HRAConnection

President's Pen
by Cherilyn Stephens, PHR

Winding Down. and. Winding UP!

As we role into the New Year let us congratulate HRACI's newly elected and re-elected board members.

JoDee Curtis, SPHR - Treasurer
Patti Daniels, PHR - Director of Sponsorship
Pam Dolas, PHR - VP of Membership
Lisa Helms - Director of SIGs
Jennifer Lange, PHR - Director of Certification
Karen Seketa, SPHR - Director of Communications

For more information, please visit: http://www.hraci.org/HRACIboard.htm

In 2007 we had some great accomplishments, wonderful meetings and network events for our 1,053 member strong association. Returning to 'The Basics' we enjoyed some programs in a new location at the Holiday Inn at the Pyramids and social events at such places as The Villa, Costco and Indianapolis Museum of Art. Winding our gears up for a fabulous 2008, our newly elected and returning board members will be focused on providing members value. Please feel free to contact them with any suggestions you may have.

All of us on the Board wish you and your family a very happy holidays.

Sincerely,
Cherilyn Stephens, PHR

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January Meeting

Talent Pipelines, Online Supply Chains and the Candidate Experience

Why would prospects want to become your candidates? Will their interaction with your virtual and not so virtual content engage them, inform them or confuse them and turn them elsewhere? What “touchpoints” do you promise upfront to the highest quality candidates so that they choose you? Are recruiters and hiring managers “on message” regarding key elements of your staffing brand or might candidates hear conflicting messages?

The job seekers' “experience” has not improved during the last decade despite universal internet access, the proliferation of hiring management software and increased attention on data collection and analysis. Gerry Crispin contends that the proportion of qualified candidates who abandon jobs pages is increasing, and is likely going to get worse before it gets better. In this challenging presentation Gerry draws on a recent study of more than 500 firms’ staffing models to share the best (and worst) employer practices to Target, Engage, Inform and Respect the job seeker. He will showcase best-in-class examples.

Gerry Crispin is a former HR practitioner, an international speaker, an author of 8 books and 100 articles, and a SHRM volunteer leader whose views on employment strategy, hiring process and staffing technology are sought by many of the world's most competitive corporations.

As a freshly minted Engineer from Stevens Institute of Technology (more than a couple years ago) Gerry worked in Career Services while studying for advanced degrees and found the experience awakened a keen interest in how Job Seekers ‘game’ their next career move while Employers tout their latest opportunities…everywhere in the world. He still returns to his alma mater each month as a volunteer to assist alumni in career transition.

Gerry has had a lifelong passion about how firms design and build staffing processes, the technology to enhance them and the systems to manage them and he has worked in nearly every facet of the staffing Industry and the HR profession – from major corporations like Johnson and Johnson to boutique search firms and as the general manger of a recruitment advertising firm. In the last 12 months he has spent time on the ground with job seekers and employers in China, Japan, Australia, Russia and the UK.

Acknowledged by several organizations as one of the most influential leaders in the staffing industry, Gerry and his business partner, Mark Mehler, facilitate intense, small-group meetings with leading corporate staffing strategists to analyze cutting-edge employment issues, share staffing best practices, and help re-invent the recruiting function.

His company’s website: www.careerxroads.com

Date:	Thursday, January 17, 2007
Topic:	Talent Pipelines, Online Supply Chains and the Candidate Experience
Location:	The Murat Center Michigan and New Jersey Streets, Downtown Indianapolis Parking is included (be sure to mention you are with HRACI)
Speaker:	Gerry Crispin
Agenda:	11:30 a.m. Registration & Networking 12:00 noon Luncheon 12:20 p.m. Program 1:20 p.m. Adjournment
Register Now

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Membership Renewal Time!

The end of the year is fast approaching and we would like to encourage you to renew your membership now!! Renewal rate for 2008 is just $90 for an entire year of comprehensive, up-to-date, current areas of interest to HR professionals with several of our 2008 programs featuring national speakers. Please be sure to update your contact information if anything has changed. Click here to complete your membership renewal now.

Volunteer Recognition

Human Resources Association of Central Indiana

Committee Recognized: Legislative Committee

Member Name(s):
Dennis Stull, Director of Legislative Affairs

Special Recognition/Acknowledgement:

Dennis was “recruited” for his current board position based on the fact that we had no other candidates for the position. Dennis has attached his responsibilities with enthusiasm and energy. He and his committee worked very hard to contact our legislators for the November luncheon. In addition Dennis makes every effort to support the other areas of board responsibility whenever possible. His active role on the board and in support of HRACI is appreciated!

Board Member responsible for Recognition: Cherilyn Stephens, President

Committee Recognized: Communication Committee

Member Name(s):
DeeDee Deffez, HR Generalist, Indiana Business College
Terri Ryckaert, PHR, Assistant Director of Human Resources, IU School of Medicine –
Dean’s Office, Human Resources Services & staff Development
Deidre Shireman, HR, Gilchrist & Soames

Reason for Recognition:

The Communication Committee places all advertising for the HRACI and is responsible for the Electronic Newsletter content. Deidre has been instrumental in ensuring that all of our events have been advertised on the community calendars of the IndyStar and IJB, and with the calendar of events with INSIDE INDIANA BUSINESS. DeeDee has been spent most of this year’s volunteer work organizing the E-Newsletters and Terri is a wonderful contributing writer. Thanks to one and all!

Sincerely,
Susan J. Martin

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HRACI Ambassador Program

Goal of the Ambassador Program
The goal of the Ambassador program is to help assimilate new members into the organization and ensure that each new member receives the most value possible from their HRACI membership. The ultimate goal of the Ambassador program is to ensure that members continue their membership in HRACI and help build the organization by bringing in new members.

