Best Selling Author & Top Tech Analyst to Headline PeopleMatter’s Collaborate ’15

Collaborate ’15—PeopleMatter’s annual meetup of the biggest industry leaders, brands, and ideas—happens May 4-6 at the Francis Marion Hotel, in Charleston, SC. Kevin Kruse and Dr. Katherine Jones co-headline the event, and the conference’s more than 20 sessions bring together the top experts, brands and thought leaders to share their expertise.

“We are thrilled to have Dr. Katherine Jones and Kevin Kruse headlining Collaborate ’15,” said Nate DaPore, President and CEO of PeopleMatter. “Their knowledge of the challenges and trends our customers and prospective clients are facing in the service industry is unmatched. They are dynamic visionaries who will leave attendees with actionable advice they can understand, apply and share with their teams back home.”

More than 250 attendees from leading brands, including Coca-Cola, Planet Fitness, Bersin by Deloitte, Indeed, Charlotte Russe, Del Taco, Texas Roadhouse and Country Fair, are expected to attend the event. They’ll be treated to tours of PeopleMatter’s Charleston office to start off the conference, giving them the chance to see firsthand where the company develops its innovative workforce solutions and business intelligence tools. That night, Collaborate will officially kick off with a welcome reception, enabling attendees to meet and interact with their peers and the many thought leaders in attendance.

Today’s HR leaders and practitioners face significant challenges, from contending with the enormous changes introduced by the Affordable Care Act (ACA), to managing an ever-growing amount of data and leveraging the growing reach of mobile. Collaborate ’15 offers a comprehensive agenda of informative sessions led by some of the most accomplished leaders in the HR, technology and workforce management fields. As a result, attendees will learn proven methods they can implement immediately to overcome their biggest challenges and capitalize on new opportunities.

Among the highlights of the following day is a keynote by serial entrepreneur and bestselling author Kevin Kruse, who will discuss the importance of employee engagement and its role in enhancing customer service, productivity and loyalty. The day’s schedule also includes engaging general sessions, such as “PeopleMatter 2015 Roadmap,” in which Kay Lucas, PeopleMatter’s vice president of Product Management, will introduce the company’s latest features and product enhancements. Other sessions will address many of the most pressing topics in workforce management, such as complying with the ACA, how to find high-quality candidates faster, best practices for employee scheduling and building a culture of employee engagement.

Kevin Kruse, New York Times bestselling author of four books and creator of several, multimillion dollar technology companies, will share an empowering message with Collaborate attendees—that a fully engaged workforce is the key to unlocking dramatic business results and improving employee health and their relationships outside of the workplace.

Kruse’s inspiration for his Guest Keynote Address comes from his newest book, Employee Engagement 2.0: How to Motivate Your Team for High Performance, which provides a detailed action plan that turns “task managers” into “people leaders.” Kruse writes regularly for Forbes.com and has published more than 100 articles for various publications on topics related to leadership, engagement and entrepreneurship.

The final day of the conference, May 6, opens with a keynote by Dr. Katherine Jones, vice president, Human Capital Management (HCM) Technology Research for Bersin by Deloitte. During this session, titled, “The Mobile Millennial,” Jones will explore how feeding the growing appetite for mobile apps among the newest members of the workforce will improve morale, productivity and customer service. Following her keynote, attendees can participate in a number of breakout sessions covering topics such as pre-employment screening policies, how to implement a new workforce management software, ways to optimize the I-9 verification process, and how to design the workforce of tomorrow.

“Buyers used to look for workforce management technology to make each task easier and faster,” said Jones. “Today buyers seek HCM solutions that both add value to keeping compliant, and provide a means for employee collaboration and social connectivity within the workplace.”

In addition to the Guest Keynote Addresses, Collaborate will feature sessions focusing on compliance, applicant sourcing, “mobile Millennials,” culture, pre-employment screening, protecting privacy and more. The full agenda for Collaborate ‘15, including featured speakers and FAQs can be viewed here.