Human Resources
FY 2023 Program Summary & Performance Measures
MISSION
To provide benefits and services for the county workforce to develop an environment that supports high levels of employee satisfaction and engagement and, therefore, retention.
OVERVIEW
Human Resources (HR) services include: recruitment and referral of job applicants, compensation administration, benefits administration, position control, policy development and interpretation, employee relations, employee performance management, leave of absence management, employee and leadership development, record retention and wellness programs including the Employee Health & Wellness Center.
MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS
- Employee Benefits
- Completed first year with new insurance broker USI. Year one initiatives included bidding stop loss coverage and moving to Symetra, evaluating disability vendor and moving to Lincoln, reviewing supplemental (employee paid) benefits policy and combined AFLAC policies for ease of administration. Also completed GASBE evaluation.
- Transitioned to BenefitsFirst for benefits administration including open enrollment and new hire enrollment.
- Completing a market analysis for medical and dental coverages. Planning to move to a 4-year agreement with the successful bidders.
- Initiated a focused campaign on improving employee mental health. This included a resource tool that lays out and compares and contrasts options under Cigna, Atrium, EAP, etc. Held lunch and learn sessions focused on stress and mental health topics.
- Partnered with Catapult on an internal compensation practices year (new year 4 of the rotational schedule) which resulted in compression corrections for 225 employees. These along with accompanying Personnel Ordinances changes strengthened our ability to offer competitive external and internal promotional offers.
- Hiring, Training, Retainment
- Onboarded over 200 employees per year with a combination of virtual and in-person programming.
- Complete Harassment Prevention training for all current employees with the assistance of our new Deputy County Attorney.
- Utilized new technology, PowerDMS, for harassment and other policy sign offs including integration of the signed acknowledgment in LaserFiche files.
- Continued Supervisor Boot Camp programming and introduced a new offering for “Emerging Leaders”, up and comers who have an interest in moving into leadership positions, 6 modules with two sessions or cohorts per year.
- Hosted a drive through Employee Appreciation event at the Cabarrus Arena to recognize employee efforts during the pandemic. 691 employees participated by driving through the event or received take-out/care packages from the sponsoring committee.
- Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programming including an introduction to the committee at the employee appreciation event including a trivia contest with prizes. The group also sponsored a lunch and learn on understanding LGBT with a speaker, a panel on Hispanic heritage and a local trivia questionnaire for black history month.
- Employee engagement survey meetings and follow up took place with numerous departments over this past year.
- Health and Wellness
- Supported County Management and Safety/Risk on continuation of COVID efforts including quarantine pay for special situations, OSHA ETS related vaccination and weekly testing research and data collection survey and continuing advice and support to business units with staffing impacts.
- Worked with Atrium Health to transition new staff into the Employee Health and Wellness Center including a new Nurse Practitioner.
- 962 employees/retirees completed annual AIM Screenings after a disrupted year in 2021.
CHALLENGES & TRENDS
- Continuation of COVID-19 protocols impacted in-person programming throughout the year but is returning to more normal procedures in March/April 2022.
- Turnover has increased in some departments and recruitment has been more challenging this year as we deal with low unemployment numbers and increasing wages.
- Health insurance claims have increased due to continuation of COVID as well as resurgence of procedures that have been postponed in previous year due to COVID.
BUDGET HIGHLIGHTS & CHANGES
- This department’s budget has increased due to salary and benefit adjustments as well as inflationary adjustments.The budget adds an Employee Survey fee and five (5) focus groups as well as increased recruitment efforts such as general advertising, job fairs, and job slots on sites like Indeed, LinkedIn, etc.
PERFORMANCE MEASURES
FY 2023 numbers are projections