UNIVERSITY OF ST. THOMAS OFFICE OF HUMAN RESOURCES ANNUAL REPORT

Transcription

1 UNIVERSITY OF ST. THOMAS OFFICE OF HUMAN RESOURCES ANNUAL REPORT FY 2015

2 TO OUR STAKEHOLDERS A MESSAGE FROM OUR ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT Welcome to our first-ever annual report! In an effort to improve communication between our departments, the Office of Human Resources developed and implemented a communications strategy during Fiscal Year 2015 (FY 15). As part of our plan, we published our first departmental newsletter last February and are now launching an annual report. The timing of this report feels right, since I recently celebrated my one-year anniversary as the Associate Vice President for Human Resources here at the University of St. Thomas. We saw many changes and many challenges during this past year. Our annual report takes a look back over the past year and highlights some our most significant accomplishments. It also shares how we are performing operationally and previews the coming year. Here is a summary of the contents: A FEW KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS We launched and/or completed many initiatives this past year, which contribute strategically to the University s future. A few of those initiatives are as follows (see page 4 for additional): Completed the first College Survey of Employee Satisfaction Launched the UST Managers Forum Partnered with the Chief Diversity Officer on recruitment and search committee training A FEW OPERATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS In addition to our strategic accomplishments, we performed our day-today work and made operationally sound, data-driven decisions that contributed successfully to office operations, including the following: Staffing changes aimed at service clarity and improvement Responsible fiscal management of HR budgetary resources Voluminous transactional accomplishments LOOKING AHEAD In the coming year, look for us to continue our strong operational and strategic efforts. New initiatives we will launch in the coming year include the following: New professional development opportunities with the hire of our first Training and Development Manager A Customer Service Satisfaction Survey Developing a feasibility and implementation plan for an automated performance assessment system We hope you find this to be a useful tool for sharing information and for staying informed about events and issues in the Office of Human Resources. Michelle Thom Associate Vice President for Human Resources August 15, 2015 Page 2

3 OUR DEPARTMENT ABOUT US The Office of Human Resources is proud to contribute to the University of St. Thomas mission, convictions and strategic plan. Our team strives to provide UST employees with the resources and tools they need to be engaged and productive. OUR MISSION AND VISION Our mission is: All of us in the Human Resources Department seek to be approachable and trusted partners who offer thoughtful, strategic guidance and solutions that enable the University to fulfill its mission and vision and act consistently with its convictions. You can expect us to be resourceful, professional and adaptable. Our vision is: To be service-driven To be responsive to employee AND institutional needs To be efficient To be intentional and data-driven To be cutting-edge and innovative To be aligned with HR professional and industry standards To be continuously progressing from the transactional to transformational and strategic To be driving employee engagement and satisfaction OUR TEAM Name Title Joined Our Team Michelle Thom Associate Vice President May 2014 Carolyn Milbrath Director, Employee Relations and Engagement July 2010 Natasha Rodich Sr. HR Partner March 2015 Maria Peichel Riles Sr. HR Partner February 2015 Adele Stevens Sr. HR Assistant August 2007 Deb Sagstetter Director, Compensation and Benefits February 2012 Allicia Firkus Sr. Compensation Analyst June 2004 Karen Mader Compensation and Benefits Coordinator April 2013 Keysha McClellan Compensation Coordinator July 2015 Amy Petruck Benefits Coordinator September 2012 Alaina Ericksen Benefits Specialist October 2008 Terri Sheehan Director, Talent Management and HR Data Infrastructure August 2008 Michelle Theilen Talent Management Specialist October 2012 Dara Lundquist Talent Management Specialist April 2014 Mary Ruce Student Employment Specialist June 2015 Dane Aadland HR Data Specialist November 2014 Nancy Peterson HR Data Specialist November 2007 Holly Gainer Office Manager/Budget Coordinator October 2014 Page 3

