Students claim second place in HR Games competition
KALAMAZOO, Mich.— Two teams of human resource management students from Western Michigan University’s Haworth College of Business competed in the HR Games, an annual competition sponsored by the Michigan Society for Human Resource Management, with one team claiming second place.
The games took place during the society’s 2019 conference and exhibition, which was held October 9-11 at DeVos Place in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Competing against undergraduate and graduate-level teams from Central Michigan, Ferris State, Eastern Michigan and Grand Valley State universities, WMU undergraduate students answered human resource-related questions over multiple rounds in the Jeopardy-style game format. The competition is intended to help students prepare for the human resources profession, engage with local practitioners, network with industry leaders and learn from keynote speakers. It is also designed to prepare students for the SHRM-certified professional exam.
“I am so proud of the work these students have put into preparing for the HR Games,” says Dr. Christina Stamper, professor of management. “Starting last January, they have dedicated themselves to deeply diving into human resource management certification material, learning about best practices, policies, laws and terminology. To walk away with a second place finish was a phenomenal accomplishment.”
THE TEAMS
Sarah Hamilton, Holly Harmon and Christina Raeff comprised the second-place team. Kaylen Glenfield and Raven Lackey also competed in the games. The students spent months studying human resource-related material and practicing their quick answer skills in preparation for the competition.
“The team worked immensely hard over the last year, and it’s very satisfying to know that all of our months of studying, preparation and hard work paid off,” says Hamilton, who served as team captain. “Now that the competition is done, we have expanded our human resource knowledge and abilities in numerous areas. As a result, I feel confident preparing for the SHRM-CP exam, entering the HR profession and using what we’ve learned to better the organizations we join in the future.”
“I am delighted about the second place finish,” adds Raeff. “It was very rewarding to see the return on our summer preparation and study sessions. I was thrilled that we could represent not only the Haworth College of Business and the WMU chapter of SHRM, but also the human resource management major within the college.”
ABOUT THE SOCIETY FOR HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
The Society for Human Resource Management is the world's largest human resource professional society, representing 285,000 members in more than 165 countries. For nearly seven decades, the organization has been the leading provider of resources serving the needs of human resource professionals and advancing the practice of human resource management. The Society for Human Resource Management has more than 575 affiliated chapters within the United States and subsidiary offices in China, India and United Arab Emirates. The WMU chapter, known as the Society for Excellence in Human Resources, strives to enhance the potential of its members by providing them with the tools necessary to excel in human resource management and other fields in the business world.