The buzz: “The budgets are opening up to HR and they’re going digital with everything” (Laura Zifchak, PeopleDoc). It’s the time of year for HR to reflect and move forward. From the employee experience to GDPR, HR has experienced its share of forced transformation in how it thinks and what it’s responsible for. Yet, has anything really changed? Our panel will discuss the current and future uses of emerging technologies in HR, whether HR is any closer to earning a coveted seat at the table, and what 2018 can teach us for 2019. The experts speak. Art Mazor, Deloitte: “Be present in all things and thankful for all things” (Maya Angelou). Laurie Ruettimann, GlitchPath: “Forgive me my nonsense, as I also forgive the nonsense of those that think they talk sense” (Robert Frost). Dr. Patti Fletcher, SAP SuccessFactors: “Do everything you can to make it around the system, over the system, or out the system” (Tupac Shakur). Join us for Farewell 2018, Welcome 2019: HR Then, Now, and Tomorrow.

The buzz: “HR can’t evade talent analytics any longer and the function must be willing to adapt and evolve” (Aaron McEwan]. Despite HR’s pronounced interest in analytics, an “execution gap” exists between intent and action. Are you one of the many organizations that remain stuck with ad hoc reports and Excel spreadsheets? In order to adopt leading analytics practices consistent with your company’s culture, you need to consider which metrics will help you evaluate talent risks and opportunities across HR processes, recruiting, learning, performance, succession, and more. The experts speak. Scott Pollak, PwC: “I think everyone deserves more than one World Series every 108 years so” (Theo Epstein). Julia Howes, Mercer: “Hey Ho, Let’s Go” (Blitzkrieg Bop, The Ramones). Mick Collins, SAP SuccessFactors: “Let us be big enough to know the facts” (Woodrow Wilson). Join us for Seize the Data: Analytics for HR and Talent Management.

The buzz: “Whether you see it or not, data exfiltration is a real risk for most organizations” (McAfee: Grad Theft Data). McAfee research shows that more than 40% of data breaches could be attributed to company insiders, i.e., employees. Are your HR leaders doing enough to establish a data privacy and security culture that protects your sensitive data and your workers? The experts speak. Sheila McGovern, EY: “Nobody cares how much you know, until they know how much you care” (Theodore Roosevelt). Juliet Henry, EPI-USE America: “Worrying is carrying tomorrow's load with today's strength- carrying two days at once. It is moving into tomorrow ahead of time. Worrying doesn't empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength” (Corrie ten Boom). Kim Lessley, SAP SuccessFactors: “The scariest moment is always just before you start. After that, things can only get better” (Stephen King). Join us for HR, Data Privacy and Employee Data: Beyond Government Regulations.

The buzz: “Millennial expectations are shaping where technology is going and where the modern worker will be” (Amber Hyatt, SilkRoad technologyadvice.com/blog/human-resources/11-insights-from-hr-tech-2015). Descaling the complexity of legacy systems and cumbersome processes in the HR technology space is almost laughable to most people. Why? While agile and other lean approaches make sense on paper, they are tough to implement in our work culture where “more is more”, not less. Our panel will explore how the principles of simplicity can effectively be applied to HR technology. The experts speak. Suzanne McAndrew, Willis Towers Watson: “The big question of our time is not Can it be built? but Should it be built?” (Eric Ries). Dan Ward, Author: “Complexity by itself is neither good nor bad; it is confusion that is bad” (Don Norman). Mark McCauley, SAP: “Dress appropriately” (Mary Barra). Join us for Keeping It Simple: The Future of HR.

The buzz: “I’m not the woman president of Harvard. I’m the president of Harvard” (Drew Gilpin Faust at WEF 2015). The World Economic Forum has been studying global readiness for gender because it’s as much an economic problem as a global talent necessity. Yet, despite continued program focus, research, and commitments from political and business leaders, the needle has not budged; in some cases, it moved backwards. In a reality where it will be another 217 years for women in the workplace to become equal in all ways to men, it’s time to talk about what’s working. The experts speak. Desi Kimmins, Korn Ferry: “Between stimulus and response there is space. In that space is our power to choose our response...” (Viktor E. Frankl). Nancy Joyce, PDT Global: “…Make one’s center inside of oneself….” (Edith Wharton). Dr. Patti Fletcher, SAP SuccessFactors: “Women are in a position now to voice their opinion…” (Snoop Dogg). Join us for Beyond the Rhetoric: 217 Years To Gender Equality at Work?

