Whether you're navigating return-to-office policies, figuring out how to adopt AI safely, or rethinking your total rewards strategy, HR leaders are facing more complexity than ever. That’s where SocialHRCamp KW comes in. It’s a one-night event bringing together HR and People & Culture professionals for honest conversations, actionable insights, and community support.

In this episode, we’re joined by Selina Miah and Larissa Currah, two of the trio of organizers behind SocialHRCamp KW, happening on September 25, 2025, at Magnet Forensics’s office in Waterloo. They talk about why they brought the global event series to KW, what makes this region’s HR community so special, and what to expect at this year's event, including panels on AI in the workplace, legal trends in HR, and total rewards that actually matter.

Whether you're head of HR at a scaling startup or a team of one at an SMB, this episode has something for you.

00:41 – Meet Selina Miah and Larissa Currah from SocialHRCamp KW
01:21 – How the global event series came to Kitchener-Waterloo
03:15 – The power of peer learning in the local HR community
04:37 – Why similar HR frameworks still yield different insights
05:51 – Reflecting on the last 5 years of change in the workplace
07:37 – HR burnout and the need for continued connection
08:20 – Three core themes of this year’s event: AI, legal, and total rewards
09:53 – How AI is impacting HR beyond recruitment
11:21 – Organizational-wide AI adoption and HR's strategic role
12:47 – Guardrails, privacy, and the risks of unchecked AI use
14:11 – Treating AI as part of health, safety, and change management
15:36 – Generational differences in AI adoption and perception
16:28 – Leveraging students and new grads in your AI strategy
18:26 – AI literacy as a new job requirement
20:00 – Shifting gears to total rewards
20:49 – What’s new in the world of perks, benefits, and retention
23:30 – Aligning total rewards with real employee needs
24:38 – Examples of benefits that matter: mental health, menopause, fertility
25:23 – Event details: date, time, location, speakers, and sponsors
26:51 – Thank you to sponsors, venue, vendors, and raffle contributors
27:19 – How to get tickets and where to find SocialHRCamp KW online