HomeMy WebLinkAboutCAO-09-017 - Human Resources Audit Review - Director's Response
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KITCHENER
Chief Administrator's
Office
Report To:
Mayor Carl Zehr, Chair
and members of the Audit Committee
April 6, 2009
Date of Meeti ng :
Submitted By:
Prepared By:
Tracey Hare Connell,
Executive Director, People Services and Organizational
Development
Tracey Hare Connell,
Executive Director, People Services and Organizational
Development
All
Ward(s) Involved:
Date of Report:
Report No.:
Subject:
March 30,2009
CAO-09-017
Human Resources Review - Director's Response
RECOMMENDATION:
That the Audit Committee receive report CAO-09-017 as information.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
The following is respectfully submitted in follow up response to the Auditor's report CAO-08-035
delivered to Audit Committee on November 17th, 2008. The response reflects acceptance of the
Auditor's general findings and recommendations noting status and key actions as applicable.
BACKGROUND:
A review of the Human Resources division was requested by Council during an Audit
Committee meeting in late 2007 and further discussed in January 2008 to determine the scope
and desired outcomes. Two specific aspects mentioned where the effectiveness of HR Policies
and looking at whether the City of Kitchener is an 'attractive' employer. The Manager of
Employee Strategies, an acting member of the Human Resources team, requested also that the
audit look at the recruitment process in more detail. A comprehensive audit was then executed
over the next several months and in its final form, the report reflected three key elements as
follows:
· Effectiveness of the HR division as a whole
· Recruitment Process
· Attractiveness of the City of Kitchener as an employer
On October 21 S\ a new Executive Director of Human Resources was hired to the City of
Kitchener. The Auditor's report was presented to the Executive Director, Audit Committee, and
Human Resources staff during the final days of October 2009.
REPORT:
In the months and weeks following receipt of the Auditors report, recommendations have been
woven through the day to day activities of the operating unit through an inclusive process of
review, grouping, categorization and functional alignment.
This process has been undertaken as much to evolve and influence culture and to develop
broad understanding and involvement in all aspects of the findings, as to actively address key
findings and recommendations.
Since November 1 , 2009, the division can claim significant progress on numerous fronts. This
progress has largely been facilitated through future visioning; through the re-focusing impact of
the audit itself; through continued day to day execution of functional duties; and through
involvement in corporate initiatives such as the 'People Plan' rollout and the Employee Culture
Survey.
Four over-arching objectives or 'critical success factors' have been highlighted by the Human
Resources Division:
· Developing and Enhancing Business Partnerships and operating as examples to others;
· Adopting a continuous improvement focus on business and operational best practices;
· Aligning resources to appropriately deliver HR services, completing functional
responsibilities and ensuring harmonious labour relations;
· Facilitating the ongoing development of a corporate culture of safety.
The objectives below will be achieved over time through the collective actions of the Human
Resources team.
The table below highlights each high level audit recommendation and its relative status.
RECOMMENDATION STATUS
EFFECTIVENESS OF HR DIVISION
Annually review business plan- Division has undertaken a strategic planning and audit review
determine which services to dialogue series called 'Human Resources: 2009 and Beyond'. In
provide and delivery strategy to addition, HR Executive Director has undertaken 100+ one-on-
best meet client needs. Develop one meetings with key stakeholders, staff and suppliers to
KPl's and monitor performance further evaluate current state and determine future requirements
(People Managers, HR staff, GM's, Council, external service
providers etc.)
As a new KPI initiative, Corporate level reporting around staff
demographics, hiring trends, training and development, wellness
and safety have been introduced to establish organization-wide
performance indicators.
Establish plan to review all Broad-reaching review well underway with intent to integrate
existing policies on rotating basis Auditor's detailed recommendations. Internal or Corporate
(every 5 years) and benchmark to "Human Resources' policies look to be 'living' documents under
other municipalities to assess continuous review with amendment, alteration and addition as
trends, gaps. Assign policy needed to keep step with legislated or other relevant evolution of
oversight to one individual for corporate practices and guidelines.. Single oversight to be
consistency established.