The buzz: “For employees, chatbots deliver an unmatched level of employee experience, from real time answers for HR questions to personalized learning and development” (Jeanne Meister). In our evolving labor market, organizational initiatives aimed at increasing workforce engagement no longer keep employees productive. Why not? Business need to create exceptional experiences for each worker. How? Technology. Give employees innovative tools and technology like machine learning and AI to help make them better at their jobs. Is your organization on board yet? The experts speak. Penny Stoker, EY: “The most difficult thing is the decision to act. The rest is merely tenacity” (Amelia Earhart). Thomas Damgaard, Acenture: “The best way to predict the future is to create it” (Alan Kay). Dr. Gabriela (Gabby) Burlacu, SAP SuccessFactors: “Nobody gets to live life backward. Look ahead, that is where your future lies” (Ann Landers). Join us for Employee Experience In The Age of ML, AI, and Bots.

The buzz: “…take dramatic technological change as an invitation to reflect about who we are and how we see the world” (Klaus Schwab). What’s most remarkable about business in the 4th Industrial Revolution? The blurring lines between people and technology. Heads-up for business leaders: Time to shift from how people interact with technology, to how technology interacts with people at the core of design, collaboration and tools. The experts speak. Jo-Ann Mendles, Thirty-four Park: “With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts” (Eleanor Roosevelt). James Sinclair, EnterpriseAlumni: “The meeting of preparation with opportunity generates the offspring we call luck” (Tony Robbins). Dr. Patti Fletcher, SAP SuccessFactors: “The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well” (Ralph Waldo Emerson). Join us for Game-Changing HR: People in the 4th Industrial Revolution.

The buzz: “If HR wants to continue to play a critical role in helping businesses anticipate and manage organizational change, it must have technology at its core” (Meghan M. Biro). We’ve been hearing about digitalization in the workplace for so long that it’s buzzword-worthy. And most of us know that it involves process-automating technology reshaping the modern human resources practice. But beyond this, what does it mean to truly “digitalize” HR and to give your workforce the tools they need to drive true business transformation? The experts speak. Debbie Millin, Globalization Partners: “To thine own self be true” (William Shakespeare). Kristin Starodub, Deloitte Consulting: “Success is only meaningful and enjoyable if it feels like your own” (Michelle Obama). Dr. Patti Fletcher, SAP SuccessFactors: “In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, in the expert’s mind there are few” (Shunryu Suzuki). Join us for Digitalization and HR: Who’s Leading The Transformation?

The buzz: “We live in a global village. No country can live in isolation of others like Robinson Crusoe” (Li Keqiang). You can’t be global without being local. What does that mean for a CHRO? One of your first considerations is transactional: compliance to local customers, local and global business regulations, legal practices – with local and industry best practices. Non-compliance can put you at risk of being shut down by a country that says you didn’t do something right.The key challenge is how HR can create a brand-based experience that translates policy to practice, while keeping people at the center of globalized business with a local feel. The experts speak. Nicole Sahin, Globalization Partners: “One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things” (Henry Miller). Barbara Ocain, SAP SuccessFactors: “Do what you can with what you have where you are” (Squire Bill Widener via T. Roosevelt). Join us for HR, Globalization, and Localization: More Than Meets the Eye.

The buzz: Nearly 11% of the workforce is made up of full-time agile workers…39% of ‘permanent’ non-agile workers said they are likely to take a positon in the future in that category.” (Randstad Workplace 2025 report). While HR technology is helping companies model new workplace design and workforce fit scenarios, they may be failing to analyze roles that require permanent vs. contingent staff, i.e., freelancers, contractors, and temporary workers. Is your HR organization reviewing and reconsidering the status quo in time to prepare to welcome and embrace the agile workforce? The experts speak. Don Miller, Deloitte: “We’re gonna turn this team around 360 degrees” (Jason Kidd). Gerarda Van Kirk, Accenture: “Always in motion is the future” (Yoda, Star Wars V: The Empire Strikes Back). Dr. Patti Fletcher, SAP SuccessFactors: “Change means that what was before wasn't perfect. People want things to be better” (Esther Dyson). Join us for HR: Get Ready for the Agile Workforce!

