NCCU 2008 Fourth Annual Workshop for Administrators Fourth Annual Workshop for Administrators July 24, 2008.

NCCU

NCCU

2008 Fourth Annual Workshop for Administrators

Fourth Annual Workshop for Administrators

July 24, 2008

NCCU

NCCU

Human Resources—The Times, They Are A-Changing

Laurie Charest

Human Resources


NCCU

NCCU

HR Organizational Transition

• Creation of a consolidated Department of Human Resources (DHR) serving all faculty and staff is underway.

• Recruitment for a new Associate Vice Chancellor for Human Resources is underway.

• Move to a new location (Hubbard Chemistry Building) is underway.


NCCU

NCCU

What will these changes mean to you?

• Current contacts for issues have not changed.

• Expect changes and realignments.

• Expect to receive regular communications about these changes.

• Expect improvement in processes and resulting

improvement in processing times.


NCCU

NCCU

HR Contacts

• Judith Bell—Director, Training and Organizational Development

• Vanessa Gregory—Director, Employee Services and Benefits

• Andria Knight—Director, EEO/AA

• Frank Lewis—Director, Classification, Compensation and Employment

• Daphine Richardson—Director, EPA Personnel Services

• Vacant—Director, Planning and Systems


NCCU

NCCU

Areas of Immediate Focus

• Creation of new HR Website

• Contents to include:

– Separate “paths” for job seekers, employees, and supervisors/managers

– Who to contact for what services

– HR Policies

– HR Forms

– FAQs


NCCU

NCCU

Streamlining Employment Process

• Process redesign project is underway with goal of streamlining employment process for faculty and staff.

• Working first on process for appointments of permanent faculty and staff, then will address temporary employees.

• Efforts to minimize number of required signatures/reviews.


NCCU

NCCU

Streamlining Employment Process--Automation

• Automation plays a key role.

• Launch of PeopleAdmin, an automated application processing system; expect to implement for EPA and SPA positions.

• Need to review previously planning “routing” to minimize stops.

• Expect implementation to increase the number of applications for positions.


NCCU

NCCU

Improving “Onboarding” Process

• “Onboarding” is the process used to bring new faculty and staff into the organization and make them productive in their roles.

• Begins when an employment offer is accepted and extends through approximately the first six months of employment.

• Involves many departments, including the hiring department.


NCCU

NCCU


• Key areas for improvement:– Orientation session.– Providing a “one-stop” way for new faculty and staff to

handle parking, ID badges, keys, computer access, etc.– Insuring that hiring departments provide proper

“orientation” to the role and responsibilities of the position and the policies and procedures of the department.


NCCU

NCCU


• Expect to see:– Online orientation option for faculty and staff.– Separate orientation sessions (both online and in classroom

setting) for EPA and SPA employees and for temporary employees.

– Careful consideration of what topics must be covered immediately and what topics can be handled in subsequent sessions.

– Careful consideration of which topics require in person sessions and which can be covered via online training.


NCCU

NCCU

Criminal Background Checks—Improving Campus Safety

• New Criminal Background Check Policy was implemented effective July 1, 2008.

• Policy requires that every new employee (faculty, staff and temporary) must have a criminal background and sex offender check done.

• Employees who will have responsibility for money or financial transactions will be required to pass a credit history check.

• Employees who will drive as part of their work responsibility will have a motor vehicles history check.


NCCU

NCCU


• Background checks will be conducted by Castlebranch, Inc.

• DHR will be responsible for ordering and receiving background checks for all “recommended candidates”.

• Hiring departments are responsible for getting the “recommended candidates” to sign the Authorization to Perform Background Check” form and including it in the employment packet.

• It is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED that hiring departments have all candidates who are interviewed complete and sign the form so there will be no delay in getting the form completed and signed by the “recommended candidate”.

• Other than completing the form, there should be no discussion of this issue during interviews.


NCCU

NCCU

Criminal Background Checks—Important Notes

• Having a conviction DOES NOT disqualify an individual from consideration for employment

• Falsifying information about convictions DOES disqualify an individual from consideration.

• If an “recommended candidate” has conviction(s), DHR will review the severity of the offense, the relatedness to the job the individual would be performing, the recency of the conviction, and the employment record in the intervening period.

• DHR, in consultation with Legal Counsel and Campus Police, will make the determination about whether the “recommended candidate” is eligible to work at NCCU.


NCCU

NCCU


• How does the new policy impact current faculty and staff?– In general, it does not; however….

• If a current employee applies and is recommended for a new position, the employee will be subject to a criminal background check.

• If an employee is assigned new responsibilities, the employee may be subject to a credit history or motor vehicle history check.

• If an employee is convicted of a crime, the employee is required to report the conviction within 5 business days, and the employee will then be subject to a criminal background check.


NCCU

NCCU

Career Banding

• New compensation system for SPA employees.

• Replaces the much maligned and out of date job classification system.

• All SPA employees at NCCU were “banded” on July 1, 2008.

• Market based system.


NCCU

NCCU

How can you tell if you’ve been “banded”?

• Old salary grades and job titles (ex. SG 63, Administrative Assistant I) replaced by “band” and “competency”.

