Elections and Planning Meeting this week!

February 18th is an important date! We need a new VP of Programs and member votes count toward electing the right candidate. The person we elect will be able to take on student-requests for meeting topics and then connect with members of our community to find suitable speakers. 

Another important topic on the agenda includes planning for the NHRMA conference. If you are interested in going to Vegas this year, you'll want to be a part of this planning process.

See you this Wednesday! 

Recruiting and Acquisitions with Earl Meininger

Earl Meininger met with PSU HRMA members to discuss the recruitment and hiring process. He discussed the process thoroughly and offered us some words of wisdom. 

Earl Meininger addresses HRMA students at a weekly meeting. 

His advice included ensuring accountability between managers and HR professionals when looking to fill positions within a company. For example, Earl emphasized the importance of establishing a realistic timeline with managers so that they recognize how their own schedules and involvement can affect hiring outcomes. 

Earl also brought an element of humor to his presentation by introducing students to the term "purple squirrel".  

Image credit: Purple Squirrel IT services

Our next meeting on Wednesday, Feb 4th will feature mock interview training with Corbett Gordon from PHRMA! 

Conflict in the Workplace

Last Wednesday, PSU HRMA students met to listen to Executive Coach, Scott Sadler speak about conflict in the workplace. 

Anupria warmed up the audience with a quick ice-breaker. Students formed groups and discussed one word they would use to describe their current work environments.  

Co-VP of Marketing, Anupira Singh, starting the meeting with an ice breaker

Scott tied this exercise in with the fact that work environment matters a great deal to employees. He talked about how a lack of soft skills can impact company culture as well as employee retention. He mentioned that some HR professionals focus on systems instead of soft skills and that metrics can both cause and alleviate conflict. 

Scott Sadler answering questions from students at a PSU HRMA meeting. 

Scott shared a Core Values Index Assessment from Taylor Protocols and discussed how matrices, such as this one, break down personal beliefs into core values. 

Core Values Index 

A big takeaway from Scott's presentation was his recommendation for the book, Fierce Conversations by Susan Scott.  He cited seven key points to the book: 1.Master the courage to interrogate reality. 2. Be bold in your approach to understanding. 3. Have grace with other’s boldness. 4. Come out from behind yourself into the conversation. 5. Be authentic. 6. All conversations are with myself, sometimes other people are included. and 7. Be prepared to be here and nowhere else. 

Special thanks to PSU HRMA Secretary, Ashley Newman for taking excellent notes!  

Coming up this week on Wednesday, January 28th: Talent Acquisition and Recruiting Techniques with Earl Meininger. 

HRMA Kick-off follow up post

We had a great turnout for the Winter Term Kick-off meeting last Wednesday! 

Director of Merit, Courtney Balazic, started things off for us with a fantastic icebreaker consisting of each person revealing one personal fact about themselves for every square of toilet paper taken from a roll being passed about the room.  Spirits were high as we learned new things about one another, like favorite sports and names of beloved pets. 

Cheers to Treasurer, Brooke Konrad for bringing an abundance of snacks to share! Also, thanks to her employer, Reeser's Fine Foods, for making such delicious jerky. Mmmmmmm. 

Justin Hochstrasser, one of our new HRMA members agreed to pose with the bounty of deliciousness as we brought this great gathering to an end. 

Justin Hochstrasser enjoys the bounty from Reeser's Fine Foods at our Winter Kick-off Meeting, 2015.

This week on January 21st, HRMA features Executive Coach and Speaker, Scott Sadler. Can't wait to hear his ideas about 'Conflict in the Workplace'! (SBA 140, 4:15-5:15, hope to see you there!)

Kick-off Meeting!

HRMA is holding a Winter Term Kick-off meeting this Wednesday, January 14th from 4:15-5:15pm in BA 140. This is a great opportunity to introduce new students to our program and get new members signed up.

Help HRMA create a greater connection to the student body by inviting fellow students to check out our organization! 

There are a number of ways to reach out such as making an announcement at the start of class and handing out flyers to simply inviting other classmates you connect with. 

All majors are welcome to join so be sure to spread the word in what ever way you can. See you at the Kick-off!