4 OUR DEPARTMENT FY 15 DEPARTMENT GOALS Employee Engagement: Maintain a strong and effective employee value proposition. Compliance and Ethics: Promote and support an ethical and compliance-committed culture. Service Enhancement and Stewardship: Ensure our systems, processes and resources are continuously improving and are cost-effective. Efficiency and Effectiveness: Deliver ongoing services effectively and efficiently. FY 15 SNAP-SHOT July August September October November December Voluntary Early Retirement Incentive processing Faculty hiring process begins Implemented Phase 1 icims Faculty Benefits Orientation Faculty Transactions for Fall Assignments Sexual Misconduct training begins Focus groups conducted to create UST Managers' Forum Launched Cross- Functional Data Team Implemented salary increases Flu Shot Clinic Annual all-staff meeting Cristo Rey students started Satisfaction Survey launched Open Enrollment Satisfaction Survey closes Integrated background check process with talent management system 403b audit Rolled out Phased Retirement Option for Faculty (PROF) January February March April May June J-term Provided assistance with Vice President for Student Affairs search Adjunct contract system enhancements First HR Review published First UST Managers' Forum Years-of-Service Event Employee Benefits and Services Fair Biometric screenings Rolled out Adjunct Benefits Guide Changed retirement plan record-keeper to Transamerica Tuition Exchange pilot Benefits enrollment automation prep 2nd UST Managers' Forum Consolidated offices on second floor, Aquinas Hall Prep for Affordable Care Act tax compliance project Page 4

5 OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS COLLEGE EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION SURVEY The Noel-Levitz College Employee Satisfaction Survey was launched in October, The purpose of the survey was to establish a baseline for informing HR service enhancements, as well as service enhancements that can be made across the entire University that will result in a highly engaged workforce. We set a response-rate goal of 60%. Overall, 1,117 employees completed the survey, for a response rate of 58%. The survey results indicate that employees tend to be satisfied with the work that they do here at the University and believe they are making a contribution. Areas where we have the largest gap between importance and satisfaction are as follows: The institution makes sufficient budgetary resources available to achieve important objectives The institution makes sufficient staff resources available to achieve important objectives There are effective lines of communication between departments Administrators share information regularly with faculty and staff There is good communication between the staff and administration There is a spirit of teamwork and cooperation at this institution My department has the budget needed to do its job well My department has the staff needed to do its job well I have adequate opportunities for advancement Partly in response to the survey results, HR published The HR Review and this annual repport in an effort to improve communication between our department and others across campus. We are also exploring ways in which we can continue to address the ongoing need for professional development for our employees. The UST Managers Forum is one example of this. In addition, we are creating a Professional Development for Professional Staff concept to pilot in FY 16. BENEFITS ENHANCEMENTS We continuously examine and re-examine our employee benefits package to determine if there are changes or upgrades that we can make to better meet the needs of our employees. Some enhancements made this past year include: New Record-keeper During the spring semester, the University made the successful transition to a new retirement plan record-keeper: TransAmerica. As part of this effort, we migrated to a single set of investment options designed to be best-in-class. The rationale for making these changes was better performance and lower fees for our employees. TransAmerica spent three months on campus and provided 8 open forums on their services and what the switch meant for our employees. Ultimately, more than 1,000 employees participated in one-to-one consultation sessions with TransAmerica staff. Adjunct Faculty Benefits We worked with the Adjunct Faculty Task Force, a pre-cursor to the Adjunct Faculty Council, to identify benefits that could be readily granted to our adjunct faculty. The result of this effort is our Adjunct Benefits Guide, which we rolled out in April. In conjunction with this effort, we worked with the Office of General Counsel and the Provost s Office to develop language for a one-year adjunct contract. Adjuncts who are awarded a one-year contract will teach six courses and are eligible for the St. Page 5

