HR Professionals Need to Rethink How They Learn

For years, I’ve heard the same question from CEOs: What is HR doing to make our business better? 

It’s a fair question. And one that our profession needs to be best prepared to answer. 

We can point to how many people we hired, how many employees completed training, or how quickly we filled open positions. Those measures matter. But they don’t necessarily tell us whether we’re improving productivity, strengthening retention, developing the workforce our organizations need, or contributing to the bottom line.

The expectations of HR have changed. And I believe the way we prepare HR professionals must change with them. 

That’s why we’re doing something significant in 2027: reinventing SHRM’s Annual Conference as SHRM HR-X Live!

Now, I know what some of you are thinking. Why change an event that has brought HR professionals together for decades? It’s a reasonable question.

Our Annual Conference has been a tremendous source of learning, inspiration, and connection. I’ve seen firsthand what happens when thousands of HR professionals come together to exchange ideas, challenge assumptions, and learn from one another. 

We’re keeping all those experiences. But we’re also addressing something we’ve heard consistently from our members: They want to leave with more than ideas. They want deeper expertise and practical tools they can put to work immediately. And employers increasingly need evidence that their investment in professional development is producing results.

Our research helps explain why this matters. SHRM's HR-X, our framework for HR excellence developed through years of research involving more than 1,250 organizations, identifies four dimensions of HR maturity: Talent Optimization, Organizational Impact, Functional Acceleration, and Market Discernment. 

The findings should get our attention. Nearly 90% of organizations operate at average or low levels of HR maturity. That represents an enormous opportunity to improve how HR functions and, ultimately, how businesses perform.

HR-X Live! is designed to help close that gap. When you join us in Chicago, June 27–30, you’ll focus on one of those four dimensions, learning alongside experienced practitioners, researchers, and fellow HR professionals. You’ll also have opportunities to explore other topics, discover new technologies, and build relationships across our global HR community. 

But here’s the important difference: You’ll apply what you learn to real workplace challenges, develop a practical playbook, and have the opportunity to earn a SHRM HR-X Credential that demonstrates your capabilities in a specific area of HR. You’ll also earn 30 professional development credits toward SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP recertification.

I recognize that four days away from work is a significant investment. Your organization deserves a return on that investment. So do you. 

And that brings me back to the question CEOs are asking: As artificial intelligence reshapes jobs, skills, and business models, HR must become more than an expert in managing people and processes. We must become experts in how work gets done, bringing together human intelligence, technology, and business strategy to improve organizational performance.

That requires new competencies, new ways of thinking, and a willingness to challenge how we’ve always done things. 

That’s why over the coming weeks, SHRM is hosting a series of free HR-X Live! webinars designed to help you understand how to make the most of this new experience. You’ll hear from several SHRM leaders who will explain different aspects of the event and answer your questions live. 

Following each webinar, a different SHRM leader will share a viewpoint article in this space that digs into the conversation even further. These webinars will remain available on demand, in case you’re unable to join when they first air.  

My hope is that you’ll approach our HR-X Live! webinars and articles with a larger question in mind: What do I need to learn today to make a greater contribution to my organization tomorrow?

The future of HR will be determined by the value we create. It’s time our professional development reflected that responsibility. 

I hope you enjoy our free webinars — and that you’ll join us in Chicago next summer!

Register for SHRM HR-X Live! webinars