The June Staff Senate general meeting featured guest speaker Mary Lucal, vice president, Human Resources, and chief human resource officer.
For those who missed the meeting, or would like to re-watch the session, the recording is now available here.
Mary has provided the following answers to some questions not addressed during the live session:
Q: You mentioned shortening search time, which I would love to do. Our office still likes to use the search committee model, which I know lengthens the search – is there a possibility to shorten the required 2 week posting time? Or extend the probation period so people do not feel like the hire is for life?
A: Contact the Talent team at jobs@gmu.edu to discuss. The posting period has been greatly reduced to put it at ten days but there are some tips and tricks to moving committee work along!
Q: Does this mean there is not a university policy on mandatory in-person days for classified staff? It appears to be based on the department preference, meaning that jobs that have the same amount of student facing interaction and responsibilities have very different expectations for being in person (some employees have been approved to move to fully remote while others pay for parking and gas, time etc. but with no additional compensation)?
A: Policy 2202 reads: Each job description will be evaluated by the employee’s supervisor, for eligibility of telework. The eligibility of telework will be based on job roles and responsibilities, in addition to the needs of the unit/department. Supervisors must approve all Flexible Work Agreements.
What this means is that there is no university-level policy on mandatory days either in or out of the office. The policy is purposely broad to account for the wide variety of roles and operations on Mason’s campus. As we know, individuals in the same role (for example, administrative assistant) perform similar roles to one another across campus but have unique responsibilities in most cases and work in departments that are different from one another in operation, size, scope, etc. Therefore, while we have a broad policy, the needs of the individual unit must be assessed by individual leaders in determining eligibility for hybrid work.
Q: A concern about merit-based raises: My manager is close friends with a person on our staff. The manager pushes that person and the favoritism shows up in assignments and opportunities. It will likely show up in raises as well. How will that be addressed?
A: The one-over supervisor reviews all performance reviews for consistent ratings. In a performance-based system, those reviews will be tied to raises. If an employee has a concern about favoritism, they can also contact Employee Relations to discuss.
Q: In the past, leadership have used the term “critical vacancies” when filling positions, many times that results in administrative and support positions to not move forward in the hiring process – because these may not be seen as “critical”. Has leadership ever thought about sitting at the desks of department administrative and support staff to really see the day-to-day of their work? Like a “take your leadership to work day?” This may help University and department leadership better understand the critical need for these positions to be filled. Just an idea…
A: This suggestion will be passed on.
Q: In addition to salary increases, how can we improve professional advancement for staff at the university? Especially those who have been intending to get promoted to higher positions for years. However, little opportunities make it tricky for especially younger skilled staff to get ahead.
A: HR’s learning team is working on a new opportunity for creating customized learning pathways for faculty and staff; stay tuned for more this fall. Our workplace coaching program offers free coaching support to all faculty and staff, and many have used this for career coaching, career exploration and development. Consider expanding your professional network through Mason’s employee resource groups, affinity groups, and communities of practice. Seek out local chapters of professional organizations; often memberships are very inexpensive and provide low-cost or free networking and professional development. Follow those organizations or subscribe to their listservs for free resources including webinars and events. Reach out to hrlearn@gmu.edu to be connected with a team member who can discuss career development with you and help customize next steps.
Q: Aside from training, can HR consider supervisor reviews from their units? For example, an anonymous survey completed by unit members that assesses the success, or lack of, of their unit leadership in various areas.
A: See recording for oral comments during meeting.
Q: Given the interconnectedness, high responsibility, and collaborative nature of our department, is there a plan to address the significant salary disparity (around $150K) to ensure we retain talent? Additionally, in such a collaborative environment, how are we ensuring a fair and equitable pay structure?
A: Unit leaders are responsible for making salary decisions that are fair and equitable within their units, and to making adjustments when needed and when budget is available. Compensation and Classification points out compression issues when making salary recommendations. The market study, as I mentioned in my comments, will also be helpful.
Q: In relation to the hiring chill, how do you address unit leadership using the avenue of hiring contract workers as non-student wage workers at a VERY high hourly rate to get around the freeze?
A: Using non-recurring dollars to augment staffing is an accepted practice. Hourly rates are set at the department level but Classification and Compensation can assist if departments would like to discuss these rates at the time of hire.
Q: When will departments receive the prelim results of the Gallup Fac/Staff Experience survey?
A: An email communication will go out to all employees later this month that will outline next steps, including supervisor access to team survey results, availability of unit/leader consultations with HR, and action items.