Develop a comprehensive As a key aspect of the People Plan, broadening the Corporate
corporate approach to training view of learning and development will be an ongoing focus of
with an increased focus on health the Executive Director of Human Resources.
and safety
In early 2009, the launch of a Corporate Training Catalogue and
corporate-level reporting on training which encompassed all
divisions City-wide was an achievement in the direction of a
consolidated view. Corporate level training includes Information
Technology, Health and Safety, Management & Leadership
Development along with skills development in conflict resolution,
project management, report writing, English as a second
language, diversity, public speaking etc.
Proactively develop a Collective effort in the direction of an over-arching
communications plan, improve 'Communications Plan' for Human Resources has been initiated.
follow up on new initiatives
As part of this strategy, in April/May 2009, City staff will witness
a partnership between HR and Communications as two
newsletters are consolidated into one under a Corporate
umbrella at a lesser overall cost.
Revisit council's direction to Review meetings have been initiated with current principal
tender group benefits every five providers to investigate services and associated cost/benefit.
years or obtain approval to HR has partnered with Finance for health and dental cost/benefit
postpone the process review.
In the 2009 year, Human Resources has secured up to 25K in
annual savings with a principal carrier (a potential of 75K over 3
years and completed a comprehensive review identifying
carriers and benefits comparatively serving 20 like-sized
municipalities.
A comprehensive recommendation with regard to undertaking
the tendering process for benefits will be forthcoming to Council
in Fall 2009. Currently target tender process for EAP, Flex and
AD&D. Potential impact in 2010.
In addition, have recommended actuarial review of current WSIB
insurance structure in light of pending presumptive legislation
and associated risk.
Implement PeopleSoft training In relation to training registration, resources have been allocated
module to automate course to undertake business case development and planning to
registrations and tracking of expand course registrations to self-service. (Fire currently
training for each employee operating in this manner.)
March 09: Draft Terms of Reference completed by staff directly
involved with training registration.
April 09: Terms of Reference will be reviewed and finalized by a
broader committee of HR and IT staff.
Target Completion: Fall 09
A more comprehensive overall review of corporate HR
Information system has also been undertaken inclusive of IT,
HR and Finance and vendor (Oracle).
Management needs to address As noted in under the four key objectives, the team has
performance issues in a timely identified a key focus under the header of "Developing and
manner to minimize impact on Enhancing Business Partnerships and operating as Examples to
staff morale. Management must Others" .
also establish and model a
culture consistent with corporate Developing a culture consistent with the People Plan and its
values related values will be a continuous process for all divisions of
the City including Human Resources.
Meet with union executives HR 'service-review' meetings have been undertaken with Union
individually to understand their Executives. Focus on establishing win-win-win outcomes and
needs and concerns, improve clarifying roles and objectives of Human Resources in the
relationships and re-establish process of labour management. Well-received and well-
trust attended with documented outcomes such as inclusion of 'HR-
specific' agenda items to each of the monthly labour
management meetings including OMERS pension, health and
safety, benefits etc.
HR Staff Recognition: Establish HR Team has identified an interest in addressing this matter
consistent criteria for recognition collectively. In the interim, 'Recognition' established as an
and communicate clearly with ongoing team meeting agenda item and the current capture of
staff what is required 'Testimonials' by Executive Director gathering momentum.
Consider a 'Business Partner' Adoption of 'business partnership' philosophy and associated
structure that could enhance shift in service orientation underway. As noted, 'Developing and
capacity to deliver services and Enhancing business partnerships' identified as a prioritized
tailor services specific to objective of HR team.
organizational requirements.
Aim to customize. A 'Made-in-Kitchener' business partner
model:
Pilot' to serve the new CMF facility in early 2010 and ultimately
to expand based on organizational need.
RECRUITMENT PROCESS
Implement software solution to Candidate Management System to address current high volume
manage on-line applications, and increase value to business partners. Business case
resume screening, automated development has been undertaken in partnership with IT and
form letters, data bank of preliminary vendor meetings have been initiated to determine
unsolicited resumes, improve approximate cost and feature/benefit alternatives. Through this
web presence process, extensive survey of Municipal and private sector
organizations has also been completed.
