48 sessions

8:00 AM PDT - Saturday, Oct 3

  • Pre-Conference Workshop
    Saturday, Oct 03
    8:00 a.m. Saturday, Oct 03
    The California Law HR Specialty Credential offers an immersive experience in the full scope of dynamic challenges faced by HR professionals managing workforces in California. This credential goes beyond just mitigating risk; it empowers you to operate a high-performing, compliant business in this complex environment. The program is interactive, encouraging you to engage with the content, solve problems, make informed decisions, and practice new skills and knowledge.
    • Saturday, Oct 38:30 AM - 5:00 PM PDT
      Union Square

8:00 AM PDT - Sunday, Oct 4

  • Pre-Conference Workshop
    Sunday, Oct 04
    8:00 a.m. Sunday, Oct 04
    The California Law HR Specialty Credential offers an immersive experience in the full scope of dynamic challenges faced by HR professionals managing workforces in California. This credential goes beyond just mitigating risk; it empowers you to operate a high-performing, compliant business in this complex environment. The program is interactive, encouraging you to engage with the content, solve problems, make informed decisions, and practice new skills and knowledge.
    • Sunday, Oct 48:30 AM - 5:00 PM PDT
      Union Square
  • Pre-Conference Workshop
    Sunday, Oct 04
    8:00 a.m. Sunday, Oct 04
    Heading an HR department alone requires more than multitasking—it demands strategy, agility, and clear decision-making. This credential is built for solo HR professionals who wear every hat, from talent acquisition to compliance to employee engagement. Through a hands-on learning experience combining live instruction and targeted eLearning, you'll apply a structured framework—Assess, Build, Map—to evaluate your current practices and align HR operations with business capacity. Interactive sessions, peer conversations, and practical tools will help you develop scalable solutions; secure leadership buy-in and implement high-impact HR initiatives that support your people and your goals. By the end, you’ll walk away with a clear action plan, peer insights, and a credential that affirms your ability to lead HR independently and effectively.
    • Sunday, Oct 48:30 AM - 5:00 PM PDT
      Olympic Room

12:00 PM PDT - Sunday, Oct 4

  • Attendee Services
    Sunday, Oct 04
    12:00 p.m. Sunday, Oct 04
    Visit the conference registration desk to pick up your conference badge and get your questions answered!
    • Sunday, Oct 412:00 PM - 7:00 PM PDT
      Mezzanine Registration

1:00 PM PDT - Sunday, Oct 4

  • Attendee Services
    Sunday, Oct 04
    1:00 p.m. Sunday, Oct 04
    It's the perfect way to explore the city, meet new people, kick off an unforgettable conference experience and win prizes! Space is limited—reserve your spot early.
    • Sunday, Oct 41:00 PM - 3:00 PM PDT
      Westin Hotel Lobby

4:00 PM PDT - Sunday, Oct 4

  • Attendee Services
    4:00 p.m. Sunday, Oct 04
    Sunday, Oct 04
    If this is your first SHRM NorCal Conference or you are attending solo, please join us for our Meet & Greet.
    • Sunday, Oct 44:00 PM - 5:00 PM PDT
      Elizabethan A/B

7:00 AM PDT - Monday, Oct 5

  • Attendee Services
    7:00 a.m. Monday, Oct 05
    Monday, Oct 05
    Stop by the Conference Registration area to pick up your conference badge, for App assistance, or for general questions. Lost and found is also located here.
    • Monday, Oct 57:00 AM - 5:30 PM PDT
      Mezzanine Registration Area
  • Attendee Services
    7:00 a.m. Monday, Oct 05
    Monday, Oct 05
    Details to follow!
    • Monday, Oct 57:30 AM - 5:00 PM PDT
      Borgia

8:00 AM PDT - Monday, Oct 5

  • Attendee Services
    8:00 a.m. Monday, Oct 05
    Monday, Oct 05
    Start the day off right with breakfast alongside your SHRM NorCal 2026 colleagues.
    • Monday, Oct 58:00 AM - 9:00 AM PDT
      Grand Ballroom
  • Attendee Services
    8:00 a.m. Monday, Oct 05
    Monday, Oct 05
    Stop by the the Italian and Colonial rooms to connect with solutions providers and network with conference attendees.
    • Monday, Oct 58:00 AM - 5:30 PM PDT
      Italian/Colonial

