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Event Details

    Redefining the Employee Experience (HRACC South)

    Date: September 23, 2026, 5:00pm – 7:30pm
    Organizer:
    HRACC South
    Location:
    Eli's on Whitney
    2392 Whitney Avenue
    Hamden
    Price:
    $40 for Members; $50 for Guests; $25 for Students and Members in Job Transition
    Event Type:
    Seminar
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    Today's HR leaders are expected to do more than manage policies and programs. They're expected to help shape workplaces where people and business thrive together.

    Employee experience is often viewed as an HR initiative, but it's actually the outcome of every interaction that employees have with leaders, systems, and organizational culture.

    In this engaging session, participants will challenge common myths about employee experience and explore how HR can influence - not own - the experiences that drive engagement, retention, performance, and organizational success.


    Key takeaways:

    • Distinguishing the difference between employee experience from employee engagement and why it is a strategic business priority.

    • Identify leadership behaviors and organizational practices that have the greatest impact on the employee experience across the employee lifecycle.

    • Apply practical strategies to influence leaders, improve workplace culture, and align employee experience initiatives with organizational goals and business outcomes.

    CREDITS: This session has been submitted to HRCI and to SHRM for recertification credits.


    OUR SPEAKER

    Orlena Cowan-Bailey, SHRM-SCP, SPHR, MHFA

    Orlena is a strategic HR executive, keynote speaker, and Founder & Chief Elevation Officer of HR Zoom LLC. With more than 20 years of experience across Fortune 100 companies and the public, private, and nonprofit sectors, she helps organizations elevate workplace culture, leadership, and employee experience to drive stronger business outcomes. Known as "your favorite workplace superhero #ForTheCulture," Orlena delivers engaging, practical, and thought-provoking presentations that inspire leaders to put people first while keeping strategy at the forefront.

    Her expertise includes leadership development, employee relations, workplace culture, talent strategy, and organizational transformation. A former Executive Director of CT SHRM, Orlena has supported thousands of HR professionals and is recognized for her dynamic speaking style and real-world perspective. She is a Hartford Business Journal 40 Under 40 honoree, a 100 Women of Color award recipient, and a multiple-time DisruptHR Most Watched speaker. Based in Hartford, Connecticut, Orlena is passionate about helping leaders create workplaces where people and business thrive.