BioNJ’s May 12 HR Conference to Focus on ‘People, Passion and Purpose’

On May 2, 2016

On May 12, human resources experts will gather in Union, New Jersey to discuss employment issues and trends, particularly in the life sciences arena, at BioNJ’s HR Conference “People, Passion and Purpose.” To be hosted by the Institute for Life Science Entrepreneurship at Kean University, the all-day event will be all about professional development, says BioNJ President and CEO Debie Hart. “We have a top notch roster of speakers who will inspire us with their stories and empower us with their knowledge. Attendees are certain to take back with them authentic, actionable information,” Hart says.

Vicki Gaddy, BioNJ vice president, talent services, adds that today’s professional environment is always changing, therefore, “it is imperative for today’s HR professionals to stay on the cutting edge. … We have developed a program with this in mind. Attendees will leave with fresh ideas and knowledge to drive a productive and positive culture within their organizations.”

BioNJ’s HR Conference has been approved for 6 HRCI credits, making it an especially valuable opportunity for local professionals. The keynote presentation will be given by Martin Rexroad, senior vice president of human resources at PTC Therapeutics. His speech, titled “Preserving Culture & Cause During Times of Change,” will focus on how PTC, a global biotech firm, has taken steps to recruit people who share the company’s vision and cause of bringing innovative therapies to patients who suffer from rare and neglected diseases. According to Gaddy, “People who share a strong passion aligned with a company’s focus, and for whom the cause has real personal meaning, tend to be wonderful employees. PTC is a great example of how companies can hold onto the strength they’ve created, even during changing times in drug development.”

Interactive and insightful sessions at the conference will include:

Employment Law Update – Hot Topics & Practical Advice: Practicing attorneys, who are advising industry employers every day, will lead a discussion on timely issues, such as wage & hour trends in the age of technology and 24/7 work environments, FLSA, pay equity and potential new reporting requirements, mitigating risk of co-employment and updates and impacts of other new legislation. You’ll leave with actionable advice and a greater awareness of ways to mitigate potential risks to keep on your radar.

Mindfulness Tool Box for the HR Professional: For HR professionals, balancing the needs of your organization with the needs of your employees is ever-challenging.  In this unique session, you will learn proven self-care, research-based techniques that will enable you to remain focused and balanced at times of significant organizational change, challenge and conflict. When you are able to continuously perform at an optimal level of balance as the “corporate care giver,” your company and its employees benefit immensely.  Learn about how companies such as Google, Aetna and General Mills have benefited from incorporating mindfulness into the corporate setting.

The Evolution of Compensation Over a Company’s Lifecycle – Challenges, Opportunities & Solutions: This informative session with Radford’s east coast employee compensation leader, Aria Glasgow, will give insight into employee pay trends and workforce engagement strategies as your company matures. You will learn about the challenges, opportunities and solutions facing biotech companies as they secure top talent to grow and compete in a flourishing industry. Don’t miss this chance to hear about innovative career and pay strategies as well as the latest hiring and salary increase data that is focused on the Northeast life sciences field.

The Evolution of the Talent Acquisition Engine from Start-up through Growing Company: The internal and external resources an employer may leverage to meet its talent acquisition objectives can be a function of several factors – the size of the company and its business objectives, the projected number of new hires, the desired staffing mix (employee vs. contractor), the composition of the Human Resources team and the company’s budget. In this session, HR leaders from small, mid-sized and large companies will share their creative talent acquisition strategies for success. You’ll also hear from the partners they’ve aligned with to ensure that the process is effective, efficient and engaging.

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