6 Thomas benefits package offered to all employees who work.625 FTE or more. We will present on the results of these efforts at the national College and University Personnel Association (CUPA) conference in Orlando, FL in September. Phased Retirement Program We also developed a Phased Retirement Option for Faculty or PROF. The PROF is intended to enable faculty and the University to plan effectively for a faculty member s retirement, and for the University to plan effectively for the recruitment of new faculty where appropriate. The PROF allows faculty who are at least 55 with 10 years of continuous service (combined age and years-ofservice to equal 70) to gradually phase into retirement by teaching at.5 FTE over a period of three years while still receiving pay and benefits. Tuition Remission/Tuition Exchange The University s Fringe Benefits Advisory Committee recommended changes to our tuition remission policy last spring that were ultimately approved and adopted. The changes include 100% remission for employee spouses and dependents after a three-year waiting period has elapsed. We also joined the Tuition Exchange, which provides University employee dependents with a chance to receive tuition remission at 600 colleges and universities nationwide. A Tuition Exchange pilot conducted last spring helped to solidify our procedure moving forward and resulted in two employees receiving the tuition exchange benefit for their children. TRAINING AND ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT We also took steps to enhance our training and development function. Some highlights include: UST Managers Forums After conducting focus group conversations with managers on both the Minneapolis and St. Paul campuses last fall, we launched the UST Managers Forum in February. At our first meeting, 82 people attended to hear about the results of the College Employee Satisfaction Survey. At our second forum in May, 72 managers participated in a 1.5 hour training and discussion on the topic of performance management. Kevin Henderson, PhD, a faculty member from the University s Management Department, conducted the training, which was very well received by managers. Our most recent forum in August focused on giving feedback and conducting critical conversations with staff. UST s Dr. Liz Welsh joined 48 Forum participants to discuss this important and often challenging topic. Search Committee Training HR staff began partnering with our Chief Diversity Officer (CDO) to provide search committee kick-off training. At the beginning of every new search, HR staff and the CDO work with search committee members to understand their role, to navigate our online talent management system and to understand and embrace the importance of diversity in our recruitment and hiring efforts. Restructuring Assistance HR staff worked closely with the Institutional Advancement (IA) department to conduct a largescale reorganization. The success of this effort hinged upon the close partnership we established with IA leadership and staff. HR assisted with every step of the process, including advice and counsel, sharing of best practices, job profile revisions, compensation benchmarking, employee meetings and hiring for newly created positions. We also provided technical assistance to Dining Services, Global and Local Engagement, Student Affairs and others in their restructuring efforts. Page 6

7 OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS HONORABLE MENTIONS As a team, we accomplished several other important tasks and initiatives that are worth sharing with our stakeholder community: Implemented a new talent management system over the summer months in 2014 Ensured minimum wage increases were implemented timely and in accordance with a new State law Developed HR Core Functions, which can be accessed via our web site Ensured every staff member in HR participated in at least one professional opportunity over the course of one year, demonstrating our commitment to investing in and developing our staff Enhanced HR Partner relationships with our faculty Began prep work for a faculty compensation benchmarking system Worked with senior-level staff to administer a 360- degree feedback tool for high-level executives Worked with Institutional Effectiveness to launch a Cross-Functional Data Team Hosted four Cristo Rey High School student workers, who provided support in our office every day of the week for the academic year Partnered with Student Affairs and General Counsel to train approximately 1,300 employees on the University s revised Sexual Misconduct policy Enrolled eligible adjunct faculty and other unique positions in insurance benefits in accordance with the Affordable Care Act Increased faculty participation in the Vitality wellness program Partnered with IRT to develop an implementation plan for an automated benefits enrollment system In consultation with President Sullivan, developed our compensation survey comparator benchmark group of schools Page 7

