HRAConnection

President's Pen
by Cherilyn Stephens. PHR

The end of the first quarter is quickly approaching and I am thrilled to close this quarter on an award winning note! On March 23rd we received notification that HRACI was awarded the Superior Merit Chapter award from SHRM for their activities in 2006. Thanks to everyone that helped our chapter sustain another award winning year!

As March comes to a close, I’d like to acknowledge some of the great things that have already taken place in 2007. January marked the beginning of our plans to host several of our monthly events on the north side of Indianapolis. The Holiday Inn North proved to be a great location for us and helped us make our first meeting over 200 attendees! It is very exciting to see how much we have grown, and how involved our community is this year. In February, we gathered for our first national speaker, Meagan Johnson. We will continue to offer national guest speakers throughout the year. March was another amazing month with 200+ audience for our EMA Indiana event.

We plan to kick off the second quarter with our diversity conference and a repeat visit from Dr. Steve Robbins. This will quickly be followed by a visit from the EEOC and a joint program with CBPI (Compensation and Benefits Professionals of Indiana). Please check out our website for all the great programs that we have planned including networking events, Consultants Forum programs and EMA Indiana programs. If the first quarter of 2007 is any indication…we have great things to come!

Sincerely,
Cherilyn Stephens, PHR

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Join us in Giving Appreciation

Goodwill Staffing Solutions is sponsoring April 19 HRACI Diversity Conference. This conference is in Cooperation with Association of Career Professionals International.

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April 19th Diversity Conference

HRACI Diversity Conference at the Holiday Inn North

Back by Popular Demand:
Guest Speaker: Dr. Steve Robbins
http://www.slrobbins.com/

His powerful concept of "Unintentional Intolerance" has helped people to better understand complex cultural competency issues in a safe and non-threatening manner. An expert communicator, Dr. Robbins engages his audiences through a dynamic blend of humor, stories and in-depth knowledge. Those who have heard Dr. Robbins leave with a greater curiousity, motivation and intentionality about creating inclusive environments.

Date: April 19, 2007
Time: 9am-1pm
Location: Holiday Inn North at the Pyramids

More information will be coming to you soon, but you can already register for this event now. Cost is $59 for members and $79 for nonmembers.

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

Click Here to Register Now!

Vendors
We will also have a vendor fair during that event. For vendor information, contact Patti Daniels at sponsorship@hraci.org

Date:	Thursday, April 19, 2007
Topic:	Diversity Conference
Agenda:	8:30 a.m. Registration & Networking 9:00 a.m. Diversity Conference 11:30 p.m. Lunch 1:00 p.m. Adjournment
Location:	Holiday Inn North at the Pyramids
Program Cost:	Members $59 Guests $79 Student $25 4 or more from the same company: $10 off each registration. Call the HRACI office to take advantage of that. (317) 841-3236
Sponsor:	Goodwill Staffing Solutions
Meeting in cooperation with:
Click Here to Register Now!

HRACI Volunteer Recognition

You are a member of a great association that is rapidly growing and we need your help to keep the efforts going. HRACI has several opportunities to become more involved to continue to provide events/services that are of interest to our members.

Volunteer Recognition: Human Resources Association of Central Indiana

Certification

There are really two (2) volunteer roles you can fulfill on the Certification committee. One role is to volunteer to be a facilitator (must be currently PHR/SPHR certified) and facilitate class(es) in the Spring and/or Fall.

The other role is more behind the scenes and would be a great way to prepare to be the Director of Certification in the future! Committee members in this role would assist the Director of Certification, Jen Lange, in:

Determining the dates/times for the class(es)
Reviewing and providing feedback on the materials HRACI is using to ensure that the materials we use are the "best"
Soliciting facility volunteers to host class(es) and making those necessary arrangements with the "owner"
Ordering the student materials for the class(es)
Finding and securing PHR/SPHR certified facilitators for the class(es) and making sure that they have all of the information the need
Coordinating and facilitating the "facilitator get together" a week or two before the class(es) start
Following up with class participants to find out what exam he/she is taking, when he/she is taking it, and if he/she passed to be used to determine the success of our class(es)
Tallying the results of the feedback survey for each unit/facilitator and communicating those back to the appropriate parties
Getting Certification information posted to the chapter via the monthly newsletter(s)

And the easiest way to be a committee member is to commit to being onsite at the actual study group session to take attendance, ensure the facilitator has everything he/she needs, distribute/collect surveys, answer questions, etc. – this does NOT have to be every class but a few would help!

If you are interested in learning more about the Certification Committee or any other committees a link to the HRACI Volunteer Form can be found below please complete and submit your form.

Those currently volunteering have the opportunity to join a different committee, renew your interest in the same committee, or redirect your volunteer energies to those opportunities that come up on occasion.

To Volunteer: http://www.hraci.com/HRACIvolunteerform2007.htm

If you have any questions, please contact Tami Murphy, Director of Volunteer Recruitment, at tami@temporaryavenue.com or 317-469-4141.

