ition assistance, etc. After the decertification process, employees were very skeptical at first—would it really be different?—and there was a lot of resistance from those who were still pro-union. But over the course of time that all changed, and you could see the level of engagement of the employees increase. I was with that company for 10 years; the decertification happened two years into it, so the last eight years were really focused on employees and people processes, all through the ’90s. It was really a great experience for me. Ten years ago, you came back to FISC as VP of human resources, and also were involved in the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). You’re now its state director. What are the biggest issues you and fellow members are dealing with in this tough economy?
With the current job market and high unemployment rate, we are receiving a high volume of resumes and applications that come in for jobs where folks really are not qualified. So just weeding through the high volume of resumes and applications that come in is an issue. Recruiting top talent is also more difficult, because people are reluctant to leave their current position, where they have a number of years of service and have a feeling of job security. They’re more reluctant about making a change and being on the bottom of the totem pole with a new employer. If you look at the economy overall, real estate has also impacted job transfers because of the length of time that it takes to sell a home, due to the number of homes on the market. People are resistant to make that move to a new employer if there’s a relocation that’s involved. Getting around that takes branding, so you become a place where people want to go to. Much of SHRM’s work in Maine is keeping on top of bills being considered by the legislature. What major issues did the organization watch in the last legislative session?
The big one was weapons in the workplace. That was something that we advocated against at the state council level, but the bill was passed. Now employers can no longer have the requirement that an employee not have a weapon in their vehicle on company property; they can have a weapon in their vehicle as long as it’s not visible and as long as they have a permit to carry it. In the long run, that’s okay, because it’s still not within the building of the employer. Can you describe the work SHRM is doing to encourage workforce flexibility?
Workforce flexibility is one that we advocate for so that employers will be more open-minded to things that will accommodate the high demands on employees at a personal level—programs such as flex time, job sharing, and having telecommuting options so employees can work remotely.
“One of the favorite parts of my job is focusing on our high-performing, high-potential employees.” When you think about the number of single parents, the number of employees dealing with young children or aging parents or serious illnesses among family members, and the demands of that, having these types of flexible work options will definitely increase these employees’ level of engagement. We’re working so the focus moves from how much time someone is in their chair at work to their output, to the end result. This is something that the HR profession is advocating for through increased awareness, but ultimately, those of us in the HR function need to be the change champions, the ones who bring this kind of flexibility into our own workplaces. How should an HR director, in your opinion, be spending his or her day on a percentage basis?
I would say 30% on the tactical HR operations such as payroll, safety, compensation and benefits administration, and recruiting, and 70% or more on strategic functions— ”What are we doing to advance this company? What are we doing to impact the bottom line?” In HR, we do that through employee programs. So increasing employee engagement levels, staff development, coaching, wellness programs, and mentoring would all be part of that 70%. Communications is a big focus strategically for HR professionals. This is both keeping people informed and linking the employee’s job to the company’s strategic objectives. That alignment is really a critical part of the strategic function of HR, and it requires ongoing frequent and honest communication. Employees want to know what’s going on and they want to know how their job impacts the end result. You still need to make sure people get paid, you still need to provide competitive benefits. At the same time, to move your company forward through the people process, you really need to think “big picture.” October 2011 Maine Ahead >> 21