Developing HR Fundamentals - July 30 & August 6, 2025 (VIRTUAL)
Includes Multiple Live Events. The next is on 07/30/2025 at 9:00 AM (EDT)
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Register
- Non-member - $899
- Member - $699
- SEF Member - $699
Pricing
Members - $699
Non-Members - $899 (Comes with one year NEHRA membership starting the day of the first session)
NEHRA’s Developing HR Fundamentals Program provides HR professionals who are new to the HR field, are moving from a specialist to a generalist role, or who work within smaller organizations and wear many hats, with a solid foundation for a well-rounded career in human resources.
Facilitated as a cohort, the program provides engaging instruction over two full days from industry leaders, leaving participants well equipped to add immediate value to their organization.
Additionally, participants will have access to all slide decks, handouts, and glossary of HR Terms in our eLearning platform.
Wednesday, July 30:
9:00am
Opening Remarks, Participant Introductions and Introduction to the HR Profession
9:30am - 12:00pm
Module 1: Talent Management
Facilitator - Calista Thompson, Senior Director of HR, Cynosure Lutronic
This session will begin with an introduction to the HR profession and an opportunity for participants to get to know each other. The module will establish a solid foundation for managing talent, one of the core responsibilities of HR leaders. We’ll explore the pivotal role HR plays in aligning talent management with the strategic goals of the organization, ensuring the right people are hired at the right time.
Key Learnings:
- Workforce Planning: Developing strategies to anticipate and meet future talent needs.
- Talent Acquisition: Navigating the complete hiring process, from sourcing and interviewing to selecting and onboarding new employees.
- Employee Development: Supporting ongoing growth and development to retain top talent and foster a high-performing workforce.
12:00pm – 1:00pm
Offline Break for Lunch
1:00pm – 4:00pm
Module 2: Compensation Fundamentals
Facilitator - Dave Weaver, Founder, Compensation and HR Group
This session provides a comprehensive understanding of employee compensation, focusing on key components, strategies, and best practices for managing pay structures in organizations. Participants will learn how to create a balanced compensation philosophy, implement labor cost containment programs, and ensure compliance with legal requirements. The course also covers the nuances of fixed and variable pay, the role of compensation analytics, and the importance of pay-for-performance systems, all while providing insights into market analysis and the compensation infrastructure.
Key Learnings:
- Comprehensive Compensation Framework: Understand the components of compensation, including fixed pay, short-term and long-term incentives, and how they align with an organization's compensation philosophy and market competitiveness.
- Strategic Implementation & Analytics: Learn how to implement compensation programs effectively by utilizing data-driven insights, analyzing market trends, and aligning job descriptions with compensation structures to ensure fair and competitive pay practice.
- Legal Compliance: Gain a thorough understanding of maintaining legal compliance in compensation practices and learn strategies to manage compensation effectively.
Wednesday August 6:
9:00am – 12:00pm
Welcome Back & Module 3: Employment Law Basics
Facilitator - Daniel Klein, Partner, Seyfarth Shaw
This session provides participants with key concepts and takeaways about federal and state employments laws with which organizations must comply, reducing risk in organizations for non-compliance. This key module enables for an improved understanding of the responsibility of HR as it relates to various employment laws and regulations.
Key Learnings:
- Applicable employment laws and key concepts that impact organizations, including coverage of discrimination, harassment, leave and accommodation management, wage and hour compliance, NLRA, background checks, etc.
- Risks to avoid
- Other compliance obligations and considerations for employers
12:00pm – 1:00pm
Offline Break for Lunch
1:00pm – 4:00pm
Module 4: Employee Relations
Facilitator - Gina Abudi, President, Abudi Consulting Group, LLC
This session focuses on the key elements of fostering positive employee-employer relationships that enhance productivity, engagement, and morale. Participants will learn best practices for identifying and managing workplace conflicts while developing communication strategies that effectively engage employees.
Key Learnings:
- Conflict Prevention and Resolution: Discover techniques to prevent and address employee issues that impact work environments.
- Effective Communication: Understand your communication style and how to leverage it to engage and motivate employees.
- Conflict Management: Learn proven methods for identifying and resolving conflicts in the workplace.
Closing Activity: Summary, Wrap Up and Action Planning
Facilitator - Gina Abudi, President, Abudi Consulting Group, LLC
Action planning will be done at the end of the second day, enabling participants to detail how they will apply what they learned in the two-day program back on the job. Participants will be provided an action plan template to capture learnings from the program as well as to detail their next steps.