Membership Committee

Member Name(s): VP, Membership – Pam Dolas

Committee Members:

Sue Bard	Catherine Bates	Linda Carter
Greg Cislak	Bill Coit	Susan Crawley
Tabitha Farmer	Steve Haigh	Michelle Kavanaugh
Debra Maynard	Sarah Raines	Ginger Rice
Angie Ritz	Vern Roach	Linda Rotert
Ivory Shields	Connie Whisner	Barb Witz

Reason for Recognition: During membership renewal time in January and February, emails, letters and personal phone calls are made as gentle reminders to our members to renew their membership with the HRACI.

Special Recognition/Acknowledgement: Approximately 30 phones calls per committee members were made during the renewal activity. Thanks go to:

Sue Bard	Catherine Bates	Bill Coit
Susan Crawley	Steve Haigh
Debra Maynard	Angie Ritz	Vern Roach
Linda Rotert	Connie Whisner

Board Member responsible for Recognition: Pam Dolas, VP Membership

Committee Initiatives/Responsibilities:

The primary responsibility of the Membership Committee is to recruit new members by providing an atmosphere of learning and growth together in our profession. We are also responsible for the retention of members and seeking feedback from individuals who do not renew their membership to see where we, as an organization, can improve to provide individuals with value for their membership.

Committee Goals:

Maintain Mega Chapter status – over 1000 members strong at all times. We are in the process of initiating an HRACI Ambassador program to connect our members (new and existing) with other HR professionals to help answer questions when they arise, introduce them to others so they can attain a sense of belonging and feel welcomed into the organization.

Committee Accomplishments:

Our committee members are the smiling faces that greet you when you arrive at the monthly meetings – we hope you feel welcomed!! We just completed our annual renewal process which took a lot of time and effort by our committee and resulted in approximately 100 additional renewals. We will be holding quarterly new member orientation meetings in 2007 in March, May, August and November.

Legislative Committee

Legislative Committee Initiatives/Responsibilities:

1. Provide membership with SHRM position on national legislative and legal issues and request action from the membership through contacting their representatives.

2. Provide members with an overview of the Indiana General Assembly website to be used as a tool for communication with state legislators

3. Educate membership on how to understand and/or become more active in legislative issues that affect HR and the organizations where we work.

Legislative Committee Goals:

1. Work in tandem with State Legislative Directors and other state-chapters to provide a training session during the SHRM State conference that will give our membership the tools to actively and confidently advocate HR related issues at the state and federal levels.
2. Provide timely and relevant articles that outline current legislative and judicial issues that affect our HR roles and organizations.
If there are specific legislative or judicial topics that you would like to learn more about, please contact Dennis Stull at legislative@hraci.org. If possible, the Legislative Committee will address your issue in an upcoming HRACI newsletter.

Legislative Committee Accomplishments:

The Legislative Committee is excited about 2007 as we work to lay a foundation for programs and process that will educate and provide legislative information to the HRACI membership. The members of the Legislative Committee have a broad range of experience and accomplishment. We hope to leverage our depth to provide the membership with additional tools and resources that the members can use from a practical work-related standpoint and a professional development standpoint. Please contact one of our members for more information.

Current members:

Mark Bender, PHR - mbender@dianmondchain.com
Debbie Brooks, JD - debra.brooks@odnss.com
Tom Deer, JD - tdeer@locke.com
Scott, Godsey, MBA, PHR - Scott.godsey@zeemedicalinc.com
Alexander Mounts, JD - amounts@kdlegal.com
Rosemary Robertson - rrobertson@gbcbank.com
Kristen Shingleton, MBA, CCP - kshingleton@psmin.com
Dennis Stull, MBA, SPHR – das@dashr-solutions.com

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SHRM Sons and Daughters Scholarship Program

Dates: March 1 to May 15, 2007

The Program
The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) has established a scholarship program to help finance higher education for children of its members. The program is independently managed by Scholarship America, a national nonprofit educational support and student aid service organization. Awards are given without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, disability, or national origin.

Eligibility
Applicants must be children of national members of SHRM. Applicants may be either high school seniors, high school graduates or first-year college undergraduates enrolled or planning to enroll in a full-time course of study at an accredited four-year college or university.

Scholarship Awards
Awards are $1,500 each and may only be used for the first or second year of undergraduate study only. A total of twenty-four (24) scholarships are awarded annually.

Application
Students must complete the application and mail it along with a complete high school or college transcript of grades to Scholarship America, postmarked no later than May 15. Applicants are solely responsible for gathering and submitting all necessary information. All information submitted is confidential and will be reviewed only by Scholarship America personnel.

Application Instructions | Download the application

Recipient Selection
Scholarship recipients are selected on the basis of academic achievement, leadership and participation in school and community activities, honors, work experience, statement of educational and career goals, and recommendation by an adult.

Scholarships awarded will be based on Scholarship America selection procedures and available funds. Not all applicants will receive awards.
Selection of recipients will be made by Scholarship America. In no instance does any member or officer of SHRM play a part in the selection.
All applicants will be notified of their status in late June.

Payment of Awards
Scholarship payments are authorized by SHRM and processed by Scholarship America. Payments are made in two equal installments on August 15 and around December 30. Checks are mailed to each recipient's home address and are made payable to the school for the student.

