Who are the people that are taking the lead in disrupting the future of work?
They’re the official Disruptors (Organizers) of DisruptHR events held in cities around the world. Each week, we’ll introduce you to one of these intelligent, inspiring, and beautiful people (okay, pick two) who have stepped up, and volunteered to organize a Disrupt HR event in their city.
Christie Hecht of DisruptHR Detroit- (Disruptor #214)
LinkedIn - [ Christie Hecht ]
Twitter - [ @ChristiePHecht ]
Who are you, and what do you do in your day job?
I work for Ultimate Software! I’m a strategic development manager, which is just a fancy title for sales. I work with people who are evaluating their HR technology to see if Ultimate would be a good fit.
How did you first hear about DisruptHR?
One of my colleagues is part of DisruptHR in Cleveland, and I thought it sounded awesome! I was looking to get a group started in Detroit, but there were a few people who were already starting to plan 1.0. I reached out to Tim Sackett who is the lead organizer and asked how I could contribute, and now, I’m part of the team.
Why did you decide to raise your hand and become an organizer for DisruptHR events in Detroit?
How many events have you organized?
We had our first event last fall, with 300!!!!! people! There was such a huge response. We’re coordinating 2.0 now.
What types of people/industries have attended your events?
We had a strong number of HR practitioners and recruiters. The rest were a mix of different backgrounds.
What are you most proud of that has come out of being involved with/organizing DisruptHR events?
We didn’t know how the first event would go. We were blown away and sold out weeks before the actual event with 300 people, so I’d say that’s the biggest piece. It was very cool to have everything right in Midtown Detroit.
A lot of people know Detroit from what happened back in 08-09, and to add to the energy of the city making a comeback (which it is) through this event, is a great feeling.
What kind of feedback have you received from those who attended prior DisruptHRDetroit events?
Overall, our feedback from attendees was very positive. A few people said they had been waiting for something fresh from an HR perspective.
What is your favorite DisruptHR Talk, and why?
I was actually a speaker at the event, and it was a lot of fun to prepare and present to the group. My speech was “Confessions of a Millennial,” and I got a few “Yeah!”‘s during my speech, which was great.
Confessions Of A Millennial | Christie Hecht | DisruptHR Talks from DisruptHR on Vimeo.
Based off of the Talks and conversations at your events, what do you feel are the areas with the biggest opportunity for disruption?
I think so much goes back to the people – how to keep them, grow them, attract them, and what can be done differently.
There is so much noise in the world of HR, and people are the backbone of the organization. You can’t make or sell your widget or product without having people working for you, so it’s a matter of improving the whole experience.
What excites you or frustrates you about the future of work, your career and/or DisruptHR?
DisruptHR is a great platform for collaboration. As we all get more connected in person and online, it gives resources to people who in the past may not have had them. It gives different viewpoints.
In the past, you had to have a big following or power in order to contribute and share, but there are so many opportunities now, especially for the HR practitioners. Their main job is for their company, so they’re not all out there blogging and creating a following.
Events like this create an easy venue for those people who aren’t normally big speakers to share their story, which is so important.
What’s Happening With DisruptHR Detroit:
–DisruptHR Detroit Community Page
–DisruptHR Detroit on Twitter (@DisruptHRIntheD)