The buzz: “Ethics is the new competitive environment” (Peter Robinson, Mountain Equipment Co-op). Business leaders today are expected to set a moral compass that defines their company’s role as a ‘citizen’ invested in making the world a better place. Their corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs are a key indicator of brand equity and the company’s value to consumers, employees, partners, and investors. Where is your true north? The experts speak. Bonnie J. Addario, ALCF: “It always seems impossible until it’s done” (N. Mandela). Chris Johnson, Mercer: “Society does not consist of individuals but expresses the sum of interrelations, the relations within which these individuals stand” (Karl Marx). John Matthews, SAP: “As corporate citizens of the world, it is our responsibility – our duty – to serve the communities where we do business by helping to improve…overall daily life, plus future prospects (H Schultz). Join us for Your Corporate Moral Compass: A Culture of Community.

The buzz: “Finding good players is easy. Getting them to play as team is another story” (Casey Stengel). HR’s focus and practices have traditionally focused on individuals, often guided by hourly wage roles and professional sports where teams win and individual players are rewarded. But the workforce and how we work have changed. What will it take for HR to invest in collaboration tools and workplace design that shift culture, policy and practice to support teams? The experts speak. Kevin McConville, EY: “It's tough to make predictions, especially about the future” (Yogi Berra). Nathan Ott, The GC Index®: “I can do things you cannot, you can do things I cannot; together we can do great things” (Mother Teresa). Dr. Patti Fletcher, SAP SuccessFactors: “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid” (Einstein via Matthew Kelly). Join us for HR From One to Many: Shifting the Focus to Teams.

The buzz: “J&J’s leaders estimate that wellness programs have cumulatively saved ...0 million on health care costs over the past decade; 2002-2008, return was $2.71 for every dollar spent.” (HBR.org). From insurance provide to wellness enabler, HR’s role may include a focus on the workforce’s welfare because good health and well-being practices influence how we work with and relate to each other. But some people worry that the “fitbitization” of HR wellness programs may cross a line. The experts speak. Linda Townsend, Release Well-Being Center: “The part can never be well unless the whole is well” (Plato). Grant Gordon, Artemis Health: “If you keep going, and live with the problem and peel more layers of the onion off, you can oftentimes arrive at some very elegant and simple solutions (Steve Jobs). Joe Sherwood, SAP SuccessFactors: “Life is a shipwreck, but we must not forget to sing in the lifeboats” (Voltaire). Join us for Health and Wellness: HR’s New Call to Action.

The buzz: “There’s a pure and simple business case for diversity: Companies that are more diverse are more successful” (Mindy Grossman). Pop quiz: How many unconscious biases are at play in the human brain–even yours–right now? 150! Why does this matter? Unchallenged biases form an unquestioned “reality” that challenges HR's ability to create an inclusive workplace. What can HR do to attract, retain, develop diverse talent? The experts speak. Noah G. Rabinowitz, Deloitte: “I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been” (Wayne Gretzky). Barbara Marder, Mercer: “Technology is nothing. What’s important is that you have a faith in people, that they’re basically good and smart, and if you give them tools, they’ll do wonderful things with them.=” (Steve Jobs). Dr. Patti Fletcher, SAP: “The big percentage is us, the real people, and we have to say something. You have to speak up. You have to” (Leslie Jones). Join us for Moving Beyond Bias: Can Technology Really Help?

The buzz: “Computers, machines, robots and algorithms are going to be able to do most of the routine, repetitive jobs… even… lawyers…are going to be susceptible” (Rise of the Robots). The digitalization of business functions has started an evolution and revolution, with smart machine technology informing our lives from home to office and everything in between. Will machines take over your job? We’ll discuss how machine learning, AI and AR will transform the role of HR and how service delivery is designed and experienced. The experts speak. Andi Britt, IBM: “AI will be either the best, or the worst thing, ever to happen to humanity” (Stephen Hawking). Tami Reiss, Just Not Sorry: “I want the culture of all lands to be blown about my house… freely…But I refuse to be blown off my feet by any” (Mahatma Gandhi). Piyush Chandra, SAP: “No machine can do the work of one extraordinary man” (Elbert Hubbard). Join us for Reimagining HR: Will Machines Replace the Human Side of Business?