9:00 AM PDT - Monday, Oct 5

  • General Session
    The impact of California's dynamic regulatory environment.
    Strategies for fostering workplace innovation and inclusion.
    The future of talent management in a rapidly changing economy.
    Beginner
    Organizational Effectiveness & Development
    California Employment Law & Regulations
    9:00 a.m. Monday, Oct 05
    Monday, Oct 05
    Join us for an inspiring opening general session as we welcome Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., President & CEO of SHRM, for an engaging fireside chat. In this thought-provoking conversation, Mr. Taylor will share his insights on the evolving landscape of Human Resources in California, addressing the unique challenges and opportunities facing HR professionals in the state. Key topics will include the impact of California’s dynamic regulatory environment, strategies for fostering workplace innovation and inclusion, and the future of talent management in a rapidly changing economy. Attendees will gain actionable perspectives on navigating compliance, leading organizational change, and building resilient, people-centric workplaces.

    , President and CEO, SHRM

    • Monday, Oct 59:00 AM - 10:30 AM PDT
      Grand Ballroom

11:00 AM PDT - Monday, Oct 5

  • Breakout Session
    Workplace Culture & Human Connection
    Use a 20-minute triage framework to quickly assess real HR scenarios involving AI, SB 294, toxic managers, and accommodation/caregiving challenges.
    Evaluate options through both compliance and culture lenses to avoid decisions that unintentionally erode trust or psychological safety.
    Build a simple communication and documentation plan for high risk situations that can be taught to managers and HR team members.
    Intermediate
    HR Strategy
    Risk Management
    U.S. Employment Law & Regulations
    11:00 a.m. Monday, Oct 05
    Monday, Oct 05
    California HR leaders are facing a perfect storm: aggressive AI adoption, new 2026 compliance requirements like SB 294, and rising expectations for culture, trust, and transparency. Most sessions talk about these pressures; this lab helps you work through them. In this highly interactive “war room,” participants tackle real scenarios—AI in recruiting and performance, SB 294 fallout, toxic managers, and accommodation/caregiving conflicts—using a 20-minute People Problem Triage framework I use with clients across California. Small groups move through three lenses: risk (legal and regulatory exposure), culture (trust, equity, psychological safety), and communication (who to involve, what to say, and how to document). You’ll leave with a reusable triage template, risk matrix, and practical scripts you can use Monday morning with your managers.

    , CEO, Visionova HR Consulting, Inc.

    • Monday, Oct 511:00 AM - 12:00 PM PDT
      Elizabethan C/D
  • Breakout Session
    Talent & Total Rewards
    Implement AI-driven screening workflows to reduce manual effort, improve candidate experience, and accelerate time-to-hire without adding headcount.
    Evaluate and mitigate bias in hiring processes by leveraging structured, data-driven assessments that support fair and compliant decision-making.
    Design scalable hiring strategies that balance automation with human touch, enabling HR teams to meet talent demands in competitive markets.
    Beginner
    Employee Engagement & Retention
    HR Strategy
    Organizational Effectiveness & Development
    Talent Acquisition
    Technology Management
    11:00 a.m. Monday, Oct 05
    Monday, Oct 05
    AI is rapidly reshaping how HR teams attract, assess, and hire talent—but most organizations are still stuck at resume screening. In this session, Andrew Gardner, Co-founder and COO of Humanly, will share how leading HR teams are using AI to automate early-stage interviews, improve candidate experience, and make faster, more consistent hiring decisions. Attendees will learn how to apply AI across high-volume hiring workflows, reduce time-to-hire without sacrificing quality, and navigate California’s evolving compliance landscape. Through real-world examples and practical frameworks, this session will equip HR professionals with immediately actionable strategies—whether you’re an HR department of one or scaling enterprise hiring.

    , Co-Founder and COO, Humanly

    • Monday, Oct 511:00 AM - 12:00 PM PDT
      California West
  • Breakout Session
    Leadership & Strategy
    Structure messages for clarity and impact.
    Communicate with authority while remaining authentic.
    Navigate high-stakes conversations with confidence. Strengthen leadership presence in both planned and impromptu moments.
    Advanced
    Employee Engagement & Retention
    Learning and Development
    Organizational Effectiveness & Development
    Talent Acquisition
    11:00 a.m. Monday, Oct 05
    Monday, Oct 05
    Clear communication is one of the most visible and influential leadership behaviors. Whether presenting to clients, aligning cross-functional teams, or delivering performance feedback, how we communicate shapes outcomes. Participants will leave with practical tools they can immediately apply in client settings, internal meetings, and performance conversations.

