Conference Session Takes Community Approach to Solving HR Problems

Delivering a conference session is usually stressful enough, given all the preparatory work that goes into drafting, refining and finalizing a time-controlled script and vibrant/thoughtful/engaging PowerPoint deck.

But what if that session was more improvisation than practiced perfection? Less notes and no safety net? Would that bring the stress level up a couple notches? 

Liz Spada will gladly experience that firsthand as she and two fellow HR professionals lead a unique “ask me anything” workshop during WorldatWork’s Total Rewards ’26 conference, which takes place April 19-22 in San Antonio, Texas.

The April 21 session, titled “Real Problems, Real Advice: An Expert-Led Problem-Solving Lab,” will feature:

• Spada, the vice president of total rewards and HR operations at web-hosting and domain-registry company GoDaddy and the president of the New England Compensation Consortium (a WorldatWork affiliate association)
• Heather Mohr, the director of total rewards at insurance industry services company ReSource Pro and the president of the Compensation & Benefits Network of Greater St. Louis (a WorldatWork affiliate)
• Takki Wright, a senior compensation manager at technology and manufacturing giant Honeywell and the secretary of the Atlanta Area Compensation Association (a WorldatWork affiliate)

Here’s the layout of the 45-minute lab:

• Participants bring and share real scenarios or challenges they are encountering.
• The speakers, participants and audience members will work through some of them, one by one, melding “been there, done that” guidance, real-world considerations and caveats, and “what if …” ideation and insights.
• The focus is on judgment, perspective and next steps that are more actionable than theoretical.

Workspan Daily editor Paul Arnold recently connected with Spada to discuss six questions related to collaboration, community and conquering problems.

Check out our additional Workspan Daily coverage on Total Rewards ’26:

• To Enhance Employee Experience, Lean into Integrity, ‘Radical Honesty’

Arnold: The format of your conference session isn’t something I’ve seen used frequently — in particular, its interactivity and collaborative focus on identifying and addressing real-world problems within the HR and TR space. What drew you to this as a session you wanted to help shape and lead?

Spada: The format is what drew me in immediately — a room full of HR and TR professionals openly discussing and workshopping real problems in real time. I love panel discussions as they invite candor, collaboration and even a little vulnerability.

Over the years, I’ve learned that no matter how unique or stressful a TR challenge feels, someone else has lived it, survived it and has a sticky note full of lessons learned. These conversations let us solve problems together while continuing to learn and grow.

Arnold: Perhaps a good phrase to characterize this session is “you are not alone.” In what ways can you relate to that phrase in your work as an HR/TR professional? And, can you recall a time, perhaps recently or maybe earlier in your career, when you felt like you were taking on a particular HR/TR problem by yourself?

Spada: In TR, “you are not alone” is practically a mission statement. Our work sits at the intersection of data, emotion, law, urgency and culture.

A moment when I felt alone? That would probably be during some mergers-and-acquisitions work. I’ve been on both sides — the acquirer and the acquired — and those are times when confidentiality means you can’t pull your team in. You’re navigating competing priorities, tight timelines and a lot of “we need it yesterday” [timeline demands]. So, I rolled up my sleeves, relied on a small circle of trusted colleagues — and a truly heroic amount of caffeine — and together, we created outcomes I’m still really proud of to this day.

Arnold: What specific internal and/or external advice outlets do you count on in your role at GoDaddy? Are there one or more outlets that you utilize the most, and/or is it dependent on the scope and complexity of what you are trying to solve?

Spada: I rely on a blend of internal and external “sanity check ecosystems,” depending on the size and scariness of the problem. This would include:

• My internal thought partners. I lean on my team, trusted peers, HR business partners [HRBPs] and my cross-functional partners in finance, legal, etc.
• External TR communities. Conferences like WorldatWork and local networking events are extremely helpful to stay updated with market trends and best practices. I am president of the New England Compensation Consortium, which allows me to network and learn from other professionals.
• Vendors and experts. Sometimes you just need to rely on the experts who have seen the same issue across 200 companies and can calmly tell you what works, help keep you grounded and point you in the right direction.

Arnold: Can you share an example of how you utilized advice from one or several of those outlets to tackle a pressing need?

Spada: A recent example is in navigating evolving pay transparency requirements and disclosure. Internally, I worked with compensation, legal and HR partners to map implications and build a scalable approach. I networked with other peers to compare how other companies were wrestling with the same challenges — from sequencing compliance steps, coaching leaders and managing employee reactions. And, our external vendor helped anchor us in regulatory must-haves and market trends.

Arnold: If you were attending this session instead of serving as one of its leaders, what would be one question or problem you would bring to get insights, ideas and solutions?

Spada: I’d ask, “How are other organizations balancing employee retention and engagement when budgets might be tight and stock price is declining?” That is one of the top challenges right now — leaders are focused on budgets, employees want growth and recognition, and HR is left designing a total compensation strategy that doesn’t involve printing money in the breakroom. I’d love hearing how others are thinking through this situation.

Arnold: What is one piece of advice you could offer HR/TR pros regarding collaboration, problem-solving or the union of those?

Spada: My advice would be “teamwork is dreamwork.” Teamwork has always been such a critical core value to me, and I am always trying to pull in the right people to help solve problems and design strategies. You don’t need to have all the answers, but you do have to bring together the right voices, pressure-test the assumptions, ensure cross-functional alignment and create an environment where the right people have a seat at the table.

Check out Workspan Daily’s coverage of the Total Rewards ’25 conference:

• Might a Sales Mindset Be Your Key to Total Rewards Success?
• The Monumental Mission of Meaningful Mentorships
• Proactive TR Pros See ‘Train’ of Change Coming, Take Steps to Act
• The Keys to Creativity and Driving Innovative Total Rewards
• The Pros and Cons of Giving Managers Discretion on Merit Increases
• Using Analytics, Innovative Framework to Transform HR/Total Rewards
• How An Industry Leader Sees Technology Transforming Total Rewards
• Biopharma Compensation Leader Has Put AI Under the Microscope

Editor’s Note: Additional Content

For more information and resources related to this article, see the pages below, which offer quick access to all WorldatWork content on these topics:

• Organizational Performance
• Total Rewards