October has been designated as "HR Awareness" Month by Governor Greg Abbott.

In his proclamation, the governor recognizes the contributions made by human resource professionals in the state of Texas. These contributions include recruiting new talent, compliance with labor laws, educating Texans about health and safety, workplace ethics and much more.

Texas SHRM (www.texasshrm.org) represents 19,000 human resources professionals throughout the state, and we are grateful for the governor’s recognition of the contributions made by the human resource community. In addition to the governor’s proclamation, leadership of Texas SHRM issued the following statements:

"I’d like to commend the dedicated human resources professionals in the state for their part in making this one of the most productive and vibrant economies in the nation. Whether a specialist in workforce development, compensation or recruiting, or a generalist called upon to drive all aspects of HR, Texas SHRM salutes the champions of change and influential human capital productivity." - Mike Kahn, SHRM-SCP, SPHR, state director, Texas SHRM

"In proclaiming October as HR Awareness Month in the state of Texas, I would like to thank Governor Abbott for recognizing the many talents that our human resource professionals contribute to the many businesses and organizations across our great state. With the governor's recognition in mind, I would like to congratulate all human resource professionals in Texas for their invaluable contributions in fostering business excellence and economic prosperity in our great state." - Bob Cartwright, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, district director at large, Texas SHRM

Many of the HR community will attend a statewide conference beginning October 25 in Ft. Worth to better their understanding of regulatory matters and best HR practices.

 

Business and Human Resources Colleagues: An invitation especially for you to showcase your business!

Your participation as a sponsor or exhibitor at the 2016 South Texas Human Resource Symposium promises a great experience to showcase your business to over 400 human resources and business professionals from the south Texas region and beyond! Please join us in this great event for south Texas business professionals!

When: Thursday and Friday, Feb. 4 and 5, 2016
Where: Norris Conference Center

Click Here for more information.

The packet of information that outlines the affordable sponsor and exhibitor opportunities is ready for you to reserve your spot. We have about 40 spaces available — so we invite you to secure a spot now.

For more information, contact Elsa O. Ybanez at: 210-843-0378 or via email at eybanez@stmarytx.edu.

The HRSouthwest Conference Starts in Two Days!

We hope to see you starting in just two days as we kickoff the beginning of HRSWC! Each evening, we’ll have fantastic networking opportunities, including: Happy Hour on Sunday, Oct. 25 from 5 – 7 p.m. at Frankie’s Bar & Grill in Sundance Square; Welcome Reception on Monday, Oct. 26 from 5:45 – 7:30 p.m. in the HRSWC Marketplace; and the Closing Reception on Tuesday, Oct. 27 from 5:45 – 7:15 p.m. in the Conference Center Ballroom.

HRSWC Launches 2015 Mobile App

The HRSWC mobile app is the perfect tool for building your customized conference experience. Add yourself to the attendee list for instant messaging, explore educational sessions and speakers, bookmark your favorite activities, preview the exhibitors and sponsors, and utilize the My Schedule feature. Push notifications will help keep you apprised of conference happenings, and session evaluations enable you to provide immediate feedback. Two great ways to access! No download required, just visit hrsouthwest.com/mobile. Or download to your device, searching "HRSWC" in the App Store or Google Play. Sponsored by Streampoint Solutions.

HRSWC Announces Topics for Practitioners Exchange

Practitioners Exchange is HRSWC’s newest innovation in educational offerings. This hands-on, roundtable activity will take place from 12:30 – 1:00 p.m. in the lunch area of the Marketplace on Monday, Oct. 26 and Tuesday, Oct. 27. Participants will be guided through peer-to-peer discussions about case studies of real-world HR scenarios and be challenged to develop their own solutions to the issues presented. Cases will center around hot topics crowdsourced from registered attendees. Sponsored by CRG emPerform.

Be an Active Contributor to the HRSWC Social Wall

Located in the Hub at HRSWC, the social wall is a live feed of your Twitter and Instagram posts containing the conference hashtag – #HRSWC. Help build excitement and be an advocate by sharing your photos and thoughts of conference happenings. Not on Twitter or Instagram? That’s okay! You can still get on the social wall by sending an email to hrsw2015@wiffiti.com. Let’s keep the story evolving —.we want to hear from and see you on the "big screen."

Texas SHRM is very excited to have three finalists for SHRM Pinnacle Awards. Each year at the Leadership Summit in Washington D.C., SHRM recognizes outstanding chapter and council activities with a cash award and public recognition at the general session. Criteria for being a finalist, out of the many submissions from around the country, is very high and just being nominated is a great achievement. At this November’s meeting, the El Paso and San Antonio chapters, along with the Texas State Council, will be recognized and hopefully take home the top spot for their category. Congratulations to all!

Each year during The HRSouthwest Conference, you will find the SHRM Shack located in the center of the Expo hall. The purpose of the Shack is to promote SHRM and chapter membership, and to allow conference attendees an opportunity to receive answers to their SHRM-related questions from SHRM staff members who will be on-site for the event.The SHRM Shack is a great place to network, learn or just relax with other HR professionals. We look forward to seeing you at the Shack!

