Intro: [00:00:02] Broadcasting live from SHRM 2022 at the New Orleans Convention Center, it’s time for Workplace MVP. Brought to you by R3 Continuum, a global leader in helping workplaces thrive during disruptive times. Now, here’s your host.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:00:19] Hi, everyone. You’re host, Jamie Gassmann here, coming to you from SHRM 2022’s Exhibit Hall in R3 Continuum, our show sponsor’s booth. And joining me again, for the third time on my show – I must be doing something right as a host – is Josh Rock.

Josh Rock: [00:00:36] Hey, Jamie. It’s my hat trick appearance. This is now the third time I’m on your show. Hey, thanks for having me.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:00:42] Yeah. It’s a classic for a Minnesotan to bring a hockey terminology onto the show. That’s fantastic. Way to go.

Josh Rock: [00:00:48] Exactly. Hockey follows me everywhere I go.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:00:51] Amazing slapshot.

Josh Rock: [00:00:53] Yes. Yes. Slapshot from the point, you know, no one timers. Just classic bar down.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:00:58] Yeah. I’ll just make sure to keep my questions on point so you don’t check me into the boards or something, all right?

Josh Rock: [00:01:03] If I do, Jon’s going to call me two minutes for slashing or something, I would assume.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:01:07] Oh, I think it needs to be a harder penalty than that.

Josh Rock: [00:01:09] Okay, fine. Five minute game misconduct, apparently.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:01:13] All right. Well, now that we’ve got our hockey terminology all spit out, let’s talk about HR.

Josh Rock: [00:01:17] Let’s do it.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:01:18] We’re here at SHRM, so what’s going on in the SHRM world right now?

Josh Rock: [00:01:23] So, I am one of, I think, 15 or 20 SHRM influencers. SHRM invites us down to come down and blog about the conference leading up to the event, the speakers, the vendors, meet with different attendee groups, that kind of fun stuff. And just help generate content, share network, all that kind of fun stuff throughout the event. It’s a blast. I mean, I’m going to be here anyway, so why not do it to benefit the organization and the profession as a whole?

Jamie Gassmann: [00:01:50] Yeah. You’re like spreading the information around about what’s going on in the HR world and kind of building a community is kind of how I see it. And it’s amazing.

Josh Rock: [00:01:57] I’m like a Kardashian of HR.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:02:00] Which Kardashian would you be if you could be a Kardashian?

Josh Rock: [00:02:03] To be honest, I have no idea. I don’t know who any of them are, what they stand for. I’m sure they’re all great, but I’m going to plead the Fifth on that one.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:02:13] It’s a good call. Good call. You can pick a different family. It could be like The Godfather or something of HR. There you go.

Josh Rock: [00:02:18] Have you watched The Offer yet?

Jamie Gassmann: [00:02:21] No.

Josh Rock: [00:02:21] Oh, okay. So, you’ve got to go on and start watching The Offer. It’s like the background story to the making of The Godfather.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:02:27] Interesting. Okay. Well, now you just added something to my list.

Josh Rock: [00:02:31] For all your listeners, that’s the tidbit piece. Start watching The Offer on, I think it’s, like, Prime or Paramount, or one of those streaming services.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:02:37] Yeah. It’s not one of those streaming services. Awesome.

Josh Rock: [00:02:38] Yes. The Offer.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:02:39] So, let’s talk HR for a moment now that we’ve got all of our Netflix shows out of the way and our hockey terms.

Josh Rock: [00:02:44] I could come up with more if you want.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:02:46] I mean, my goodness, this is why it’s so fun to interview you. We always just have such a great conversation. But what are some of the hot topics right now that you guys are seeing in the HR space that, you know, have to be discussed?

Josh Rock: [00:02:57] Okay. Can we not talk about the overplayed, normal stuff that we’ve been talking about forever?

Jamie Gassmann: [00:03:02] Sure. You can talk about whatever you want.

Josh Rock: [00:03:04] Okay. Good. Well, you know, usually when it comes to me in my world, it’s all about talent engagement. As a talent acquisition manager for another fantastic Minnesota company – like you guys – I work with Nuss Truck & Equipment, for me, it’s talent engagement and finding better ways to get talent where they are and make them better for my organization. And then, through that, deliver great career and financial opportunities for them and their families.

Josh Rock: [00:03:33] So, I’m looking at content that helps me do that better, and then share it with the masses out on social media. But then, also, then looking at vendors who can make my life easier from that perspective. And then, through that, make that easier for the people that I hired in the organization. So, for me, it’s singular focused. You know, other folks are here generating buzz about things like FMLA, benefits, just those yawning conversations. It’s just not my jam. But for them, great. They can get buzzed about whatever they’re excited about.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:04:07] For some of them, it’s by necessity. It’s a painful topic to sit through.

Josh Rock: [00:04:10] Yeah. I mean, some people are packing a session somewhere here on legislative affairs, great. I did politics back in the day but, I mean, if I need my nap time, you’ll find me there.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:04:23] Wow. So, it’s interesting, I interviewed somebody yesterday, and she had a very interesting approach to recruitment with staffing. She had a business card with all the details of the job on it. Now, they were hiring for HR positions. So, here this makes sense.

Josh Rock: [00:04:39] That’s 16,000 targeted audience members.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:04:41] Right. Yeah. So, have you had to get creative? I know you have some great strategies and approaches that you use, like with military and tapping into some areas that maybe other workplaces haven’t really leveraged. What are some of the approaches that you’ve done or that you’ve seen with some of the staffing changes that we’ve been experiencing?

