Kansas State University

Letter from vice president for human capital: Hiring for centers of excellence positions

Submitted by Cheryl Johnson

A highly qualified and high performing workforce is integral in the attainment of K-State 2025. In 2012, the Office of the President hired AON Hewitt to perform an evaluation and make recommendations to improve services related to the recruitment, development and retention of its human capital.

The AON Hewitt assessment recommended:

• Deploying an organizational restructure — restructuring existing functions performing human capital work into a single, unified organizational unit with enhanced skills and capabilities.

• Developing a strategic plan — developing and deploying a strategy that outlines critical priorities for the next several years and ensuring that those strategies are aligned with and propel the key human capital component for our 2025 K-State vision.

• Conducting a talent management redesign — redesigning the hiring process for the workforce with associated career paths for advancement in high priority job families.

• Developing compensation structures — developing more formalized and standardized compensation structures for faculty and unclassified professionals.

• Deploying technological solutions — providing more automation to streamline and simplify existing human capital processes.

Human Capital Services is in the process of organizing a team around centers of excellence, which will include:

• Compensation and organizational effectiveness director
• Benefits director
• Institutional equity director
• Employee relations director
• Labor relations director with special projects
• Talent acquisition director
• Talent learning and development director
• Resource center director

Position descriptions were developed for each position and interested Kansas State University employees may apply. In the event there are no qualified internal candidates, a national search will be conducted. It is our intent to staff each position, however, with qualified internal candidates.

To review these positions, interested people are invited to a poster board session from noon to 3 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 6, in Edwards Hall.

Positions will be posted from Aug. 6–13. The search committee, which will convene on Aug. 14, includes:

• Jackie Hartman, chair
• Andrea Blair, Office of Student Life
• Mirta Chavez, Office of Diversity
• Steve Dandaneau, undergraduate studies
• Anand Desai, College of Business Administration
• Kerry Jennings, housing and dining, University Support Staff Senate
• Reagan Kays, Student Governing Association president
• David Rintoul, Division of Biology and president of the Faculty Senate
• Priscilla Roddy, College of Veterinary Medicine
• Mary Tolar, School of Leadership Studies
• Marlene Walker, Alternative Service Committee and public service administrator for fiscal services/human resources at K-State Salina
• Zelia Wiley, College of Agriculture

I will provide frequent updates and feel free to contact me at cherylj2025@k-state.edu.