*Cancellation Policy: Requests for cancellations must be received via email a minimum of 5 days prior to the event. The refund will be subject to a $100 cancellation fee. If a request for refund/ cancellation is received within 5 days prior to the event, you will have the option to transfer the registration to another individual or forfeit the registration fee.
Calista Thompson
Senior Director Human Resources
Cynosure Lutronic
Calista Thompson, SPHR is a Wheaton College graduate with over 15 years of human resources experience. Starting her career in HR as a legal and then HR recruiter, Calista worked on her MBA with a focus in HR Management from Houston Baptist University. After obtaining her degree, she started her in-house HR work as an HR Representative for a power generation company in Houston, Texas. From there, she started her work in the marine transportation industry first as an HR Manager and then as an HR Director for Tidewater, Inc. While at Tidewater, she obtained her SPHR certification. In late October 2022, Calista will be starting as the Vice President of Human Resources at BellXcel, an educational SAAS non-profit in Westwood, MA. Calista now lives in Norton, MA along her husband, two children and two dogs.
David Weaver
Founder, Compensation and HR Group
David is President of the Compensation & HR Group and is responsible for all consulting functions within the organization. He is the Author of the bestselling HR book Pay Matters: The Art and Science of Employee Compensation.
Prior to joining the Compensation & HR Group, David spent 20 years managing a human resources membership and consulting organization. He has also held positions with industry leaders Liberty Mutual, Honeywell and Hewlett-Packard as a corporate human resources professional. During this period, he gained essential hands-on experience in compensation program development, marketing and internal communications.
A graduate of The University of Massachusetts at Amherst, David has also made his mark in academia, having served as adjunct faculty member for both Northeastern University and Newbury College where he taught courses in Compensation Management and Human Resource Management. He also worked as an instructor for the certification courses at the Compensation Analyst Academy, WorldatWork and the Society for Human Resource Management.
Daniel B. Klein, Esq.
Partner
Seyfarth Shaw LLP
Daniel Klein is a partner in the Labor and Employment Department of Seyfarth Shaw's Boston office. Mr. Klein's practice includes the representation of management in employment and non-competition litigation matters before state and federal courts, at trial and appellate levels, as well as federal and state agencies, including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination, and the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights & Opportunities.
Mr. Klein also counsels national, regional and local employers on a wide variety of employment matters, including disability accommodation, family and medical leave, workplace investigations, wage and hour compliance, commissions disputes, performance assessment and discipline, terminations, reductions-in-force, training, background checks, whistleblower claims, defamation, handbook and policy review, and trade-secrets protection strategies.As a member of the firm's Complex Discrimination Litigation Practice Group, Mr. Klein has defended employers in a variety of complex discrimination cases, including multi-plaintiff discrimination lawsuits, EEOC pattern and practice cases, and collective actions under the Fair Labor Standards Act.
Mr. Klein also has defended employers against the full spectrum of cases involving allegations of discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination, defamation, and wage and hour violations, as well as representing employers in non-competition and contract disputes.Mr. Klein regularly assists clients in drafting employment contracts, severance agreements, non-competition, non-disclosure and confidentiality agreements, personnel policies and company handbooks. He has represented employers in a variety of industries, including healthcare, retail, manufacturing, hospitality, staffing, professional services, transportation, and technology.Mr. Klein lectures frequently on a variety of employment law topics for human resource specialists and in-house counsel, including regular presentations on behalf of the Northeast Human Resources Association, the Massachusetts Hospital Association, and Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education.
Mr. Klein served as a legal intern at the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination. From 2005 through the present, Boston Magazine and Law and Politics have named Mr. Klein one of Massachusetts' and New England's "Super Lawyer Rising Stars." Mr. Klein received his J.D., from Boston College Law School, and his B.A. from Colgate University.
Daniel B. Klein
Partner, Seyfarth Shaw LLP
Phone: (617) 946-4840
Email: dklein@seyfarth.com
Gina Abudi
President
Abudi Consulting Group
Gina Abudi: As President of Abudi Consulting Group, LLC, a woman-owned business, Gina utilizes her 25+ years of consulting, coaching and executive leadership experience to work closely with executives and Boards of Directors of mid- to large global organizations to lead and support strategic, transformational change initiatives. Her work is focused on coaching leaders on change, providing consulting services and offering training programs related to leading and championing/supporting change.
Gina is active with the Northeast Human Resource Association (NEHRA), frequently contributing to programs for developing HR Professionals and at conferences. She’s also adjunct faculty at several college and university undergraduate and graduate programs and is active with the Association of Change Management Professionals.
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