• “Competency assessment” has been performed.

• Market rates are available for your band and competency level.


NCCU

NCCU

Career Banding—the “hook”

• Designed to align salaries with the market.

• Eliminates cumbersome paper and time intensive “reclassification” process.

• Allows managers more discretion in when increases occur.


NCCU

NCCU

Career Banding—the “catch”

• Implementation is “salary neutral”—that’s government-speak for “no money available”.

• Aligning the system to the market is a good thing; however, employees do not like hearing that they are “below market”.

• AND employees who are “above market” are not happy because they will not be a priority for any increases that might occur.


NCCU

NCCU

Career Banding—the “bottom line”

• There is no choice; NCCU must implement for all SPA employees.

• Like most systems, managers and supervisors will become more knowledgeable and skilled at using the system with time and experience.

• Career Banding does allow recognition of competencies.


NCCU

NCCU

SPA Employment Process--Reminders

• Currently handled with hard copy applications; this will be changing as we move to PeopleAdmin.

• HR handles “posting” to the Office of State Personnel website; if you want to advertise more broadly, contact Employment Services for assistance.


NCCU

NCCU

SPA Employment Process—Hiring Department Responsibilities

• Hiring department determines who to interview, sets up and conducts interviews, gets Authorization for Background Check forms completed by interviewees, conducts reference checks, determines “recommended candidate”.

• Hiring department does NOT communicate to the “recommended candidate” prior to completion of the review process.

• Hiring department submits employment packet to Human Resources; packet includes all applications, reasons for selection or non-selection, Authorization Forms.


NCCU

NCCU

SPA Employment Process—Human Resources Responsibilities

• Human Resources conducts Criminal Background and Sex Offender checks and other checks as appropriate.

• EEO Office reviews to insure that selection and non-selection reasons are job-related.

• Human Resources extends job offer by phone.

• When offer is accepted, Human Resources confirms in writing, determines start date, and schedules orientation.


NCCU

NCCU

SPA Employment Process—What HR Does NOT Do

• HR does not handle budget approvals.

• HR does not have a pot of money to add to budgeted amounts.

• HR does not extend job offers above the advertised salary.

• HR does not conduct reference checks.


NCCU

NCCU

SPA Employment Process--Tips

• Review the job description and make sure it is current and accurate and that your hiring “preferences” are clearly expressed.

• • Make sure that the amount of money available is

sufficient to attract quality applicants.

• Construct interview questions that help you determine how the person is likely to perform in the role and environment.


NCCU

NCCU

SPA Employment Process--Tips

• Do a careful job of reference checking; respect a candidate’s request that a current employer not be contacted—UNTIL you are making your final determination. Never recommend a candidate without checking with current employer. Feel free to check additional references not listed by the applicant.

• Make interviewing and selection a priority. HR is working to improve the processing time, but the majority of the time is actually spent in the hiring department.


NCCU

NCCU

EPA Employment Process

“Exempt from the State Personnel Act”; however, subject to University system rules.

Faculty

EPA Non-faculty

– Senior Academic and Administrative Officers

– Instructional

– Research


NCCU

NCCU


• NCCU has authority to establish faculty positions.

• EPA Non-faculty positions have to be sent to General Administration for review and approval—this process generally takes at least a month.


NCCU

NCCU


• Most EPA employees have annual “contracts”.

• Contract period for 9 month appointments is August 6, 2008 to May 16, 2009.

• All contracts for Fall should have already been received in EPA Personnel Services.


NCCU

NCCU

EPA Employment Process—Hiring Department Responsibilities

• Create job description• Insure funding is available• Create vacancy announcement for posting• Appoint Search Committee• Select Candidate• If appropriate, consult with International Office to insure

appropriate Visa, etc.• Complete Employment Checklist• Make offer of employment AFTER EEO approval• Submit E-Rec package


NCCU

NCCU

EPA Employment Process—HR (EPA Personnel Services) Responsibilities

• Establish positions

• Post/advertise positions

• Review and approve employment package

• Forward package to budget then EEO for approval

• Receive E-Rec and prepare contract

• Contact employee to sign contract

• Complete I-9 and E-Verify processes


NCCU

NCCU

What EPA Personnel Services is NOT responsible for

• Finding funding for positions.

• Providing expert advice and consultation on Visa issues.


NCCU

NCCU

EPA Employment Process--Tips

• Start early! Currently, the entire “contract” process takes approximately 3 months.

• Contracts need to be complete 30 days before the employee starts work.

• Contact the International Office for assistance with visa issues BEFORE the employee is hired or comes to NCCU!


NCCU

NCCU

How to Get the Best Outcome with Human Resources Issues

• Consult with Human Resources about what the problem is that you are trying to solve, not the specific strategy.

• This allows HR to suggest the optimal strategy for resolving the problem within the constraints of the State and University system.

• This also avoids “bad practices” that have come into being as “work arounds”.


NCCU 2008 Fourth Annual Workshop for Administrators Fourth Annual Workshop for Administrators July 24, 2008.

Documents

annual workshop

onboarding process onboarding

new faculty

nccu human resourcesthe

onboarding process key

employment offer

months of employment

hiring department