Under the leadership of Business Seminar Chair Diana Dean, the Brazos Valley SHRM Chapter hosted the annual Business Seminar at the Phillips Event Center in Bryan, Texas on September 25. More than 80 HR professionals and business leaders attended the seminar, which was certified for SHRM PDCs and HRCI certification credits. Six one-hour sessions included What’s Hot in Employment Law, Social Media, Diversity & Inclusion, Practical Process Improvement to Reinvigorate HR, Retaining Workforce Knowledge, and Dealing with Different People Styles. St. Joseph Hospital was the Corporate Sponsor and Dr. Aline Rouk, MD-St. Joseph Occupational Medicine was the luncheon guest speaker.

On behalf of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and the Mid-Tex Human Resource Management Association (Mid-Tex HRMA), I would like to invite you to be my guest at the monthly chapter luncheon on Thursday, November 12, 2015, from 11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m.

Turning Vision Into Action: Human Resources Seminar and Workshop

When: Thursday, Nov. 5, 2015
Time: 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Where: Victoria College's New Emerging Technology Complex
Registration fee: $75

• 8:30 a.m.— Doors open, network & enjoy continental breakfast
• Professional presentations including EEOC, Employment Law, Legislative Action Roadshow, Compensation and Wellness
• Meet with local vendors & enjoy door prizes
• Receive SHRM Certification credits
• Enjoy a networking catered lunch on-site

Join SAHRMA for our November meeting!

Date: November 10, 2015
Time: Lunch Meeting
Topic: The Economic Impact of the Military in the San Antonio Area
Speaker: Brigadier General Robert (Bob) D. LaBrutta

In this session, we will learn about the military’s role here in San Antonio. General LaBrutta will discuss the economic impact that Joint Base San Antonio (JBSA) has in the San Antonio region and across the state of Texas. We will hear about the effect of sequestration and how JBSA is partnering with public/private entities to mitigate the impacts. We will also learn how our military members can be transitioned into the civilian sector and the benefits of hiring vets.

Click Here for more information and to register.

Littler Employment & Labor Law Solutions Worldwide has just opened an Austin office!

On Dec. 2, Littler will host two separate complimentary events at their new offices. In the morning, Littler will host a breakfast briefing, which will be a complimentary deluxe breakfast and 90-minute presentation on FMLA/ADA issues (with PHR/SPHR/CLE credit). The speaker is Alexis Knapp.

That evening, there is a complimentary networking happy hour to get Littler's name out there in Austin and let people meet, network, and have great food and drinks.

STXHRS – South Texas Human Resources Symposium – 2016
Thursday, February 4th and Friday, February 5th 2016
Norris Conference Center 618 NW Loop 410, San Antonio, TX 78216

Let’s celebrate the many reasons that WE ♥ HR!!

Click "Learn More" to read the details!

November Monthly Luncheon: Preparing Your Business for Success by Driving Change: Why & How the World’s Largest Automaker is Making it Happen in Texas
Tuesday, November 10 | 11:30 AM – 1:15 PM
Approved for 1 HRCI HR (General) Recertification Credit Hour and 1 SHRM PDC

Last year, Toyota announced its plans to undertake what has since been described as the largest headquarters’ relocation and reorganization in the history of corporate America. Hear from one of Toyota’s executives charged with making it happen. Terri Von Lehmden will reveal why and how Toyota is leveraging this historic opportunity to drive a culture of innovation throughout its North American operations. Terri will discuss how Toyota's newly developed cultural priorities are shaping everything, from the design of its organization to the company’s new headquarters campus in Plano.

DFW SMA Luncheon: The Secrets of a Master Sourcer
Wednesday, November 18 | 11:30 AM – 1:15 PM
Approved for 1 HRCI HR (General) Recertification Credit Hour and 1 SHRM PDC

Sourcing is an art, and the modern-day sourcer must have a number of tricks, tips, strategies and tactics to be successful. In this session, Jim Schnyder will share some of his favorite tools and techniques he either learned or created over the years that have helped him be more effective in recruiting and sourcing. You will leave with strategies you can immediately implement in your recruiting and share with your team.

Our October 24 Fall Meeting and HRSW Conference are just around the corner, and we have some fun things planned for you. We have several opportunities for you to help us reach our Foundation goal this year.

Fall meeting: We will be raffling a couple of great items as we normally do. NEW this year: Wine raffle. Rules are simple. Buy a raffle ticket, pick a number, and you win the corresponding bottle of wine. You'll have an opportunity to swap your bottle for a small up-charge. Bottles of wine range from $10 to $100, and some have a rating of 93 points. Your donation will help fund future SHRM Foundation scholarships.

HRSW SHRM Shack: Stop by the SHRM Shack during the HRSW Conference and buy raffle tickets for a chance to win a night stay at the luxurious four-star Rosewood Crescent Hotel in Dallas, Texas.

We will also be selling t-shirts during the meeting and HRSW.

WGU Texas has partnered with the Texas SHRM to launch the Go Further in Human Resources Scholarship. This scholarship is for human resource professionals who want to further their career by earning a bachelor’s or master’s degree. Up to 15 scholarships will be awarded to members of Texas SHRM chapters.