.

“Millions are waiting for opportunities,” Taylor said. “Put biases aside. They’re not just charity cases, nor superheroes. They need an opportunity. They can become leaders, change makers.”

Taylor followed up by introducing three people with physical disabilities.

Taylor called them ambassadors for changing workplaces, adding that people with challenges like mental health and ADHD need to be supported by HR in the workplace.

“We all bring layers of challenges,” Taylor said. “HR has a profound responsibility to do our best to support these people.”

Taylor recognized veterans and then addressed the challenges older workers face by being aged out of the workforce.

“Ageism is illegal and it’s damaging to the bottom line,” Taylor said as a handful of older people dressed in all black formed a semi-circle behind him. It was a bit melodramatic but drove home Taylor’s point.

“We place premium on youth,” he said. “Aging is seen as debilitating. Let these people in. Recruit older workers.”

Taylor then closed his keynote by pounding home the benefits of a diverse workplace. “Different is beautiful,” he exclaimed. “Eliminate discrimination any time we see it.”

While it was a feel-good speech filled with personal examples, Taylor’s 26-minute reminder to hire disadvantaged talent pools was merely an extension of the initiative he launched about this time a year ago at SHRM 2018 in Chicago.

No doubt it was a moving and emotional speech, but if I’m an HR leader I know we face a shortage of talent and that it’s time to get creative with our hiring. And as Taylor implored the assembled crowd to hire these people, all I could think of was the “yes, but …” that was likely running through many SHRM members’ minds — or potentially will be after they return to their workplaces.

Taylor chose to stick to a recurring theme during his one chance to address the assembled SHRM membership. While finding talent is an important topic, HR leaders face a bevy of challenges beyond hiring. Young employees drowning in student debt; soaring health care costs; the #MeToo movement, which unfortunately seems to be yesterday’s news. We also have a president who wants to eliminate the Office of Personnel Management, the federal government’s HR department.Want to advocate for a membership’s cause? My guess is SHRM has a fair portion of OPM employees as members.

Yes, SHRM19 provides plenty of opportunities to air out these issues with cohorts and gather insight during sessions to solve problems back home. But Taylor could have used his half hour setting a broad tone for the conference by touching on several hot-button HR issues rather than polishing what sounded more to me like a political speech on a single topic.

More 2019 SHRM Conference Coverage:

Exclusive Video Interviews from the 2019 SHRM Conference

The State of #SHRM19 Speech: Wait Until Monday

Brené Brown at SHRM Conference: ‘Leaders Are Never Quiet About Hard Things’

SHRM Releases Annual Benefits Survey

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The State of #SHRM19 Speech — Tune in Monday

It always seems like there’s a world-class soccer tournament simultaneously playing as the the Society for Human Resource Management opens its annual soiree.

Sure enough, the Women’s World Cup is on in France, and SHRM is opening in Las Vegas. And sure enough, Brazil and France were deadlocked 1-1 in overtime as Sunday’s opening session kicked off.

Timing wise that was fine because we should know who wins by the time Johnny C. Taylor Jr. gives the assembled HR faithful the annual CEO’s state of SHRM. Last year in Chicago, Taylor’s inaugural speech at the Sunday general session was a riveting blend of revival meeting and motivational speech about HR’s growing role in the workplace.

So, let’s check the boxes as we watch the first 20 minutes or so until Taylor speaks.

Huge conference space at the Las Vegas Convention Center? Check.

Record attendance? Oh yes … somewhere north of 20,000 people are here.

Glitz and glamour? Check and check. I mean, the opening act was iLuminate, a deft troupe that blends tech and theater. And the upcoming opening keynote was TV and media personality Martha Stewart.

Score still tied 1-1.

#SHRM19
SHRM CEO Johnny C. Taylor with Martha Stewart. SHRM photo.

Event emcee Melissa Dawn Simkins offered up a plug for the SHRM Foundation and we heard about new initiatives — the SHRM Studio and Convos & Coffee, a clever little lounge with a weirdly intuitive floor that asks questions about such things as ageism and diversity of your workplace.

