Ongoing changes in human resources will be the topic for Nancy Resnick, the UO’s new chief human resources officer, a special open meeting on Wednesday of the Officers of Administration Council.
The meeting will be held in Room 142 of the Knight Law Center from 10:30 a.m. to noon. The meeting is open to all OAs. Those attending are asked to RSVP for the July 29 event.
Since her arrival in March, Resnick has been working to streamline human resources work and build stronger relationships with employee groups and campus leadership. The meeting with the OA Council is part of that effort.
"In order to be successful, human resources must be built on a foundation of integrity and trust and must recognize the human impact of institutional decisions,” Resnick said. “I am excited and energized to lead the HR team as we continue the transformation process of establishing a strong, cohesive department sought out by our campus partners.”
Resnick is making a concerted effort to build relationships across employment groups and campus units to demonstrate a desire to be present, engaged and collaborative. Human Resources representatives now meet on a regular basis with campus partners to explore issues of concern and generate solutions.
The office is continuing to hone a new structure, encourage coordination across staff specialties and improve the flow of information.
Miriam Bolton, an assistant dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, has recognized the desire for outreach in her interactions with Resnick and HR Leadership. “I’ve seen improved communication and noticeable engagement demonstrating a sense of responsiveness to campus requests,” Bolton said.
Among the efforts Resnick’s office has begun is a taskforce, which includes representatives from human resources and other key campus stakeholders, to provide clarity and consistency in the policies that affect OAs as an employee group.
The office is assembling tools to help make it easier to contact HR representatives and get support and answers on specific needs and issues. Part of that effort is developing resources to help better understand how the Office of Human Resources is structured and who to contact for assistance. A redesign of the human resources website is underway with the aim of making it easier to use by job applicants, employees, managers and campus partners.
Resnick also is working to use technology more efficiently in place of some existing but cumbersome processes, an effort sparked by employee comments and concerns. To this end, a talent-management information system will be implemented to streamline recruitment and hiring processes, onboarding of new employees, performance management and tracking ongoing learning.
Resnick, a former practicing attorney, previously served as the associate director for human resources for Humboldt State University, where her responsibilities included employee and labor relations, investigations, recruitment, ADA accommodation, training and professional development, and compliance. Other members of the human resources leadership team include Sonia Potter, Bill Brady and Kaia Rogers.