As a certified organizational development specialist, David Ziebler works to enhance the onboarding and assimilation of team members at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine. Ziebler has been credited with kick-starting and implementing an organizational development curriculum available to staff and faculty across the entire university.
David Ziebler, HR associate, organizational development specialist, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Springfield, Illinois
After four years at the university, Ziebler, 35, has worked on an innovative 10-month leadership development program for health care administrators within the organization, a new employee orientation program and other advanced initiatives that work toward organizational development and culture.
As a result of Ziebler’s drive and desire to exceed expectations, his efforts to expand organizational culture and development have incorporated leadership. He has attained several accreditations, including designated master trainer, consulting and coaching certifications, and certified emotional intelligence assessor.
SIU’s School of Medicine has garnered new coaching for managers and leaders, as well as matrixed committees for facilitating development of the organizationwide employee onboarding system.
As one of Ziebler’s colleagues put it, the strides that their office has made in the organizational development arena would not have occurred if it weren’t for his approach and passion for continuous improvement.
Katie Traviglia, director of human resources at New American Funding in Tustin, California
There’s a reason why some leaders earn accolades and some don’t. Very often those leaders, those award-winning organizational members, stand out in some way. It could be that leader has a trait that brings about something special by way of results in their department, their company or even in their industry.
It could be the leader heads up an employee referral bonus program that contributes to a 70 percent retention rate for new hires. Or, perhaps that leader — we’re talking about Katie Traviglia, director of human resources for New American Funding — designed a high impact managerial survey.
Data from that survey shapes leadership development programs that promote team building and advanced-level skills in mortgages, compliance and regulatory matters.
Or, it could be something else. Those kinds of leaders, special leaders like Traviglia, 34, often earn their particular spotlight because they are generous in sharing that spotlight with others.
“It’s not any one person who’s a game changer,” she said. “The whole company is game changing. We’re a group of amazing individuals who all work together … in an innovative organization led by amazing leaders. I’m the lucky person who gets to lead the human resources department.”
Agnes Cholewa, Associate Director of strategic capital at District of Columbia Department of Human Resources
Agnes Cholewa’s love of data began at an early age. “Math was my comfort as a child because English is my third language,” said Cholewa. As associate director of strategic capital at D.C. Department of Human Resources, Cholewa, 34, helps others see the significance of using data to measure results. Cholewa has been creating strategic process improvement by utilizing 21st century practices since 2012.
“Agnes is an exemplary, compassionate, dedicated and devoted leader,” said Ventris Gibson, director at DCHR, in the Game Changers application reference letter. “Her consistent high performance and extraordinary achievements resulted in the development and delivery of citywide innovative HR programs.”
While data trends are always changing, Cholewa has improved Washington’s government with new technologies. Her partnership with the district’s chief technology officer led to the creation of dashboards. Users can view data directly on their mobile devices.
Without her innovative practices and project management skillset, HR couldn’t provide the significant data that drives decision-making to the mayor and other senior leaders. “She is becoming a proven leader in D.C. government business intelligence,” said Gwen Thomas, consultant at Gwen Thomas PR, in her nomination letter.
Cholewa creates an innovative approach to managing the crucial touch points surrounding Washington’s human resources. It allows them to recruit “the best and the brightest” talent to local government. This citywide automated exit interview process impacts 80 different district agencies. Her predictive models throughout DCHR provide internal data. This transforms people’s approach to improving leadership and employee competencies.
Cholewa leads four different subordinate organizational units in HR: performance management; records management; customer care and credentialing; and human capital planning. She finds time outside her heavy workload to mentor and coach members of her team.
“Her transformational style of leadership touches the heads, hands and hearts of her team,” said Gibson. This led Gibson to appoint her as the executive change agent over the district’s realignment of the decentralized HR organizations.
“It’s difficult to be in HR without caring for people,” said Cholewa.
Cholewa emphasizes quality and commitment to sustain a welcoming workplace culture. “I speak with my employees daily. I make sure that they are doing well professionally and personally because it is almost impossible to separate the two,” said Cholewa. Little things, like candy in her office, help create a welcoming environment
Those who work with Cholewa attest to her strong ability to influence others, rally a team and meet outcomes. Gibson said she can rely on Cholewa for her “forward thinking, analytical and customer-centric mindset.”
SHRM attendees are bracing for Tropical Storm Cindy.