    , Founder, Chief Culture Curator and Executive Coach, Interpersonal Communications Expert, and DEI St

    • Monday, Oct 511:00 AM - 12:00 PM PDT
      Elizabethan A/B

12:00 PM PDT - Monday, Oct 5

  • Attendee Services
    12:00 p.m. Monday, Oct 05
    Monday, Oct 05
    Networking Lunch for all attendees.
    • Monday, Oct 512:00 PM - 1:00 PM PDT
      Grand Ballroom

1:00 PM PDT - Monday, Oct 5

  • Breakout Session
    Workplace Culture & Human Connection
    Explore how storytelling drives connection, learning and resilience through change.
    Recognize why marking arrival matters — and what's lost when we skip it.
    Apply feedback practices that keep people at the center of organizational growth.
    Intermediate
    Employee Engagement & Retention
    HR Strategy
    Learning and Development
    1:00 p.m. Monday, Oct 05
    Monday, Oct 05
    This session draws on Filoli's real experience of 40% visitor growth in 2025 and what they chose to do with it. Rather than launch straight into the year ahead, Filoli paused. Through a sustained feedback culture of staff surveys and pulse checks, and a whole-staff event centered on the science and practice of storytelling, they created something rare: a genuine moment of collective reflection and connection. We'll explore why storytelling is a leadership discipline, not just a communication tool; why arrival is a practice worth protecting; and how feedback culture makes both possible. You'll leave with practical ideas you can take back to your own teams, wherever you are in your change journey.

    , Chief People Officer, Filoli Center

    • Monday, Oct 51:00 PM - 2:00 PM PDT
      Elizabethan C/D
  • Breakout Session
    Talent & Total Rewards
    Evaluate your organization's total rewards infrastructure against the gaps that drive voluntary turnover in California's small and mid-size employers.
    Implement a benefits procurement strategy that leverages co-employment and pooled purchasing to make your 10- to 250-person company's offerings competitive with employers ten times your size.
    Create a total rewards communication framework that translates plan design into perceived employee value.
    Intermediate
    Employee Engagement & Retention
    HR Strategy
    Total Rewards
    1:00 p.m. Monday, Oct 05
    Monday, Oct 05
    In California's tightest labor markets, a sharp total rewards strategy is critical to talent retention. But for small and mid-size employers competing against enterprise giants and well-funded startups, the resourcing to deliver competitive benefits often doesn't exist. The result: talented people leave not because they're undervalued, but because their total rewards package can't keep pace with blue chips and unicorns. This session examines how growing California employers can close that gap by rethinking what total rewards infrastructure looks like at their scale, designing benefits packages that hold up where a Series C competitor is always hiring, all while adhering to California's constantly changing, local compliance landscape. Drawing on real-world examples from Bay Area employers with 10–250 employees, attendees will move beyond "do more with less" and into the structural decisions that determine whether a total rewards program retains people or just checks boxes.

    , Principal HR Solutions Engineer, Justworks

    • Monday, Oct 51:00 PM - 2:00 PM PDT
      California West
  • Breakout Session
    Workplace Culture & Human Connection
    Identify where AI and automation can improve key components of leave management, including communication, documentation, and coordination across systems and stakeholders.
    Assess which stages of the leave experience require human judgment and support, particularly during complex or sensitive employee situations.
    Apply practical approaches to integrating AI into leave processes in a way that maintains compliance, improves clarity for employees, and reduces administrative burden for HR teams
    Intermediate
    Employee Engagement & Retention
    HR Strategy
    Total Rewards
    1:00 p.m. Monday, Oct 05
    Monday, Oct 05
    AI is beginning to reshape how HR work gets done. From automating communication to streamlining complex workflows, new tools are helping teams move faster and manage growing demands. Some of the most meaningful applications are emerging in areas like leave, where coordination across systems, timelines, and stakeholders has traditionally been difficult. AI can reduce administrative burden, improve accuracy, and make information more accessible for both HR teams and employees. At the same time, leave often intersects with some of the most personal and high-stakes moments in an employee’s life. These are situations where clarity, judgment, and empathy still matter. In this session, Deborah Hanus, CEO and Co-founder of Sparrow, will explore how AI is changing HR operations through the lens of leave. She will share where automation is making a real difference, where it falls short, and what it takes to introduce these tools in a way that supports both efficiency and human connection.

