What I Brought Home from SHRM26: In a Changing World, People Still Matter Most
I was there!!! I returned from SHRM26 in Orlando with digital notes, new ideas, and more than a few reflections. Like many attendees, I spent much of my conference time in sessions, and for me, focused on EEO compliance, workplace investigations, employment law, and the rapidly changing landscape surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion. These topics are important to me professionally and personally, and they are also areas many organizations are struggling to navigate right now. Yet when I think about what I brought home from the conference, it wasn’t a legal update or a compliance checklist. It was a reminder about people.A Reminder About People Was Everywhere
That message surfaced everywhere.
It was present in conversations about DEI, where speakers acknowledged the uncertainty employers face as organizations try to understand shifting expectations, evolving enforcement priorities, and what compliance will look like moving forward.
It was present in SHRM’s announcement of its new Diversity & Inclusion Center, signaling that despite ongoing debates, organizations continue to search for ways to create workplaces where employees can contribute and succeed.
It was present in Johnny C. Taylor, Jr.’s challenge to “take HR back.” I’m still trying to figure out exactly what that will mean. It might be different for different folks.
And it was especially present in Simon Sinek’s keynote.
Simon Sinek’s Keynote: People Have Not Changed
Of all the speakers I heard this week, Simon’s message resonated with me the most.
At a time when nearly every conversation seems to center on artificial intelligence, automation, disruption, and uncertainty, Simon reminded us that human beings have not fundamentally changed.
People still want to feel safe. People still want to feel valued. People still want to know someone has their back.
Behind Every File Is a Person Asking “Do I Matter Here?”
As investigators, HR professionals, and workplace leaders, we often spend our days navigating difficult situations. We investigate complaints, manage conflict, help leaders make hard decisions, and interpret regulations and assess risk.
Yet behind every complaint file, every accommodation request, every employee relations issue, and every workplace investigation is a person trying to answer a simple question:
“Do I matter here?”
That question has not changed.
HR Sits at the Intersection of Business and People
Johnny Taylor’s remarks reinforced another reality. HR continues to sit at the intersection of business performance and the employee experience. We are often expected to protect the organization while advocating for its people. We understand the pressures leaders face and the concerns employees raise. Increasingly, we are asked to help organizations navigate both.
That’s not easy work.
But after spending several days surrounded by thousands of HR professionals, which included hard-working and dedicated volunteers, I was reminded that ours is a profession filled with passionate, thoughtful people who care deeply about workplaces and the people inside them.
Some were wrestling with AI. Some were wrestling with DEI. Some were wrestling with retention, culture, engagement, investigations, or leadership challenges.
But beneath all those conversations was a common theme: helping organizations succeed through people.
Oprah on Human Connection and Workplace Culture
Oprah may have summed it up best when she spoke about human connection and the responsibility of those who shape culture. Her message wasn’t directed specifically at investigators or HR professionals, but it could easily have been. Culture is built one interaction at a time. Trust is built one conversation at a time. Respect is built one decision at a time. And for those of us who investigate workplace concerns, train leaders, and help organizations navigate difficult moments, that may be the most important reminder of all.
Work Worth Continuing
The laws will evolve. Technology will evolve. Policies will evolve. But people still need to be seen, heard, respected, and treated with dignity.
That is what I brought home from SHRM26 to my Hampton Roads SHRM, PennSHRM and Virginia VA DC SHRM community. I am grateful.
And that is work worth continuing.
About the Author
Sharon E Harrington, MA, CPTD, is the founder of Amediate LLC and a workplace communication expert with nearly 30 years of experience. As an EEO Investigator and Certified Professional in Talent Development, she helps organizations navigate complex workplace dynamics and build harmonious professional environments through her innovative "Leadership for the Learning Organization" program.
Learn more about Sharon's work → | Connect on LinkedIn