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PDS is excited to offer targeted training opportunities designed specifically for managers and supervisors at the State of Iowa. Whether you’re looking to evolve your leadership style, better support your team, or confidently navigate complex policies like FMLA, our curriculum supports your continuous professional growth. We offer a variety of brief, high-impact sessions—available both as live events and on-demand recordings—to fit your busy schedule.
All manager and supervisor offerings are free for State of Iowa employees. Check back monthly for new offerings tailored to your needs.
Upcoming Live Offerings
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Designed for managers, this ​​webinar will dive into the Class and Comp system and the tools that power it. In just one hour, you will gain a comprehensive understanding of our compensation structure, the keys to a successful PDQ submission, and the resources available to help you navigate the process.​
​Key takeaways include:
- Where We’ve Been vs. Where We Are: A look at our compensation structure and how it has evolved.
- The PDQ Blueprint: Everything you need to submit with confidence.
- Expert Resources: The "who, what, and where" for every classification question.
đź“… Date: April 22, 2026
⏰ Time: 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
đź“Ť Location: Zoom
Check back soon for the May monthly manager training.
On Demand Classes and Recorded Webinars
List items for On Demand and Recorded Webinars for Managers / Supervisors
Do you often feel overwhelmed and exhausted? We all deal with stressful situations at times, but chronic stress is damaging. Keeping stress under control helps maintain your energy, motivation, and health.
In this on-demand course, you’ll learn the basics of managing stress, how stress affects us and strategies to help protect us from the dangers of chronic stress.
We recommend viewing the September webinar, Manager's Guide to Understanding and Using Engagement Survey Data, beforehand to provide helpful background for this session.
You've seen the survey results. What's next?
Employee engagement is about creating a positive and supportive workplace, but it's also a critical business driver for productivity, profitability, and retention. This webinar is your guide to moving Beyond the Survey and transforming data into a powerful action plan that not only boosts morale but also makes your job as a leader more effective.
Designed for supervisors and managers at all levels, this recorded webinar will provide you with the practical tools and resources you will need to confidently lead the conversation and partner with your team to improve engagement.
Join us to learn how to:
- Diagnose the real issues behind the data to find what truly matters to your team.
- Create a simple, effective action plan collaboratively with your team.
- Implement and sustain your plan to boost morale, improve retention, and build a high-performing team.
Stop wondering and start acting. This is your next step toward building a truly engaged and more productive team.
In this recorded webinar, managers will discover the vital role they play in resolving conflicts within their teams. Did you know that a staggering 60-80% of workplace conflicts stem from strained relationships between employees and their leaders? Learn how to identify and resolve conflicts amicably, transforming potential disputes into opportunities for growth and collaboration. Equip yourself with the skills to enhance both individual and team productivity, fostering a more harmonious and effective work environment.
This practical session is designed for managers and supervisors and provides an overview of key recruitment trends, the State of Iowa hiring process, and manager responsibilities from vacancy to onboarding. Participants will gain clarity on what to do, when to involve HR, and how DAS-HRE supports the hiring process.
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
- Describe key public-sector recruitment trends and how State of Iowa hiring data impacts staffing decisions.
- Identify the manager’s responsibilities in preparing for and navigating the hiring process.
- Navigate the State of Iowa hiring process with confidence, including merit system requirements and NEOGOV best practices.
- Apply fair and consistent hiring practices and support early retention through effective onboarding.
- Leverage available support and resources from DAS-HRE.
This recorded webinar provides an overview of the Leave of Absence process, FMLA basics, and State of Iowa policies, with a focus on the role managers and supervisors play throughout the process. Participants will gain a clearer and what managers should know when an employee requests a leave of absence. The session also addresses how to navigate leave-related situations in a way that supports employees while ensuring compliance with policy and procedure.
Effective listening and the ability to receive feedback are essential skills for personal and professional growth. In this recorded webinar, we will focus on developing active listening techniques and building a mindset that welcomes constructive feedback. Participants will explore the difference between listening to respond and listening to understand. Participants will learn strategies to manage defensiveness and turn feedback into actionable improvement.
This recorded webinar helps managers understand how to access, interpret, and use engagement data to strengthen their teams. Participants will learn how to identify priorities, communicate results transparently, and take meaningful action by developing a targeted engagement action plan.
Days, weeks or even months can be dedicated to collecting, analyzing, and interpreting the right information to get insights and answers to pressing business questions. At the end of this demanding process, how much time is dedicated to preparing communication strategies for these insights? The likely answer – nowhere near enough.
In this recorded webinar, Tuan Phan helps you build the skills needed to take your analysis and insights and turn them into compelling stories that ensure that your stakeholders act on your recommendations.
Resilience Skills for Effective Leadership helps leaders build the tools they need to thrive in challenging environments. Participants will explore the meaning of resilience in leadership, develop strategies to strengthen resilience through a growth mindset, and practice applying these skills during times of change. This 90 minute recorded webinar equips leaders to adapt with confidence, support their teams, and maintain effectiveness in the face of adversity.
Risk of Inaction: The Perils of Failing to Report Sexual Harassment
Managers and supervisors play a critical role in preventing and addressing sexual harassment in the workplace. Furthermore, leaders who fail to recognize and properly report potential harassment may be subject to investigation, so the duty to act is of paramount importance. This recorded webinar, led by DAS Human Resources Consultants, will review the State of Iowa’s policy on sexual harassment and clarify the legal definition of what constitutes sexual harassment. Participants will explore the responsibilities of managers and supervisors when incidents are reported—and what happens if they fail to take action—and examine key lessons from case law to understand the serious consequences of inaction.
In this on demand course, you will gain knowledge to assist in being able to identify and understand the signs of mental health struggles among team members as well as learn strategies to assist in fostering a healthier and more productive workplace environment. You will also gain resources to support you in promoting workplace wellness with your teams.