School District U-46

Human Resource Audit

By HR Audit, Inc. Jim Bastian

Introduction
On-site 4/14-4/18/08 20 interviews, 4 school visits, 2 Focus groups Files, forms, manuals, data HR practices, policies and procedures are shared

Performance Appraisal Process

District Administrators pay significant attention to performance evaluation Recommendations 1. Replace Gnomen-Webb with more quantifiable, objective measures 1. Continue the phased introduction of Charlotte Danielson Rubric

Recruitment
HR provides posting, sourcing and screening services Recommendations 1. Modify the selection/screening process for special education professionals 2. Redesign general interview template 3. Communicate compensation in offer letters using pay-period figures rather than annual salary when possible

Employee Files
Both electronic and manual files are kept. Best practices are employed to ensure confidentiality and limit access Recommendation Remove unnecessary materials

Retention
Employee turnover in the District is 7.8%, the low end of the range. Recommendations 1. Begin conducting exit interviews, including employee ethnicity & gender 2. Expand the employee recognition program

Policies and Procedures

The District maintains customary policies and procedures. Recommendations 1. Consider adding a pre-employment drug screen policy, and at a later date post-accident drug screens 2. Expand sexual harassment policy and training to include ethnicity & religion

Compensation
District combines pay for performance and cost of living into one amount for administrators pay. Recommendation Add cost of living increase to base salary, but make merit pay a separate, year end payout and not included in base salary.

Communications
HR internal communications include news bulletin, benefits newsletter, training, District web-site postings, e-mail etc. Recommendation 1. HR should establish a Departmental communication plan.

Job Descriptions
The sample reviewed included customary content and best practices. Recommendations 1. Separate essential and marginal duties 2. Add a review/up-date of job descriptions to the performance appraisal process 3. Provide a copy to all new employees during their orientation and a copy to all interviewers 4. Add proficiency using applicable software to all Department job descriptions

Employee Handbook
Contains appropriate and customary content Recommendation Secure a signed receipt; or a signed acknowledgement that the employee understands it is their responsibility to visit the web-site, regularly for updates and read and understand the handbook

Regulatory Compliance
Generally good procedures to ensure compliance are in place. During the audit, new Minimum Wage poster was up-dated. Recommendations 1. Provide I-9 training to applicable HR staff 2. Elevate the requirements for HR specific credentials/expertise for staff 3. Hire summer temp. to purge files of those no longer required to retain

Training and Orientation

Job specific training for HR staff is completed within HR and the Department participates in other District-wide training programs. Recommendations 1. Redesign and expand the Dept. training program for new hires 2. Design, develop and implement training program for administrators to include compliance, performance management and effective interviewing and hiring.

Benefits Administration
Benefits package is comprehensive. Particular strengths are EAP, wellness, new employee orientation, compliance, communication, Workers Comp and unemployment administration. Recommendation Discontinue printing copies just post on the web-site

Use of Technology
Peoplesoft program was installed in 2000, for employee data and payroll, plus ConnectEd, Great Plains and Subfinder. Recommendations 1. Consolidate all payroll functions into HR (This is already under review) 2. Redeploy the post-payroll response team to establish ownership and expertise on specific types of errors for expedient resolution

Recommendations Continued
3. When errors not due to employee actions occur and result in costs to employees, the response team should have authority to approve reimbursement 4. Provide a list of unsolvable payroll glitches to an outside expert to fix 5. Consider a dry run prior to issuing payroll 6. Reduce the number of processes requiring hard copies 7. Establish and communicate data processing procedures

HR Department Staffing, Structure and Strategies

There are 23 full time staff in HR. This is at the low end of the range for comparable districts. (Staffing is lean) Recommendations 1. Re-evaluate all HR positions to determine optimum skills, education, credentials and expertise required 2. Add an HRIS position to the Dept.

Recommendations - Continued
3. Collect internal customer evaluations for off-sight service delivery 4. Incorporate the Departments Mission objectives into the strategic plan
Thank You