AGC’s 2019 Construction HR & Training Professionals Conference wrapped up Oct. 11 after two-and-a-half days of education, sharing of best practices and networking in Chicago, IL. The conference continues to be a must-attend event for human resources and training professionals in the construction industry.
This year’s conference was preceded by a half-day Strategic Management Workshop. This workshop consisted of two sessions to help participants understand their firm’s top business challenges in order to align their department and efforts with the company’s strategic corporate goals. The first session took participants on a deep dive into the design, rollout and communication of tailored Total Rewards strategic initiatives that drive organizational change and human capital retention. The second session provided an interactive panel discussion on the movement of HR over time and the need to align HR and the C-Suite moving forward.
The official opening day of the Conference started off with an entertaining and engaging session led by brand builder, “motivational speecher” and trainer, word girl and business coach Liz Goodgold. Goodgold’s high-energy presentation “The Art of Networking Inside Your Company; 6 Secrets to Boosting Camaraderie, Cooperation, and a Cohesive Team” captivated the audience and set the collaborative tone of the conference. Breakout sessions throughout the day covered such topics as labor & employment law, HRIS and LMS implementation lessons, activity based learning, worker availability and wage trends, and brain friendly leadership. There were several engaging and interactive sessions at the conference as well. For example, during the always popular roundtable lunch discussions led by HR and TED Forum Steering Committee members, participants approached recent hot topics in the industry and shared successes, challenges, and best practices. Later in the day, engineer turned CEO and professional speaker Sydne Jacques provided the keynote, “Creating Cultures by Design, Not Default – A Fun Way to Boost Profitability.”
On day two, Kathleen Freitas from Bond Brothers, Inc. and Brendan Carter from AGC MA presented a case study on their experience and development of guidance for substance use disorders in the construction industry. The ensuing morning breakout sessions included topics such as maintaining effective pay programs, HR best practices to avoid lawsuits, identifying, developing and retaining key leaders, and how to prepare for or avoid ICE audits and raids. The conference concluded with a compelling presentation on how several Middle Tennessee highway construction contractors partnered with TN Department of Transportation and TN Department of Corrections to create a program to assist ex-offenders re-entering the workforce and simultaneously help impact their construction workforce shortage.
The conference was sponsored by the National Center for Construction Education & Research, PAS, Inc., Viewpoint, Traliant, Alliant Employee Benefits, and BirddogHR.
The 2020 conference will be held October 7-9 in St. Louis, MO. Stay tuned for more details.
For more information, contact Claiborne Guy at claiborne.guy@agc.org