Workplace MVP LIVE from SHRM 2022: Shari Arends, Rollout Systems

At her third SHRM conference, Shari Arends visited with Jamie Gassmann in the R3 Continuum booth. Shari is Human Resources Manager for Rollout Systems and has been in HR for seven years. She talked with Jamie about her journey in HR and her passion for it, her work with SHRM, the sessions she attended, and much more.

Workplace MVP is underwritten and presented by R3 Continuum and produced by the Minneapolis-St.Paul Studio of Business RadioX®.

This show was originally broadcast live from the 2022 SHRM Annual Conference held at the New Orleans Convention Center in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Shari Arends, SHRM-CP, aPHR, Human Resources Manager, Rollout Systems

Shari Arends is the Human Resources Manager at Rollout Systems. She has been involved with HR for seven years.

Currently, she sits on the board of the Human Resource Association of Southern Maryland (HRASM), her local Chapter which is an affiliate of SHRM, and the MD SHRM board as the MD State HR Conference Committee Chair.

She volunteers at her church, the local rescue squad as a fundraiser, and manages the squad store.

Rollout Systems

Rollout Systems is a California, Maryland-based, highly regarded information technology and training solutions provider specializing in Cyber Security, Application Development, Network Operations, Cloud Services, and Mission-Focused Training Support. Rollout Systems is an agile government technical services provider; delivering cost-effective solutions in rapidly changing technology and warfare landscapes.

They continue to provide innovations through in-depth experience in global and complex enterprise environments and their mission-critical technical capabilities.

Founded in 2001, Rollout Systems has operating offices nationwide (Northern VA, San Diego CA, PAX River MD) with approximately 65 employees throughout the U.S.

Website | LinkedIn | Twitter

About Workplace MVP

Every day, around the world, organizations of all sizes face disruptive events and situations. Within those workplaces are everyday heroes in human resources, risk management, security, business continuity, and the C-suite. They don’t call themselves heroes though. On the contrary, they simply show up every day, laboring for the well-being of employees in their care, readying the workplace for and planning responses to disruption. This show, Workplace MVP, confers on these heroes the designation they deserve, Workplace MVP (Most Valuable Professionals), and gives them the forum to tell their story. As you hear their experiences, you will learn first-hand, real-life approaches to readying the workplace, responses to crisis situations, and overcoming challenges of disruption. Visit our show archive here.

Workplace MVP Host Jamie Gassmann

**Jamie Gassmann, Host, “Workplace MVP”**

In addition to serving as the host to the Workplace MVP podcast, Jamie Gassmann is the Director of Marketing at R3 Continuum (R3c). Collectively, she has more than fourteen years of marketing experience. Across her tenure, she has experience working in and with various industries including banking, real estate, retail, crisis management, insurance, business continuity, and more. She holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mass Communications with special interest in Advertising and Public Relations and a Master of Business Administration from Paseka School of Business, Minnesota State University.

R3 Continuum

R3 Continuum is a global leader in workplace behavioral health and security solutions. R3c helps ensure the psychological and physical safety of organizations and their people in today’s ever-changing and often unpredictable world. Through their continuum of tailored solutions, including evaluations, crisis response, executive optimization, protective services, and more, they help organizations maintain and cultivate a workplace of wellbeing so that their people can thrive. Learn more about R3c at www.r3c.com.

Company website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter

TRANSCRIPT

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. Your host, Jamie Gassmann here, coming to you from SHRM 2022’s Exhibit Hall and I am in R3 Continuum, our show sponsor’s booth. And joining me is Shari Arends from Rollout Systems. Welcome to the show, Shari.

Shari Arends: [00:00:35] Hi. Thank you. It’s good to be here.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:00:37] So, tell me a little bit about your background in getting into H.R. and a little bit about Rollout Systems, the company that you work for.

Shari Arends: [00:00:46] So, I’ve been in H.R. for a little over seven years. My husband was about to retire from the Navy and I was a stay-at-home mom and it was like, “Okay, it’s time to do something else now. Time to go back to work.” And kids were in school full day, and a friend of mine worked for a company that was looking for an H.R. generalist. So I got talking with her and she became my mentor and the company hired me on and I’ve been with them since, Rollout Systems, a government contractor. We have 66 employees today working in seven states.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:01:17] Wow! That’s an interesting story because I can totally relate. I grew up an Army brat and so my mom was that stay-at-home Army mom and, and then went into banking. You know, my dad wasn’t retired, but went into banking when we got into grade school. So, that’s very interesting. So, now you’re here at SHRM. So, is this your first time coming to the conference or is this – have you come multiple times or?