France goes ahead 2-1. Still 7 minutes left. Yikes.

Simkins introduced SHRM Board of Directors Chairman David Windley.

Pleasant enough speech. Windley noted the 20,000 people in attendance this year, 1,400 of whom belong to the public sector and a large number who practice HR internationally.

Windley also noted how people spend a third of lives at work and that there’s a growing level of trust between employees and their employers.

“People are losing trust in institutions but not in their workplaces,” Windley said. “The employer is most trusted — 75 percent more than NGOs, media and government. Employers are the key relationship in peoples’ lives. So we have a serious responsibility,” Windley added.

France still ahead, 2-1; 2 minutes left. Annnnd, I lose the feed. Noooooo ….. .

Oh well, Taylor will be on shortly.

Windley continues about SHRM’s second chance push for formerly incarcerated people and how advisors are on hand at the conference for HR practitioners who want to learn more about what has been Taylor’s signature initiative. And there was polite applause as Windley mentioned companies signing a pledge to give people a second chance in the workplace.

Match over; France advances. Full attention now as Windley concludes his talk.

“Learn, share, go back and build better workplaces for a better world,” Windley said as the assembled crowd applauds.

Behind him people scramble to set up two chairs and a table for the upcoming chat between Taylor and Martha Stewart.

But … out comes Stewart. And Taylor. Big applause.

And my jaw drops. What?!? No Johnny C. Taylor state of SHRM talk? I get a text from a colleague. “No JCT???”

No whipping the crowd into a frenzy over the second chance initiative? No firing up the HR base over building better workplaces?

I mean, the CEO’s talk — whether it was Taylor’s predecessor Hank Jackson or even dating back to Sue Meisinger — occurred Sunday, since it’s the big chance for all SHRM members to hear from their CEO before they begin hitting sessions and the expo hall (not to mention Las Vegas). Instead they get the chairman of the board — and I don’t mean Frank Sinatra.

So, maybe you were happy with Taylor and Stewart kibbutzing for 90 minutes. I thought Stewart was disappointing and all about herself with just a passing mention of her own incarceration. What a great opportunity to forward Taylor’s prime initiative.

Call me a creature of habit. Perhaps if I had read the schedule a bit more closely I would noticed that Taylor is set to give his take on all things HR on Monday morning before keynoter Brene Brown takes the stage.

As one SHRM media person told me, “Johnny likes to mix things up.”

Indeed he does.

So, France moves on to play again. And, it appears, so do the rest of us to hear about SHRM’s current and future state.

More 2019 SHRM Conference Coverage:

Exclusive Video Interviews from the 2019 SHRM Conference

Day 2 at #SHRM19: It’s All About the Underutilized Talent Pool

SHRM Releases Annual Benefits Survey

Brené Brown at SHRM Conference: ‘Leaders Are Never Quiet About Hard Things’

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A History Lesson for #FixItSHRM Followers

Nearly a decade ago a well-intentioned group of HR leaders banded together to dispute several Society for Human Resource Management policies.

Not just some radical fringe group, the SHRM Members for Transparency questioned issues tarnishing the organization’s integrity, from doubling board members’ annual honoraria to allowing reimbursement for business-class travel to wanting more board members who carried HR credentials.

These veteran HR leaders had the pull to garner media attention as well as that of SHRM’s membership. And that caught SHRM’s attention. For a while, anyway.

Fast-forward to 2019 and we find a loose-knit group of today’s HR professionals taking to social media to dispute SHRM’s ties with the Trump administration and relationships with politically conservative companies, most notably the right-leaning Koch Industries. Like the transparency group, these are issues they believe harm SHRM’s reputation and mission. The objectors call themselves #fixitSHRM.

As we approach SHRM 2019 in mid-June in Las Vegas, #fixitSHRM’s protests aren’t aimed so much at internal SHRM policies as the perception of what SHRM represents.