Walking through New Orleans’ Ernest N. Morial Convention Center as SHRM’s annual conference stretched into Day Two on Tuesday morning, I spent my time navigating through a sea of HR folks whose heads were down.
Searching for that one piece of swag to fill a third bag slung over their shoulder? Nope. They were anxiously checking the weather, which went from a passing comment on Sunday to full-fledged topic of conversation as Tropical Storm Cindy developed in the Gulf and approached the Crescent City. I mean, when the hotel’s housekeeping staff is telling you about it, time to get concerned.
Depending on the source we’re about to get anywhere from 6 to 12 inches of rain Tuesday and Wednesday — the days most folks are planning to head home.
Guess I better alert my dog-sitter.
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In Other News: Believe it or not there is news here besides the pending Gulf storm blowin’ into town tonight (hat tip, Mary Chapin-Carpenter).
News of CareerBuilder’s acquisition came down Monday during the first full day of the conference. Parent company Tegna sold the venerable job board to private equity firm Apollo Global Management and the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board for a reported $250 million.
“We are excited about the new ownership structure,” said CareerBuilder CEO Matt Ferguson in a statement issued to the media. “Apollo and Ontario Teachers are powerhouses that invest in many of the largest B2B and consumer brands in the world. They can help us take our business to the next level. CareerBuilder has transformed into an end-to-end human capital solutions company. We have built a fully integrated platform for finding, hiring and managing employees. With Apollo and Ontario Teachers’, there is a great opportunity to accelerate our growth and innovation.”
The news didn’t generate a buzz around the conference but that evening there was some chatter about it during the Nexxt happy hour session. The talk wasn’t so much about who was acquiring it but in which direction CareerBuilder will go.
“We all know what happens when private equity buys you,” said one person at the event.
Beyond Beyond.com: I spent a good half hour searching for Beyond.com Inc.’s booth Monday afternoon after hearing about some news they were releasing. Because I hate to ask for directions I thought I’d hunt around. No luck. I finally consulted a booth guide and headed for space 738. Not there, I must have misread the guide. Find another guidebook. Yep, 738. I circled again; still not there. Now I’m getting frustrated. I’m checking out the booth at 738 and notice a portion of the Beyond logo in one corner. The news? Besides me spending 30 minutes looking for a booth, Beyond.com rebranded to Nexxt.
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I Love a Parade: Speaking of Nexxt, congrats are in order to CEO Rich Milgram and his people for the clever rebrand from Beyond.com to Nexxt. Being in New Orleans, the recruitment media company on Sunday brought a dirge complete with a brass band playing somber songs into the convention center for Beyond.com’s funeral.
Which, naturally, I missed since I was covering the SHRM press conference. But the festivities — if you can call a dirge festive — are available on Nexxt’s Facebook page.
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CareerBuilder was giving out some sweet customized kicks at #SHRM17.
Get Your Kicks: Swag remains a huge draw at SHRM. From Apple TV giveaways to squeezy balls to photos with world-famous zookeepers, it’s all about the tchotchkes.
Give CareerBuilder the swag-of-the-conference honors. Those lucky enough to spin the giant wheel at CareerBuilder’s booth and land on big winner got a pair of customized Bucket Feet shoes.
In years past the company’s booth workers wore colorful Converse Chuck Taylors. This year they apparently decided to … wait for it … put the shoe on the other foot.
Rick Bell is Workforce’s editorial director. Comment below or email editors@workforce.com.
SHRM’s Society for Human Resource Management’s CEO and President Hank Jackson is winding down at his last SHRM conference.
I wasn’t necessarily expecting a first-line parade to recognize Hank Jackson as he winds down his decade-long tenure as the Society for Human Resource Management’s CEO and president. But we are in New Orleans for SHRM’s annual expo and conference after all, and a hint of excess and pomp would have been absolutely acceptable.
But then considering Jackson has been rather reclusive — at least to the media — and the fact he’s a finance guy, personal indulgences likely aren’t his modus operandi.
But on the conference’s opening afternoon Jackson talked to HR practitioners from around the globe in a two-thirds full hall before Kat Cole delivered her warm, engaging opening keynote address.
His 15-minute talk touched briefly on his tenure as SHRM’s boss, but focused heavily on what awaits his successor, Johnny C. Taylor, who was in attendance. (We were told he was only there for the afternoon and would not address the crowd or the media during the annual State of SHRM.)
