I love getting questions from my #HRCommunity on what I’m involved with and how I can help SHRM chapters/state councils! I decided to summarize it here and hope it’s an awesome resource guide for you and helps answer some FAQs.
Can you speak at our local or state SHRM chapter event?
Absolutely! I am currently booking virtual and in person speaking engagements and would love to talk about your needs! My profile on Speaker Hub gives a sample of the topics I love to present. At the NYS SHRM conference in 2022 and 2023, I presented my Elevate and Uplift the Next Generation of HR Leaders Presentation, and it was a hit with great reviews! I love sharing career trips for students and emerging professionals. Plus, more experienced HR pros or those managing more junior HR staff are encouraged to attend to learn how to best support us! (: I also did virtual sessions at SHRM21 and SHRM22 for the student track on the topics of personal branding, networking and career development. Message me through my site here or on LinkedIn to talk about the speaking needs for your upcoming event/conference!
What is the SHRM EPAC? What do you do on it? How can I join?
In May of 2020, I was honored to be 1 of 15 HR professionals selected to serve on the EPAC (emerging professionals advisory council). The EPAC is a group of HR emerging professionals across the US (typically 2-3 people serving a region and there are 5 regions) available to support the SHRM chapters and states in their region with ideas on attracting, engaging and retaining student and emerging professional members. Terms are typically 2 years, though you can be asked to stay on longer. I ended up serving an extra term, and am rolling off of the EPAC in November 2023. It was super exciting to partner with SHRM staff on special projects to advance our profession! I supported SHRM Chapters in the North East Region, and loved helping local chapters and states with event planning and program development for their student and EP Members. Applications usually open each fall in October or November. Be sure to connect with me on LinkedIn/follow SHRM on LinkedIn for updates about applications opening! I should mention, I applied to the EPAC twice – 2018 and 2019 – and didn’t make it on. So if you don’t get accepted, don’t be discouraged! Just apply again in the future. It helps to have HR volunteer experience, be a member of your local SHRM chapter, and have demonstrated examples of your passion for HR and helping others.
The EPAC meets virtually on a monthly basis to:
- Provide feedback or suggestions to SHRM on potential and existing services and experiences for the betterment of EPs within the SHRM community.
- Assist SHRM with identifying strategies for gaining and retaining EP members.
- Encourage recognition of EP programs that chapter and state council affiliates lead.
- Connect with other EP members using social media and various local events and activities.
- Promote and coordinate the establishment and support of activities at the local level and strategies that help SHRM student members transition from school into the workforce.
With being on the EPAC, comes great responsibility! You’ll be invited to a few high profile events each year, such as the SHRM annual conference, and may be asked to speak on a panel, volunteer in the Student Union, or meet with other chapter leaders / College Relations Directors to help them with their strategy and ideas! Be ready to engage, help, inspire and contribute (: At SHRM21, a group of us from the EPAC got to speak at an amazing session, offering career advice to student and EP attendees. Here’s the post event article with the take-a-ways!
What type of programming should I create for my student / EP members?
There are so many options! If you’re a current SHRM volunteer leader, be sure to check out the Volunteer Exchange on the VLRC (volunteer leader resource center)! It’s like SHRM Connect but specifically for volunteer leaders. Folks are on there all the time sharing programming and event ideas and best practices! Some ideas I’ve done myself or seen from North East Region Chapters I support:
I created the HR Emerging Professionals Learning Series! Monthly virtual programming that’s a deep dive into specific HR content areas, following the SHRM BASK! Check out the full program description and event details here.
Long Island SHRM does an HR Boot Camp day! This is a 3 hour event for students/EPs hosted in person where students can learn HR best practices and get tons of networking opportunities and experience!
I’ve seen some chapters and other HR networking groups do book clubs. There are tons of resources out there on how to organize one and it’s a fairly low lift if you have an interested group of folks. If you haven’t read them yet, I’d highly recommend starting with Steve Browne’s books – HR on Purpose, HR Rising and HR Unleashed! These are wonderful books for students and HR pros alike. You can typically find a sponsor to pay for the books (or the author themselves to donate some!) to get the group started.
Create a mentor program within your chapter or state. I’ve been a mentor in the SHRM Foundation’s national mentor program for the past 4 cohorts and it’s a blast. You could model it at the local/state level after the SHRM Foundation program. Why recreate the wheel? You have to be a SHRM member to have access to this program. If you’re a SHRM member, I’d highly recommend joining the program as a mentor or mentee to see how it works. It’s been so much fun and so valuable to connect with HR students and pros across the country. More info on the SHRM Foundation mentoring program here. SHRM also has an article on their resources site for creating and executing a mentor program.
I hope this was helpful! Let me know if there are any other HR/SHRM involvement questions I can answer for you and I’ll add them here.
Claire is Coaching 