Wednesday, September 30

Leadership Workshop for Chapter and State Council Board Members

8:00 am - 12:00 pm

There is no fee to attend, but pre-registration is required. Are you currently serving as a volunteer leader on a SHRM Chapter or State Council board in Alaska, Oregon or Washington? If so, we have a pre-conference development opportunity just for you. Each year NHRMA provides a pre-conference leadership session to help you learn more about the role of your State Council, NHRMA and SHRM and how we all work collectively to support you. In addition, you will have a chance to share best practices with other chapter board members on a variety of roles and topics. You will also receive tools and information to develop and build on your leadership skills. All chapter volunteer leaders are welcome, so grab someone from your board and plan to attend...you will not be disappointed. This is also a great networking opportunity.

HR Professionals in Transitions series

8:00 am - 8:50 am
Low-cost or No-cost Recertification Options

8:00 am - 8:50 am
Resume Essentials

9:00 am - 9:50 am
Value of Certification in a Poor Economy

9:00 am - 11:50 am
Ten Truths of a Job Search

10:00 am - 10:50 am
It's Who you Know - Maximizing Your Network

11:00 am - 11:50 am
Tipping the Career Ladder: Is Up the Only Way?

12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Lunch on own

1:15 pm - 3:15 pm
Panel and Q&A - Mindy Hartner, Larry Hellie, Kit Jeffrey, Becky Meier, Christina York

Pre-Conference Intensive Workshops

8:30 am - 11:30 am

Seven Keys for Highly Effective Human Resource Negotiators - Approved for 3 PHR credits
Jeanette Nyden, J.D., Negotiation Coach, J. Nyden & Co., Inc
How many times a day do you negotiate in your job? Do you negotiate with employees, managers, consultants or co-workers? Are you called to help someone deal with a “difficult” co-worker or employee? Add to that list the pressure to make fast, effective decisions every day - decisions that affect the financial success of the entire company on issues ranging from salary for new hires to inter-departmental disputes, to coordinating compensation packages for existing employees, etc... This session, designed specifically for the HR professional, highlights 7 skills that make all HR negotiators highly effective, whether they're hiring a vendor or mediating between two unhappy co-workers.

Lawsuits and Liability in Multigenerational Workplaces - Approved for 3 PHR credits
Elizabeth Schleuning, J.D., Shareholder, Chair of Employment and Labor Law Group, Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt PC
Katherine Tank, Schwabe Williamson & Wyatt PC
Amanda Gamblin, Schwabe Williamson & Wyatt PC
With four generations working together, management is increasingly challenged to communicate expectations or employment decisions. Is there a risk in telling your GenY employee that 'business casual' does not mean the exhibition of body art? Should a Baby-boomer manager be offended when a GenX employee declines to 'socialize' after work? Can a company effectively and properly discipline, terminate or layoff workers in different generations without being liable? This presentation will address these issues by discussing practical and legal means to mitigate a company's risk in managing employment decisions impacting these generations.

HR Makeover Madness - Approved for 3 SPHR credits
Jennifer Bouman-Steagall, J.D., Attorney, Bullard Smith Jernstedt Wilson
Busy HR professionals rarely have time to examine and evaluate their roles and reputations within their organizations, much less to determine whether their department is meeting company expectations or complying with applicable employment laws. Through this interactive and highly entertaining workshop participants will learn:

How to expand a successful HR department;
How to safeguard the organization against future threats of legal liability and
How to improve your reputation within the organization.

It is time to take a hard look at what HR really means to your organization and give your department the Makeover it has been waiting for!

Generational Difference in Hiring, Managing and Retaining Boomer, Gen X and Gen Why Employees - Approved for 3 PHR credits
Larry Hellie, SPHR, CCP, CBP, GRP, MBA
Every day Human Resource professionals encounter generational issues in the workplace ranging from the mundane and trivial to the explosive and catastrophic. This workshop will discuss generational differences in perceptions, desires, motivators, communication style and performance management and the wide ranging generational responses to such issues as salaries, benefits, paid-time-off, rewards and discipline. The future may require that HR leads the charge to eliminate the "one-size-fits-all" approach to compensation, benefits, promotions and performance management and begin to develop generation and employee specific approaches for strategic improvement of your organization.

8:30 am - 10:30 am
Planning for Flu Season - Approved for 2 PHR credits
Amy Angel, Attorney, Barran Liebman LLP
It is only September, but already the Center for Disease Control and other government agencies are working hard to prepare for flu season. Because viruses like the H1N1 spread by person-to-person contact, most workplaces can expect their share of sick employees this year. There are plenty of issues to plan around, not including just getting the work done. Employers need to know whether they can force employees to stay home, or use their PTO. Can employers find out whether "I'm sick and not coming in today" really means "I have the flu." What about FLMA, ADA, OSHA, confidentiality and discrimination implications? This workshop will look at preparing strategic business plans and reviewing current employer policies in preparation of the H1N1 virus affecting the workplace. NHRMA has arranged with Barran Liebman LLP from our host city of Portland, Or. to add a pre-conference workshop to discuss the legal and practical issues that surround this public health concern.

