HR will host event, show results of talent acquisition transformation meetings

How do you build a world-class Human Resources department? 

For Mychal Coleman, associate vice president for Human Resources, it means transforming the current model to strategically meet the needs of employees while aligning with the university's Reach Higher 2025 plan.

Coleman led a town hall meeting in late January to highlight changes within the department. 

"We are changing the organizational landscape," he said, noting he has led similar transformations at other workplaces. "Research has shown that not one world-class organization got to its current position without a stellar human resources department."

Coleman has implemented Kaizen, a continuous improvement method, to restructure the department and its functions. He said it will lead to more efficiency and consistency.

The initial phase of a four-year construction timeline for the department is underway. On February 1, the department began using the human resource generalist model, appointing one staff member as a generalist to serve one or more university divisions or departments with their questions or requests. This phase also includes overhauling the talent acquisition process.

A Kaizen consultant will join Human Resources on February 28 for a week's worth of continuous improvement meetings involving key members of Grand Valley's employee recruitment process.

Ultimately, this process aims to relieve administrative responsibilities that now fall on search committees and chairs. Megan Bravo, HR business partner and talent acquisition advisor, said, "We recognize it's difficult for someone who may chair one search committee a year to be familiar with PageUp software and some other duties."

Coleman said surveys and focus groups have repeatedly said the recruitment process takes too long and it presents a risk of losing good candidates. 

Faculty and staff members are invited to watch the results of the talent acquisition meetings on Friday, March 4. "Transforming the Employee Recruitment Process" will be presented by Coleman and others from 1:30-2:30 p.m. RSVP online at gvsu.edu/sprout. 

The other three phases of restructuring Human Resources involve consulting services, talent management and total rewards. Details about the department's construction timeline are online.