2023 HR CONFERENCE

Title: The Science of Recovery: Helping Employees Thrive at Work and Home

Presenters: Dr. Allison Gabriel, Thomas J. Howatt Chair in Management & Professor of Management

Session Description:

More than three years since the advent of COVID-19 and the rapid shift to remote work, many organizations are still grappling with how to maximize the well-being of their employees. With work and home still blended together more than ever, how do we help ensure that employees are truly taking time to recover from stress? In this session, Dr. Allison Gabriel will walk through the ways in which employees can reclaim time in their workday to recover – a possibility often overlooked pre-pandemic. Rather than rushing to return to the old way of work that often harmed our recovery, Professor Gabriel will challenge us all to think about how we can “work well”—allowing employees to optimize their lives at work and home. To do so, she will share the science of recovery, and how four key recovery experiences may help unlock the potential for employees to be engaged and less burned out.

Title: Strategies for Thriving Amid Work-Life Challenges: A Multifaceted Approach to Coping with Stressors

Presenters:

Dr. Kelly Wilson, Professor of Management

Korie Nash, SVP-HR at Eaton Corporation

Session Description:

In the fast-paced world of today, effective stress management is key to employees’ success and well-being.  In this session, Dr. Kelly Wilson will present groundbreaking research that goes beyond the traditional single-strategy coping models.  While previous research often examined these coping strategies in isolation, she explored how individuals combine multiple strategies to craft unique coping profiles.  Join us for a compelling session on the evolving landscape of coping, and gain valuable insights into harnessing multiple strategies simultaneously to help your employees tackle the challenges of our ever-changing world. 

Title: Creating and Maintaining a Sense of Purpose in a Virtual Age

Presenters:

Dr. Jordan Nielsen, Assistant Professor of Management

Leah Tate, SVP-HR at Belden, Inc.

Session Description:

One of the most fundamental factors that drives people’s effort at work is a sense of meaning or purpose—the idea that their work is making a significant difference for other people. Although many of us do not fully realize it, we tend to rely on close contact with other people in order to maintain this sense of purpose, whether it be coworkers or clients/customers. However, recent changes in the how and where people work have decreased the frequency and depth of such contact for many workers. Dr. Jordan Nielsen will talk about the science of purpose in the workplace and what organizations and individual employees can do to keep this vital source of motivation alive and well.

Break and Pickup Lunches

Title:  AI in the Workplace: What to Know and How to Prepare

Presenter:

Dr. Alex Alonso, Chief Knowledge Officer at SHRM

Sarah Ponsler, Director-Talent & Organizational Effectiveness at Wabash

Session Description:

Future historians of science and technology may yet look back on 2023 as a watershed moment in the adoption and integration of artificial intelligence (AI) across society.  AI is increasingly transforming nearly all aspects of daily life, from healthcare and education to transportation, finance, and social services.  This session will explore the ways in which AI is disrupting and transforming the workplace through applications like automation, personalization, predictive analytics, and decision-making.  Discussion will also focus on the need to ensure that AI is integrated into the workplace in ethical and transparent ways.