    , CEO & Co-Founder, Sparrow

    • Monday, Oct 51:00 PM - 2:00 PM PDT
      Elizabethan A/B

2:00 PM PDT - Monday, Oct 5

  • HR Solutions Stage Session
    2:00 p.m. Monday, Oct 05
    Monday, Oct 05
    Designed to help HR professionals thrive amid change and uncertainty. Discover how grit and resilience empower you to navigate complex decision-making, challenging conversations, foster a strong workplace culture, and drive growth. Gain practical strategies and actionable tools to support your well-being and effectiveness. Leave ready to lead with confidence and inspire resilience in your teams.

    , SHRM HR Knowledge Advisor, SHRM

    , Knowledge Advisor, SHRM

    • Monday, Oct 52:05 PM - 2:25 PM PDT
      Olympic Room
  • Breakout Session
    Leadership & Strategy
    Identify practical ways AI can support learning and talent management work, including skills assessments, leadership program development, and HR resource creation.
    Apply effective prompting and context-setting techniques to guide AI tools in generating relevant, high-quality outputs aligned with organizational needs.
    Evaluate appropriate guardrails and verification practices to ensure AI-generated content supports HR decision-making while maintaining human oversight and ethical responsibility.
    Beginner
    Organizational Effectiveness & Development
    2:00 p.m. Monday, Oct 05
    Monday, Oct 05
    Artificial intelligence is rapidly entering the HR space, yet many learning and talent professionals struggle to move beyond basic chatbot use. This session demonstrates how HR practitioners can integrate AI as a practical thinking partner across learning, talent development, and program design. Through real examples—including skills assessments, leadership program development, playbooks, and training resources—participants will see how one AI platform can support ideation, structure complex projects, and accelerate content development while maintaining human judgment and organizational context. Attendees will learn how to guide AI effectively, establish guardrails, and turn everyday HR challenges into opportunities for smarter, faster design and decision-making. AI does not replace HR expertise — it accelerates it.

    , Talent & Organizational Development Manager, BAY CITIES PAVING AND GRADING INC

    • Monday, Oct 52:30 PM - 3:30 PM PDT
      Elizabethan A/B
  • Breakout Session
    Workplace Culture & Human Connection
    Recognize the real source of early attrition. Attendees will be able to distinguish between a hiring problem and an integration problem, and identify where the accountability gap lives in their current onboarding structure.
    Understand what managers actually need to lead a new hire to success. Attendees will walk away knowing why manager readiness is the missing variable in most onboarding programs, and what it looks like to equip a manager before Day One.
    Apply a framework from onboarding from administrative to intentional. Attendees will leave with a practical model anchored in motivational assessments and coaching: where managers understand what truly drives and drains new hires.
    Intermediate
    Employee Engagement & Retention
    HR Strategy
    Learning and Development
    Organizational Effectiveness & Development
    Structure of the HR Function
    Talent Acquisition
    2:00 p.m. Monday, Oct 05
    Monday, Oct 05
    Every organization has a hiring problem that hasn't been adequately addressed. It's not the resume. It's not the interview. It's what happens the moment the offer is signed, and the manager is left to "manage." In Failure to Launch, we challenge the quiet assumption buried inside most onboarding programs: that HR should own the new hire's success. The truth is, the manager is in the room every day, and most were never taught how to onboard. So they spend the next 3 to 9 months figuring out which buttons to push to get consistent, optimal results. They were promoted because they were great at their work, not because they were born employee whisperers. This talk draws on the Day Zero Talent framework to expose the structural gap between HR handing off and managers actually being equipped to lead. Because when we don't invest in real onboarding, the probability of failure climbs, and the organization calls it a hiring problem.

