2010 SHRM Pinnacle Award Winner
Successful Practice Showcase Webinar Series
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HR-PRO: HR – Providing Resources to Organizations
Meeting Community and HR Professionals’ Needs
Human Resources Association of New York – HR/NY
Presented by Barbara Adolf, SPHR, CEBS and Suzanne K. Wakamoto, SPHR
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About HR/NY
• Est. in 1948 as SHRM’s 1st affiliated local
chapter
• Chapter represents nearly 2000 members
within the 5 boroughs of NYC and the
surrounding suburbs
• 32 Committees, Special Interest Groups and
Forums
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Three Critical Facts
In 2008 - 09, unemployment in NY hit double digits.
– Many HR/NY members were out of work.
– Social service agencies that provide vital
services were losing grant money and
downsizing staff.
– Many agencies had little or no HR presence.
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The Right Place – The Right Time
• HR/NY Board Member Barbara Adolf worked with
the Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies
(FPWA), an umbrella nonprofit for NYC non-profit
social services agencies. She saw:
• A growing need for among member agencies for HR
help and
• An opportunity for HR professionals in transition to
perhaps meet this need.
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Our Partner
• Federation of Protestant Welfare Agency (FPWA) provides services
to about 200 members -- social service agencies based in New York
City.
• Agencies provide support to people in poverty, people with
HIV/AIDS, children/adults with disabilities, the homeless, senior care,
child welfare, soup kitchens etc.
FPWA Membership Services include:
• Advocacy program to NYC and NYS governments
• Group Purchasing Program that helps keep their costs down
• Meetings, newsletters, alerts to help member agencies stay on top of
key issues and needs
• HR-PRO is now considered a member service
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Finding Like-Minded Leaders
• Chapter Support
• From the beginning HR/NY leadership provided critical support
for the program as a pilot.
• Leadership Committee (LC) Formation
• Committee has grown from 3 to 6 members
• First meeting 12/08
• Brainstormed, conducted research, began designing a
program.
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The Brainstorm
• What we knew: Goal - to match specific needs for HR support among
social service agencies with HR/NY colleagues in transition.
• What type of volunteer program would best serve both populations?
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One-on-one projects to address individual agency needs
•
Workshops for general training
• What else should we consider?
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How do other volunteer programs work?
•
Legal implications of this type of program?
•
How long should consultancies be?
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How to assess volunteers’ knowledge and Agency needs?
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How to match volunteers with agencies?
•
Types of workshops to conduct?
•
How to track projects?
•
How to determine success of each consultancy/workshop?
•
How to market the project to members and to agencies?
Creating a Name & Defining the Mission
HR-PRO: HR – Providing Resources to Organizations
Mission: Est. January 2009, Program began March 2009
• To provide New York City’s nonprofit social service organizations
that have limited HR expertise with volunteer assistance from
HR/NY members to help these organizations meet their HR needs.
• To provide HR/NY colleagues with:
• means to reach out and assist our local community,
• opportunity to stay active in the field while in transition, and
• chance to work with and assist other HR/NY professionals in
rewarding projects.
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Creating Materials
• Organization Profile: Detailed information about the
agency including its most pressing HR needs
• Project Agreement Form: Created with assistance
from an attorney member of HR/NY
• Tracking System: Follow up notes/progress reports
for each “active” agency – interview the client and
the consultant
• Feedback Forms
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Testing the Waters
• At HR/NY Special Interest Group (SIG) meetings we shared
the idea with members.
• FPWA shared information about HR-PRO with member
agencies at FPWA events and in written materials, e.g., the
newsletter
• Got very positive reactions.
• May 19, 2009 initiated first Orientation
• 22 volunteers went through Orientation
• Participants expressed strong desire to participate –“to
help the agencies in need.”
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HOW HR-PRO WORKS
Roles Responsibilities
The Program
Typical Assignments
Workshop Topics and
Design
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Leadership Roles & Responsibilities
• Leadership Committee (LC) oversees HR-PRO
• Committee meets twice monthly
• Conducts orientation with “consultants” (HR/NY volunteers)
• Maintains and manages data from consultants and organization
recipients, e.g., matches consultants with agencies
• Serve as Project Managers, monitoring and troubleshooting
projects
• Designs workshops, identifies presenters
• Solicits ongoing feedback/evaluation of the services.
