West Central MN SHRM upcoming events

West Central MN SHRM: AI Recruiting Isn’t Magic – It’s Math (and You’re Missing The Formula) (Thursday, May 07, 2026)

Thu, 07 May 2026 13:45:00 GMT

Everyone’s chasing AI for recruiting, but according to MIT, 95% of those projects will fail. Why? We all know there's a tool that will do anything. The biggest barrier to success isn’t the tech, it's the incomplete data we are feeding those tools. And at the core of the data we need for recruiting with AI tools? Job descriptions.

Think about it: Would a bot be able to pre-qualify an applicant if you don't tell it what your deal breakers are? How could you automate knockout interview questions if you don’t know the skills? Is it possible to build an accurate assessment that predicts performance if you can’t define what you’re measuring? No. Without structured, accurate job descriptions, AI can’t deliver on the promises you’ve been sold.

If you’ve ever wondered why AI in recruiting feels more hype than help, this is where the answers start. You’ll hear why companies are wasting billions by ignoring this critical input, and walk away with practical ways to overhaul your job description and mandatory requirements so your AI investment finally delivers results.

You'll learn:

Which data points are most important for AI (and missing from almost every job description),
How to write mandatory hiring criteria in a way machines can use it,
Automation opportunities and how you can use job description data to automate recruiting steps once you have it,
Metrics to quantify the impact of overhauling your job descriptions,
And more!

In this session, Katrina Kibben will show you where to start and why job descriptions are far more than a recruiting ad. They’re the foundation of every AI recruiting initiative.

Learning Objectives:

Identify the essential data points AI systems require—and recognize which of them are typically missing from standard job descriptions.
Evaluate how structured, accurate job descriptions enable automation across the recruiting lifecycle, including screening, knockout questions, and assessment design.
Analyze and apply metrics that quantify the business impact of improving job descriptions, allowing participants to measure ROI and strengthen future people-strategy initiatives.

Katrina Kibben is a leadership speaker, LinkedIn Top Voice, and the founder of Three Ears Media. They are known for transforming how companies attract great talent and build a healthy team culture. With 15+ years of experience at globally recognized brands like Monster.com and Randstad Worldwide, Katrina shares weekly reflections on leadership, work, and well-being in their newsletter each week at katrinakibben.com. A LinkedIn Top Voice on Hiring featured in The New York Times and Forbes, Katrina is also the author of This Was All An Accident and The Bounce Back Factor, The Leader's Guide To Liking Yourself While Leading Your People.

Visit Kat's website at Three Ears Media.

West Central MN SHRM: Employment Law Update (Thursday, June 11, 2026)

Thu, 11 Jun 2026 13:00:00 GMT

West Central MN SHRM: Employee Engagement (Thursday, July 09, 2026)

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 13:45:00 GMT

Employee engagement doesn't need to be complicated—but it does need to be intentional. In this session, we'll break down the basics of engagement and explore simple, real-world solutions. We'll look at common challenges HR faces and share practical ways to improve communication, provide clarity, and drive performance—without needing a big budget or fancy perks. Members are invited to submit their biggest engagement challenge in advance. These examples will guide the presentation, along with starting solutions you can put into action right away.

Lisa Bormann helps leaders deliver results by strengthening their connections with employees.

With over 28 years of experience in communications and marketing, Lisa is a consultant who delivers customized solutions for internal communications and HR programs. She works with clients across various industries, with a focus on CPG and retail, to help them maximize employee engagement and performance.

She leverages her expertise in employee engagement and internal communications to provide clients with actionable insights and guidance. She also partners with leaders to identify strategic opportunities and create end-to-end integrated solutions that are tailored to their audience and goals. Her mission is to reduce corporate speak, break through the clutter, and be more human in how we communicate at work.

West Central MN SHRM: The Empowered Workplace: Managing Stress and Overwhelm (Thursday, September 03, 2026)

Thu, 03 Sep 2026 13:45:00 GMT

Aimee Goodwin is a certified Life Coach and Emotional Resilience Trainer. She is a motivational Public Speaker and author of various articles and blogs. She has published two books: Victory: A Lyme Story and The Mountains We Climb, an Amazon best seller and award-winner in the New York Book Festival. She is the founder of “New Hope Wellness” in Alexandria MN and Entrepreneur.

Throughout her life she has overcome chronic Lyme disease, the loss of losing a child and the emotional stress that can come from being an EMT and First responder. These experiences and many others have taken her on a powerful journey of personal growth and transformation. Her own strength is deeply rooted in a developed emotional resilience that she now shares through her Coaching Practice.

West Central MN SHRM: The Legal Lowdown: Fall Edition (Thursday, October 01, 2026)

Thu, 01 Oct 2026 13:45:00 GMT

Mock Investigation

Josh Heggem, partner at Pemberton Law in Fergus Falls, is a recognized expert in the practice of Labor and Employment Law, which has been a major concentration of his work for more than fourteen years and currently makes up 90 percent of his practice representing and advising public and private employers. Workplace investigations have been a significant niche within his practice, and he has completed well over 150 investigations and presently conducts at least two per month. He also has a great deal of experience handling labor negotiations on behalf of employers, conducting workplace trainings, and advising employers on the myriad of issues they encounter on a daily basis, including contract issues, medical leaves, wage and hour, workplace misconduct, and employee separation issues.

West Central MN SHRM: Midwest Nice & Conflict (Thursday, November 05, 2026)

Thu, 05 Nov 2026 14:45:00 GMT

Dr. Laura Janusik is the founder of Listening to Change and a lifelong researcher of how the brain processes communication. For more than 20 years, she’s trained thousands of people, from executive leaders to caregivers to lifelong learners, on how to become better listeners, stronger communicators, and more effective collaborators.

She holds a Ph.D. in Communication from the University of Maryland, and she’s devoted her academic and professional life to the study of listening, with a deep focus on how the brain shapes our communication habits. Her work has been featured in NPR, Forbes, Harvard Business Review, The Wall Street Journal, and U.S. News & World Report, and she’s shared this research with over 4,000 leaders across dozens of industries.

But her work isn’t just about leadership. It’s about relationships: at work, at home, and within ourselves.