The SHRM Advocacy Team is a team that operates as part of the Society for Human Resource Management, better known as SHRM.
Human resource professionals are the ones responsible for hiring new employees, holding interviews to find the best candidates for open jobs and advertising for open positions. They also work with existing employees to ensure that they get all their needs met.
Joining the advocacy team lets you express your opinions relating to policy changes that will impact workers all across the nation.
What the Team Does
When the government introduces new legislature or regulations relating to the workplace, those changes can impact a large group of people. The Affordable Care Act, which gave American citizens access to affordable health care, led to some companies laying off workers or reducing their hours because those companies did not want to pay for health insurance coverage. The SHRM team works with HR professionals to make sure that they understand how new government regulations can impact them and their workers. The team also listens to the opinions of other professionals and talk with policy advocates and government representatives about which changes are the best and which changes will hurt companies.
Who is on the Team
According to the official SHRM website, this team consists of volunteers. Those volunteers work in one of the more than 430 congressional districts in America and work under the guidance of an Advocacy Captain. The Advocacy Captain is the person responsible for organizing volunteers, creating schedules regarding what those volunteers do and deciding what issues they should work on next. Many of those working for these teams are human resource managers and directors. While some work for smaller companies, other volunteers work for leading Fortune 500 companies.
Importance of the Team
The SHRM Advocacy Team is important because this team helps dictate policy changes. When a single worker hears about an upcoming policy change, he or she may not know who to turn to for help or even who to talk to about the issue. This team essentially acts as the voice of the working class. They take the thoughts of others to those on the Congress or Senate and encourage those politicians to spread the word. As each team works within its own specific congressional district, they affect policy change from the local level, which can impact changes at the national level.
How You Can Join
As this team consists of volunteers, joining is fairly easy. You need to have some experience working in human resources before you join. While local teams may accept those who work in other fields, teams typically want volunteers with a strong understanding of both business and management topics. The SHRM website lets you register an account, and you can then use that account to volunteer your time. You’ll need to find the congressional district you live in, but keep in mind that not all districts need volunteers at the current moment.
The Society for Human Resource Management is one of the largest and oldest professional organizations devoted to human resources. This organization offers a number of benefits for members, including access to professional conferences and access to its journals and other publications. As a member of the organization, you can also volunteer for its SHRM Advocacy Team and advocate for workers across the country.
