University Business - March 2009 - (Page 19)

HUMAN RESOURCES Opportunity Knocks How HR is using the down economy to develop more efficient programs and practices By Carol Patton ighTer budgeTs. cuTs to programs. Layoffs. Frozen salaries. The list goes on and on as to how colleges and universities are being affected by the country’s recession. No one seems immune from the economic pain. When the National Association of independent colleges and universities surveyed 371 private institution presidents in late 2008, half reported a hiring freeze, and 22 percent froze salaries. Another 42 percent gave smaller than usual salary raises. eleven percent laid off faculty, and 16 percent laid off nonfaculty. seven percent cut salaries and benefits. Public institutions aren’t fairing any better. “Many institutions are scrambling to meet current year budgets by freezing or significantly limiting hiring [and] limiting or eliminating temporary employee budgets,” says Andy brantley, president and chief executive officer of cuPA-hr (college and university Professional Association for human resources), adding that he’s seeing some layoffs as well. The future seems dismal. but not everyone is looking at it that way. some human resource departments at higher ed institutions are taking advantage of the struggling economy by testing more effective programs and delivery systems. so no more bad news—at least, not in this two-part column. here’s how hr professionals are improving their schools in the midst of a deteriorating economy. Visions of the future J.J. davis, vice president of administration, which oversees hr, at the university of Delaware, doesn’t need a crystal ball to universitybusiness.com T ‘You work systematically through what are essential operations, what is very important versus nice to have.’ —J.J. Davis, University of Delaware peer into the future. The state government is facing a huge shortfall, and the school receives approximately 20 percent of its funding from the state. her gut instincts predict a 5 percent budget cut for 20092010. so hr at the university, which has 4,000 employees, is in the process of playing out different “what-if” scenarios. For example, what if some paper-driven processes were automated? What if trainers worked with larger classes? What if people moved from being transactionoriented to being problem solvers? “i sort of have the perspective that everything’s on the table, everything’s fresh,” davis says. “in my view of the world, [nothing] is sacred. You work systematically through what are essential operations, what is very important versus nice to have. if you say, ‘This is off the table,’ then you really don’t drive innovation or efficiency.” One change under consideration is using existing faculty or staff to train the university’s employees as needed instead of hiring outside trainers. classes could focus on anything from cPr to management skills. davis says that many employees are stepping forward, revealing skills that could be applied outside their jobs. Another area is recruiting. it used to be a very decentralized process, with each dean developing separate marketing and hiring materials and then paying for offsite printing. Now standard materials are being created and posted online. davis’s team is also exploring ways to “create more synergies” between student and employee programs that address the same issues or provide similar services. For instance, could employee and student wellness programs cross lines yet still be effective? As of late december, davis said she had no plans to eliminate hr programs or lay off staff. her quest is informal, initially focusing on creative ways to maximize the value of current employees. she solicits ideas and opinions from her own staff and others about their impression of hr, what drives them crazy and what areas need improvement. “it’s always challenging at first, but good leaders rise to the challenge and find opportunities within it,” she says. “it allows you to ask the tough questions, to work with your team, saying, ‘Wipe the slate clean,’ and [to] probe in-depth about whatever you’re doing and how are you doing it.” Managing Change With more than 500 full- and part-time employees, alamance Community Carol Patton is a Las Vegas-based freelance writer who specializes in covering HR issues. March 2009 | 19 http://www.universitybusiness.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of University Business - March 2009

University Business - March 2009
Contents
Editor's Note
Company Index
Advisory Board
College Index
Behind the News
Human Resources
Viewpoint
Money Matters
Special Report: Higher Ed and the Economy
Helping the Help Desk
Acts of Adaptation
10 Questions & Answers About the Cloud
What's New
End Note

University Business - March 2009