President’s Pen
by Andrea Davis, SPHR

Each month, I am highlighting a specific strategy and the progress we are making. Here’s an update on one of our strategies.

Reach out to the community by sharing our resources and expertise
Our strategic plan aligns with the Society for Human Resource Management’s mission: serving the HR professional (STP) and advancing the HR profession (ATP). One strategy in support of ATP is to reach out to the community by sharing our resources and expertise. What exactly does this mean and how can you get involved? The college and community relations committee is overseeing our many efforts in this area. Key objectives include:

• Provide educational opportunities to small business owners in the community. We are working with several organizations in the community and HRACI is frequently asked to speak at events and meetings. We will work to reach out to this group in order to strengthen area businesses.
• Provide career services and programs to individuals in the community who are entering/reentering the job market. HRACI volunteers have worked with Business and Professional Exchange (BPE) to assist people in career transition. HRACI members also volunteer at area job fairs by providing resume and interviewing assistance. We will continue to reach out to high school students (workforce readiness) through our work with Junior Achievement and various school programs.
• Assist in establishing a new college student chapter. While we have assisted with the student chapter at IUPUI for many years, we are working to help establish sustainable chapters at other local colleges for students who are interested in pursing a career in human resources.
• Serve as a resource to the community and local media on HR issues. We are working to enhance our media efforts so that HRACI is viewed as a knowledgeable resource on HR issues. In order to point media requests in the right direction, we’ll be gathering more information about our members and their areas of expertise.

If you are interested in assisting in these efforts, please feel free to contact Janet Pierson, PHR, Director of College and Community Relations – education@HRACI.org

Andrea Davis, SPHR

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by Susan Martin, HRACI Communications Committee

Jay McNaught presented Leadership Development: Best Practices and Other Research and the March 17, 2005 HRACI meeting. Jay’s business is Leadership Development Consulting and Research. A graduate of Indiana University with his Bachelor and Masters of Education, Masters of Business Administration from IWU, and Professional management Certification from the Kelley School of Business, IU, Jay worked for Cinergy where he developed the basic Leadership Development & Research (LDR) program for this topic. Areas addressed were Management vs. Leadership, Structures, Logistics of the program, Learning, and Assessment. The end of the program focused on the steps to designing and implementing a LDR.

Two key resources for Management vs. Leadership are the books, Leading Change, by Kotter, John P. and Principle-Centered Leadership by Covey, Stephen R. (see attached word document) Jay stated that Leadership and Management has overlapping areas along with their distinct areas of competencies. As a rule, when a person advances within in an organization, more leadership skills are needed. Corporate culture should be leadership focused for any leadership development to be effective.

Companies need to consider where LDR should be placed within the organization. Some companies have it placed under the Human Resources (HR) umbrella within Organizational development (OD) and some have it placed under Organizational Effectiveness which houses OD and EX, too; all of which are under the HR umbrella. Determining the name of the function varies by company.

Some logistics of developing a LDR are:
1. How long will the program last?
2. How are participants selected?
3. What are the Key components?
4. How do you get Executive Support?
5. How do participants gain experience?

A couple of other key areas of consideration are learning and assessment. When planning an LDR program, organizations need to determine the content and key competencies as well as how they will transfer and measure the learning of leadership to the employees. In Jay’s slide show there was a diagram of “The Process, Action Steps, and Leadership development Pyramid”.

Click here for some of Jay's Resources

Click here for Jay's Power Point

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Nancy Holland, Human Technologies
by Keisha Underwood, HRACI Communication Committee

Last month I had the opportunity to sit down with Ms. Nancy Holland, a fellow HRACI member and employee of Human Technologies to talk about her journey and experiences as a Human Resource professional.

We met on a nice sunny afternoon over lunch. This was the first time Nancy and I had ever formally met although we shared emails and a few phone calls. She was transitioning into her current position and still found time to share her story with me.

Nancy expressed her surprise and honor to be selected to share her HR story. It didn’t take long for me to realize what made Nancy such a good candidate for the first HRACI Member Profile. I’d like to share with you what I learned about Nancy. I think you’ll eventually find that not all HR stories are the same. Many of us come from different backgrounds and have come to this arena taking different paths. However, one thing remains true for all of us…we’re all here because our desire to serve as a resource to employees is important to us.

Keisha: Was HR always your career goal? Describe your journey into the profession.
Being an HR professional was not always Nancy’s career goal. Nancy admitted she always had an interest in business, but never knew that her business interests would lead her into Human Resources. From high school, she worked as a receptionist for a real estate firm and eventually moved into an Administrative Assistant position for an apartment complex just a few years later. Progressively she became the property manager for the same complex where she received her first true taste of Human Resources; with a staff of her own. More importantly, the position required her to be accessible to 200 plus tenants daily; a job she confessed was very stressful both mentally and physically.

(Nancy admitted that the Property Management position may have required more responsibility than what she was prepared to take on at such a young age (24).)