Through preliminary service-review meetings principal vendor
cost reduced by 500/0 including annual licensing.
(Recommended vendor determination will be made via business
case development and competitive proposal review.)
Volume first quarter 2009 = 90 Requests to Hire for 133
positions. Target Completion Date: Fall/Winter 2009
Redistribute workload between Recruiters' currently distributing workload as volume dictates.
recruiters based on department
rather than job grade
Streamline process as indicated Some aspects of process flow will be automated through
in recommended process flow to selection of a candidate management system. Currently, some
eliminate unnecessary steps and aspects of process flow have been adopted including reduction
improve cycle times of printed resume's for hiring managers where possible.
Develop a clear process and Recruitment Team has initiated one-on-one meetings with hiring
communicate with hiring managers as deemed beneficial to establish preferences, and
managers in pre-recruitment clarify timelines and requirements. Example; Engineering. A
meeting to describe available question about hiring practices evolved into a more strategic
services and determine clients' discussion about proactive development of talent pools through
needs co-operative education and personal networking at a business
and peer-to-peer level.
Discontinue broad-based use of Review has been undertaken to review current advertising
print ads in local newspapers for vehicles and associated cost-benefit. Tracking of candidate
every recruitment - expand source will be realistically feasible through an effective
venues to include more Candidate Management System. Current manual process
professional publications, web- prohibits effective and efficient tracking of candidate source.
based, and other venues
suggested by hiring manager.
Collect data to track where
candidates have seen job ads
Identify required tests ariar to Practice adopted.
screening candidates to ensure
fairness. Conduct basic skills
testing (i.e. computer skills,
vehicle or equipment testing)
QIiQrto selecting for interviews to
save time, improve results
Establish quality and accuracy Through external labour lawyers, have initiated (no fee) legal
process for all outgoing review of corporate employment contract documents with a view
correspondence and corporate- to standardize and consolidate. Highly manual processes
wide communications increase risk. Through enhanced automation and
standardization, margin for error will be reduced.
Establish KPI's (i.e. average cost Currently target to measure short-term (3 months/6 months/1
per hire, regret letters sent within year) candidate 'retention' as a Corporate KPI in relation to the
one week, acceptable recruitment recruitment and on boarding process.
cycle times, effectiveness of
advertising venues Additional KPI's in relation to recruitment and other HR business
functions will be identified and implemented as beneficial to
drive quality or service-level, e.g. # of applicants per position,
hiring cycle, attainment of Top 100 Employers status etc.
Performance Indicators or 'measurement/reporting'
requirements form part of business case development for
Candidate Management System.
Target Completion Date: Fall/Winter 09.
ATTRACTIVENESS AS AN EMPLOYER
Take a strategic approach to the Significantly enhanced 'Careers' section with alignment to
City's employment value People Plan principals rollout Spring 2009.
proposition from the perspective
of attraction and retention Development of a 'Total Rewards' framework aimed at
through gap analysis, HR addressing what is deemed to be an ineffective 'packaging' of
networking, communications and the City of Kitchener's current employment value proposition
marketing including improving (both for retention and attraction purposes.)
web presence. Initiated application to 'Top 100 Employers in Canada' program
for purposes of benchmarking, inventory, gap analysis and
consolidation of existing employment value proposition.
HR 'Communications plan' noted above aimed at enhancing
overall staff awareness of the activities and value of their
employer.
Culture Survey and People Plan significant contributors in this
area with Human resources involvement and ownership aligned.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
N/A
COMMUNICATIONS:
N/A
CONCLUSION:
While much progress has been made in relation to addressing the feedback contained in the
Auditor's report, there is much yet to be done. With a high level of awareness and ongoing
involvement from every member of a capable team of professionals, the actions noted herein
form a roadmap of continuous and ongoing improvement for Human Resources. This division
will continue to enhance its overall day to day and strategic value to the City of Kitchener and its
people.
Signed by
Tracey Hare Connell
Executive Director, People Services