President’s Pen
by Betty Lonis, SPHR

I hope you had a wonderful holiday season and are returning to work rejuvenated to face what lies ahead in 2004. As we begin to look forward to 2004 and the many opportunities that lie ahead for our chapter, I’d like to first look back on our accomplishments from 2003. Again this year, I believe the chapter made significant strides. We maintained dues at past levels, we again achieved Superior Merit Chapter designation from SHRM, and we achieved the goals we established at the beginning of the year.

As you know, one of our goals this year was to strengthen our community involvement efforts. We accomplished this through various methods: we enhanced our relationships with diversity groups by hosting a diversity speaker once a quarter; and we began developing workforce readiness initiatives.

Another key goal was to enhance the professional development of our members. We accomplished this objective through the following: increased offerings for certification preparation courses; provided re-certification opportunities for our members through our monthly luncheon programs as well as our two half day conferences; provided 25 members with free conference registrations to state conference; launched our mentoring program; and partnered with EMAIndiana to become a special interest group of HRACI.

And finally, we had a goal to strengthen member involvement in the organization. We did this through the creation of a formalized committee structure. Six new committees were formed: Professional Development, Career Services, Diversity, Legislative, Marketing/Public Relations, and Membership. It’s been wonderful to see the involvement of more members in the chapter. We’ve accomplished a lot so far and I know that next year will be even better as we continue to leverage the involvement of our members.

In addition this year, the chapter contributed $1,500 to the SHRM Foundation, and nine individual members made a contribution. We also signed an agreement with a new chapter management professional organization, MP Records Communications, which we believe will result in enhanced services to our members.

So, all in all, 2003 was a very productive year. And I would like to thank the Board of Directors and everyone involved in a committee all of whom were instrumental to the success of the chapter.

So what lies ahead for 2004? The Board will meet in early January to outline our goals for the year. However, I can tell you that at this point we will look to continue to strengthen member involvement through committees, continue to strengthen professional development of our members, enhance our community involvement efforts, and work to partner with other associations to add value to our members.

I look forward to another successful year in 2004. And, I hope to see you at the January meeting.

Please feel free to contact me at (317) 277-5345 or through e-mail at president@hraci.org.

Betty Lonis

HRACI Presents Optimizing People Costs by Helen Friedman and Sunny Wood (Mercer)

Are you being challenged by your leadership, especially your CFO, to justify the cost of HR? If so, this presentation will help you begin to think about HR metrics in a different way.

Two-plus years of a declining economy have led most employers to ask how they can best spend their human capital budgets. Many are trying to do as much or more with less. To succeed, these employers have focused on a key question: which programs drive business performance and which programs can be cut with little or no impact on the business? This session presents a discussion on how to increase the return on an organization’s people investment.

You will:

• Learn new ways to measure the effectiveness of rewards practices — and understand how to test the reality of what gets delivered, not just what's put on paper or perceived.
• Receive new knowledge/theory on measuring and managing people investments — which is often the single largest expense for organizations.

This program has been approved for 1 recertification credit hours toward PHR and SPHR recertification through the Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI). For more information about certification or recertification, please visit the HRCI homepage at www.hrci.org.

Presenter Bios:
Sunny Wood is a principal and client manager in Mercer’s Indianapolis office. She has experience helping companies in post-merger, acquisition and other change intensive environments where she has led many significant, large-scale projects in technology, re-engineering, outsourcing and integrating HR processes. Sunny has over twenty years of business experience in the healthcare retail, banking, insurance and legal fields. She brings a rare blend of business and human resources expertise to her clients. Sunny received a B.A., Philosophy and Religious Studies from Western Illinois University where she received the Felheimer Scholarship. She is a Certified Compensation Professional (CCP) and Senior Professional of Human Resources (SPHR).

Helen Friedman specializes in human capital measurement consulting, helping companies identify and implement strategic shifts in their human capital investments. As global director of service development for Mercer’s Human Capital Practices, she is also responsible for coordinating Mercer’s offerings around a broad range of client issues, including reward ROI, talent effectiveness, HR service excellence and overall human capital strategy. Prior to 1999, Helen worked in the firm’s retirement practice for more than 10 years, spending her last four years as a lead practice consultant in the New York office. As a defined benefit retirement plan specialist, she worked with a number of Fortune 100 companies to redesign and strategically maintain complex retirement programs. She has specific expertise in addressing pension-related issues in the financial services, media and tobacco industries. In addition, she worked with Mercer’s chief actuary in providing national assistance with regard to multiple-employer plan issues and Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan (SERP) design and implementation initiatives. She earned an M.B.A. in Finance and Management from Columbia University, with academic honors including an award for “Excellence in the Core” curriculum and admission to the Beta Gamma Sigma national honor society. She also earned a B.A. in Mathematics from Haverford College, as well as 185 credits toward her Fellowship in the Society of Actuaries.

