All HRA-NCA members are invited to this exciting event marking the release of the 28th annual HRA-NCA Compensation Survey Report. Join your fellow DC area HR colleagues at the Capital Hilton on Sept. 11 from 9-11am and be the first to hear about recent trends in hiring, retention, salaries and much more.

The event is free, but registration is required. Pre-order the 2007 Compensation Survey Report today and pick it up at the event! Download an order form at www.hra-nca.org/survey.asp and register for the event here.

Please join us for lunch on Wednesday, September 12th as we kick off our new HRA-NCA program season! We will be talking about those "pain in the neck" employees that make our days longer and have us all searching for new ways to handle them.

Dan Johnson, a partner at McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP, will address how to deal with problem employees. He will cover everything from the hiring process (how to avoid hiring a problem) to how to terminate the problem employee. Topics will include: Employer Expectations; Evaluations; Complaints and Investigations; Progressive Discipline; The Myth of "At-Will" Employment; Avoiding the Pitfalls of Termination; Severance; and, Anticipating Litigation.

Our attendees will receive 1.25 recertification credit hours toward PHR, SPHR, and GPHR through the Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI).

Diversity. The mention of the word makes all HR Professionals take notice. Is my workforce Diverse? Are my employees aware of how important it is to recognize that other's can be unique but still effective? How does this all benefit us to be better leaders? How, as HR Professionals, can we help employees work as a team even though we come from different walks of life?

We will meet again for a lunch date on Wednesday, October 10th, from 11:45 am- 1:45 pm, as Sonia Aranza, keynote speaker and master facilitator, will join us to discuss how to manage Diversity into a competitive advantage. Our attendees will receive 1.25 recertification credit hours toward PHR, SPHR, and GPHR through the Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI). Please come join us for this outstanding presentation that promises to be thought provoking and entertaining.

Please come join us for breakfast on Wednesday, November 14th from 8 am to 10:15 am for our first Professional Development series for our new program season! Do you ever have to train the managers in your organization on HR Topics? Are you tired of the blank stares, disinterested looks, or outright resistance that you encounter when you stand up in front of a group?

Over the past 13 years, presenters Deanna Banks and Alice Buchanan have designed and delivered training for a variety of clients on topics such as HIPAA, FLSA, compensation guidelines, the interview process, and performance management. The comment they prides themselves most on hearing from participants is "I came here as a prisoner and I am leaving a learner." Alice and Deanna will share with you their secrets for turning prisoners into learners by making mandatory HR training interesting, fun, and effective.

Our attendees will receive 2 recertification credit hours toward PHR, SPHR, and GPHR through the Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI).

Would you like to hone your public speaking skills and at the same time train social workers on how to teach resume writing and interview preparation to the people they serve? For complete details, please contact David Remick, Chair, Community Relations, at 703-769-3712 or remick@worconline.org.

Many of the nonprofits across the National Capital Area do not have the resources to hire a human resources professional to manage the needs of their employees. Often various human resource-related tasks are divided up between employees of the organization or are handled by members of their boards. HRA-NCA volunteers will help fill this void by agreeing to be assigned to a nonprofit organization and lend support to their staff for a mutually agreed period of time. If you are interested in learning more, please contact David Remick, Chair, Community Relations, at 703-769-3712 or remick@worconline.org.

The 2006 invitation-only SHRM Foundation Thought Leaders Retreat featured keynoter David Pace, the top HR executive at Starbucks Coffee. Dave Pace explained how Starbucks' success is built on a strong culture of trust in their organization. Trust is at the foundation of exceptional performance in all businesses, and people want to be part of something they can believe in. Mr. Pace shared that building trust requires 1) defining what your organization stands for, 2) communicating the mission broadly, 3) living and breathing it, 4) using the mission as a decision filter, 5) allowing employees to hold management accountable, and 6) measuring progress.

At Starbucks, HR plays a key role in creating this culture of trust, primarily by being an advocate for the employees. To be successful, HR should focus not on controlling, but on enabling employees.

To view Dave Pace's full presentation, visit www. shrm.org/foundation/06tlr.asp.

The SHRM Foundation: 40 Years of Advancing the HR Profession

You may look up these and other members' information in the HRA-NCA online membership directory, using various search categories. Log in through the "Member Login" on the HRA-NCA website home page. Keep your membership record up-to-date so we don't lose touch!

HRA-NCA Welcomes These New Members

HRA-NCA invites organizations to sponsor our newsletter - or any of the following: monthly speaker presentations, our website, special events, etc. Interested? Contact Chris Cramer, HRA-NCA's PR & Sponsorship Chair, or access our information on the website. For this issue, sincere thanks to the following sponsors.

STARoundtable Recruiting & Staffing Event
STARoundtable (Strategic Talent Acquisition Roundtable) has formed the Corporate Recruiting & Staffing Leadership Academies for those seeking cutting edge strategies to optimize the way they lead the recruiting function within their organizations. The highly intensive, one-day seminar will be coming to Washington DC on October 4th.

Based on case studies and real-life companies, subjects include workforce planning, metrics, internal/external relationship management, and more. Workshops are conducted by three of the world’s leading talent management gurus, Jeremy Eskenazi, John Vlastelica and Diana Meisenhelter, all of whom have extensive backgrounds in leading the staffing functions of major corporations.

For more information and to register online, please visit www.STARoun dtable.com. Register now and save $200.00 because of your association with HRA-NCA. Please use discount code JMGSTAR2 when registering.

More information...

The 6th Annual HR Measures, Metrics & Analytics
By now, most HR professionals know that they have to use HR metrics in the business world to show the bottom-line results. They understand how to measure turnover, benefits costs, cost per hire and more. However, the HR community is still struggling with understanding the purpose of all these metrics and analyzing them to show management the true value and underlying business results. This is why the American Strategic Management Institute (ASMI) is proud to present The 6th Annual HR Measures, Metrics and Analytics Summit taking place on September 12-14, 2007 in Arlington, Virginia. At this summit, you will acquire techniques to develop, design and implement effective HR measures and metrics within your organization.