The buzz: “Human resources are like natural resources; they’re often buried deep. You have to go looking for them; ; they’re not just lying around on the surface” (Ken Robinson). Reality check: Your people – the unique human capital combination in your workforce – are the only true differentiator that can sustain your company’s competitiveness. But as the power of the employee takes center stage, does your corporate board have the CHRO expertise to guide your talent policies and strategies? The experts speak. Chris Johnson, Mercer: “I just can't wait till the day when you knock on my door” (Katrina & The Waves). Fabiana Lacerca-Allen, Ethiprax: “If you have a passion to make things better, you will make things better” (Gen. Vincent K. Brooks). Dr. Patti Fletcher, SAP SuccessFactors: “A leader takes people where they want to go. A great leader takes people where they don't necessarily want to go, but ought to be” (Rosalynn Carter). Join us for CHRO: New Roadmap to the Boardroom?

The buzz: “We live in a global village. No country can live in isolation of others like Robinson Crusoe” (Li Keqiang). You can’t be global without being local. What does that mean for a CHRO? One of your first considerations is transactional: compliance to local customers, local and global business regulations, legal practices – with local and industry best practices. Non-compliance can put you at risk of being shut down by a country that says you didn’t do something right.The key challenge is how HR can create a brand-based experience that translates policy to practice, while keeping people at the center of globalized business with a local feel. The experts speak. Nicole Sahin, Globalization Partners: “One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things” (Henry Miller). Barbara Ocain, SAP SuccessFactors: “Do what you can with what you have where you are” (Squire Bill Widener via T. Roosevelt). Join us for HR, Globalization, and Localization: More Than Meets the Eye.

The buzz: “Human resources are like natural resources; they’re often buried deep” (Ken Robinson). Dramatic business and workforce changes require Core HR to shift from the “system of record” to an agile platform where HR can build value-based relationships with everyone supporting the business. This means engaging permanent and external staff in new collaborations, using consumer-style tools and social HR, helping management improve strategies. The experts speak. Roger Metelerkamp, EY: “The illiterate of the 21st century...those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn” (Alvin Toffler). Sherryanne Meyer, ASUG: “When it comes to relationships, everyone's a used car salesman” (With Honors, movie). Ralf Wagner, SAP SuccessFactors: “People who have visions should see a doctor” (Helmut Schmidt). Dr. Patti Fletcher, SAP SuccessFactors: “Life's most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’” (Dr. Martin L. King, Jr.) . Join us for Core HR: Changing the Conversation.

The buzz: “Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right” (Oprah Winfrey). Once again, it’s time to reflect on HCM’s journey over the past year and then define opportunities where CHROs can commit to doing and being better. From whom to hire and how to better enable leaders, to harnessing talent, analyzing workforce demographics and more, we’ll explore key business trends and the technology and workforce process disruptions that will shape the next 12 months and beyond. The experts speak. Tina Marron-Partridge, IBM: “A woman is like a tea bag. You never know how strong she is until she gets into hot water” (Eleanor Roosevelt). Yvette Cameron, SAP SuccessFactors: “Creativity is thinking up new things. Innovation is doing new things” (Theodore Levitt). Dr. Patti Fletcher, SAP SuccessFactors: “And these children that you spit on As they try to change their worlds” (David Bowie). Join us for CHROs and People Strategies: New Year Resolutions and Beyond.

The buzz: “Every day is a revolution. Welcome to the future.” -B.Paisley- Savvy companies are replacing old performance management processes. Why? Fact Number 1: Annual evaluations and ratings don’t meet employee or business needs. Makeover number 1: Ongoing performance manager-employee dialogue, frequent coaching, feedback. Fact number 2: Employees perform and add value at different levels. Makeover number 2: Coaching, developing, evaluating, calibrating and rewarding employees differently. Are you ready? The experts speak. Dr. Deborah Ford, Accenture: “Simple, clear purpose and principles give rise to complex, intelligent behavior. Complex rules and regulations give rise to simple, stupid behavior” -D. Hock. Strausie Markham-Rösler, SAP SuccessFactors: “Just because everything is different doesn’t mean anything has changed” -Irene Peter. Dr. Steven Hunt, SAP SuccessFactors: ‘If everyone’s super, no one will be” -The Incredibles. Join us for Your Talent Spectrum and Performance Management 2.0 Revolution.