Obligations
Scholarship recipients must enroll in their educational programs no later than Fall of the year in which their awards are given. Recipients have no obligations to SHRM. They are, however, required to provide Scholarship America with current transcripts and to notify Scholarship America of any changes of address, school enrollment, or other pertinent information.

Revision Policy
The general conditions and procedures under which scholarships are made are subject to periodic review by SHRM, including termination of the program.

For More Information Contact:
SHRM Sons & Daughters Scholarship Program
Scholarship America
One Scholarship Way
P.O. Box 297
Saint Peter, MN 56082
Telephone: 1-800-537-4180

24 Scholarships awarded annually!

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Your Foundation at Work

Effective Practice Guidelines
If you are like most HR professionals, you probably lack the time to keep up with the latest research findings in human resource management. To help make research-based knowledge more accessible, the SHRM Foundation has created a new series entitled Effective Practice Guidelines. 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. SHRM members may download the following reports free from the SHRM Foundation website: Performance Management, Selection Assessment Methods and Employee Engagement and Commitment. New reports are added each year. This series is made possible by your contributions to the SHRM Foundation.

Regional Scholarships
Exciting News! The SHRM Foundation has doubled its scholarship funding for 2007 and will be awarding a total of $100,000 to SHRM members, chapters and state councils, up from $50,000 awarded in 2006. The Foundation is committed to supporting the professional development of SHRM members and the scholarship program is a tangible example of this commitment. Scholarships will be awarded to national SHRM members pursuing an HR-related college degree, or SPHR, GPHR or PHR certification. The following will be awarded in 2007:

• 60 Certification Scholarships of $750 each
• 40 Academic Scholarships of $1375 each

Application deadline: July 16, 2007.

The scholarships are allocated evenly among the SHRM regions. This guarantees that there will be winners in every part of the country. For application information, visit http://www.shrm.org/foundation/EducationGrants.asp. This program is supported by your generous donations to the SHRM Foundation.

The SHRM Foundation: 40 Years of Advancing the HR Profession

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HRACI Student Scholarships

Every year HRACI grants a student scholarship in the amount of $1500 to students in HR programs at area colleges and universities. Please download the following criteria and scholarship application.

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Special Interest Groups (SIGs)

As a Member of the HRACI you are welcome to attend the SIG’s meetings, too! For the Employment Management Association (EMA) of Indiana, please visit URL: http://www.emaindiana.org/events.asp.

The Consultants Forum is another SIG of the HRACI. Please visit URL: www.hraci.com/index.htm for the next event!

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March Meeting Highlights

By Dee Dee Deffez

Our March meeting was highlighted by a panel discussion on internet recruiting. Websites mentioned included www.myspace.com, www.link-edin.com and www.jobster.com. Panelists representing Roche Diagnostics, Clarian Health, Ogletree Deakins and First Advantage Recruiting Solutions
indicated they devote a large amount of time to internet searches. Chris Mills, SPHR, HR Manager, Strategy and Staffing at Roche Diagnostics Corporation, once found an applicant tied to an agency. In such instances, the agency is due a fee. Passive candidates will sometimes be discovered in searches, but be aware, they will most likely not have current resumes. As of August 2004, 65% of the users on myspace are age 25 and older. While searches for mid-level positions are not always fruitful, executive level google searches can be. If a position requires a candidate to be published, it is possible to find their published articles online to determine if they are a “fit.”

Blogging is quickly becoming a popular sourcing tool. Blogs are available for executives, recruiting, and sales managers to name a few. As a cautionary note, be very specific to avoid being bombarded. Be careful in your approach to bloggers. They don’t appreciate advertisements or those trying to sell them something.

Some applicants can be found by using pay-per-click advertising. You only pay if an individual actually clicks on your ad.

In summation, we’re in an ever-changing market – it pays to stay abreast of the latest technology advances.

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Support Hoosier Lung Health at Lungs in Motion

By Dana Ramey Pitts

Join us for Lungs In Motion on June 1, 2007! The evening will consist of an ALA Clean Air Rally on the steps of the Statehouse, a 5K noncompetitive walk in downtown Indianapolis and end with a celebration including music, entertainment and food! With your support, we will take another step in improving lung health for all Hoosiers. For information, visit www.LungIN.org or call (800)LUNG USA (in Indiana) or (317)819-1181.

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Welcome New Members

Audra Sigman
Sara Rasmussen
Courtney Harreld
Aaron Hill
Angela Hetrick
Mark Adams
Nancy Hoard
Amy Allen
Bruce Smith
Natalie Hardin, SPHR
Talisha Johnson
Julie Minteer, PHR
Cheryl Carter Jones
Rachel Lyon
Laura Miller

Monica Sutton
Scott Voorhees
Susan McMaster
Re Sjahn Mathis
Heather Jackson
Tiffany Overton
Sherrie K Joyner
Susan Clancy
Patrick O'Neil
Matt Kistler
John Billstrand
Julianna Kozma
Angela Crowe
Libby Denehie

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