The #fixitSHRM movement traces back to last August when relative unknown HR practitioner Victorio Milian originated the hashtag. Later that fall he fired off a string of tweets explaining the hashtag’s purpose to protest SHRM CEO Johnny C. Taylor Jr. and SHRM leadership embracing the “white supremacist Republican administration.”

Illustrated by a smiling Taylor — now in his second year as SHRM’s CEO — shaking hands with President Trump, Milian’s tweets continued, saying, “@johnnyctaylorjr shaking the current U.S. President’s hand was the spark that lit the #fixitSHRM movement. @SHRM’s ongoing silence to its members who are (rightfully, in my opinion), angry and disappointed about this alliance continues to keep the fire burning. … In my opinion, @SHRM’s alliance does not represent the ethical leadership that #HRpros should be demonstrating.”

Milian’s movement has garnered plenty of online support. Among many others, @k_boulder tweeted in mid-April, “Altered videos to promote racist tropes fanning the flames of hatred, & direction to underlings to break the law, promising no consequences. Ready to renounce this partnership yet, SHRM? #fixitSHRM”.

<blockquote class=”twitter-tweet”><p lang=”en” dir=”ltr”>Altered videos to promote racist tropes fanning the flames of hatred, &amp; direction to underlings to break the law, promising no consequences. Ready to renounce this partnership yet, SHRM? <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/fixitshrm?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#fixitshrm</a></p>&mdash; Kelly (@k_boulder) <a href=”https://twitter.com/k_boulder/status/1117042317653757952?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>April 13, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src=”https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js” charset=”utf-8″></script>

It’s also caught SHRM’s attention to the extent where Taylor doubled down on affirming SHRM’s relationship with the Trump administration as well as SHRM’s affiliation with Koch Industries, according to HRDive.

That doesn’t necessarily bode well for #fixitSHRM’s quest. Still, questioning the motives of SHRM’s relationship with those who do not share or represent their values — and in the larger picture the values HR should practice in every workplace — is inherently a good thing.

I get their frustration. The Trump administration has done most everything you don’t want in a company: constant turmoil and turnover among senior leadership, shunning of D&I, and if recent reports are true, attempting to dismantle the Office of Personnel Management, the federal government’s HR department for civilian employees.

And your HR association is complicit with that? I’d be angry, too.

Taylor’s response though makes it clear that sniping through social media won’t change anything, especially with the 800-pound gorilla known as SHRM. They won’t alter relationships because a social media crusade dislikes their ties with the Trump administration and a financial deal with Koch Industries. I’d also wager that a majority of SHRM members either don’t care, are completely oblivious or actually agree with SHRM’s business dealings.

That means #fixitSHRM’s options to modify SHRM’s operations are limited. But history may hold lessons that could offer them hope for change.

The transparency group had the presence and panache to draw SHRM into two meetings. SHRM then abruptly chose to stop meeting. One transparency group member told Workforce at the time, “Their tactic was delay, delay, delay. We realized that they weren’t going to change.” Disappointing, but if #fixitSHRM is serious they can still push for face time. It’s happened before.

If you can’t get SHRM’s attention in the board room, there’s always the ballot box.

“A SHRM member told me, ‘If you want to change the society, the way you should do it is change the board,’ ” said Mike Losey, a former SHRM president and founding member of the transparency group in a 2011 Workforce interview.

Muster a slate of candidates, continue your barrage on social media and get out the vote. It’s a long shot. And FYI, the transparency group’s candidates never achieved its goal.

History offers a sobering realization that it will take more than a social media campaign to create change. Study the past, #fixitSHRM. Blend it with what you know and perhaps you’ll succeed where Members for Transparency couldn’t.

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Clamor Over SHRM Agenda Misses the Point

I’m sharing a ride with a colleague heading back to our hotel after work.

As we pull in to the hotel parking lot, the topic of a struggling restaurant there with service issues comes up.

I offer the following: “If I owned that place, I’d solve all the service issues by hiring nothing but people with criminal backgrounds who were recently released.”