To alleviate the stress of such a demanding job, she transitioned into several less demanding positions (insurance, convenience store trainer, presenter for Indiana Business College, and employee recruiter). It was during this time that she also began working towards her degree.

Nancy began working in Human Resources (more specifically) in more recent years working as a Recruitment Manager. She managed an assistant and the entire recruitment function for a small management-consulting firm. This experience guided her into her current position as a recruiter and HR consultant.

Nancy enjoyed talking to people the most from her jobs and wanted to do more things that would allow her to have more one on one interaction

Nancy’s most current position landed her directly in the center of Human Resources. She was chosen as the first Indianapolis employee for Human Technologies. She and her boss will be heading the challenge to develop Human Technologies for Indianapolis.

What aspects of HR do you find most interesting? Most challenging?
For Nancy, people are the most interesting aspect of HR. She thinks it’s interesting to get to know people because people are unpredictable. You have to remember you’re dealing with human beings who have things going in their lives (children, spouses, etc.) that you may not know. You have to interact with people accordingly.

People can also be the most challenging. Nancy stated, “You can’t be everyone’s friend.” Although we can develop friendships, you have to keep the personal part in mind and be careful when creating friendships.

Describe (2) things you wish someone had told you about the industry when you started.
How fun it is. It’s very rewarding.

Do you currently hold any HR certifications? Do you or have you participated in any HR organizations other than HRACI? How would you rate their helpfulness/importance?
Nancy does not currently hold any certifications; however she is heavily involved in local organizations. She is a member of the EMA (Employment Managers Association: www.emaindiana.org) as well as the Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce.

How would you rate the level of importance of HR networking? What are the benefits?
On a scale of 1-10, Nancy gives networking a 10. You get many opportunities to share advice. As HR professionals we sometimes think our experiences are the same, but there are so many different experiences in the profession.

What path is HR taking you? Advancement?
Nancy feels advancement is definitely the path the current phase of her life is taking her. Nancy’s current position has provided her the opportunity to start at the beginning of a new phase for Human Technologies. She feels that she is exactly where she needs to be to fulfill her goals. Her interests in teaching and training will be met as she assists building the local office. She can also focus on the areas she enjoys the most; serving as a resource for the PI (Predictive Index) and recruitment.

What has been your biggest learning experience as an HR professional?
Nancy learned that you can’t always motivate someone and you can’t change someone. In recruitment you see a great opportunity, but if the client(s) do not see it, it is some times difficult to sway their minds once they are already set. Motivation is different for everyone.

What advice would you give someone who is new to the field?
Nancy offered the following advice tips: 1.) Build a good network, 2.) Realize you are privy to confidential information.

Where do you see the industry in 5 years?
HR will be more exploding. Nancy quoted a former recruiting boss by stating, “(Human Resources) is the perfect storm for recruiting.” HR is developing more specialized positions. The baby boomers are retiring. HR is going to prove extremely important; employers will go to HR for expertise.

What are your thoughts on the questions you have been asked?
Nancy stated that the questions were very good and thought provoking. She believes that the Member Profile will catch the attention of others.

What questions would you like to see asked in the future?
What is the HR practice that you feel you have found to be EXTREMELY important as an individual?

What is your level of interest in reading about the history and experiences of other HR professionals?
Nancy is very interested in reading about other HR professionals. She would like to learn from someone else’s experiences.

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2005 Education and Certification Scholarships
Now Available for SHRM Members

The SHRM Foundation Regional Scholarship Program is a flexible awards program designed to assist working SHRM members in meeting their professional development goals. Individuals may apply for either an Education Scholarship or a Certification Scholarship, and applicants may specify the amount of money they are requesting up to $3000.

Application Deadline: May 15, 2005

Who May Apply: National SHRM professional, general and associate members pursuing a college degree or working towards PHR or SPHR certification are eligible to apply. SHRM student members and local-only members are not eligible for these awards. Chapters and state councils may also apply for scholarship funds to support certification-training programs.

Award Amount: Individuals may request any amount that meets their educational needs up to $3000. For example, if your organization does not reimburse you for taking the certification exam, you could request a scholarship for the amount of the exam fee. Or if you are working on your master’s degree and your tuition reimbursement does not cover your full college costs, you could request a scholarship to cover the additional expenses. The number of scholarships and the individual award amounts will vary depending on the number of applicants and their financial needs. A total of $6000 in scholarship money is available for each SHRM region, and a total of $30,000 will be awarded nationwide in 2005.

How to Apply: Visit http://www.shrm.org/foundation/2002_scholguidelines.asp or http://www.shrm.org/foundation to print out an application and to learn more about the scholarship program.

These scholarships are made possible by your generous donations
to the SHRM Foundation.

Thank you for investing in your profession!

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If you are like most HR professionals, you probably have trouble keeping up with the latest research findings in human resources. To help make research-based knowledge more accessible, the SHRM Foundation has created a new series entitled Effective Practice Guidelines (http://www.shrm.org/foundation/1104pulakos.asp). The guidelines compile and summarize the HR practices in a given area that have been shown to be effective based on research studies. A subject matter expert with both research and practitioner experience distills all relevant findings and expert opinion into specific advice on how to conduct effective HR practice. The first report in the series covers Performance Management and was written by Elaine Pulakos. The report may be downloaded free from the SHRM Foundation website.

