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Not able to attend the event? Do not fear, your trusty blogsquad have your back to give you a virtual front row seat to this year’s hottest HR event!

The #blogsquad are here to provide you with as much information as it happens direct from the CIPD event of the year in Manchester.

My preferred channels will be:

• Twitter @NatalieEllisHR
• Instagram @natalieellis
• Linked In: Natalie Ellis Assoc CIPD
• Periscope (via Twitter)
• Right here on my website/blog: natalieellishr.com

Keep your eyes peeled as the blog will be jam packed with all of the action as and when it happens at ACE, if there is anything in particular that you would like me to mention. If you’re going to be at the event come and find me for a mention on my Twitter feed or grab a #CIPDACESelfie with me!

It’s time to flip the calendar and start the new month with a fresh outlook. Forget the trick and treats, it’s time to get November underway and create some fireworks!

#InspireHR is my new monthly feature designed to inspire and motivate us each month to give us that get up and go that sometimes we struggle to find.

As HR practitioners it is our job to support the workforce but ultimately who takes care of us? So my message to you for November is simply, just be you!

In HR we face so many different challenges which can sometimes take its toll on us, it can be difficult to maintain a professional stance and not allow emotions to take over (we’ve all been there) and this can have a detrimental effect on our confidence which can hinder our ability to deliver the service that we would expect of ourselves.

After speaking at a recent graduation ceremony at Northampton College I expressed the importance of approaching situations in your own way and using best practice as a support mechanisms as opposed to the other way around, which is where HR can become robotic. Being yourself and having a human approach to situations can really help us grasp what we are trying to achieve, whether that is handling a grievance, assisting with a project or even doing the business as usual tasks.

Being approachable, flexible, resilient and reliable are key attributes to a successful career within HR and you cannot achieve that by pretending to be something that you are not as soon enough the cracks will start to show and “work you” will unravel. Being you is often scary and this is where self doubt starts to appear; you are your own worst critic and we too often focus on the negative rather than the positive. It is time that we focussed more on the positive to make you stand out for all the right reasons.

I recently attended the annual CIPD Midlands Area Partnership event in Warwickshire where Peter Cheese addressed the importance of being human at work and that the future of work has to be human. I was particularly excited to hear the closing keynote from Joy Marsden, I have heard a lot of positive things about Joy prior to the event but I had no idea how much her speech would resonate not just with me but everyone in the room at the same time and it is quite something to experience!

Joy speaks with such passion, warmth and a fantastic sense of humour and whilst I cannot give her secrets away (if you get the chance to see her speak, certainly make sure you don’t miss it!) she simplifies the process into developing yourself to be you, helping you to face challenges and dealing with the steps in the best way that only you can.

For those of you who know me personally, know that I am a sucker for a book, I love books and business books in particular! I have purchased and read Joy’s book “Keep Stepping” and I have to admit that this is one of the most inspiring books that I have ever read, it is quick to read, a fantastic reference point to visit from time to time (I now have my copy at my desk in work) and it is a book we can all relate to, no matter what stage of our career.

We are unique and it would be a really dull planet if we were all the same! It’s time we celebrated ourselves, shifted the self doubt and be confident in the knowledge that we know our stuff, that is why we are in HR and that is what we went into the profession to do. Without our people, the would not be a need for HR in the first place so we need to ensure that we not only look after the workforce but we need to make sure we look after ourselves; we can’t do that hidden behind a mask.

Thank you to Joy herself for allowing me to mention her book on my blog. If you would like a copy of your own you can buy a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Keep-Stepping-Essential-Yourself-Challenge/dp/0993381405/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1477947235&sr=8-1&keywords=Joy+marsden

If you have any must reads for a future blog of #InspireHR then please feel free to send me an email! I will see you all back here for #CIPDACE16 next week where coverage is going to start on a train…

We’re nearly there! #CIPDACE16 Manchester is nearly upon us and the build up is getting exciting now, I feel like a kid at Christmas!

It is exactly two weeks until I’ll be travelling to Manchester to attend the CIPD event of the year and what a year it has been! This will be the perfect event to start winding down the hectic year and gain a lot of knowledge to carry you into (dare I say it) 2017!

There is still time to book your ticket so make sure you check out the CIPD website and book your place.

There are plenty of networking opportunities before and during the entire event so why not join in the fun and arrange to meet us at some of the events, it can’t be all work and no play after all!). A detailed list can be found at: http://www.cipd.co.uk/events/annual/event-essentials/networking-social.aspx

The final preparations on my blogsquad activities have been finalised and I’m delighted that I now have my blog kit ready and waiting thanks to my husband who bought me the most perfect iPad carry case which can also fit in my notebook and phone, I’m certainly living the blogsquad dream.

If anyone is attending the event and would like to pop over and say hello, you’ll find me running around all over the place trying to take everything in and blog about it, but if there’s something in particular you’d like me to blog, tweet or broadcast if you’re unable to make the event – give me a nudge and I’ll try my best to cover it for you.