Listen in as we discuss Salt Lake SHRM's "Ask a Lawyer" programming with Salt Lake SHRM Board Member and "Ask a Lawyer" Co-host Bob Coursey.

Bob has been an employment law attorney for over 25 years. (And he has very mixed feelings about how big that number is!) He spent his first 10 years of practice at Fisher Phillips, one of the most respected employment law firms in the country, where he defended companies in employment-related litigation. He then spent 11 years at Employers Council, where he focused his practice on keeping employers out of trouble. In 2021, Bob started his own company—Modern Age Employment Law—where he counsels, represents, and trains employers who are looking for a modern approach to their employment law and HR challenges.

• About the ten-step Coaching For RespectTM process Gregg developed and has used for many years with major corporations and government agencies
• About the neuroscience of respect and disrespect
• How respect plays a key role in productivity, partnership, and performance
• The key indicators of respectful and trusting work relationships
• How they can leverage the CfR process to make a powerful, positive difference in their own organizations

Devin Hughes is a captivating speaker, author, and culture expert. He helps leaders drive growth and engagement by aligning workplace culture with success. His experience working on employee engagement strategy, evolving corporate culture, talent management, and diversity and inclusion brings a unique perspective in helping his clients plan for positive growth and evolution. His approach draws from the science of positive psychology, positive organizational research, appreciative inquiry,
neuroscience, mindset, and mindfulness. Devin’s unconventional and innovative views on business and leadership have attracted international attention. 

From State Farm to Disney, from Lockheed Martin to Eli Lilly, from big business to entrepreneurs to government agencies, Devin has been invited to meet with an array of leaders and organizations in nearly every industry. 

Devin was named to PeopleHum’s power list of the top 200 thought leaders to follow in 2023. He received his BA from Colgate University and his MS from Southern New Hampshire University. He is the author of 21 books and lives in San Diego, California, with his wife, four daughters, and two rescue dogs.

Making Work Suck Less By Fixing Broken HR Systems

How confident are you in your current HR practices and leadership team to adapt to these tumultuous times? If the answer isn't a resounding yes, then your HR systems may be broken. What about your HR approach seems antiquated? If we believe employees don't quit jobs, they quit their bosses, what have you done to improve the quality of your leaders? How is HR helping to grow the next generation of leaders that have a strong EQ foundation to manage a growing Gen Z workforce? The next generation of workers do not see an emotionally intelligent manager as a bonus, but a requirement to stay

About Jeff Harry

Jeff Harry combines positive psychology and play to heal workplaces, help teams build psychological safety and assist individuals in addressing their biggest challenges through embracing a play-oriented approach to work. Jeff was selected by BambooHR & Engagedly as one of the Top 100 HR Influencers and has been featured in the NY Times, Mashable, Upworthy, Shondaland, & Wired. Jeff has worked with Google, Microsoft, Southwest Airlines, Adobe, the NFL, Amazon, and Facebook, helping their staff to infuse more play into the day-to-day. While we spend most of our time pretending to be important, serious grownups, it's when we let go of that facade and just play, that the real magic happens. Fully embracing your own nerdy genius — whatever that is — gives you the power to make a difference and change lives. 

About Samm Smeltzer

Samm has playfully been referred to as the “Unicorn”, this comes from her eternal optimism for the possibilities of what the workplace could be. For the last decade, Samm has passionately pursued a journey to discover the missing elements for employee engagement within organizations. This path has primarily led her to studies in Spirituality and Eastern Medicine, discovering how much of a role having a professional purpose and passion is essential to employees.

In this episode we learn about Russel Dubree's message on "Hire Right: The #1 Challenge That Solves 99 Others". No matter how great of a product, idea, or service a business creates, its future is only as bright as its ability to hire the right talent. Discover all the intricate nuances that go into building a successful hiring process. From how to find and attract good talent to understanding the critical steps of the interview process that will not only get the best talent in the door but also set them up for long term success. Hiring the right talent is the first, most important challenge to solve to grow a healthy business.

How many companies have experienced a dip in applicant flow in 2022-2023? 

What if a recession hits this year, how will your organization pivot?

The biggest mistake 80% of employers make is the use of a job description as their job ad. New job board rules are being enforced due to Search Engine Optimization practices (SEO), Artificial Intelligence technology, and an influx of scam artists during the pandemic, forcing many employers to make changes they are not familiar with.

In this session we will cover the analogy of the Hiring Tree and discuss specific branches of the hiring process that will provide immediate results to attracting top talent, regardless of a recession on the loom.

In The Hiring Tree, too many employers rely heavily on one core channel for hiring. The challenge with this is like a tree with one single branch, the tree branch will topple over as it begins to bear fruit due to the weight. It creates an awful experience for applicants. 20th-century recruiting methodologies are slowly being replaced by new technologies, which means employers need to stay on top of what is happening in the market more than ever before. 

A truly balanced tree has multiple branches, a solid trunk (application process) and firm roots to produce award-winning fruit, which means any hiring strategy must include multiple channels and have the right foundation. From the roots to the trunk, extending out the branches, this presentation will help attendees understand how to develop a sound “Hiring Tree” that will produce fruit (applicant flow) in ANY market, regardless of unemployment rates, recessions, layoffs, pandemics, ghosting, & quiet quitting, which all plague employers today.

About Katie Christensen

Katie Christensen is a Program Coordinator for the Remote Online Initiative Program. Katie has a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a Master of Fine Arts in Art Administration both from Southern Utah University. Her previous experience includes the Utah Shakespeare Festival, the Arizona Theater Company, the Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce and Southern Utah University as an adjunct professor. When she isn’t working, Katie enjoys binge watching shows, cooking with her husband, being the favorite Aunt to her 16 nieces and nephews and crafting. She lives in Utah County with her husband, Cameron and their two dogs, Sookie and Wrigley.

About Dave O’Farrell

Dave O’Farrell is a keynote speaker, outplacement consultant, and executive recruiter. He helps employers on both ends of the employment life cycle – when they’re hiring and when they’re firing.

On the front end, he provides executive recruiting services. His specialty is finding great local candidates for local employers.

On the back end, O’Farrell helps employers soften the blow when they let employees go by offering the best outplacement services on the planet. His services are a coveted employee severance benefit. He works with clients across the USA – including several in Salt Lake City in the past three years.

O’Farrell has spoken to many HR groups over the years including SHRM Atlanta. Dave volunteers as the leader of a job search ministry, serves as the VP of Marketing for ASCM Atlanta, and he’s the social media manager for another HR group in his community in south metro Atlanta.