Some of you may think I’m enlightened making that statement, others will think I’m crazy. It’s neither. I’ve just been influenced by the recent agenda of the Society for Human Resource Management. SHRM recently announced a partnership called “Getting Talent Back to Work,” which includes the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Restaurant Association and Koch Industries. The singular goal of this initiative is to encourage companies to take a national pledge to hire workers with criminal backgrounds

The average HR pro might think the controversy would be getting past America’s long-term tradition of refusing to hire those with criminal records. Instead, there was a small to moderate outcry related to presence of Koch Industries in the initiative. Owners Charles and David Koch — the Koch brothers — are active (some would say notorious) fundraisers and influencers in conservative politics.   

Research Koch Industries and you’ll find environmental issues as well. But you’ll also discover an industrial business hurting for employees in a low unemployment/peak economic cycle environment.

Which begs the question: Will those with criminal convictions in their background care about the political leanings of the owners if they get a job at Koch Industries?

I think not. I believe they’ll be thrilled for the chance. But back to the evolving agenda of SHRM.

What should we expect from SHRM related to its agenda and politics? Should we be outraged when SHRM CEO Johnny C. Taylor Jr. shakes the hand of an American president whose tweets spark widespread division? Should we expect that companies with the ownership background of Koch Industries never have the chance to partner with SHRM?

First, you must first understand the reality of SHRM. The DNA of SHRM includes the following components:

• SHRM leans conservative as an organization focused on helping companies perform better through progressive talent practices. SHRM serves its membership in this regard, as any company with strong internal HR talent has a better chance of marketplace success. But make no mistake, SHRM is directly aligned with the business community. Go to any SHRM legislative update and you’ll hear the pro-business focus. This conservative focus attracts partners with deep roots in the business community. SHRM’s affiliations are easy when the partner is a broad, vanilla association like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Companies like Koch become harder to evaluate for fit.

• SHRM is at its best when its initiatives merge business need, policy trends and inclusion. “Getting Talent Back to Work” is a good example of this. We’re dealing with the lowest unemployment in decades (business need) and immigration policy trends will continue to put pressure on workforce planning (especially in non-white collar jobs). Any SHRM initiative to relieve this pressure would seem to be a good investment of resources. But the real magic happens when SHRM can create these types of programs with an inclusion element. Rather than teaching HR pros how to recruit existing employees away from competitors, “Getting Talent Back to Work” attempts to bring new candidates into the tent. It’s the not the first example of inclusion most of us would list, but it’s a brilliant program when you step back and evaluate the convergence of business need, policy and demographic in need.

• SHRM doesn’t always move first, but when they move, it matters. SHRM’s a mega-association battleship. With hundreds of thousands of members, you’ll find a cross-section of America including comparable percentages of conservatives, liberals, Christians, atheists and more. Like any other association with demographics that rival the United States at large, SHRM is rarely first on any issue that involves societal change. But when SHRM moves, it matters. Hundreds of thousands of members are influenced by various SHRM media properties monthly, meaning SHRM opens minds on any issues linked to the world of HR.

SHRM’s not perfect. But an agenda that challenges HR pros to rethink traditional views that may be limiting in today’s world matters.

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SHRM Names New Internal Head of HR

The Society for Human Resource Management has named Sean Sullivan as its new chief human resource officer.

Sullivan, who will begin his new job in February 2019, takes over HR operations for the Alexandria, Va.-based organization, the world’s largest association of HR professionals with nearly 300,000 members.

SHRM Sean Sullivan
Sean Sullivan, SHRM’s New Chief Human Resource Officer

“I am pleased to welcome Sean, a longtime SHRM member, to our executive team,” said SHRM President and Chief Executive Officer Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., in a press release announcing the appointment. “His background is exactly the right fit for SHRM as we continue to elevate our profession and represent the positive change we want to see in the workplace.”

Taylor himself is a relatively new leader for the organization, having taken over in early 2018 from Hank Jackson.

Most recently, Sullivan was vice president of human resources at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, where he was responsible for human capital practices and labor relations for the 5,500-employee academic medical center. Previously, he was vice president of human resources at Science Applications International Corporation, a $4 billion publicly traded technology company with 15,000 employees worldwide. Sullivan holds a master’s degree in public administration and a bachelor’s degree in political science and American studies from Syracuse University.