Shari Arends: [00:01:39] This is my third conference. I went last year, we were in Vegas, it was just in September. And then, a few years ago we had the conference in D.C. So that was my first time. That one was overwhelming. You’ve got to experience it once, just like eyes open, deer in headlights, kind of like, wow.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:01:53] Yeah.

Shari Arends: [00:01:55] It’s huge with just thousands of people and hundreds of exhibitors and all of these things to learn. And so, being here now, it’s like, okay, they have the app that makes it a lot easier. You walk around, you meet people. I’ve connected with people from my home state here that I’ve never met before and met people from all over the country.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:02:16] Yeah. And you’re really involved in SHRM if you wear several hats within the SHRM community. So, tell me a little bit about some of the different things that you’re involved with and that you do for the organization.

Shari Arends: [00:02:29] So, I work with my local chapter in Southern Maryland, Charles, St. Mary’s and Calvert County. We’re in a group called HRASM. It’s a lovely acronym, Human Resource Association of Southern Maryland. And I am the membership director with them. I sit on the board. So, I help, you know, drag in people to come and and sit with us and hang out with us and learn and network. And we recently had a conference too for that, so that was awesome. And then, I also work with the State Council as the chairman for the state conference for Maryland SHRM.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:03:04] You seem very busy in that SHRM kind of H.R. space, which is great.

Shari Arends: [00:03:08] I do, yeah. It’s a lot of fun. I get to work with amazing people from all over the state and we put on a great conference in October, so really looking forward to it.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:03:20] So now, obviously, at SHRM, there’s like so many different types of sessions, lots of different topics in between benefits and FMLA and DE&I and mental health. So, what are some of the challenges that you’re here to learn more about for your organization?

Shari Arends: [00:03:38] So, I sat through earlier today a really good conversation on influence, how to speak and how to direct the conversation to focus on the positives rather than the negatives. You can do anything from choosing a new platform service, you know, to having communication with an employee who may be not doing so well in their work. You know, why? Why are they – why is it that way? Have conversations, dig deeper and show empathy. And so, a lot of things that we do, my company right now, is mostly remote. So then, there’s engagement, keeping people engaged, keeping people involved, keeping them connected, not just to us but to one another with their teams when they’re working from home in various locations.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:04:28] That remote work, you know, making sure they’re coming into a meeting on your Zoom call and prepared and productive.

Shari Arends: [00:04:34] Yes, absolutely.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:04:36] So along with influence, are there other areas that you’re exploring here at the show? Because there’s so much.

Shari Arends: [00:04:44] Yeah. So, I have several different types of sessions that I’ve selected to attend, and it’s everything from FMLA to, you know, communicating better and trying not to be too dry, but, you know, following the laws, right? You gotta follow the laws.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:05:07] Yeah. Well, and they keep changing over the last three years.

Shari Arends: [00:05:07] It’s important, right?

Jamie Gassmann: [00:05:07] Yeah.

Shari Arends: [00:05:08] There’s a special session just for California employees, which we have. And so, you know, it’s just important to keep up to date on all of those things. And with employees living and working in eight states total but contracts in seven states, it’s a lot to keep track of. It’s a lot to manage. It’s a lot to do. But I love it. Yes, it’s a great work every day. And then, my volunteer work on top of that, it’s just – it’s very satisfying.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:05:37] Yeah. You find your passion and work. Yeah.

Shari Arends: [00:05:39] Yeah, yeah.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:05:39] Very cool.

Shari Arends: [00:05:40] One of my swag badges says I heart H.R.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:05:43] Love it. Yeah. That’s awesome. You know, it’s a great badge to have it sounds like. And we’re so excited that you joined us on the show today and shared your expertise and your background and what you’re excited for here at the show and all that great involvement that you do. Thanks for joining us.

Shari Arends: [00:05:58] Thank you. I appreciate being here.

Outro: [00:06:04] 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.