“We have changed the conversation on what HR leadership looks like,” Jackson said. “Our focus shifted from process to problem solving.”
HR is ready to lead during this decade of human capital, Jackson said. “Business now understands human resource management as driver of success.
“Throughout my career, I’ve been aware of having right people in the right place at the right time, and I knew HR was responsible for that. And I think most CEOs understand that now.”
Toward the end of his talk, Jackson took a moment to reflect on his tenure.
“I made a commitment to you,” he said. “I’m pleased to be part of transformation from partner to leader. Let’s make sure to lead rather than adapt, lead and shape our organizations.”
Later at the afternoon press briefing, a relaxed Jackson made just his second appearance before the assembled media at SHRM. He joked with SHRM colleague Wayne Cascio and reflected on the controversial and surprising decision to initiate SHRM’s certification.
Jackson also recalled his initial forays into political circles.
“When I first took the job, I went to the Labor Department representing SHRM, and they said, ‘Who?’ Now they know who we are.”
And for the first time Jackson took questions.
I asked him about SHRM’s decision to pull their advertising off Fox News in the wake of the Bill O’Reilly scandal.
“It wasn’t much of a decision,” he responded. “There are certain values we adhere to, and we have to live up to those values. It was an easy call. It didn’t even get to me.”
Jackson was visibly frustrated by the political gridlock in Washington, noting that the pressure will fall on states to take action on workplace issues if Washington doesn’t become more productive, which would “be bad for business.” Reading between the lines, Jackson does not appear to be a fan of the current administration.
Finally, he was also asked to reflect on his tenure.
“I believe we changed the conversation of what HR is. We’ve become leaders in business. I’m asked to speak around the world. There is respect for what the U.S. does. Whether or not you want to be a leader, we are.”
And with that Jackson was off to preside over his final SHRM conference. No first-line procession, no pomp, not fanfare.
Maybe the second line will follow Jackson out the door when the conference closes Wednesday.
Then again, probably not.
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Odds and Ends: In 2009, the last time SHRM was in New Orleans, the Crescent City was still reeling from the effects of Hurricane Katrina four years before. That year SHRM participated in a volunteer day to help rebuild the city. As I recall there were 50 or so SHRM members who participated the day before the conference kicked off. It remains one of my greatest memories from SHRM.
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Kat Cole, the CEO of Cinnabon, was the opening general sessions speaker for the conference.
Surprise Hit: Kat Cole is the best opening keynote speaker SHRM has had in the years I’ve attended. While others gave boilerplate, and frankly, boring talks, Cole was engaging, warm and tremendously personal.
She talked honestly of growing up with an alcoholic father, and after her mother left him they survived on a grocery budget of $10 a week.
Her mantra as CEO of Cinnabon was, “If you want to win the war on talent look in unexpected places.” As a college dropout, former employee of Hooters and child of a broken household she honestly said that she would have never gotten through the screening process of most HR departments sitting in the SHRM hall.
“But one company looked past that and I became their president at 31 years old,” she said.
And, she added after a round of applause, the clapping “should be for the progressive HR team that looked for someone different.”
Finally, some advice from her mother (ironically, on Father’s Day): “Don’t forget where you came from but don’t you dare let it solely define you.”
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Do This: Trumpeter Irvin Mayfield kicked off the conference with his list of do’s and don’ts in New Orleans (I never knew there were don’ts in this city, but OK …). My favorite: “Do fight the urge to count calories.”
I heeded his advice several hours later. To great extent and enjoyment.
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Heard in the Hall:
Woman One: “Are you going to the concert tomorrow?”
Woman Two: “Absolutely. Harry Connick is so cute.”
And I thought it was about the music. Silly me.
Rick Bell is editorial director for Workforce. Comment below or email editors@workforce.com.
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.”
Her argument (which she agrees runs counter to most employers’ conventional wisdom that says, “I must fight each unemployment claim an employee files because successful unemployment claims cost money, and I do not like spending money”):
When you fire an employee, for whatever reason, they are likely to be angry. Most likely they think you were unfair. While you followed procedures and made decisions by the book, all it takes is this employee convincing an attorney that he was treated differently than other employees who were a different race, gender, religion, or other protected class, and you’re on the hook for thousands of dollars—not because you’re guilty of illegal discrimination. But, even responding to the attorney will cost you money, and it could cost you your reputation if the employee can garner public support. Cutting someone off from employment and unemployment makes people angry—and angry people will be far more likely to retaliate in court.
