The SHRM 2016 conference highlighted key insights for enhancing workforce motivation and engagement, emphasizing the importance of recognizing invisible employees, fostering a transparent environment, and prioritizing employee presence over paperwork. Notable speakers underscored the need for holistic approaches to wellness beyond physical health and suggested that empowering individuals can create a chain reaction of motivation. The conference served as a platform for HR leaders to discuss innovative strategies to improve workplace culture and performance.

1. 7 KEY INSIGHTS
SHRM CONFERENCE 2016

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4. SHRM 2016 was packed with engaging conversations, plenty of
laughs, and invaluable insights from some of the top experts in
the world of HR. The topics ranged from benefits to brand
management, from politics to being present, and everything in
between. Read on to discover our favorite tidbits of inspiration—
and learn how to apply them to empower and motivate your
own workforce.
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5. START RECOGNIZING THE
GREATNESS OF INVISIBLE EMPLOYEES
According to “Dirty Jobs” host Mike Rowe, in our
country, we’re not valuing work equally. Using a San
Francisco city employee as an example, he spoke of
“unseen” employees who perform undesirable, but
essential, tasks that too often go unseen and
unrewarded.
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6. SOURCE
We need to start appreciating
the great work of people who
perform seemingly thankless
jobs that are critical to the
day-to-day lives of millions of
Americans.
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7. A TRANSPARENT ENVIRONMENT
IS KEY TO SUCCESS.
Former CEO of Ford Motor Co., Alan Mulally, has a
set of principles for creating more motivated and
skilled teams, all based around one idea: create a
transparent environment where everyone is included
and information is shared freely.
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8. You’ll find your organization is
stronger, with the ability to
better face reality, and tackle
even difficult situations head on.
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9. THE SOLUTION TO FEELING
POWERLESS IS BEING PRESENT
When people feel powerless they shut down. They
are not creative. They are risk averse. They are not
engaged.
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10. SOURCE
According to Amy Cuddy,
being present gives you the
ability to represent yourself in
challenging moments in your
life. Presence means you
believe what you are saying,
you convey confidence
without arrogance, and you
communicate harmoniously.
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11. PEOPLE ARE MORE IMPORTANT
THAN PAPERWORK
Kevin Ames of the O.C. Tanner Institute pointed out
that, “Onboarding lasts until the new employee makes
a decision to engage with your purpose and passion,
or they decide not to stay.”
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12. To help employees discover their
own greatness, it’s imperative
that we connect new employees
to our organization’s purpose,
beginning from day one. Kevin
counseled, “Worry less about
having new employees fill out
forms and check boxes, and
spend more time engaging
them in your vision.”
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13. EMPOWER A FEW PEOPLE TO
REACH THE POTENTIAL OF MANY
Imagine how much potential there is in the world if
we just allow people to tap into it pursue individual
greatness. Motivate employees by giving them
challenging work and a mission they can believe in.
According to Sal Khan, founder of Khan Academy,
even non-profits can be competitive in recruitment if
you have a strong mission and engaging work.
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14. By empowering even just a
few people to achieve
something important, you can
start a chain reaction where
people motivate and influence
greatness in others.
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15. MANAGER ONBOARDING IS NOT THE
SAME AS MANAGER DEVELOPMENT
When someone becomes a manager, they have
new responsibilities. Usually beyond what’s been
provided in a management or leadership development
program.
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16. SOURCE
The goal of a manager
onboarding program is to give
new managers the tools they
need to be successful. Create
a manager onboarding
program that provides the
information they need to know
on day one, in the first month,
and during the first quarter.
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17. WELLBEING MEANS MORE
THAN WELLNESS
One of the biggest mistakes today’s wellness initiatives
make is defining employee wellness simply as physical
health. Several fundamental dimensions of wellness
impact overall employee wellbeing, including physical,
social, mental, and financial.
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18. According to Bruce Sherman,
we need to stop seeing health
as a cost and start seeing it as
an investment in workplace
performance.
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19. When the top minds of HR and leadership meet,
innovation happens. Take these insights from the
biggest HR conference in the world and make a
positive change in your workplace. And for more
great insights from SHRM 2016 and beyond, visit
octanner.com/blog.
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20. O.C. TANNER AND THE O.C. TANNER INSTITUTE
O.C. Tanner, on the FORTUNE 100 Best Companies to Work For® list for
the second year in a row in 2016, helps organizations create great work
environments by inspiring and appreciating great work. Thousands of
clients globally use the company’s cloud-based technology, tools,
awards, and education services to engage talent, increase performance,
drive goals, and create experiences that fuel the human spirit. Learn more
at octanner.com.
The O.C. Tanner Institute regularly commissions research and provides a
global forum for exchanging ideas about recognition, engagement,
leadership, culture, human values, and sound business principles.
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