Josh Rock: [00:05:00] So, for us, one of the things that we’ve done, you mentioned veterans hiring. You know, Nuss makes it a point to, not only recruit and hire our active and retired military personnel, but then work really hard to retain them. You know, their lives changed. And so, it’s upon us and the HR team to make sure that they get what they need, not only from the career and the financial aspects, but then also the full spectrum of support. Right now we’re sitting I know above 11 percent of our staff is either active or retired military.

Josh Rock: [00:05:32] We talked about it last time, we received a Platinum Award from the Department of Labor, only one of two companies in Minnesota to get that. We are poised to get that Platinum Award again this year, so we’re super excited about that. You know, we’re going to military bases across the country and engaging where they are and what they’re looking for in their part-time military or then civilian careers. Actually, my boss is at Fort Hood right now doing a recruiting event. I’ll be at Fort Bliss coming up.

Josh Rock: [00:06:02] So, doing those types of things to, not only hire the military, but also their spouses or significant others because they’re looking for careers as well. If I can’t hire them at Nuss and I’m bringing on one of their family members, I’m going to connect them with people in my network that are around the area and find them in that industry, you know, so it’s full spectrum.

Josh Rock: [00:06:22] Add to that the educational component. We’re going out and speaking, not only to students at schools across the country, we’re talking to their directors, their curriculum folks about what we’re looking for from an industry perspective. And then, giving them keys to the kingdom. What are we finding that’s most successful to the people that we’re hiring, and then helping them draw that curriculum out.

Josh Rock: [00:06:47] One of the steps that we’ve done and taken in with a couple is turning what is a two-year program at some schools across the country and making it a one-year. So, instead of going part-time in this program, they’re going full-time in the program, so that’s 8:00 to 6:00 or 7:00 at night. They don’t have time to have usually another job, and then doing their studies or whatnot afterwards. It’s a intensive program.

Josh Rock: [00:07:12] But in 11 months, they will have the same education, lab hours, and come out with their CDL, which is hugely vital in transportation in one year. So, they’re going to spend half the money in the program that a two-year program would do, and they’re graduating in half the time. That’s a huge infusion to the industry.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:07:32] Yeah. Absolutely. Especially right now. And you’re tapping into a market that, for some, maybe aren’t quite sure where they’re going to go once they get out of the military. They’re really not sure.

Josh Rock: [00:07:41] Well, if you wait too long, if you diffuse a program, they’re going to change their decision. They’re going to change their majors. They’re going to get bored, or the energy, the excitement, just because the curriculum doesn’t do that. It doesn’t engage them. And so, if we can do that, we can keep that engagement in one smaller group, we’re going to get such a more robust audience potential. It’s working out really well.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:08:02] Yeah. So, now, I know you’re in the trucking area, so can other industries do this?

Josh Rock: [00:08:08] Totally. You can do it in health care. I mean, you can start by going into the high schools and getting your sophomores and juniors and seniors, getting them through a CNA program for those kids that want to get into health care. Because, as a recruiter, one of the greatest things that I see is I see all of these students that are graduating with the book smarts, but they don’t have the patient care.

Josh Rock: [00:08:31] And so, if we start earlier by getting them part-time jobs as a CNA, working in those senior care facilities or home care organizations, they get the patient care element and then they get the book smarts, the education, to do the job. Now, they have the one-two punch that most four year graduates don’t have because they went the one track, not the second track.

Josh Rock: [00:08:53] So, that’s one that I’m seeing a huge win in some more progressive health care organizations, finding ways to build that workplace potential, that upcoming workforce earlier in the process. And then, thus, getting those folks a lot sooner. It works out well.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:09:11] Yeah. That’s some really great advice. And we could talk, like, all day.

Josh Rock: [00:09:15] We could. We would need more coffee.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:09:18] We would need more coffee.

Josh Rock: [00:09:19] Do you have your Starbucks delivery guy coming anytime soon?

Jamie Gassmann: [00:09:21] I should.

Josh Rock: [00:09:22] You should.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:09:23] Honestly, because I am out of coffee.

Josh Rock: [00:09:25] Don’t you have, like, a hotline button on your phone for that?

Jamie Gassmann: [00:09:29] That needs to be invented. Wait, isn’t that [inaudible]?

Josh Rock: [00:09:31] I’m calling dibs on that. I’m calling dibs on the Josh Rock Coffee Delivery Company.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:09:39] I’ll be your first client.

Josh Rock: [00:09:41] Yes. You’re my first and dedicated.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:09:41] I would like venti – oh. Large. Sorry. You don’t like that term.

Josh Rock: [00:09:46] Venti is a made up term. Come on now, don’t get me started on the whole Starbucks Karibu debacle inside. No. I mean, I could go the whole Paul Rudd piece, but I won’t.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:09:55] Oh my goodness. We’ll have to check out that piece after the show. Awesome. Well, it’s been an absolute pleasure to have you on again.

Josh Rock: [00:10:01] Thanks, Jamie. We’ll talk again soon.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:10:02] I know that you’re a really busy guy, and I want to make sure that we save you time to be –

Josh Rock: [00:10:07] Oh, you know, we’re not going to go too long before we’re going to do this again.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:10:09] Yes. Absolutely.

Josh Rock: [00:10:12] Well, thanks for having me, guys. I look forward to seeing you. Have fun at SHRM. We’ll see you back in Minnesota.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:10:16] Absolutely. Sounds good.

Josh Rock: [00:10:17] Take care.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:10:18] All right.

Outro: [00:10:22] Thank you for joining us on Workplace MVP. R3 Continuum is a proud sponsor of this show, and is delighted to celebrate most valuable professionals who work diligently to secure safe workplaces where employees can thrive.