Let me give you a real-life example to support Suzanne’s astute argument that employers who fight unemployment claims create unhappy and angry ex-employees, which helps breed the right environment for lawsuits.
At the conclusion of a day-long plaintiff’s deposition in an FMLA and disability discrimination lawsuit, it was clear to me that my client had not only not violated any laws, but bent over backwards to do everything possible to accommodate the plaintiff. The company had treated this employee so well, I asked a question that I had never asked in another deposition — why are you suing?
It seems to me that they treated you fairly. They gave you an initial medical leave of more than 12 weeks, they provided you every accommodation you requested for your medical conditions, they provided you a second medical leave of more than 12 weeks, and you received several raises during your employment. Why are you suing this company?
The answer she gave floored me — not because it was damaging to my case, but because something that seemed so trifling caused the lawsuit. Her answer: “They fought my unemployment.”
Employees sue when they feel disrespected or when they perceive unfair treatment. It is not simply enough for an employer to treat employees well during their tenure. Employers should also strive to treat employees well in conjunction with their terminations and even thereafter. Sure, there are exceptions. I would never suggest that a serial harasser deserves a pass, or that the employee who stole from you should receive unemployment. If you don’t want to be sued, though, don’t make a terminated employee feel like a common criminal by having security escort them to the door (unless you legitimately and reasonably perceive a safety risk). It’s okay not to give a glowing recommendation to a marginal ex-employee, but resist the urge to trash him or her to a prospective employer. And, don’t fight unemployment except in the most clear-cut cases of cause. These little things could go a long way to an ex-employee reaching the decision to let bygones be bygones and not to sue you.
So think before filing that challenge to your ex-employee’s unemployment claim. It may be the smartest decision you can make.
Jon Hyman is a partner at Meyers, Roman, Friedberg & Lewis in Cleveland. Comment below or email editors@workforce.com. Follow Hyman’s blog at Workforce.com/PracticalEmployer.
I’m on record as calling Philip Miscimarra “mad as hell,” referring to his scathing dissents in recent NLRB protected concerted activity cases. I also have it on good authority that while he and I agree that the NLRB has gone off the proverbial reservation in these cases, he is not, in fact, mad as hell.
Be that as it may, he has every reason today to be as happy as he can be.
Late last week, President Trump removed the “acting” from Miscimarra’s title as NLRB chair, officially naming him to fill that position on a permanent basis.
Congrats, Mr. Miscimarra. I cannot wait for your board to undo the damage done to employers by the Obama-era NLRB. For example:
Thank you, sir, for putting up the good fight in dissent these past four years. Now, let’s see what you can do as the Head NLRB Member in Charge (once President Trump fills the board’s two vacancies).
Jon Hyman is a partner at Meyers, Roman, Friedberg & Lewis in Cleveland. Comment below or email editors@workforce.com. Follow Hyman’s blog at Workforce.com/PracticalEmployer.
Human resources association WorldatWork named Scott Cawood as its new president and CEO.
Scott Cawood
“I’m eager to join an organization that is so well poised to influence the daily experience of thousands of employees worldwide,” Cawood said. “It’s an exceptional honor, and I look forward to making even greater strides with the amazing team at WorldatWork.”
Cawood will succeed Anne Ruddy, who has served as WorldatWork president and CEO for 17 years. Ruddy will step down from the leadership role in June 2017. “The WorldatWork Board of Directors is looking forward to welcoming Scott to our organization,” said Lead Director Sara R. McAuley. “His combination of deep business experience, energy, knowledge of best practices in talent management, and broad-based leadership capabilities make him exceptionally qualified.”
Cawood joins Scottsdale, Arizona-based WorldatWork from his most recent position as global leader, organizational effectiveness at W.L. Gore & Associates Inc. He led the organizational efforts to achieve the enterprise strategy, including maximizing associate engagement and aligning the culture with critical business priorities.
Cawood held positions as president of Synygy, a global compensation and sales software company. Prior to this, he was chief operations and people officer. He also has held senior leadership positions at Revlon and the Great Place to Work Institute.
Cawood holds an M.S. in education and Ed.D. in organization- and work-based learning from the University of Pennsylvania. He also is certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources from the HR Certification Institute.
Cawood will officially join the association full time May 15.
Mia Mancini is a Workforce intern. Comment below or email editors@workforce.com.
