University Business - January 2007 - (Page 23)

Warning : session_start : The session id contains invalid characters, valid characters are only a-z, A-Z and 0-9 in /mnt/data/www.nxtbook.com/fx/config_1.3/global.php on line 9 Warning : session_start : Cannot send session cache limiter - headers already sent output started at /mnt/data/www.nxtbook.com/fx/config_1.3/global.php:9 in /mnt/data/www.nxtbook.com/fx/config_1.3/global.php on line 9 Warning : Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by output started at /mnt/data/www.nxtbook.com/fx/config_1.3/global.php:9 in /mnt/data/www.nxtbook.com/fx/config_1.3/global.php on line 10 HUMAN RESOURCES HR and Higher Ed: A focus on strategy in contributing to the school’s mission is crucial for institutional HR officers. Same Page or Different Books? By Carol Patton T A K E A GOOD LOOK AT your Human Resources department. What kind of grade does it deserve for helping your school achieve its key goals? At some schools, HR would barely pass, maybe even flunk. HR officers are rarely invited into the leadership circle that addresses critical issues and makes key decisions about the school’s future direction. The reason has little to do with small budgets or lack of metrics for HR activities and everything to do with whether the department’s initiatives are aligned with the school’s goals. Much has been written about this topic over the past five years, yet there are still HR departments whose activities don’t really contribute to their institution’s overall mission. Instead of focusing on strategy, they keep busy with a variety of transactional or administrative issues. While those are important, HR still must learn to speak the language of business. A lot of HR department staff and leaders choose to get so wrapped up in daily administrivia, and then get so bogged down and don’t take the time to strategize, says Mike New, vice president of HR at Saint Michael’s College Vt. , a liberal arts school that supports about 500 employees and 2,200 students. New grew up in corporate America, where HR was typically a big part of the strategy development process. So when he came to the college five years ago, it was natural for him to dive into strategy work. However, not everyone is comfortable with that role, he says. Human Resources must learn to speak the language of business. According to the Society for Human Resource Management “2006 Strategic Management Survey Report,” 75 percent of the 427 responding HR professionals from all industries stated that their HR department had a strategic plan in place. Of those, 96 percent felt the plan was aligned with the organization’s strategic plan. Likewise, about three-fourths of respondents considered their own role and the role of their HR department as a combination of strategic and operational functions. Could we say the same about HR departments in higher education? IN THIS TOGETHER HR must take the time to understand business issues in order to develop effective programs that help achieve school goals. For those who work in HR roles, think about it. When was the last time you sat down with the dean of students or head of Admissions to learn about their unique challenges? As an example, New points to a problem that nearly every employer faces: rising health care costs. While most schools explore different ways to minimize expenses, it’s often difficult to achieve. Employees typically balk at paying higher copays and other out-of-pocket medical expenses. Sometimes, it can create strained or adversarial relationships between employees and the school, resulting in low morale and high staff turnover. Several years ago, New says employees at his school had no idea about health care costs and probably thought someone other than the school paid for their medical expenses. To make matters worse, there was an “us against them” mentality between the administration and employees. So he began conducting employee presentations across campus, focusing on how the school’s health-care plan worked, how much costs have risen over recent years for the self-insured college, how much employees collectively contribute and how these costs fit into the overall financial well-being of the school. Then he addressed how the school’s health benefits stacked up against other area employers, which also served as a retention tool. “My goal was to say, ‘We’re in this together,’ ” New says, adding that HR must be patient. Change usually takes a long time in higher ed. “Now when we Carol Patton, a Las Vegas-based freelance writer, specializes in covering human resources issues. www.universitybusiness.com January 2007 | 23 HR107.indd HR107.indd 23 12/15/06 11:26:25 AM Warning : Unknown : The session id contains invalid characters, valid characters are only a-z, A-Z and 0-9 in Unknown on line 0 Warning : Unknown : Failed to write session data files . Please verify that the current setting of session.save_path is correct /var/lib/php/session in Unknown on line 0 http://www.universitybusiness.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of University Business - January 2007

Contents
College Index
Company Index
Advisory Board
Editor's Note
Sense of Place
Stats Watch
People Watch
Viewpoint
Human Resources
Money Matters
Marketing
Financial Aid
Community Colleges
Missed Connections
Escuse Me: Can you Spare a Million?
The Associate
Media Relations Boot Camp
Admissions Administrators Speak Out
Business Technology
What's New
Calendar of Events
Direct Connect
End Note

University Business - January 2007