Boston CHRO Community
Executive Summit

This year's reception will feature students from the Boston chapter of Year Up. The nonprofit's mission is to close the opportunity divide by ensuring that young adults gain the skills, experiences, and support that will empower them to reach their potential through careers and higher education. Governing Body members and speakers are invited to this gathering to network and provide their expertise and insights to the next generation of talent. 

Creating a strong workplace community is essential to meet the evolving challenges of 2023. Yet, new research from the O.C. Tanner Institute reveals how burnout and isolation among leaders and employees are threatening culture and organizational success. These challenges need fresh strategies to create a thriving workplace community.

Join this session to learn: 

• Insights from the perspectives of 38,000 leaders and employees worldwide
• Best practices for fortifying leaders and growing generalists in an era of change
• Ways symbolic, integrated recognition create a strong sense of community for all

CHROs are constantly tackling competing priorities in an ever-changing landscape. The dust will never settle: volatility and uncertainty define the operating environment. How do we support our people to stay resilient in the face of change?

Come together with your peers to tackle approaches to:

• Balance employee productivity with flexibility
• Upskill burdened managers to support their teams’ wellbeing
• How to play offense and defense at the same time and plan for the future with optimism while remaining realistic about challenges

CHROs are continuously looking to revamp the way they recruit and sourcing talent where competitors are not. When developing a strategic recruiting function, what are the untapped ways to find the best talent and improve business from the ground up?

In this session CHROs will address:

• Finding nontraditional candidate sources
• Diversifying your talent pool
• Hiring to meet short and long-term needs

The events of the past three years shifted CHROs to a reactive response to enterprise, employee and social demands, pushing some essential functions further down the priority list. The bill has now come due for those vital priorities as HR leaders work to get back on track and make positive impacts on the organization.

•  Rebuilding leadership pipelines 
•  Maintaining HR as a key enterprise function
•  Redesigning operating models for modern org structure

Organizations must adapt to remain competitive amidst rapid change, and those that align their purpose and values with their employee experience will be best positioned to retain top talent. How can HR leaders develop a strong EVP that attracts talent, connects employees to purpose, and amplifies a strong employer and internal brand?
Join this session to discuss:

• Evolving HR strategy around authenticity and purpose
• Supporting employees so they aspire to grow within the organization
• Activating an EVP through brand communications that resonate with current employees and future candidates

DEI strategies often struggle to balance complicated needs that deliver lasting impact. In fact, Gartner research shows 42% of employees resent their organizations’ DEI efforts. Execution will continue to fall on HR to make groups feel like they belong in the workplace.
In this boardroom, HR leaders will discuss:

• Unraveling unconscious bias 
• New approaches to the demands of the modern workforce
• How benefits can make marginalized groups feel seen

Even with a less-competitive labor market, CHROs are still focused on retaining their talent. Many companies can’t afford to address retention with compensation increases alone, so what can be done?

Join this session to discuss:

• Identifying and combating drivers of attrition
• Boosting retention through professional development and career path opportunities
• Developing long-term strategies to improve employee experience and EVP

Connect with like-minded peers in a one-on-one setting through Evanta’s Peer-to-Peer Meetings. You will be matched with peers in your community based on your shared interests and priorities.

As states across the country are implementing pay transparency requirements, new state bills could obligate Massachusetts organizations to soon do the same. In addition to avoiding potential litigation, forward-thinking employers who implement fair pay policies may be able to improve their organization’s reputation, keep employees engaged and attract new talent.

In this session, CHROs will discuss:

• The current local status and legal ramifications of pay transparency
• Best practices in change management to prepare executives and hiring managers
• How to tactically implement pay practices for recruiting and retention

Studies show that 70% of team engagement is determined solely by a manager. To gain a competitive edge, HR leaders must focus on giving managers the tools they need to create a working environment that motivates, connects and inspires.
Join this boardroom to discuss:

• Shifting from good intentions to intentional inclusion
• Listening as a fundamental driver of engagement
• Leveraging technology to empower managers

Less than half of employees agree the learning their employer provides is relevant to them, according to Gartner research. CHROs must hone their approach, putting employee needs at the center of their learning and development efforts to cultivate essential skills and a motivated workforce.

Join this session to discuss:

• Assessing your organization’s current learning and development ecosystem
• Designing human-centric skill development programs
• Supporting employees’ whole-career growth to promote retention while filling urgent skill gaps

Successful organizations have strong succession plans in place to handle changes in the business and unexpected challenges. But when it comes time to activate, transformative leadership from a collective and collaborative c-suite will be needed to steady the ship while maximining current talent to weather the storm.

In this keynote session, Mark Griffin, CHRO of BJ's Wholesale Club will discuss:

• Expediting and upgrading talent readiness through succession planning
• Collaborating on organizational transformation
• Identifying critical roles for long-term success