    , Founder, Kahawai Consulting LLC

    • Monday, Oct 52:30 PM - 3:30 PM PDT
      Elizabethan C/D

3:00 PM PDT - Monday, Oct 5

  • HR Solutions Stage Session
    Details coming soon!
    HR Strategy
    3:00 p.m. Monday, Oct 05
    Monday, Oct 05
    Explore the full spectrum of SHRM member types and benefits, learn how to leverage exclusive resources and tap into the power of the SHRM NorCal community. From certification and research access to networking opportunities and HR support, this session breaks down the most valuable tools available to members. Participants will receive practical strategies to maximize their membership ROI and accelerate their HR impact.

    , SHRM

    • Monday, Oct 53:35 PM - 3:55 PM PDT
      Olympic Room

4:00 PM PDT - Monday, Oct 5

  • General Session
    Leadership & Strategy
    Remove Hidden Friction: Identify stress-driven leadership patterns, authority confusion, and accountability gaps that quietly slow execution.
    Build Regulated Agility: Embed nervous-system awareness into leadership development, strengthen accountability without fear, and increase clarity without increasing urgency.
    Execute Move #3 (Reconnect to Purpose): Anchor your organization's direction using purpose as a compass to transition teams from routine to genius and goals to purpose.
    Advanced
    Employee Engagement & Retention
    HR Strategy
    Organizational Effectiveness & Development
    4:00 p.m. Monday, Oct 05
    Monday, Oct 05
    The future rewards adaptability over stability. For HR and executive teams navigating complex regulations and rapid innovation, culture is your organization’s behavioral operating system—dictating decision velocity, conflict patterns, and performance under pressure. In this high-impact keynote, WSJ bestselling author Margaret Graziano introduces the ResponseAgility™ Framework to transform reactive environments into disciplined, high-performing cultures. Attendees will learn how regulated leadership creates flow where reactivity creates friction. Equipped with actionable shifts like "Reconnect to Purpose," HR leaders will gain the tools to eliminate cultural drag, unlock enterprise potential, and build a resilient workforce ready for future challenges.

    , Chief Evangelist, KeenAlignment

    • Monday, Oct 54:00 PM - 5:00 PM PDT
      Grand Ballroom

7:00 AM PDT - Tuesday, Oct 6

  • Attendee Services
    Tuesday, Oct 06
    7:00 a.m. Tuesday, Oct 06
    Stop by the Conference Registration area to pick up your conference badge, for App assistance, or for general questions. Lost and found is also located here.
    • Tuesday, Oct 67:00 AM - 3:30 PM PDT
      Mezzanine Registration
  • Attendee Services
    Tuesday, Oct 06
    7:00 a.m. Tuesday, Oct 06
    Find the right business solutions with our diverse line-up of sponsors and continue to connect with your peers all in the Partnership Pavilion.
    • Tuesday, Oct 67:30 AM - 3:15 PM PDT
      Italian/Colonial
  • Attendee Services
    Tuesday, Oct 06
    7:00 a.m. Tuesday, Oct 06
    Are you SHRM certified? If so, join us for a special breakfast and networking with other SHRM-certified professionals.
    • Tuesday, Oct 67:30 AM - 8:15 AM PDT
      Golden Gate
  • Attendee Services
    Tuesday, Oct 06
    7:00 a.m. Tuesday, Oct 06
    Start the day off right with breakfast alongside your SHRM NorCal 2026 colleagues.
    • Tuesday, Oct 67:30 AM - 8:30 AM PDT
      Grand Ballroom
  • Attendee Services
    Tuesday, Oct 06
    7:00 a.m. Tuesday, Oct 06
    Details to follow!
    • Tuesday, Oct 67:30 AM - 11:00 AM PDT
      Borgia

8:00 AM PDT - Tuesday, Oct 6

  • General Session
    Workplace Culture & Human Connection
    Build trust in all of your business relationships, making it easier to say hard things.
    Find out what the people you work with need from you, so you don’t have to guess.
    Tell others what you need, making it more likely that your needs are met.
    Intermediate
    Employee Engagement & Retention
    Learning and Development
    Organizational Effectiveness & Development
    Tuesday, Oct 06
    8:00 a.m. Tuesday, Oct 06
    You have a request for one of your co-workers but don’t know how to say it, so  you don’t say anything. A project you worked on for six months has become a black hole.  There is no information about the status. You’re frustrated, but you don’t say anything. Two employees aren’t working well together. It’s impacting the atmosphere in the office. You don’t know what to say, so you don’t say anything. Speaking up when we are frustrated is hard and, as a result, most of us don’t. Instead, either we tell other people (aka gossip) or we say nothing, and relationships become strained. You can say anything to anyone and have it be easy. You just need to lay the ground work to do so, and most of us don’t.

