By Genevieve Daniels, VP Finance

As I mingled around SEWI-ATD’s signature event, our annual Talent Development Forum, as asked and was asked about what is top of mind.  As if the response was a record player, I heard:

• Transformation
• Upskilling/Reskilling
• Technology
• Flexible work culture

It was good to be together with people who had a shared understanding of these critical needs.  And Shout Out to TEMPO Milwaukee for hosting the venue. 

I was looking forward to what our moderator of the event would have to say, and she did not disappoint.   Michelle Reid-Powell, President and CEO of The CARA Group, led us through an engaging overview of 2021 Workforce Trends.  

“Is this a huge deal?”, she asked, as she guided us through stats, stories, and trends.  “YES, it is!” she exclaimed, and by the end of her presentation, she had us all convinced on the importance we as Talent Development professionals must place to proactively serve our employees’ needs.   One point that struck me: Fewer people are willing to work for a company that doesn’t align with their values.  From the organizational perspective, this equates to churn being high if the organizational values don’t match those of their employees.

Hearing the importance of this and other top needs provided the perfect transition to hear from our panelists.  They provided examples of the deliberate focus and meaningful work they are doing and all I can say was the time was too short.  Thankfully, we collected questions from the audience and we look forward to using these to develop our programming for 2022.

 Although each panelist brought diverse approaches and unique illustrations, the importance of balancing both the functional and the emotional needs of employees was a consistent message throughout.

A special thank you to our panelists:

·       Linda Evans, Senior Vice President of Human Resources, Douglas Dynamics

·       Christine Hass, Senior Director of Learning Strategy, Northwestern Mutual

·       Stacey Mueller, Executive Director of Experience Management, Froedtert Health

·       Jeff Jara, Assistant Vice President Sr. Talent Development Consultant, Baird

And to Michelle Reid-Powell, our moderator for the event.  As a bonus, Michelle provided each participant with a copy of her Workplace Trends report. I was able to reference data that same day in preparation of a senior leadership presentation.

As we wrap up 2021 and head into 2022, SEWI-ATD looks forward to the continued conversation & professional development on meeting workforce demands; it’s full speed ahead!