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Volunteer Consultants:
Roles & Responsibilities
• Register with HR-PRO
• Complete the HR-PRO Volunteers Survey -- identifies skills, knowledge and
interests.
•
Email resume to LC -- provides background information and practical
experience.
• Data kept on the HR-PRO website, available only to the LC Committee.
• One-on-One Consultancies
• Work with Agency on a project.
• Provide regular progress/feedback to Project Manager on that project.
• Workshops
• Work with LC to create content and presentation
• Track and submit hours spent on projects.
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The Program
• FPWA agencies contact FPWA Director of Member
and Faith Based Services.
• FPWA Director or HR-PRO LC member interviews
the agency -- creates the Agency Profile.
• Agency Profile includes basic information, HR
needs and the presenting issue.
• LC identifies volunteer consultants that match the
need, contacts them and connects them with the
appropriate agencies.
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The Program
• Volunteer Consultant meets with the Agency
and determines the scope of work.
• Throughout the project, a member of the LC
acts as Project Manager, checking in regularly
with consultant and client and tracking project
activities.
• Upon completion, Project Manager follows-up
with both the consultant and the Agency.
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Typical Assignments
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Review of employee handbook
HR Audit
Setting up the HR department
Ongoing coaching of HR manager
Training on group process
Assistance with compliance of HIPPA
Help implementing and communicating new policy
requiring employee contributions to health care plan
• Compensation analysis
• Assistance in closing an agency
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Workshop Topics and Design
• Based on needs of the agencies
• Initial workshop: Downsizing: Human Resources
Challenges, Issues and Answers
• Series: Lifecycle of the Employee
• I: Getting Them There (Recruitment)
• II: Critical Benefit Issues
• III: Performance Management
• Presenters – HR/NY members with special expertise
• Scheduled 3 per year
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DID THE PILOT WORK?
Outcomes
Testimonials
Success Factors
Challenges
Surprises
The Future
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Outcomes
• Since March 2009 HR-PRO worked
with 21 agencies individually.
• Including those attending workshops,
we have worked with 45 agencies.
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Workshop Feedback
What, if anything, will you be doing
differently as a result of this workshop?
• Develop better job descriptions, make
a set of required documents for each
new staff and improve recordkeeping
for the organization.
• Share information with upper
management. Do a safety/violence
assessment at my workplace.
• Almost everything! I intend to go
back, share with the executive staff,
review and hopefully use the sample
forms, and get help from my HR-PRO
consultant in developing an effective
structure for a Performance
Evaluation system.
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Average Workshop rating
–
–
–
–
Very Helpful: 73.8%
Helpful: 26.2%
Not Very Helpful: 0%
Unhelpful: 0%
Success Factors
• Identifying good matches
• Expertise and enthusiasm of volunteer consultants
• Responsiveness and appreciation of client
agencies = Bonding with HR-PRO Consultants
• Monitoring the projects – troubleshooting when
necessary
• Enthusiasm and commitment of the Leadership
Committee
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Recognition
In addition to the Pinnacle Award:
• Awarded FPWA’s Keystone Award for service to the
New York City social service community.
• HR/NY Breiger Award for most valuable contribution
to HR/NY.
• Received recognition from Community Training and
Employment Resources (CTER).
• Due to 2009-2010 pilot year’s success, program
elevation to full HR/NY committee status with Board
reporting responsibility.
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What We Learned Along the Way
• There are a multitude of ways to work with the
agencies.
• We can also provide volunteers with
development opportunities.
• It is better to have fewer forms to complete.
• The program not only suits those in transition;
many of our volunteers hold down a full-time job.
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Responses to the Challenges:
Plans for the Future
• Agencies overloaded with other
demands
Continue following up with the
agencies – don’t give up!
• Consultants having to drop out
Keep the pipeline full
• Inability to find appropriate
projects for some consultants
Provide opportunities to partner
with other consultants to gain
new skills.
Be prepared to step in/back
each other up as needed.
• LC team members having to pull
away at times if too busy with
own work
• Time demands on the LC
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Increase use of systems and
technology.
Knowledge is one of the few things in
life that we can give away and still keep.
The HR-PRO program is a bridge between
our colleagues and our community that
provides opportunities for knowledge
exchange and contribution.
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Thank You!
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Pinnacle Awards Program
http://www.shrm.org/Communities/VolunteerResources/ResourcesforChap
ters/Pages/award_info.aspx
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