Tue, Jun 23
|Virtual
The Hidden Costs of Good Enough
When your HR structure seems to be holding its own, costs may lie in places you'd least expect. Join us for an honest conversation about what to look for and how to get ahead of it.
Time & Location
Jun 23, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
Virtual
About the event
Event Experience
Our Collaborative Cafés are designed to feel less like webinars and more like a seat at the table with people who've seen it all and want to help you navigate it. Our panel brings together voices from employment law, executive HR leadership, and institutional people operations to give you a well-rounded, real-world view of what strong HR actually looks like in practice.
You'll walk away with sharper instincts, practical language to bring back to your leadership team, and the reassurance that you don't have to figure this out alone.
Date: June 23rd | Time: 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM | Location: Virtual | Cost: Free
HR Collaborative is recognized by SHRM to offer Professional Development Credits (PDCs) for SHRM-CP® or SHRM-SCP® recertification activities.
Event Description
It may be tempting to leave HR on auto-pilot when things appear to be running smoothly. No major complaints. No turnover spikes. No lawsuits. But "no news" isn't always "good intel" and the gap between a quietly running HR function and a truly proactive and strategic one often doesn't surface until something goes wrong.
This session was built for business leaders and HR professionals who know their HR function could be stronger, and who want a clearer picture of the hidden risks act and how a more intentional strategy can help.
Our panel will explore the intersection of HR systems, legal exposure, and business performance, providing practical insights into when a people question becomes a legal issue and what it looks like to build an HR function that actually protects and strengthens your organization.
Navigating HR-related business risk can be daunting. Join us as we shine a light on the areas that are easy to overlook and connect you with the expertise to address them with confidence.
Event Summary | What You'll Learn
How to identify the HR gaps most likely to carry hidden financial and legal risk
Where employment law and HR practice intersect and what leaders most often miss
What the real cost of underfunding HR looks like, in practical terms
How to make the business case for resources to deepen HR strategy
What a strategic HR function looks like versus a reactive one and how to close that gap
The of cost inaction when it comes to intentional culture shaping
Meet the Panelists
Marcy McMahon – Director of Client Success, HR Collaborative
As a seasoned executive HR leader, Marcy has spent more than 25 years helping organizations manage workforce risk, strengthen compliance, and develop people strategies that support both business performance and employee engagement. She leads our consulting team as we partner with small and mid-sized businesses to create HR functions that are strategic, practical, and mitigate risk.
Learn More about Marcy
Marcy's background spans VP-level people operations at Mel Trotter Ministries, hospitality consulting, and the launch of more than 20 restaurant concepts — giving her a systems-level view of how HR plays out across complex, fast-moving organizations. Marcy knows firsthand that strong HR isn't a luxury. It's what allows businesses to grow with confidence.
Ovell Barbee Jr. – Owner & Principal, Ask Ovell
Ovell Barbee Jr. is a human resources leader, consultant, and speaker with a track record of building high-performing cultures inside some of the country's most complex organizations – including Motorola, Blue Cross Blue Shield, General Motors/OnStar, and Corewell Health. His work centers on strengthening leadership accountability, aligning people strategies with business outcomes, and creating workplaces where individuals are empowered to do their best work.
Learn More about Ovell
A Grand Rapids native and University of Michigan and Michigan State University graduate, Ovell is also the author of the Amazon bestselling book The Big House — a human-centered approach to culture and workplace engagement that reflects everything he brings to the panel table. When it comes to identifying where HR practices fall short and what it actually costs an organization, Ovell has seen it from every angle.
Matthew O'Rourke – Member, Employment & Labor Law, Miller Johnson
Matt O'Rourke helps organizations spot and minimize employment risk before it becomes a costly problem. As a member of Miller Johnson's Employment & Labor group, he counsels clients on discrimination, harassment, wage and hour compliance, workplace investigations, and more – translating complex legal questions into practical, plain-language guidance.
Learn More about Matthew
A seasoned litigator with experience before state and federal courts, Matt knows firsthand what happens when HR and legal considerations don't get the attention they deserve and he's here to help you make sure they do.
Recognized as Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch, Labor and Employment 2023–2026
Matt Jemilo – Director of Talent Placement, HR Collaborative | Event MC
Matt Jemilo has built his career around one thing: connecting the right people at the right time. As Director of Talent Placement at HR Collaborative, he works daily at the intersection of organizational need and human potential, making him a natural fit to guide our conversation.
Learn More about Matt
Before joining HR Collaborative, Matt spent years in talent acquisition across higher education and corporate environments. At Service Professor, he overhauled the recruitment process entirely, cutting hiring costs by 65% and improving retention in the process. He knows firsthand what it costs when the people side of a business isn't running at its best and what's possible when it is.
A connector by nature and a community builder by practice, Matt brings the kind of warmth and curiosity to this conversation that makes expert topics feel accessible to everyone in the room.