From the Trenches * HR Leaders Discuss Strategic Recognition

I’m very excited to be hosting a roundtable discussion at the upcoming Total Rewards 2009 Conference (31 May to 3 June) in Seattle, Washington. This year’s conference is “Dealing with Today’s Challenges/Preparing for Tomorrow’s Opportunities.”

If any blog readers are attending the conference, be sure to say hello. I'd be pleased to meet you. The easiest way to find me will be at the roundtable I’m hosting on Tuesday (workshop code: C26T4), called “21st Century Employee Recognition Knows No Boundaries.”

For those unable to join us in Seattle, this is your chance to participate virtually. If you were in the roundtable session (more details below), what would you ask the panelists? Send your questions via email, in comments, or via the Ask Derek section at the bottom of this blog page. We may answer them in the session. Any questions I receive, I will pose to the panel and will answer in a blog post after the event.

For those attending, the roundtable will be held Tuesday, 2 June, from 3:30 – 4:45. Joining me will be experts from telecommunications, software, media, and pharmaceutical services, specifically:

* Jennifer R Lepird, CBP, Sr Compensation Business Partner, Intuit
* Scott Himelstein, CCP, Director Compensation, Discovery Communications Inc
* Rob Schmitter, Global R&R Program Leader, Nortel
* Jennifer M Reimert, CCP, Sr Director Global HR Compensation, Symantec Corp
* Lisa Marie Taylor, Sr. Director of Global Compensation, Quintiles

We will be discussing how strategic employee recognition programs help reinforce a culture of appreciation that knows no boundaries. The results are increased levels of employee engagement and customer loyalty, high productivity, higher sales and profits, and increased operating income and earnings per share. We will offer insight into how to budget for a global recognition program, using metrics to determine the program's effectiveness in specific geographic areas, achieving global culture change through recognition, and communicating the rollout to a dispersed workforce.

What would you ask this panel? Let me know!