Read on for details on these and other important HRACI activities!

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HRACI Best Practices Forum

Submitted by Erin Brothers

Diversity today permeates every aspect of our organization. Valuing diversity implies development of a workplace that respects and is inclusive, recognizing contributions of all employees regardless of differences. The diversity initiatives we implement in our organizations today is of great importance to candidates seeking employment. What recruitment tools and benefits involve diversity in your organization? What are you doing to recruit those individuals of diverse backgrounds?

Please join us July 10th for the Best Practices Forum led by a group of industry panelists sharing their work and life experiences, and learn about the steps organizations are taking to ensure they maximize potential of all employees.

Our Panelists:
Martin George, Director at Language Training Center
Kathy Humphrey, COO with International Center of Indianapolis
Juli Paini, Mayor’s Advisory Council on Disability, City of Indianapolis
Pat Roe, former VP of HR for USA Funds and Diversity Roundtable Board Member
Pambana Uishi, Director of Skilled Workforce Development, Indianapolis Urban League

Facilitator:
Erin Brothers

For more information, feel free to contact Erin Brothers at ebrothers@hancockregional.org.

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Submitted by Susan Van Hoosen

SMA’s first program kicked off June 12 with, “Strategies for Partnering with Your Hiring Managers: The 10 Most Common Hiring Mistakes and How to Avoid them!” The panelists were: Dennis Dunlap from Right Management, Kyle Phillip from That’s Good HR, Kelli Safford from NAS Recruitment Communications, and Lisa Helms from Midwest ISO.

The following are the highlights:

1. Set clear expectations and timelines with the hiring area – to include directing next steps and Hiring Mgr. availability for when the interviews must take place
2. Integrate the Hiring Managers in the recruitment process
3. Conduct focus groups for feedback from candidates after 30-60-90 days of new employment
4. Ask for the hiring area’s budget for position/s before proceeding with search – this helps to prioritize which jobs require immediate attention to fill and helps set clear expectations and timelines for the recruitment process
5. Train your Hiring Managers in each department on how to interview and the goals of the interview
6. Educate yourself and ask questions to learn what the absence of a position is costing to help prioritize
7. Utilize Assessment Tools available to help set internal standards and achieve a benchmark
8. Schedule time with the department/group you are recruiting for to learn more about what they do and their needs – this helps achieve not only communications goals, but builds credibility and knowledge and helps integrate Hiring Area into the recruitment process
9. Conduct Surveys to new hires and to hiring areas for feedback on recruitment process
10. Read and share with your Hiring Managers as a training and communications tool the handout we provided on “The Top 10 Hiring Mistakes”.

Recently, while attending the Indiana Relocation Council meeting (IRC), I heard a presentation on “Managing the Requirements of the Multigenerational Workforce” by Rich Thompson at Adecco. Throughout today’s discussion the need to understand how the generations impact the hiring and onboarding process emerged. I recommend making an opportunity to open the dialogue with your hiring area and help the hiring managers understand the different needs and expectations of the candidates in each generation. It’s also helpful in addressing the management style of one generation reporting to another and the different communications styles. The moral of the multigenerational workforce is that if we understand how others think and work, then we can appreciate and communicate better with each generation.

As a member of HRACI, your membership in SMA Central Indiana is Free! Since SMA is a special interest group of HRACI, HRACI members benefit from joining and attending the programs of SMA and other special interest groups. SMA’s Mission Statement is:

SMA – Central Indiana serves the needs of professionals focused on recruiting and retention by providing continuing education, developmental programs, and networking opportunities.

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What do aliens, armed services, FMLA, and Unionization have to do with the prospects of a McCain or Obama Administration? Come find out on July 17, as George Raymand, of the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, and Jim Masur, one of Indiana's preeminent Labor and Employment attorneys, peer into their HR risk management crystal ball.

