Common Ground Corner
Mercer project update
Mercer Human Resource Consulting, a firm hired by the University to review the human resource services department and assure that it is aligned with inclusive diversity objectives, continued its work through the winter months.
According to Herb Peterson, vice president for business and finance, Mercer has been working in two areas: HR office transformation and compensation alignment.
In an update to the University community, Peterson recently stated that Mercer representatives conducted 15 in-person and 10 online surveys representing a variety of campus constituencies.
"Feedback confirmed that there are several organizational barriers hindering employee relations in general and our developing a diverse community in particular," said Peterson.
Among areas the University needs to focus on, said Peterson, are ensuring consistent leadership behavior and information sharing, securing needed talent to enhance inclusive diversity, providing adequate development opportunities, revamping the performance management system, rewarding required skills and transforming the human resources function.
Mercer has proposed a new HR organizational structure "which will infuse the skills needed to lead, model and support inclusive diversity as well as play a more strategic role in supporting needs of departments," said Peterson.
As part of the compensation alignment project, Mercer benchmarked 47 staff positions to evaluate where Richmond's salary ranges fall within the markets.
Another component will be to develop a "total rewards philosophy" for the University, added Peterson. "The University is dedicated to designing and implementing a compensation philosophy that will enable us to recruit, develop and retain the best possible administrative and support staff," he said.
Finally, Mercer is developing a "performance management system" that includes setting employee performance goals, providing ongoing feedback on performance, evaluating performance, identifying performance strengths and needs, and determining pay increases. Supervisors will receive training in these new procedures.
"Implementation of Mercer's recommendations will be phased in over the next two to three years," said Peterson. "The success of this effort depends upon honest and open dialog and commitment and University-wide collaboration."
In other Common Ground news:
- The University is conducting a search for a director of Common Ground who will be charged with creating academic and social opportunities for majority and minority students which result in friendships and working relationships that transcend ideological and demographic differences. The director's office will be in space shared with the Center for Civic Engagement in Tyler Haynes Commons. The position description is posted at https://www.urjobs.org/applicants/jsp/shared/frameset/Frameset.jsp?time=1138806825123. Applications and nominations can be referred to Deborah Holland in Human Resources at dhollan2@richmond.edu.
- The University has announced that it will provide a financial aid package equal to full tuition, room and board (without loans) to any undergraduate student from Virginia who is admitted to Richmond, whose family income is $40,000 or less, and who demonstrates eligibility for financial aid.
For more information on Common Ground, visit http://commonground.richmond.edu.
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