    , President and Founder, Candid Culture, Inc.

    • Tuesday, Oct 68:30 AM - 9:30 AM PDT
      Grand Ballroom

9:00 AM PDT - Tuesday, Oct 6

  • HR Solutions Stage Session
    Details coming soon!
    HR Strategy
    Tuesday, Oct 06
    9:00 a.m. Tuesday, Oct 06
    In today's competitive HR landscape, having strong skills isn't enough — you also need strong signals. SHRM Certification is a globally recognized credential that not only validates your HR expertise but also amplifies your influence, career growth, and earning potential. In this session, you'll gain a clear understanding of what SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP certifications offer, how they open doors to new opportunities, and why now is the time to take action. Whether you're just starting out or advancing to a senior role, this talk will inspire you to believe you are ready — and give you the roadmap to begin.
    • Tuesday, Oct 69:35 AM - 9:55 AM PDT
      Olympic Room

10:00 AM PDT - Tuesday, Oct 6

  • Breakout Session
    Workplace Culture & Human Connection
    Identify key elements of a resilient workforce and how HR can cultivate adaptability, growth mindset, and career ownership among employees.
    Learn strategies for integrating professional development—including career planning, communication skills, AI literacy, and leadership development—into retention and engagement initiatives.
    Apply the Create–Cultivate–Activate framework to design practical programs that help employees grow within the organization while strengthening organizational resilience.
    Intermediate
    Employee Engagement & Retention
    Employee & Labor Relations
    HR Strategy
    Learning and Development
    Organizational Effectiveness & Development
    Tuesday, Oct 06
    10:00 a.m. Tuesday, Oct 06
    In today’s environment of economic uncertainty, technological disruption, and constant organizational change, resilience has become one of the most important competencies in the workplace. HR leaders play a critical role in creating cultures where employees feel equipped—not threatened—by professional development opportunities. When organizations invest in career growth, communication skills, and future-ready capabilities, they build stronger, more engaged teams that are prepared to navigate challenges and seize new opportunities.

    , CEO & Chief Career Activator

    • Tuesday, Oct 610:00 AM - 11:00 AM PDT
      Elizabethan C/D
  • Breakout Session
    Talent & Total Rewards
    Design a more humanistic and effective process for unleashing individual and organizational performance that is backed by scientific research.
    Share a case study of a company that has shifted its process in ways that are aligned with how we work today and is delivering value to the company, both in terms of performance and improved employee satisfaction.
    Assess your company’s practices against Performance Enablement practices to determine where you might make changes to your process.
    Intermediate
    Employee Engagement & Retention
    HR Strategy
    Learning and Development
    Organizational Effectiveness & Development
    Total Rewards
    Tuesday, Oct 06
    10:00 a.m. Tuesday, Oct 06
    Based on research presented in her new book, Performance Enablement, Edie Goldberg, Ph.D., will share a new, more humanistic and effective model for unleashing individual and organizational performance, backed by scientific research. Simply put, today’s employees don’t need to be “managed,” they want to be inspired, supported, and developed to perform their best. To demonstrate this approach in action, Edie will share a case study from a Bay Area company on how it has shifted their approach toward performance enablement. This session is not about new tactics; it's a paradigm shift to supporting employees in today’s dynamic business environment. In the words of Dr. John Boudreau, “They transform performance from a transactional compliance exercise into a dynamic process that builds direction, alignment, support, and progress.” Participants will be given access to an assessment tool to help them understand where they are on the journey toward performance enablement.

