Events

June 10, 2026 | Luncheon

Join us on June 10, 2026 for our next FAHRA event!

Session Title: Talkin' 'Bout My Generation: Understanding Gen Z and the Future of Work
Speaker:Thomas Mobley, SHRM-SCP, SPHR - Owner Mobley HR Consulting

Time: 11:30am - 1:00pm
Location: Hilton Garden Inn, Findlay, OH

Session Description:Building on themes from his popular “Talkin’ ’Bout My Generation” talk, HR leader, educator, and workforce strategist Tom Mobley takes a deeper one-hour look at one of the biggest challenges facing organizations today: understanding, leading, and developing Generation Z in the workplace.

Today’s emerging workforce was shaped by forces unlike any previous generation — smartphones, social media, pandemic-era education, AI, economic uncertainty, rising anxiety, and an increasingly transactional view of education and work. Many employers are now seeing the impact firsthand through challenges involving communication, accountability, resilience, engagement, independent work, and workplace expectations. But this presentation goes beyond the stereotypes.

Drawing from current workforce research, higher education trends, and decades of HR leadership experience, Tom explores what many organizations are getting wrong about Gen Z — and what leaders can do differently to better engage, coach, develop, and retain younger employees without lowering standards or expectations.

Participants will leave with a stronger understanding of how generational experiences shape workplace behavior, why traditional management approaches may no longer work as effectively, and how organizations can create environments that balance accountability, structure, connection, and performance in today’s rapidly changing workplace.

This session is ideal for HR professionals, managers, executives, educators, and organizational leaders seeking practical insight into the future of workforce leadership.

Speaker Bio: Thomas Mobley, SHRM-SCP, SPHR, is a dedicated educator, speaker, and HR consultant with a career spanning nearly four decades in human resources, leadership development, and higher education. Tom is proud to be back at Miami University Farmer School of Business in the Human Capital Management and Leadership area after previously teaching as an Assistant Professor Educator in Organizational Leadership and Human Resources at the University of Cincinnati following an early retirement buyout.

His journey into teaching began nearly 40 years ago when he had the opportunity to work on a labor-management training program alongside one of his Miami University professors and a Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) mediator. That experience ignited a lifelong passion for teaching, mentoring, and helping others succeed.

At Miami University, Tom is working to help build an HR Center of Excellence focused on positioning Miami as a premier destination for undergraduate HR education and a leading source of HR talent for employers. His student-success philosophy — known as the “HR Succeeds” model — combines mentorship, experiential learning, professional networking, career coaching, and encouragement toward HR certification and leadership development.

Tom’s impact on students has been widely recognized. In 2025, he was nominated by Miami University’s Associated Student Government as one of the university’s Outstanding Professors of the Year. In 2026, he received the Miami University Academic Support and Advising Association Excellence in Advising Faculty Advisor Award in recognition of his exceptional commitment to student advising, mentorship, and career development.

A strong advocate for experiential learning, Tom excels at translating theory into practical application through case studies, employer partnerships, HR site visits, simulations, and real-world consulting projects. He has helped lead and expand Miami’s Student SHRM Chapter, HR mentoring initiatives, and HR certification preparation efforts, while also building strong partnerships between students and the HR community.

Beyond academia, Tom operates Mobley HR Consulting, providing HR consulting, leadership development, HR certification preparation, and workforce training services. His HR Certification Preparation Courses have achieved an approximately 88% success rate among HR professionals pursuing certification exams.

Tom has presented at numerous professional conferences and events, including the Ohio HR Conference, DisruptHR, and the Management Faculty of Color National Conference. He has also taught graduate courses for Dalian University of Technology’s International Graduate Program in China.

In addition to his consulting and teaching work, Tom contributed to a 2022 workforce-development proposal for a 2,000-employee, $916 million start-up manufacturing facility in Sidney, Ohio. He is also the co-author of The Career Navigator Workbook and contributor to multiple HR and organizational behavior educational resources and textbooks.

Known for his practical approach, energy, humor, and passion for student development, Tom remains committed to preparing the next generation of HR and business leaders for the rapidly changing future of work.