U of A talent development specialist Judith Tavano has been selected as a featured speaker at the 2023 Arkansas Society of Human Resources Management Conference & Expo in Fort Smith from Oct. 18-20.

More than 450 human resources leaders from across the region are expected to attend the annual event, which provides attendees with HR learning opportunities and networking, equipping them with the tools to succeed within their organizations.

Tavano will speak about approaching workforce engagement through a generational lens. She has been studying generations in the workplace for two decades, and she often hears from leaders who have difficulties recruiting and retaining younger generations.

"Mixing different perspectives and beliefs from each generation into a workplace setting can get interesting for employers and HR professionals," she said. "There is value in discussing the impact of generational differences not only for HR professionals, but for supervisors even here at the university. I believe enhancing our strategic priority as an employer of choice depends on it as well."

At the end of her presentation, participants will be able to:

• Defend generational needs in the workplace.
• Design future-focused team building, training, development and retention strategies for all generations.
• Demonstrate the value of future-focused generational strategies.

Arkansas SHRM is a local chapter of the SHRM national organization. Their mission is to create better workplaces where employers and employees thrive together, and to be the foremost thought leader on issues impacting today's evolving workplaces.

Those interested in attending the conference can learn more and register on the conference website.