We hear a great deal about how the function of human resources has evolved over the years, but this might never have occurred without today’s HR executive, who has driven this change through their own business savvy and knowledge.
In the role of director, we saw the HR leader function primarily as a personnel management facilitator. But as organizations grew and globalized in exceptionally challenging business environments, so did the need for HR in a different capacity. HR was drawn further and deeper into organizational decision-making and planning, addressing a much-needed void.
The shift in role from director to executive evolved as a direct response and is due largely to HR’s unique combination of experience, exposure to the inner sanctum of upper-level executives and organizational issues, and unmatchable knowledge that has been valued and expanded upon in recent years. Human resource executives are often considered the right arm of an organization because they make things happen that no other single department can.
Today, human resource executives:
Build knowledge to ensure an organization’s growth, strong leadership, and sustainability in highly competitive environments.
Ensure longevity of an organization through thoughtful succession planning that protects key intellectual capital and key positions, as well as the larger organization.
Oversee smart and ongoing regulatory compliance.
Participate in planned mergers and acquisitions by determining knowledge valuation and human capital assets to justify proceeding, then work to effectively merge the different cultures.
It would be challenging to identify any other department or division executive who does all these things as part of their regular agenda. But this is the reality of the HR executive today.
Yesteryear’s HR Picture
Many of us reported to HR on our first day of work, perhaps in a trailer behind the building that housed the business functions and corporate offices — an afterthought location for the personnel-only functions. That was during a time when the broad and diverse talent potential of the HR executive — then an unknown commodity — was unnoticed and untapped. It is where the HR executive began, with a hand to the dynamic line of employees and an eye to the organization and its future, then evolved into a key force for the C-suite to fuel and turn loose. Not unlike the famous scientific illustration of evolution that began with the caveman and fluidly grew into the perfectly upright human, the HR executive of today has truly transformed.
Today’s Head-of-the-Line Picture
Today’s organizations need every manager and leader, particularly those in HR, to see the organization through a systems view that is connected to the global environment. However, they must also have an eye for detail, in order to optimize the talent and knowledge needed to achieve full organizational capacity in every part of the world where the company operates. This must all be achieved while maintaining full compliance within a profoundly diverse set of country-specific mandates. If the HR executive is not one of these fully evolved leaders, that organization loses in the race for savvy and smart employees and the operating edge in very aggressive markets.
Human resources is in the unique position of touching every single employee at every level, connecting with every major organizational initiative, and teaming with the legal team to protect both the employees and the organization.
Emotional Intelligence
The HR executive has become one of the strongest executive team members in guiding organizations through global waters, mergers and acquisitions, and even market expansions, because without their unique knowledge and experience, critical elements could be missed. This makes sense in a practice field whose origin was singularly people-focused. That personnel-focused beginning, while limiting, when blended with emotional intelligence and a global view, allows organizations to understand what inspires, drives and motivates people, providing a strong basis for HR’s leadership role in the multinational and multigenerational global workplace.
Emotional intelligence is what has differentiated the HR executive from others because it requires an almost inherent ability to relate well to those around you, to separate oneself from one’s ego and the omnipresent larger and strategic organizational view. Author Daniel Goleman reflected the heart of this in his book, “Working with Emotional Intelligence”: “The rules for work are changing. We’re being judged by a new yardstick: not just by how smart we are, or by our training and expertise, but also by how well we handle ourselves and each other.”
The Effective Executive
Utilizing emotional intelligence to understand how people tick and what inspires or motivates them, while at the same time keeping a long-term global view, turns out to be a perfect blend for executive leaders — attributes that are not easily found.
The evolution of the HR executive has created a highly desirable mix of knowledge, capability and wisdom, so essential in a world where leadership and leaders’ decisions are less confident and less predictable than ever in history. Human resource executives have grown into their new role with a substantial foundation of experience, while many other roles within companies are trying to catch on or up. This slow but steady evolution from a sole focus on personnel to a solid executive, C-suite team player, and a neutral advocate with an executive global view, is here to stay.
Wanda Gravett is a core faculty member for Walden University’s master’s in human resource management program. Before joining academia, Gravett was a corporate HR executive, serving as the organizational change leader with the Sisters of Charity Healthcare System, Houston corporate headquarters. She also served as CEO and board chair for the Seattle/L.A.-based Omicron Group, designing and improving the HR audit process.
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