Thirteen presenters cause a ‘disruption’

Thirteen industry experts showcased why they are the best in their field as they gave stellar presentations at Disrupt HR Barbados final event for 2022 which was held on October 25th, 2022.

But not only did industry experts showcase their skills, there was also exceptional talent by two of Barbados’ top spoken word artistes Stonedwithcupid and Deo The Poet.

The first Disrupt HR speaker was Ambassador Joan Underwood who gave an inspiring presentation on why it is time for HR to make a R.I.O.T. In her presentation she explained that the onus was on HR professionals to make their employees feel comfortable in their organizational structure.

She was followed by La Shawna Griffith who gave a presentation on Public Relations and Human Resources being a perfect marriage. Griffith was followed by Davvida Richards who did a presentation about the Competitive Benefits Post COVID.

The fourth speaker of the night was Corey McClean who explained that a brand relationship is between your public image and persons’ perception. He explained that many times persons fail to appreciate that while they may understand that a brand is a relationship, they need to ensure that their clients and customers understand their brand.

Cherita O’Dell

He was followed by Adelena Chandler whose presentation was on HR’s role in the new normal. She noted the ways in which the role of human resource practitioners is changing in a post COVID-19 world.

One of the standouts of the night was Shauna Marshall who gave a presentation on walking into success. Her presentation was engaging as she noted that many times human resource professionals do not focus on the soft skills of how one carries one’s self, one’s command of the stage and one’s overall presence. The audience roared as she explained how she is walking into success. She was definitely one of the best speakers of the night.

Closing the first half was Kara Boyce who explained that in a post-COVID world employees have no loyalty to their companies as they are becoming entrepreneurs and seeking to leave the organizations once they have secured enough capital to fund their entrepreneurial endeavours. She asked the members of the audience what they can do to ensure that the employees are loyal and shared a few tips that could assist them in doing so.

In the second half Dr. Rochelle Haynes told members of the audience that when it comes to freelancers, choose the red pill. In her presentation where she used the metaphor of the matrix, she explained that human resource professionals need to treat freelancers with respect and dignity as they are in some cases doing exceptional work and should be commended for such.

Julie Turney

She was followed by Dr. Janelle Chase-Mayers who spoke about well-being in the workplace and how human resource professionals and employees can handle the loss of a loved one in the work environment. She also encouraged HR professionals and business professionals to see the entire human as they look at the wellbeing of their employees.

Tiffany Broomes was the next speaker who gave recruitment a ‘makeover’ as she explained the new ways human resource professionals can do their recruitment. She explained that human resource professionals need to respond to persons about the job vacancy and be clear on what is expected of the candidate in the recruitment process.

She was followed by Sharon Moaze who gave a presentation on The Amazing Power of Disruption and Kelly Johnally who gave a presentation on Selling HR. Johnally was presented with an award from the organizer of Disrupt HR Barbados, Julie Turney, for the way in which she utilized social media to promote Disrupt HR Barbados.

The final speaker for the night Cherita O’dell certainly was masterclass. With a presentation entitled, You Need a Jump Kick, she explained how workers should feel motivated, confident and powerful when they begin their workday. She noted that workers must recognize that the energy they carry into the workroom can lead to their day leaving them feeling drained, thus they need to wake up and walk with positive energy. The audience roared at her presentation which included upbeat music and truly left all in attendance feeling inspired.

Closing the curtain on Disrupt HR Barbados were the two poets Deo The Poet and Stonedwithcupid.

Deo The Poet displayed vulnerability in his poem Domino Effect where he explained how the way staff are treated in the organization can have lingering effects. The audience listened attentively to his poem which was followed by him sharing a painful story of how he was victimized in an organization for knowing his rights.

Following him was Stonedwithcupid who got the audience moving in their seats with his performance of Ancestral Calling. He asked the audience to do a two-count clap which they did from start to end. The audience roared with resounding applause for this performance.

Organizer of the event Julie Turney said she was pleased with how the event turned out as all of the speakers gave masterful talks as well as the poets. She invited the members of the audience to come to the next Disrupt HR Barbados event on February 22nd, 2023. (Write Right PR Services)