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Over the past several months, we have evaluated and restructured the human resources department resulting in changes in positions, roles and responsibilities. Most notably, the nondiscrimination compliance functions (Title IX, 504/ADA, Title VII) of the College were moved from the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion to the Department of Human Resources and Division of Student Life. During this evaluation period, the department has also assessed how we do our work, developing a new department mission statement and adjusting many of our department’s internal procedures and practices with a focus on efficiency, compliance and customer service. In addition to the position and structure changes, the department is now fully staffed for the first time in nearly five years. Our newest team member, Rosalind George, joined us on Oct. 15 as the Manager of Compensation and HR Analytics.

One of our larger endeavors has been to assess and improve our communication, accessibility, approachability and responsiveness; all to ensure we are providing a high level of customer service to the ŷ��AV community. HR staff have partnered closely with the Marketing and Communications team to rethink how we communicate as a department, both to our current employees as well as externally to prospective employees. We have been working diligently to make sweeping updates to our and pages to ensure content is updated, accurate and easy to find and read. In the coming weeks, we will be shifting our communication practices and are excited to announce our collaboration with Marketing and Communications on the rollout of a new employee newsletter: MHC This Week for Faculty and Staff. This newsletter will include content strictly for employees (both faculty and staff) and will be a dedicated source of information. Additionally, we are expanding our hours so that the office will no longer be closed from noon to 1 pm. New department hours will be 8:30 am to 5 pm. Please note that there are times the office may close for department-wide meetings and events. As such, we encourage visitors to contact us in advance and schedule an appointment. This will also ensure that you are able to meet with the most appropriate individual to assist with your particular question or concern.

The HR department has accomplished a number of improvements in the past several months:

1. Implementation of HR functions.
2. Improved hiring processes and practices.
3. Multiple policy and procedure updates related to nondiscrimination, benefits, compensation, performance, conduct, leaves and more.
4. New interpretation and translation service for employees.
5. Revised performance management process.
6. Introductory supervisor training (Camp HR).

There are several projects and initiatives that HR staff are currently working on, all of which align with our goal within the strategic plan to position the College as an employer of distinction.

1. Hiring procedures: We are currently drafting a new comprehensive procedure for hiring at the College. This procedure covers all aspects of the hiring process as well as components of the process both within and outside of . The procedure will be documented in a new Hiring Guide in the coming months, with training provided to all employees involved in the hiring process by late winter in preparation for the next peak hiring season in summer 2025.
2. New recruitment strategy and plan: HR staff are working with other community stakeholders to evaluate our recruitment practices across the College with the intent to develop a new recruitment strategy and plan that aligns with the College’s goals, ensuring we are seeking and hiring diverse and highly qualified applicants for positions across the College.
3. New employee onboarding program: HR staff have been diligently working with other College departments to develop a new employee onboarding program. This program will be an in-depth orientation for all newly hired employees, ensuring they receive all the necessary information to effectively do their job and engage with the MHC community. We anticipate this program will be rolled out in the next few months.
4. Employee appreciation program: We are beginning to evaluate our employee appreciation and recognition practices in order to develop a new comprehensive Employee Appreciation Program. The new program will recognize all employees for their service and performance and develop a culture of appreciation, where members of the community regularly engage in acts of acknowledgement and appreciation for the work of others.
5. Professional development: Over the course of the year, HR staff will gather information and explore opportunities for the eventual establishment of a professional development program. Ultimately, this program will include training components for compliance, DEI, supervising, department-level work and job-specific work.
6. Performance management: HR and LITS staff are currently working to finalize the performance evaluation process within Workday and hope to have an update for employees within the next few weeks. Over the course of the next two years, HR staff will also be reevaluating the overall performance management program and will explore other programs that may align with best practices and the goals and values of ŷ��AV. This will result in the development of a new performance management program within the next two to three years.
7. Compensation: HR staff have made tremendous progress on to ensure our competitiveness with our peers while providing quality rewards for our employees.
   1. (Direct compensation) Tier progression and benchmarking: With the completion and implementation of the compensation study results, staff were placed within a new tiered grading structure. Upon reaching anniversary dates of three years and six years of service within a position, staff will progress to the next compensation tier. Though initial placement within the structure took place in late spring, employees have not yet progressed to the next tier if they were eligible over the past few months. HR staff have been developing a process for this and with the onboarding of the new Manager of Compensation and HR Analytics, we anticipate initiating this work within the next two weeks. As such, any employees who progressed from one tier to the next since January 1, 2024, will receive a one-time retroactive payment on November 8, 2024, accounting for this increase. Following this one-time “catch-up” payment, payslips will reflect the correct salary from the new tier.
   2. (Direct compensation) Appeal process: We recently announced an appeal process now in effect for those who wish to request a reevaluation of their placement within a grade. These reviews are ongoing. Additionally, as mentioned at the recent Town Halls, staff have an extended deadline of November 1, 2024, to submit a request based on their placement within the salary range as determined in the spring.
   3. (Indirect compensation) Benefits review: As we finalize our rollout of the new direct compensation structure, we will now focus on a full review of our indirect compensation: benefits. HR and finance staff will be evaluating and comparing our current benefit programs and plans to develop a benefits program that is of value to our employees, distinguishing us from our peers. This review will be across all areas of benefits including health plans, campus access benefits, retirement plans and education benefits including tuition remission and the Tuition Exchange Program.