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Human Resources Gets Its ISO Approval

ISO approval

The first-ever ISO standard for human capital reporting was passed in November 2018. Officially titled the “Human Resource Management — Guidelines for Internal and External Human Capital Reporting,” it was scheduled for publication Dec. 18. ISO approval

Some background: ISO is the International Organization for Standardization. It is a worldwide federation of national standards bodies — the ISO member bodies.

The member body for the United States in the ISO is ANSI — the American National Standards Institute. The work of preparing international standards is normally carried out through ISO Technical Committees. In this case, the work was done by Technical Committee 260.

In 2011-12, there was an ANSI effort to create a human capital reporting standard for the United States. Those of us involved in the early ANSI work were disappointed when it failed to progress; we had hoped that an ANSI standard would eventually lead to an ISO standard. Although the ANSI effort was ultimately tabled, a subsequent ISO group formed to tackle the issue, resulting in the standard that was finalized Nov. 22.

Having an ISO standard is a much bigger deal than merely having an ANSI standard. Here’s what Jac Fitz-enz, who is often referred to as the Grandfather of HR Analytics, has to say about standardization: “An ethical code, a body of research, specialized education and performance standards are the basis of a profession. The adoption of ISO standards supports human resources’ claim to be a profession. It’s been a long, difficult journey from the founding of the American Society for Personnel Administration by 28 far-sighted people in 1948, but now the goal is within reach.”

Why Standardization?

We’re willing to guess that HR professionals are asking some variant of one or more of the following:

• I work in a small firm, nonprofit organization or government agency; how can this possibly be relevant to me?

• Can I just ignore this?

• Is this standard a threat to me (and/or my employer)?

• Is there some way that I (and/or my employer) can benefit from this new development?

In order to answer these concerns, let’s first discuss some additional background that helps put this standard into context.

Why Has This Standard Emerged?

The fundamental source of value creation in advanced economies such as the United States has shifted from tangible assets to intangible assets. Tangible assets have a physical form — machinery, buildings, land and inventors — whereas intangible assets are nonphysical, such as patents, goodwill and brand recognition.

Financial services firm Ocean Tomo reported that in 1975, 83 percent of the market value of S&P 500 firms was accounted for as tangible assets, with the remaining 17 percent of assets attributable to intangible assets.

Also read: Human Capital Disclosure May Soon Be Mandated By the SEC

A mere 40 years later, this ratio had flipped: In 2015, only 16 percent of the market value of S&P 500 firms was accounted for as tangible assets and the remaining 84 percent was attributable to intangible assets.

Since human capital is the fundamental source of most intangible assets, there is a much greater need today for measuring, monitoring, tracking and understanding how well people are being managed and developed. A broad array of stakeholders — executives, investors and employees themselves — want to know more about the people side of the businesses with which they are involved.

In light of this, “Workforce reporting is rethinking how organizational value should be understood and evaluated,” said Stefanie Becker, HR project director, HR strategy and planning for SAP SE. Becker also convened the working group initiated by the German Mirror Committee in the ISO Technical Committee 260 and oversaw the drafting of the human capital standard.

ISO certification
Stefanie Becker

“The new ISO standard about workforce reporting assists organizations to move toward a more data-driven decision-making process across all facets of workforce management,” Becker said. “By using it for the public reporting, organizations can also fulfill the requirements of investors and other stakeholders by offering more transparency on their most valuable resource, human capital.”

And, indeed, investors are beginning to demand more insights on the people side of business. For example, the Human Capital Management Coalition, which is led by the UAW Retiree Medical Benefits Trust and includes 26 influential institutional investors representing more than $2.8 trillion in assets, “engages companies with the aim of understanding and improving how human capital management contributes to the creation of long-term shareholder value,” according to the coalition’s mission statement. 

