Chapter 4
Resources

 

4.3 Human Resources

To achieve its many objectives, it is essential that SVSU attract, retain and develop employees who possess a range of relevant qualifications and skills. SVSU has in place the human resources required, including qualified administrative personnel and appropriate credentialed faculty, to fulfill its mission.

To better serve the growing number of employees, in 2002 Human Resources was reorganized into two separate departments.

Employment and Compensation Services (ECS) operates as a service center to provide administrative and transactional support in areas such as staffing, compensation, benefits, policies, etc. This new unit has established more efficient and consistent hiring policies and practices and is putting in place new methods to expand the pool of job candidates to foster diversity. Managers are challenged to expand the employee pool. ECS is in the process of establishing benchmarks for future assessment. Informal reports indicate that employees are finding the new unit more responsive to their questions and concerns.

The Staff Relations Officer provides strategic, longer-term support for developing new staffing, compensation, learning and development tools, as well as overseeing labor relations with the two unions. New processes for hiring, new benefits proposals, staff development, and training programs are generated in this unit. The department has implemented a new performance management process for all administrative and support staff. The impact of these changes remains to be evaluated.

To help manage health care offerings, SVSU has instituted an employee benefits advisory group that combines employees from all employee groups. The employee advisory group studies the health care/insurance issues of the day, suggests potential solutions, and helps communicate issues to and from the various groups they represent. The result is a series of viable benefits options for SVSU employees.