We’re back from the Transform conference!

Yes, employee storytelling, culture communications, employer branding, and recruitment marketing are our areas of expertise. So what are we doing at a conference designed for HR professionals? Culture development, change and communications are clear connecting threads between our two worlds.

Plus, we like People people and we are constant students of leadership best practices!

Here’s our recap of our favorite sessions.

Private Screening of LILLY

From Factory Floor to Fair Pay Pioneer: A Conversation About Lilly Ledbetter’s Legacy

LILLY, a film about Lilly Ledbetter and the Fair Pay Act, played several times at the conference. Lilly spent 20 years working at Goodyear Tire before she discovered, through a note left anonymously in her locker, that she had been paid less than her male peers. After retiring, she took legal action, fought for justice for all of us, and eventually changed history. She inspired many to fight for what became the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009. 

Watching Lilly’s struggle, sacrifice, and triumph alongside HR leaders and professionals was particularly meaningful. The audience cried and booed (at the injustice and the setbacks – not the movie itself). The movie felt personal, relevant, and an inspiring reminder of why HR professionals do the work they do.  

Surprisingly, many HR practitioners at the conference had never heard of Lilly Ledbetter or the Fair Pay Act. There’s clearly a need to know and tell this story right now:

• Lilly fought for fair and equal treatment (pay in particular), even though she would not personally benefit from the bill’s passing
• Lilly’s experience inspired others, including Ruth Bader Ginsburg, to take action.
• This movement eventually passed a bill and changed systems to prevent injustice; real change took time and there were many setbacks. 

After the movie, an HR exec leader, Jenny Dearborn, revealed she was one of eighty + producers of the film. After reading the script, she felt compelled to invest in its filming and release. She also brought it to Transform! Jenny knew the audience (and the world) needed to know Lilly’s story. Further, the next day Jenny led a panel with Rachel Feldman, the writer and director of the movie, and Lilly’s daughter, Vickie Saxon, where they shared stories about the making of the movie and Lilly’s impact. They told the audience they are looking for companies to sponsor the screening of the movie in different cities as they realize the film nationally. If your company wants to help, get in touch with them!

From Burnout to Breakthrough: Reigniting Leadership Spark

HR leaders in particular are notorious for neglecting their own needs. Further, the last several years have increased burnout in leaders, particularly those in the Talent space.

To truly understand the syndrome of burnout, the audience needed to hear real stories from HR leaders who experienced it. Three HR leaders, Prudence Pitter, David Landman and Tracy Layney shared their personal experiences which helped normalize it for others in the room. In order to spot and give support to those on your team experiencing burnout, some tips included genuinely asking how your team is doing, and identifying and delegating energy draining tasks for those who are struggling. Normalizing and promoting breaks and time off is important, while also modeling the behavior yourself for your team. Because: leaders need to rest too!

DEI Reimagined into Human-Centered Workplaces

Beyond Acronyms: Strengthening Workplaces in an Evolving Landscape

These sessions were moderated by Rocki Howard and Torin Ellis. They were filled with tips on how to stay true to your commitment to equitable workplaces while also abiding by new regulations and waffling internal and external support. Some helpful information: 

• Communicate differently internally and externally. Without knowledge of how your organization is adjusting, employees will fill the void with their own speculations and observations.
• The acronym DEI is weaponized; if you say the words Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, it’s harder to brush past its importance
• ReadySet created a risk calculator that helps you assess risk when considering your organization’s next move
• Do the quiet work. Sometimes big public splashes distract from the real business mandates that diversity, equity and inclusion helps move forward. Get the data that supports the business impact of your work. 

Thank you to Khalil Smith, Tiana Kara, Marcus Sawyerr, Rachel Marcuse, Bernard Coleman, La Nise Hagan, and Dr. Nancy Nazer for their candor and sharing their experience.

AI in HR: Cutting Through the Hype, Avoiding Pitfalls, and Driving Real Results

Kyle Lagunas from Aptitude Research shared successes and pitfalls implementing AI to solve HR challenges with technology. This was a grounded and practical session featuring two real world case studies: one where implementing part of an AI tech solution worked, and one where it didn’t (and what you could learn from it). Kyle encouraged the audience to learn about AI alongside a group of their peers. Aptitude Research just launched a group called the Human-Centric AI Council (HCAIC). Currently, Aptitude is assembling a core working group with plans to later engage the broader industry with monthly town hall meetings. 

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