Special thanks to our door prize sponsors:
Avisent
Equity Corporate Housing
F.C. Tucker
FlashPoint
Hylant Group
Marsh McLennan
Somerset Accountants & Advisors
Wholesale Ticket Service
Locke Reynolds
Century 21 Scheetz Relocation Services
Barnes & Thornburg
Manpower
Indiana Wesleyan University
Oakwood Corporate Housing
Bill Campbell, HR Business Consultant
Zee Medical
B&D Navigator
Landmark Clearing, Inc.
Milestone Contractors
Stewart & Irwin, P.C.
Eli Lillly
Shumsky Promotions
HR Dimensions
Alexandria's
Indianapolis Colts
MP Records Communications, Inc.
Galyans
Rolls Royce
Spherion Human Capital Consulting & Spherion Professional Recruiting Group
Optical Accents
Staff Management Solutions, LLC
MainSource Financial Group

The Career Services Committee asked committee member Elise Mollman to write an article about her experience as a participant in the HRACI Mentoring Program. Elise suggested including the viewpoint of her HRACI mentor, Sunny Wood. Sunny is currently a client manager with Mercer. Previously, she was the Sr. Director of Total Rewards for a multi-state healthcare company with 14,000 employees. Elise is HR Manager for T2 SYSTEMS, INC., an Indianapolis-based software development company. Prior to T2, she was a Sr. HR Generalist for a company that owned and managed nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Below, Sunny and Elise share their perspectives on mentoring.

Q. What attracted you to the mentoring program?

Sunny: I was attracted to the mentor program because I’ve spent many years mentoring HR managers, and it was always satisfying to see them grow and achieve. Because I don’t have any direct reports in my new position, I felt that the mentor program would give me an opportunity to continue to share my knowledge. And, at every turn of my career in HR, there was a woman to help push me up the ladder, so I’ve always felt I owed my profession at least as much as I’ve received.

Elise: I was attracted to the mentor program because no matter how long you have been in the industry, you don’t know everything! I felt that pairing up with a mentor would give me the additional source to enhance my knowledge in the HR industry and continue to grow professionally.

Q. What have you gained or do you hope to gain?

Sunny: Elise is a really bright, knowledgeable and excited HR professional who is now a new colleague. That’s a big gain in itself. My continued gain will be in helping her achieve her goals.

Elise: So far, I have gained a great mentor and colleague and a lot of materials! Sunny has shared a small bit of her knowledge and experience with me and I already feel like a more knowledgeable HR professional. I would like to learn all there is to know, and having a strong mentor is one of the ways to do so. It is obvious that Sunny has my best interests in mind.

Q. How much time is required?

Sunny: A few hours per month are all you need to be a mentor. I’ve spent an hour or so sending Elise materials that I think may help; a little time planning; and an hour or two meeting with her each month. I don’t consider it work.

Elise: As much time as you and your mentor are willing to devote. Sunny is always sending me information that she feels will help me. We meet once a month to discuss upcoming projects and status on current projects and we communicate via e-mail.

Q. What advice do you have for those considering becoming or seeking a mentor?

Sunny: My advice is to always have a mentor – whether in or outside your company. Partner with someone with a lot of varied experience, preferably someone who has worked for several different employers. Always look for a mentor with a very broad view of the world and lots of experience with senior executives.

My advice to successful HR leaders is to make sure you’re always trying to give back. You didn’t get there on your own, and you owe it to your profession to help grow others.

Elise: Find a mentor! We all "network" in hopes that we can connect with people who may help us in the future, but having a dedicated mentor is even better. Your mentor is going to be dedicated to helping you grow and achieve and will always be willing to take your call so you can "pick their brain." Mentors love to see their mentees grow and be successful. This is a great program for all HR professionals!

For more information about becoming an HRACI mentor or mentee, contact program coordinator Ron Bodach at (317) 564-2227 or rbodach@renalcaregroup.com.

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This job fair, now in its 22nd year of operation, brings together students, prospective graduates and alumni from 12 Indiana colleges and universities with employers from around the state and region. The 2004 event is scheduled for Wednesday, February 18, 2004, 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., at the Indiana Convention Center and RCA Dome.

400-500 candidates from the following schools participate in this event: Anderson University, Butler University, DePauw University, Earlham College, Franklin College, Hanover College, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, Marian College, St. Joseph’s College, Taylor University, University of Indianapolis and Wabash College. These students and recent alumni have pursued studies in a wide assortment of fields, including business administration, marketing, financial analysis, accounting, economics, computer information systems and computer science, engineering, various life and physical sciences, supervision, organizational communications and organizational leadership, public affairs, and a range of liberal arts disciplines. They are in search of beginning career-track opportunities, internships and career advice.

The College Talent Recruitment Day (CTRD) is an event put together by the career services staffs of the sponsoring schools to provide their students and employers with a relatively low-cost, convenient, and direct way to link up with each other. The registration fee is $275 ($200 for government agencies, and $100 for organizations with 501c (3) status) and includes lunch for two.

For further information and registration materials, your members may call the CTRD event coordinator, Dave Roberts, at the Marian College Career Services Office, (317) 955-6341 (or e-mail: droberts@marian.edu), or contact me at (317) 788-3296 (or gabonay@uindy.edu).

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