    , President & CEO, E.L. Goldberg & Associates

    • Tuesday, Oct 610:00 AM - 11:00 AM PDT
      California West
  • Breakout Session
    Leadership & Strategy
    Conduct a Strategic Needs Assessment: Apply a stakeholder alignment process to define measurable offsite outcomes that connect team development goals to business priorities, ensuring leadership buy-in before a single agenda item is drafted.
    Design an Engagement-Driven Agenda: Use a modular agenda framework to balance content, interactive exercises, strategic discussion, and team-building in a sequence that maintains energy and produces tangible outputs.
    Facilitate for Follow-Through: Implement facilitation and commitment-setting practices that convert offsite conversations into time-bound action plans with clear owners, turning a one-time event into sustained accountability.
    Advanced
    Employee Engagement & Retention
    HR Strategy
    Learning and Development
    Organizational Effectiveness & Development
    Tuesday, Oct 06
    10:00 a.m. Tuesday, Oct 06
    Most team offsites are planned on instinct rather than strategy, producing forgettable events that fail to move the needle on collaboration, alignment, or morale. HR and L&D leaders are increasingly tasked with designing these experiences with limited time, inconsistent leadership support, and no reliable framework. This session provides a practical playbook for planning offsites that create measurable impact. Dave Collins and Arun Bedi draw from delivering custom offsites for Google, Nike, Visa, Salesforce, Dell, and Chick-fil-A to share a framework covering stakeholder alignment, agenda design, engagement, facilitation, and post-event follow-through. Through partner exercises, attendees will apply a structured needs assessment, design agendas that balance content with interaction, and build accountability mechanisms that extend impact beyond the event. Leave with a customizable offsite planning toolkit and confidence to design your next team event from the ground up.

    , Oak & Reeds

    • Tuesday, Oct 610:00 AM - 11:00 AM PDT
      Elizabethan A/B

11:00 AM PDT - Tuesday, Oct 6

  • HR Solutions Stage Session
    Tuesday, Oct 06
    11:00 a.m. Tuesday, Oct 06
    HR professionals are the workplace’s mental health champions—and too often its emotional shock absorbers. Drawing on recent SHRM research, this session translates data into practical action for healthier workplaces—and healthier HR professionals.

    , Knowledge Advisor, SHRM

    , SHRM HR Knowledge Advisor, SHRM

    • Tuesday, Oct 611:05 AM - 11:25 AM PDT
      Olympic Room
  • Breakout Session
    Workplace Culture & Human Connection
    Create conditions for early ideas — Build the kind of trust that makes direct reports bring work before it is finished.
    Give feedback that develops, not overrides — Coach the thinking behind the work without replacing it with their own conclusions.
    Coach with questions — Deepen someone's thinking by asking what they have not yet considered rather than telling them what to do next.
    Intermediate
    Employee Engagement & Retention
    Learning and Development
    Organizational Effectiveness & Development
    Tuesday, Oct 06
    11:00 a.m. Tuesday, Oct 06
    Most leaders were never taught how to give feedback that develops someone's thinking without replacing it with their own. Direct reports stop bringing early ideas. Strategy conversations turn into approval-seeking. This session builds a different skill, drawn from the theatre rehearsal room, where directors give "notes" after every run: honest, structured feedback that sharpens the work without taking ownership away from the ensemble. Leaders practice a step-by-step method for coaching work without overriding it.

    • Tuesday, Oct 611:30 AM - 12:30 PM PDT
      Elizabethan C/D
  • Breakout Session
    Leadership & Strategy
    Utilize common strategies to gain alignment with key executive constituencies and ‘get stuff done’ within your organization.
    Analyze how decisions are made and enhance your ability to make an positively impact outcomes
    Sharpen interpersonal skills and confidence levels that will propel you to the next stage of your career
    Intermediate
    HR Strategy
    Organizational Effectiveness & Development
    Tuesday, Oct 06
    11:00 a.m. Tuesday, Oct 06
    The ability to develop innovative & strategic ideas for your organization is critical. Equally important is the ability to move those ideas through approval to implementation. This session will explore techniques and frameworks to expand organizational influence through the lens of an HR leader. Increasing expectations and growing responsibilities have been piling on the CHRO’s desk for years. To become maximally effective leaders, CHROs need to build influence and power across their organization, within the C-suite and across the Board of Directors. This session will examine strategies and tools designed to maximize the interpersonal influence for the HR leader and help move initiatives from proposal to execution. We will explore what is known to the scientific world about social power strategies and how this can be applied to our HR landscape. Join Michael Walters, CHRO at Samsung Semiconductor, as he provides steps to expand your toolkit for organizational influence.

