AGC’s 2015 Construction HR & Training Professionals Conference wrapped up Oct. 9 after two-and-a-half days of education, sharing of best practices and networking in St. Louis, MO. The conference continues to be a must-attend event for HR and training professionals in the construction industry.
This year’s conference was preceded by a Strategic Management Workshop for construction HR and training professionals. During the workshop’s opening session, Partnering with the C-Suite, panelists Clay Kubicek from Crossland Construction in Columbus, KS, Grady Bland from Metro Waterproofing in Atlanta, GA, Rachel Fitch from PC Construction in Burlington, VT, and Rachel Miller from S.M. Wilson Construction in St. Louis, MO, explained the value of partnering with company executives to learn what they need from HR and training. During the session, panelists shared examples of how they were able to use the HR and training departments to help solve big-picture problems that directly impact the company’s bottom line. The session was moderated by Bryan May of Birddog. In other workshop sessions, Construction industry HR professionals Dina Cox of CAS Constructors and Suzanne Benoit of Wright Ryan Construction shared their experiences applying the use of workforce analytics and financial statements for problem solving and creating a positive workplace culture for positive bottom-line results. Another highlight of the workshop was the session Team Leadership when Developing a Strategic Plan. During the session, Dr. Robin Wentworth of Organizational Excellence International teamed up with Caddell Construction’s HR Director, Matt Abele, to share Caddell’s case study of the process used to implement their new strategic plan.
The official opening day of the Conference started off with an entertaining and engaging session led by Galen Emanuele of Shift Yes. Galen’s high-energy presentation captivated the audience as he taught them how to implement the “Yes, And” concept within their organizations to improve communication, interpersonal behavior and high-level engagement. Breakout sessions throughout the day covered such topics as construction compensation, the impact of the current economy on construction, developing a pipeline of skilled workers, an employment law update, creating high-performing teams, managing wellness programs, transitioning from classroom training, and avoiding employee handbook mistakes.
There were several engaging and interactive sessions at the conference as well. For example, in the keynote session, industry favorite Kelly Riggs shared secrets of how ordinary people create uncommon performance. Additionally, HR and training panelists Robin Renschen of McCarthy Building Company, Ann Michalski of i+iconUSA, and Nancy Libardoni of Gilbane Construction shared details about how their companies have implemented mentoring programs, leadership succession plans, and knowledge transfer programs as solutions to their company’s workforce development issues. During the closing session, FMI consultant Randy Nemchin unveiled the company’s long-awaited 2015 Talent Development and Acquisition Survey results. The report is based on responses nationwide from a mix of general contractors and construction managers at firms of all sizes and specialties.
The conference was sponsored by the National Center for Construction Education & Research, PAS, Inc., CSM, Inc., eMars Inc., the AGC Alternative and BirddogHR.
The 2016 conference will be held October 5-7 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Chicago, IL. Stay tuned for more details.