Pre-Conference Intensive Workshops

12:30 pm - 3:30 pm

Practical & Effective Pay Systems for Navigating Tough Times - Approved for 3 PHR credits
Sharon Koss, SPHR, CCP,SPHR, President, Koss Management Consulting
This session provides a rare opportunity on a regional level to hear in person, Sharon K. Koss, SPHR, CCP, SHRM's National Expert on Compensation. Not only has Sharon written a best- selling book recently published by SHRM, but this is also a class that sells out every year at the SHRM National Conference. Topics covered include:

Overall trends in Base Compensation, Incentive Pay and Benefits. What has changed since the economic crisis? How do you juggle and meet the needs of five generations while under a tight budget?
Suggested solutions to the difficult questions such as do we cancel annual raises, do we perform wage cuts, what benefits (if any) can we cut back? What can we do about incentive plans and stock options that no longer make sense?
How do we make sure we stay competitive and retain our key employees?
Can we still do “Pay for Performance” in a tight economy?
What market survey sources are most reliable?
What about turnover, retention and recruiting?
Where do we need to be concerned?

Go back to your office armed with the information to immediately put this information to work! This session is filled with real live case studies, fun quizzes and lively dialogue - so time will just fly by!

Understanding & Managing the Multi-Gen 21st Century Workforce - Approved for 3 PHR credits
Renee Larsen, PHR
Each generation has a unique view of the world shaped by common experiences as they grew up. Many baby boomers will remember the phrase 'generation gap' which was used to describe why their parents, didn't understand them. With the first wave of Gen X's turning 40 in 2004, Gen Y marching steadily into the workplace, and many matures choosing not to retire, we now have four generations in the workplace with four different wants, needs, motivators, and common experiences. Learning these differences will help you understand each generation and how a multigenerational workforce is changing the workplace and management techniques.

Native American Employees and Employers - What Laws Apply? - Approved for 3 PHR credits
Susan K. Stahlfeld, J.D., Partner, Miller Nash LLP
The purpose of this presentation is to make human resource professionals aware of which laws they need to consider when hiring, managing or terminating Native American employees, or representing a Tribal employer. Employment of Native Americans can have many implications for non-Tribal employers, such as compliance with discrimination laws and accommodation of religious practices. There are additional implications for non-Tribal employers operating near or on Tribal lands, such as hiring preference issues. Finally, Tribes need to know which employment laws apply to them as employers, whether on or off Tribal lands.

Sustaining Workforce Viability in Difficult Times - Approved for 3 PHR credits
Robert J. Greene, SPHR, GPHR, Ph.D., CEO, Reward Systems, Inc
This session provides attendees with an opportunity to hear a global expert address HR issues that are a concern to organizations in today's climate. Dr. Greene took the first SHRM seminars to China and teaches for DePaul University throughout the world in their graduate programs. He has published over 90 articles and book chapters and has spoken at over 50 SHRM national conferences and local/regional HR conferences. He was awarded the first Keystone Award by the American Compensation Association (now World at Work) for achieving the highest level of excellence in the field and was instrumental in developing the PHR, SPHR, GPRH, CCP and GRP certification programs.

The economic crisis of 2008-09 found many organizations without viable strategies for sustaining workforce viability and increasing employee effectiveness. Apparently, few lessons were learned in the 2000-02 dot com crash, since early 2009 brought massive waves of downsizing. Research on downsizing has shown that it is usually the result of poor workforce planning and that it fails to produce the results expected in more than 70% of the cases. Organizations should urgently initiate several initiatives aimed at increasing the effectiveness of their human capital:

Organizational effectiveness assessments: is there work being done that is not critical? Can it be done better by changing the approach and/or who performs it? Can the work be better done by contractors?
Workforce planning: what are the core capabilities of the organization and what skills will be needed in the future? How competent is the current workforce? What can the organization do to reduce unwanted turnover, while moving people from where they are ineffective or moving them out of the organization?
Defining performance at the organizational, unit and individual levels.
Setting performance standards that are realistic given the environment.
Developing a rewards strategy that motivates the desired performance and that is equitable, and affordable: evaluating the mix between base pay, variable pay and benefits; challenging the effectiveness of current programs; developing tools for aligning rewards with contribution and the organization's ability to pay.
Initiating communication programs that will inform employees of current realities, help them understand what they do can impact results.

Washington State Council Meeting

12:00 pm - 2:00 pm
The Washington State Council Meeting will take place in the Roosevelt room at the Doubletree - Lloyd Center. A box lunch will be provided.

Exhibitor Briefing

3:00 pm - 3:30 pm
This special event is for tradeshow exhibitors only. Please plan to attend this short meeting as a welcome and orientation to this year's Tradeshow. The briefing will cover pertinent information in order to maximize the impact and value for the exhibitors and attendees.

Welcome Reception in Tradeshow

5:00 pm - 5:45 pm
The 2009 NHRMA Tradeshow provides abundant opportunities to network while exploring the extensive array of HR resources and solutions. This year, exhibitors will reach out to help all attendees with their monetary issues in this struggling economy. As you explore the NHRMA Tradeshow, each booth you visit puts money in your piggy bank. You can earn and learn simultaneously!

Deposit money into your piggy bank during Wednesday's reception, Thursday's breakfast and Thursday's lunch. Visit each booth to fill your piggy bank, provided in your welcome packet, and deposit into the designated 'vaults' by the end of the Thursday lunch to be eligible to win a prize. Maybe money really does grow on trees!