To improve upon the efficiency of services provided to the University community, HR implemented several changes to its procedures during the 2016-17 fiscal year. Changes included the roll-out of an On-Boarding express document, eBenefits, the Background Check chargeback system, restructuring to develop a Leave of Absence Specialist, an improved Personnel Action Request form, partnering with Faculty Affairs and Information Technology to implement the additional pay module, creation of the HR to You presentation, and introduction of the Principles of Supervision training.
Operational Improvements
In April 2017, HR moved to build off of the developments it made the previous academic year with the electronic express On-Boarding New Hire Sign-In document in HR’s Reception Area. Improvements to the Sign-In Paperwork included the creation of an introductory "express" fillable PDF document that simplified the paperwork process for new Student Assistants, Faculty, and Staff. Creation of the new process took personal and pertinent information (like name, phone numbers, and home address)entered once into the express form, and then auto-populated the fields across all the documents that required that information without having the employee fill out the same information multiply times. The new process created consistency and prevented missed fields on the required hiring documentation and cut the total average processing time down by 50 percent.
HR went live with a Background Check charge-back system. By implementing this new system, it eliminated both the paper form request to pay the vendor, and the subsequent manual/transfer process. The automated system pays the vendor in a timely matter and allows multiple background checks to be paid on one charge-back.
HR also fully introduced the electronic eBenefits program during the 2016 Open Enrollment period. The new eBenefits self-service process made enrolling or changing an employee’s benefit elections easier. Accessed through the university's secure portal, the new process eliminated the need to download, complete, sign, and submit paper forms; allowing employees the advantage of accessing the forms from their work or at home 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in a user friendly, paperless environment.
In Fall 2016, HR’s Operations unit partnered with Faculty Affairs and Information Technology to implement an online module for special and additional pay. This allowed for better maintenance of compliance requirements such as the CSU’s 125% rule. Operations also rolled out an updated Personnel Action Request (PAR) from that better met the needs of colleges needing to hire Teaching Associates during the Academic and Summer sessions. The PAR features a calculation sheet to assist in converting Academic Year pay to its equivalent Summer Pay. This new feature assists departments in preparing the Teaching Associate’s appointment letter.
As part of a system-wide collaboration, all CSU campuses began working on the CHRS design of a single Human Resources data management system. In addition to upgrading to the latest version of the PeopleSoft HR application and providing a consistent baseline of technology, the program will deliver a shared HR data warehouse that will be centrally developed and maintained by the Chancellors Office, to include a core set of analytic tools such as dashboards and reports.
Finally, HR aimed to better assist departments with the creation of a Leave of Absence Specialist position in Payroll. As the point person for all leave of absence payroll matters working closely with the Leave of Absence & Worker's Compensation Specialist in Benefits, the addition of the role ensured timely and accurate payment of leave credits.
Professional Development Programs
Human Resources also began two new programs, Principles of Supervision Training and “HR to You” to provide departments and their leaders with the information and tools necessary to succeed. The Principles of Supervision Training was offered to CSUN Administrators in 2017 and focused on developing supervisory skills in the higher education environment. Through learning, discussion, and practice, participants gained greater awareness of their own supervisory skills and learned strategies to more effectively lead others. The “HR to You” presentation was created to provide specific information on services and resources on an as needed or requested basis directly at the department or college level. HR’s goal was to provide interactive presentations about the array of topics important to staff and faculty, and provide an opportunity to ask questions to gain more knowledge of the support that HR provides our campus community.