    • Tuesday, Oct 611:30 AM - 12:30 PM PDT
      Elizabethan A/B
  • Breakout Session
    Leadership & Strategy
    Identify future-critical skills and workforce gaps, mapping them to business priorities.
    Design AI-enabled workforce transformation strategies and internal mobility programs.
    Implement AI governance policies and compliance guardrails to ensure responsible technology adoption.
    Advanced
    HR Strategy
    Learning and Development
    Organizational Effectiveness & Development
    Technology Management
    Tuesday, Oct 06
    11:00 a.m. Tuesday, Oct 06
    Organizations are facing unprecedented disruption as AI transforms how work is done, shifting critical skills and redefining roles. This session equips HR leaders and executives with a strategic framework to turn workforce transformation into a growth lever. Participants will explore workforce disruption trends, skills gaps, and AI integration, while learning to design re-skilling strategies, internal mobility frameworks, and AI governance policies. Using real-world data and actionable frameworks, attendees will leave with a 90-day action plan to align talent, culture, and operations with business objectives, while mitigating compliance and data risks. This session empowers leaders to build future-ready teams that drive innovation, operational efficiency, and measurable business growth.

    , Business Consultant & Executive Coach, Intentional Leadership

    • Tuesday, Oct 611:30 AM - 12:30 PM PDT
      California West

12:00 PM PDT - Tuesday, Oct 6

  • Attendee Services
    Tuesday, Oct 06
    12:00 p.m. Tuesday, Oct 06
    Networking Lunch for all attendees.
    • Tuesday, Oct 612:30 PM - 1:30 PM PDT
      Grand Ballroom

1:00 PM PDT - Tuesday, Oct 6

  • Breakout Session
    Workplace Culture & Human Connection
    Discover how to attract the right talent by creating authentic human connections from the very first candidate interaction.
    Learn practical strategies to build a workplace culture where employees feel valued, connected, and motivated to stay.
    Apply emotionally intelligent leadership practices that strengthen trust, boost engagement, and improve long-term retention.
    Intermediate
    Employee Engagement & Retention
    HR Strategy
    Organizational Effectiveness & Development
    Talent Acquisition
    Tuesday, Oct 06
    1:00 p.m. Tuesday, Oct 06
    In today's AI-driven workplace, organizations can hire faster than ever, but technology alone won't inspire people to stay. While AI can streamline recruiting, lasting retention is built through human connection. Drawing on 20 years in technology recruiting, Janice Litvin shares a fresh perspective on the employee journey, revealing how recruiting, culture, and leadership work together to create workplaces where people choose to stay. Through engaging stories and practical strategies, you'll discover how to strengthen retention by putting people at the center of every employee experience.

    , Professional Burnout Speaker, Banish Burnout Academy

    • Tuesday, Oct 61:45 PM - 2:45 PM PDT
      Elizabethan C/D
  • Breakout Session
    Leadership & Strategy
    Examine the risks of relying on “fit” as a hiring standard in a skills-driven workplace.
    Use strategies to align hiring criteria with role requirements, organizational needs, and candidate capability.
    Improve hiring decisions by building a more consistent, skills-based, and defensible selection process.
    Intermediate
    Employee Engagement & Retention
    Employee & Labor Relations
    HR Strategy
    Tuesday, Oct 06
    1:00 p.m. Tuesday, Oct 06
    “Fit” has long been used as a shortcut in hiring, but in today’s workplace, it often creates more risk than clarity. This session will examine how organizations can move away from subjective hiring decisions and toward a more skills-driven approach. Participants will explore how to define roles more clearly, evaluate candidates more effectively, and reduce the influence of bias masked as preference. Designed for HR and talent professionals, this session offers practical strategies for improving hiring decisions, strengthening partnership with hiring managers, and building a process that is both more inclusive and more effective.
    • Tuesday, Oct 61:45 PM - 2:45 PM PDT
      California West

3:00 PM PDT - Tuesday, Oct 6

  • General Session
    Tuesday, Oct 06
    3:00 p.m. Tuesday, Oct 06
    Description coming soon!

    , Co-Founder, MAGNET Method

    • Tuesday, Oct 63:15 PM - 4:00 PM PDT
      Grand Ballroom