Check out all of our currently scheduled 2008 programs online at: http://www.hraci.org/HRACIevents.php

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Submitted by Scott Kincaid

Committee Initiatives/Responsibilities:

• Manages the chapter outreach efforts in the community
• Manages the chapter’s scholarship program and college outreach efforts
• Monitors and evaluates on a continuing basis local activities concerning workforce readiness issues and plans and encourages chapter involvement and activities impacting the workforce readiness arena

Committee Goals:
Support the goals of the IUPUI Student Chapter and participate in 5 community events. Specifics include:

• Provide speakers for student meetings
• Identify a potential student-based HR project
• Create a job shadow program
• Investigate SHRM’s eMentor program and implement with Student Chapter
• Support Student Chapter involvement in HR games
• Participate in WFYI telethon event- involve at-large HRACI members
• Participate in 4 job fairs
• Involvement in 1 workforce readiness program

Committee Accomplishments:

• Provided several HR speakers to the IUPUI Student chapter
• Participation in the WFYI community telethon
• Supported Indianapolis Star diversity fairs with resume advice for job seekers
• Provided volunteers for Indiana chapter HR Games
• Provided resume critique sessions for IUPUI School of Engineering & Technology
  

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Submitted by Angie Ritz, PHR

The membership committee would like to take a moment to remind HRACI members of the importance of being marketable. Whether you are a member to network with other HR professionals or you see the benefit in the quality speakers, HRACI provides its members with the ability to stay certified in their field at an affordable cost and to build professional relationships that will enhance their effectiveness as HR leaders. The committee is continuously researching ways to recruit, retain and engage its members. If you have ideas on how HRACI can assist you in getting the most out of your membership or if you’d like to join the membership committee and help with this initiative, please email angie@ctrwd.org.

Also as a reminder for those who are not members of SHRM: If you join SHRM in the months of June or July, your name will be put in a drawing to win a registration for the 2008 or 2009 state conference. Visit www.shrm.org to join and use the new member discount code of “CHNCD” to receive a $15 discount on your annual fee.

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• Increase personal income for Hoosier workers
• Promote small business growth (Only employers with fewer than 100 employees.)
• Foster job retention and expansion
• Close skill gaps identified through WorkKeys® assessments

• The grantee must provide and account for the matching funds as agreed upon in the approved application and budget.
• Companies with more than 100 employees must provide a dollar-to-dollar match of funds requested from TAG (i.e. wages and benefits of attendees and those covering for them, supplies, equipment, travel, training space rental or cash).
• Companies with less than 100 employees must “match” based upon the following scale:

• Why do smart people fail?
  • Inability to manage change
  • Inability to manage relationships
• Emotional Intelligence – the capacity for efficiently recognizing and managing our own emotions and the emotions of others
• Emotion comes before thought – we feel before we think
• Pay attention to your body – it is your early warning system (increased heart rate, increased body temperature, etc.) and tells you that your thinking has been impacted
  • You should determine: do you have your fully thinking mind or is it your reactive/default behavior
• Self Awareness – Intrapersonal Skills (how you view you)
• Self Regulation – stress tolerance, impulse control, optimism and resiliency
• Self Management
  • S – Stop
  • T – Take a deep breath
  • O – Other focused (can you appreciate where the other person is coming from)
  • P – Propose a question to give your thinking mind time to recover
• Social Awareness and Skill – Interpersonal, Adaptability
• Emotionally Intelligent Coaches:
  • Are genuine and transparent
  • Have an unconditional positive regard for coachee
  • Have an empathetic understanding
    
    

Cindy Welsh
Michele Whittington
Tonya Mohr
Cathy Copass
Robert Wolter
Melany Nieset
Krista Horine
Rene Jacobson
Babs Hefley
Mary Fuelling
Joe Hickman
Kathy Humphrey
Eric Mellendorf

Jay Martin
Karen Baker
Sharon Bird
Mike Marnier
Donna Ward
Kristin Harrison
Larua Hilton
Russell Clemens
Heather Warnick
Linda Bochner
Carol Clayton
Meredith Mangan
Sam Wason
Katharine McFall