8 OUR OPERATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS HR STAFFING Over the past year, Human Resources underwent a staffing transformation. We conducted an assessment that concluded that we could achieve some efficiencies and add value by combining and changing some positions within our office. We integrated HR Data Management with our Talent Management team and repurposed a position within Compensation and Benefits. The rationale for our new structure is as follows: Added compliance requirements, especially with the Affordable Care Act Desire to fulfill all HR Core Functions Support our Strategic Plan Manage an increase in demand for HR Partner assistance from all departments Continue to assist new leadership with accomplishing their organizational development goals Align us with industry standards Provide new services to adjunct faculty Enable student employees to have a rewarding experience that prepares them for future participation in our workforce Recentralize HR functions that have been decentralized Address campus-wide need and desire for ongoing training and development Partner more effectively with other campus experts Align job duties with expertise Our new structure is helping to improve HR service delivery by streamlining our operations, cross-training HR staff, creating less siloed teams within HR and providing us with the ability to offer additional services that we were previously unable to provide to our stakeholders. NEW SPACE In FY 15, we were able to consolidate and relocate all HR offices to the second floor of Aquinas Hall. Training and Development is located within suite 217 in shared space and all Compensation and Benefits staff are now located in room 201. This move has helped to improve communication and team work among our staff. In addition, we secured improved office space on the Minneapolis campus and will have a Sr. HR Partner working out of room 337 in Terrance Murphy Hall every Thursday in the coming academic year. HR FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE Overall, HR finished off FY 15 in excellent financial condition with a healthy bottom-line. We relied heavily on our student workers this past year to help us through our transition. As such, we overspent in our student compensation budget; however, this was off-set by underspending in other areas. We also increased our advertising budget as we added more diversity recruitment resources in keeping with the priorities in our strategic plan. As a cost center, we pride ourselves on being good stewards of our precious financial resources and are committed to ensuring that our funds are spent appropriately and in alignment with our strategic direction and operating needs. Page 8

9 OUR OPERATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS PERFORMANCE Here is how we performed on some of our critical HR functions in FY 15: HR METRICS AND KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS DESCRIPTION FY 15 FY 14 FY 13 Job applications 17,456 14,581 13,837 Adjunct contracts 1,764 1,418 1,682 Budget Adjustments (on behalf of other departments) 771 1,213 1,586 Job Postings Search Committee Kick-Off Meetings Leadership Academy Offerings Leadership Academy Attendance Sexual Misconduct Training Attendance 1,291 Years-of-Service Recognition Event Attendance Background Checks: Faculty, staff, temp, on-call and volunteers Background Checks: Student Employees Coaching and Consult Sessions 208 Formal Investigations 11 Reorganizations 12 Grievances 12 Page 9

10 LOOKING AHEAD Here in HR, we are proud of our accomplishments over this past year; however, opportunities continue to arise. For the next year, we will continue to provide our transactional services that are critical to the ongoing functioning and maintenance of our University. We will also begin or fully implement several new efforts that support the strategic direction of our institution: TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT MANAGER This coming fall, we will onboard our new Training and Development Manager. The Training and Development Manager will be responsible for the coordination, development, implementation, facilitation and administration of training and organizational development programs. The goal of such programming is to enhance the skills, knowledge, abilities and productivity of our employees. The position will also oversee the Leadership Academy program and after an initial assessment, will take action to improve the offerings and delivery of Leadership Academy content. CUSTOMER SERVICE SATISFACTION SURVEY To augment the College Employee Satisfaction Survey (CESS), we intend to launch a Customer Service Satisfaction Survey this fall. The survey will go out to a randomized sampling of our employee population. Like the CESS, the goal of the Customer Service Satisfaction Survey is to provide HR with some baseline data that we can use to create interventions and enhancements that will improve our services and increase engagement among our employees. Our continuous improvement efforts will be guided based on the data that we receive in response to both of these surveys, now and in the future. AUTOMATED PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT We are in the process of creating a project team that will explore the feasibility of and develop an implementation plan for an automated performance assessment system. An automated performance assessment tool has long-been a need for the University. Depending upon financial resources, our goal is to successfully implement such a system by spring of OTHER Our FY 16 work plan also includes several other initiatives worth sharing with our stakeholders: Implement as necessary changes to the Fair Labor Stands Act Continued compliance related to the Affordable Care Act Ongoing work on and assessment of our compensation structure Improvements to our employee recognition program Redesign of New Employee Orientation to create cohort opportunities for new staff Complete implementation of the onboarding module of our talent management system Develop and enhance our SharePoint site by providing tool kits on executive onboarding, change management and other critical topics Overhaul and redesign of our Student Employment Program Continued work on HR data, data integrity and data reporting We look forward to partnering with all of you on another successful year ahead. Page 10