ISO certification
Cambria Allen

Cambria Allen, corporate governance director for the UAW Retiree Medical Benefits Trust, said, “The Human Capital Management Coalition filed its rule making petition with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in 2017. We presented the investor case for more effective disclosure of human capital information from our portfolio companies and urged a multi-stakeholder effort to develop reporting standards that would provide shareholders critical access to relevant and reliable quantitative and qualitative data.

“This data will allow us to better understand and assess how well portfolio companies are managing their talent,” Allen said. “The work of the ISO represents an important contribution to this dialogue.”

In short, if there was doubt previously about demands in the investor community for reporting on the people side of the business, it is now clear investors view such information as central to their work.  The time has more than come for a standard for reporting on the people side of the business.

Overview of the Standard

Before getting into the details of the standard, a high-level view reveals some key facts that inform answers to the previous list of questions. First and foremost, the standard is about guidelines. There is nothing mandatory or compulsory about it, so there’s no need for anyone to get up in arms about it.

Second, the standard provides guidelines for both internal and external reporting and for large and small businesses, so there is something here for everyone. Some components are more appropriate for internal reporting or more relevant only to larger businesses.

Third, it represents the culmination of a tremendous amount of effort by a large and well-informed group of HR leaders from a wide range of backgrounds. There is a lot of wisdom, free advice and counsel built into it.

And fourth, the standard is very broad. So there may be parts of it that seem irrelevant for your organization. Our advice is not to be tempted to throw out the baby with the bathwater. Use what you can and what will be most valuable for your organization.

The standard provides guidelines on the following core human capital reporting areas:

• Compliance and ethics.

• Costs.

• Diversity.

• Leadership.

• Organizational culture.

• Organizational health, safety and well-being.

• Productivity.

• Recruitment, mobility and turnover.

• Skills and capabilities.

• Succession planning.

• Workforce availability.

Lee Webster, who served as the secretariat of the ISO Technical Committee 260 that created the standard, said, “This document is a first step. It will evolve, and additional definitions and formula will be added in future versions. We’re only at the 50-yard line. There’s still lots more work to do.”

What the Standard Suggests for Internal and External Reporting

The standard is a 44-page document that contains lots of narratives, definitions and background discussion. Most useful for beginning to understand what it’s all about is Table 2 of the standard, which provides a summary of the recommendations for both internal and external reporting for both small and large organizations. The table on this page summarizes the standards’ recommendations for external reporting.

What This Means to Your Organization

The demands for better management, accountability and transparency with regard to human capital will only continue to grow in the coming years. This is the inevitable result of the increasing role that human capital plays in the creation of economic value. Within that context, the standardization of human capital measurement and reporting is a natural development.

This is good news, we believe, for those HR professionals and employers who have a good story to tell. But there is no getting around that this is not a happy development for some: those who would prefer to be able to keep stakeholders in the dark regarding their “people track record.”  So this is not a universally positive development for everyone. But it is certainly one that will benefit the “good guys.”

Our advice is to give the new ISO Standard careful consideration. There may be components of it that are not relevant to your organization (at least currently). But it is also the breadth of the standard that ensures there is something for every type of organization, including yours.

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SHRM 2017 Conference Kicks Off in New Orleans

The world’s largest HR association kicked off its annual membership conference and exposition in New Orleans on Sun, June 18 with a focus on innovation.

“A new era in business, a new era in HR requires us to be all in,” said SHRM Board Chair Coretha Rushing from the main stage, highlighting the conference’s designated theme, “All In,” intended to show the role of HR plays in engagement, innovation and inclusion.

Rushing stepped onstage following New Orleans jazz musician Irvin Mayfield Jr. who opened the conference with a ringing trumpet solo, followed by his recommendations for navigating the Crescent City like a local. Remember to smile, avoid counting calories while in the city and above all, relax and have a drink, he said.

The 2017 conference, SHRM’s annual gathering for its 290,000 members, brought an estimated 15,000 attendees at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans for the three-day conference and exposition.

The conference also marked the final opportunity for outgoing SHRM President and CEO Hank Jackson to address the membership in person before retiring at the end of the year to make way for incoming CEO Johnny C. Taylor. Jackson took the stage and laid out the challenges facing HR.

