Discussion 8

Post 1

What started as a course that was available has turned into a course that was needed.  I have worked for many years, but mainly as the sole employee of a company.  My experience with human resources was lackluster.  I know that I am a personable person, easily approachable and care deeply about my peers and colleagues.  However, this class has taught me that human resources goes way beyong just being nice.  

Besides being educated in human resource law, which was way more complex than I had thought, I am really taking away the knowledge of how to care for and nurture the well-being of my employees.  Just being a nice person, does not mean I am doing this!  Providing special treats, events, awards and positive feedback will not only keep moral high at the workplace but show the team that they are being seen and heard.  I love the idea of making employees and volunteers part of the meetings and getting their input.  Who else would know better how things can be operating better?  It is a no brainer. 

I am leaving this class feeling so much more confident about taking on my first role as an employer.  I have served as President on many boards, but hiring and retaining employees, keeping them safe and happy and training and educating them is so important to the viability of an organization.  My toolkit, textbook and class discussions will continue to help me make good decisions along the way.  

Post 2

Hi everyone, it's hard to believe the summer is over!  Thank you so much for participating in the class.  I enjoyed reading your discussions, reviewing your comments to the discussions, reviewing your research papers, and admiring your toolkits.  I enjoyed our interactions and wish you all the best, and if you are finishing your coursework, congratulations!  I am right behind you in December!

There were many things I learned in the class and I am so glad I took it at this particular time.  Since the beginning of the fiscal year, I have participated in hiring of six new full-time employees and several referees and crossing guards for our city.   I have reviewed how we do everything from writing job descriptions to conducting interviews to the on-boarding process and know where we can make improvements.

I wrote my paper on the Gender Pay Gap in Utah and used my City as an example.   It has really opened my eyes to a lot of things that we can do better and I will keep chipping away to make it a better place for myself and my fellow employees.   I also enjoyed interviewing the City Manager and our City's Human Resource Consultant for the two interview assignments.

One thing I would really like to work on is diversity in our workplace.  Of the six new employees we hired, six of them are white males.  I know we can do better at being more inclusive and we need to take a cold hard look at that.  I also hope to help improve employee engagement and see how that helps us retain people better.  Of the six employees that we hired, four were for new positions in the City.  The two other positions were vacated by really good people who left for better opportunities. 

Post 3

My understanding of HR management has increased significantly. I am not involved currently in HR functions but because of this course, I can see myself fulfilling that role perhaps for the county or a non-profit. Employees working in smaller organizations wear several hats, having a general and strong overview of HRMS allows for an initial SWOP analysis to determine what is needed and how to get there. There are areas of employment law that one must have a clear understanding of such as ADA, FMLA and other legislation designed to create equity. Having clear expectations is a two way street. Employers must communicate policies and procedures so that employees understand and know what to expect, what can be relied on. The employer must have leverage however, we work to achieve goals that serve the company's/organization's mission, get paid for that work which fulfills the personal goals we have. I now liken HR management to something of a symbiotic framework, both a closed and open system. Inputs and outputs, understanding dynamics that can create forward momentum that allows the organism to function and thrive. I am a constructivist, a democratic socialist so you can see why I do not write in terms of simply capital and labor. I have a spiritual view of things and respect the individuals, entrepreneurs creative and tough enough to put their necks on the line for purpose and wealth. I do believe though that those goals are not mutually exclusive, we all do so much better when we all thrive. 

My research paper looked at Marijuana legalization on HR policies and procedures, specifically, zero tolerance policies can be detrimental to hiring qualified candidates and retention in low risk work places. My case study looked at Nike's perspectives regarding employee privacy rights, expectations and healthy lifestyles. Very interesting since the genie is out of the bottle.