The SHRM Foundation: Investing in Your Future as an HR Leader

The HRACI Discussion Forum

Need advice on a human resource issue? The HRACI Discussion Forum offers you the opportunity to discuss HR issues with your colleagues. Visit http://www.hraci.com/forum/ to post a question or to offer your viewpoint on a question that has been posted by another member. Forums have been created for you to post questions and answers on HRACI programs, HR jobs and HR issues.

HRACI member Elizabeth Gruszczyk, SPHR, Human Resources Manager Roche Diagnostics is scheduled to present “Demonstrating the Value of Engagement to the CEO and Executive Team” during the two-day conference Employee Engagement: Building a High-Performance Workforce on May 11-12, 2005 in Atlanta, Georgia.

Members of HRACI receive a special offer discount of 25% off the registration fee.
Register today and mention Elizabeth Gruszczyk and VIP Code “SPK” to receive this special offer.
Call: (866) MELCRUM or 312.994.2468;
Email: engagement@melcrum.com or visit
http://www.melcrum.com/cgi-bin/melcrum/eu_content.pl?docurl=events_engage1

Note: This is not a SHRM or HRACI event

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When: Thursday, April 7, 6:00 p.m.

What: Human Resource and related folks meet, talk, and enjoy a drink or two.

Why: Just a place and time for HR types to “get away” for a bit. No planned agenda or presentations, just casual discussion, advise, war stories, or just relax and network. I’m sure many who have taken the certification tests can commiserate there!

Who: You and any guest(s) you want to bring along!

Where: CHAMPPS Americana at Keystone at the Crossing, 8711 River Crossing Blvd, 574-0333.

Ask for the HR group as you enter. (Location will change each time we meet)
Contact Greg Medcalf, 317-788-6890, ext. 257 with any questions.

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LINE Shows Increase in Vacant Positions;
Strong Hiring Outlook for April

(Alexandria, Va., March 22, 2005)—According to new numbers from the Leading Indicator of National Employment (LINE), March employment growth remained strong, and hiring projections for April appear positive as human resource (HR) professionals report an increased number of new vacant positions in the manufacturing sector.

While there was a dip in employment numbers from February to March, the outlook remains positive because of an increase in vacant positions. Employment numbers for exempt and non-exempt employees remained relatively stable from February, however, HR professionals report a sizeable increase in vacant exempt positions, meaning that employment numbers may increase in the next two months as recruiters fill those jobs.

SHRM/Rutgers LINE identifies early economic trends and growth in the national job market by surveying HR professionals at manufacturing firms. The indicator reports on five employment measures, two of which add to existing indicators and three of which are new and unique to the indicator. An index value above 50 indicates employment is growing, while an index below 50 shows that employment is contracting. For a full copy of the report, and a detailed description of each component go to www.shrm.org/LINE.

Compared with other employment indicators, the LINE expectations index is released a month earlier and correlates more highly with the upcoming Bureau of Labor Statistics reports on monthly changes in manufacturing employment. This correlation may result from the fact that the HR executives completing the LINE surveys are not making economic forecasts, but instead are reporting on plans already in place to increase hiring or layoffs during upcoming 30 days.

The SHRM/ Rutgers LINE has been collecting data for the last year and is functioning as a valuable leading indicator of economic and labor market conditions. LINE will continually be reassessed as more monthly observations become available.

The March SHRM/Rutgers LINE survey was provided to HR professionals at over 500 manufacturing firms.

The indicator is released at 8:30 am EST on the fourth Tuesday of each month. A copy of the March report and answers to frequently asked questions can be found at www.shrm.org/LINE.

The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) is the world’s largest association devoted to human resource management. Representing more than 190,000 individual members, the Society’s mission is both to serve human resource management professionals and to advance the profession. Founded in 1948, SHRM currently has more than 500 affiliated chapters within the United States and members in more than 100 countries. Visit SHRM Online at www.shrm.org.
The School of Management and Labor Relations at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, is a leading center of scholarly and applied research on human resource management issues. The school creates and disseminates knowledge that fosters a better understanding of the nature of employment and work in modern society. The Rutgers Master of Human Resource Management degree is one of the top human resource management programs in the nation.

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Jennifer Banner
Meghan Barich
Julie Barrera
Catherine Bates
Monique Collins
Kellie Devall
Tony Dill
Joe Ferguson
Richard Holder
Jennifer Johnson
Elaine Kanwar
Joe Krok
Stacey Mansfield

Lisa Markland
Matthew McLaughlin
Katy McShane
Joann Minnich
Erin Mullin
Becky Peterson
Julie Schindler
Amanda Shell
Ivory Shields
Laura Smith
Jill Smith
Heather Stevens
Ann Willoughby