SHRM President and CEO Hank Jackson greets members at the society’s 2017 annual conference. Photo courtesy of SHRM.

“The biggest challenge is the tremendous pace of change barreling at us,” he said. “Real winners don’t scramble to adapt to change, they get ahead of it and shape it. They lead it.”

“HR must be the force that shapes the new world of work,” Jackson told the assembled audience, launching into the case for his legacy as SHRM’s leader. That 7-year tenure included continued membership growth, the creation of the SHRM Competency Model and the controversial decision in May 2014 to sever ties with the HR Certification Institute, SHRM’s longstanding certification partner, in order to establish SHRM’s own certification, the SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP.

That decision sparked unrest among some members, many of whom held PHR and SPHR accreditations from HRCI and professed confusion about the difference between the two. In the three years since, SHRM has certified 101,000 applicants and aims to increase that number to 300,000, said Alex Alonso, SHRM senior vice president of knowledge development and the architect of the competency model, in a subsequent press conference.

At that same press conference, Jackson said he envisions the SHRM Competency Model and the accompanying SHRM certifications “as a vehicle for a new level for HR expertise and leadership.”

In comments during the press conference as well as his welcome address, Jackson pointed to his experience as a business leader, a sore spot among some former board members who believe the SHRM leader should have an HR background, as a primary driver for his decisions as SHRM’s leader.

The work of HR is more than administration and regulation, Jackson said, and the competency model and SHRM certification are aimed at moving HR certification beyond what Jackson called a “knowledge test” to a competency-based certification.

Incoming SHRM President Johnny C. Taylor attended the 2017 SHRM conference. Photo courtesy of SHRM.

“You’ll always need those basics [but] I’m a CPA – when I came to SHRM I knew that much of my success was because of the people around me,” Jackson continued. “Why wasn’t there a higher standard of certification? It took several years to convince the board to do it.”

During his tenure, Jackson also said SHRM has raised its profile among lawmakers and policymakers in Washington on a number of issues related to employers and the workplace, highlighting the association’s ongoing work on workplace flexibility and immigration.

Jackson said the focus of his time at the helm has been to lead HR beyond a partnership model to focus on playing a more active role in the workplace.

“It was all about leading change,” he told the audience. “I am proud of where the HR profession is today. We have laid the groundwork for the future. We have changed the conversation about what HR leadership looks like.”

 

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HR for HR at Amex

American Express sees HR as such an important part of driving business performance that the company has assigned an executive specifically to the task of developing future HR leaders.HR for HR

” ‘HR for HR’ is one of our five ‘big bets’ for the HR function this year,” explains Patricia McCulloch, vice president for HR capacity and development. “It’s really elevated the importance of the subject. I’ve got a standing spot in every one of our town hall meetings for the HR group and in our HR leadership team meetings to talk about it.”

The company’s plan for developing HR leadership centers on a competency model with five components: applying knowledge of the American Express business; driving creativity and change; demonstrating value as HR professionals to internal partners and employees; leveraging HR expertise; and transforming ideas into tangible, measurable outcomes. American Express lists behaviors at different career stages that meet parts of the competency model, and uses these to plot an HR leadership candidate’s current proficiency level.

American Express recruits leadership candidates with business or HR degrees from a small number of core graduate schools and puts them through a program of three eight-month rotations—a position as an HR generalist partnered with a business unit, a stint in an HR functional area and a job outside of the HR field. “This way, they’ve started their career with a mind-set that it is OK to move around and experience various parts of HR,” McCulloch says.

At the end of the two-year program, they’re placed in an HR job somewhere in the company.

American Express also provides future leaders with Project Endeavor, a training program designed to build their financial and business acumen, with American Express itself as the case study. The company is developing additional programs to augment Project Endeavor and sustain the learning experience.

“There’s the piece around what people do in the two and a half days in the class,” McCulloch says. “But another part is what they do six months later to keep that knowledge alive.”

Workforce Management, June 25, 2007, p. 36 — Subscribe Now!