Ambassador Role/Job Description
An Ambassador goes beyond just greeting and assisting members at HRACI meetings. The Ambassador will also make contact with a new member outside of the normal meeting venue. Contact frequency will be mutually determined. The Ambassador should be willing and able to spend some time with a new member in the first 1-3 months to answer questions, suggest resources within HRACI, and make the new member feel that they are a welcome addition to our organization.

Selection Criteria
An Ambassador is ideally someone who has been a member of HRACI for at least six months, and has attended a minimum of two meetings. An Ambassador should be someone who strives to help others feel comfortable, enjoys sharing and gaining knowledge, and understands and embraces the value of belonging to HRACI.

Required Time Commitment
The time commitment and number of new members coached is at the individual Ambassador’s discretion (ideally no more than three per Ambassador at any given time). This enables the Ambassador to commit based on personal and business demands. For example, a member whose workload typically is slower during the second quarter may request to be an Ambassador during that time period, but opt to step out of the program at the beginning of the third quarter.

Time commitment will vary as each new member may desire a different level of interaction. Each Ambassador is encouraged to make contact with the new member(s) at least twice. Initially, the Ambassador should invest time either on the phone or in person with a new member, discussing the benefit of involvement in HRACI. The duration of the relationship between Ambassador and new member is at their discretion.

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“HRCI Recertification: Is It Time to Renew?”

Once certified as a Professional of Human Resources (PHR) or a Senior Professional of Human Resources (SPHR), you must recertify every 3 years (from date of original certification or last recertification).

• Sixty (60) hours of learning credit is required during those 3 years
• Credit earned on hour-for-hour basis (one hour learning =one hour recertification credit)
• If you don’t submit recertification form on time, the only option is to retake the exam
• No supporting documentation should be submitted to HRCI, but should be maintained for your records in case you are audited
• Recertification requirements have changed; so make sure to review at www.hrci.org
• Recertification credits can be earned http://www.hrci.org/Recertification/RECERTCE/.

Credit is awarded for HR-related activities in these categories:
• Continuing Education: Credit awarded hour for hour. (Chapter professional development can be precertified for HRCI recertification credit)
• Instruction: 1 hour taught = 1.5 credit hours awarded. (Includes courses such as workplace violence prevention, sexual harassment prevention, etc.)
• On-the-Job Experience: Credit awarded for first-time work activity if it broadens your knowledge of the field of HR.
• Research/Publishing: Research, write, or publish on HR
• Leadership: External leadership activities count, including being an SHRM volunteer leader
• Professional Membership: Be a member of a national HR-related professional association and earn credit hours. (SHRM, ASTD, World at Work, etc.)
• Answers to ALL your recertification questions can be found at www.hrci.org.
• A recertification form can be found at http://www.hrci.org/Recertification/PDFAPP/.
• $100 processing fee.
• If you have changed jobs or addresses, notify HRCI (not just SHRM) at hrci@hrci.org.
• HRCI sends recertification reminders via email, so they must have your current/correct email address

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Your Foundation at Work: Making a Difference

You know what excellence is. It's people…with talent. People who are dedicated and work hard to continually improve themselves, to be the best they can be. They are able to work with others, to be part of a team and to achieve something bigger than themselves. That's what the HR profession is all about. You work behind the scenes to help your employees and companies achieve excellence. You play a major role in finding talented and dedicated people and you help them develop as individuals and team members. This is an exciting time to be an HR professional. The opportunities to provide leadership in your organization have never been greater, but you must continually increase your professional knowledge and stay one step ahead of the rapid changes taking place all around you. The SHRM Foundation helps you to meet these challenges through its support of research, publications and education. The Foundation enables HR professionals like you to make a difference.

The SHRM Foundation: 40 Years of Advancing the HR Profession

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“How About Those New SHRM Forums?!”

Have you checked out the Forums on the SHRM website?? Go to www.shrm.org/forums. There, you will find a selection of forums to choose from.

The Forums are new resources at SHRM for information and networking. They provide news, research, interactive dialogue, member information sharing and specialized web casts for specific “niches” of HR. There are forums for:

• Compensation & Benefits
• Diversity
• Employment and Recruitment
• General HR
• Global HR
• Healthcare HR
• HR Consulting
• HR Measurements
• HR Technology
• HR in the Technology Industry
• Manufacturing HR
• HR in the Media Industry
• Non-Profit HR
• HR in Architecture, Engineering and Construction
• HR in the Public Sector
• Retail HR
• Training and Development
• Workplace Safety & Health
• HR in the Financial Industry

In any of these forums, you can find information specific to the area of HR. If you are a specialist or have a major accountability in one of these, you can come to this forum to get the most “up-to-date” information available on that topic. You can also sign up to receive a periodic e-newsletter.

Each Forum also has designated web casts for members who opt in. Although these web casts are free to members, you must sign up for them in advance. Most have been pre-approved for recertification credits for PHRs, SPHRs, and GPHRs. The web casts are then archived and are available for viewing and listening 24/7.

Members are also encouraged to “help build the forum” by contributing articles and web links that relate to the forum and would be of value to our members. Since quality and timeliness are of utmost importance to SHRM, there is a “peer review” process for articles submitted by members.

Since the inception of the new Forums, SHRM has had a tremendous response from members who enjoy a “one-stop” shopping approach to finding subject-related material. So, try it! And let us know how you like them and what you would like to see added to them. www.shrm.org/forums

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Welcome New Members

Jeff Utzinger
Kanika Benjamin
Troy Barenie
Kwin Romans
Kristy Hensley
Bryon Silk
Tamara Valentine
Ashley Weaver
Robert Morrow

Cari McGinty
Todd Casper
Corey Baute
Edward Santiago
Amy Carpenter
Debra England
Melissa Clements
Hugh Cameron

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