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This week we had the opportunity to meet with Courtney Eidel, Senior Human Resources Director of Community Options. Courtney is a seasoned human resources professional who has been a breath of fresh air to the organization.
Here is the Q and A with Courtney:
Q - In your new position as Senior Human Resource Director for Community Options, what attracted you to the position and had you worked for a nonprofit previously?
A- The mission of COI is what initially attracted me to the organization. Having a family member and Godson with autism, I have a personal interest in the services that COI offers. My previous experience in the non-profit sector was with the Musculoskeletal Transplant Foundation, which provides allograft tissue and devices to the surgical community.
Q - Community Options has over 2,000 employees. This is a large workforce. How have you positioned the Human Resources Department to effectively manage the workforce?
A- We have recently restructured the department to provide better consultative services to our management staff and employee population. The regions are divided by RVP and are assigned a specific Generalist and Coordinator to respond to topics such as policy inquiries, employee relations and leadership development. By having a specific point of contact, managers will receive more timely and consistent responses from a Generalist who understands their business needs. The benefits functions have also been restructured to handle the increase in our employee population.
Q - What are some of the things you are currently working on?
A- The most recent HR initiative was the implementation of a new performance management system. The purpose is to gain more consistency in evaluating and rewarding performance. Other initiatives include the roll out of a wellness program, the launch of formal safety meetings, hosting a job fair at Rider University and making updates to our policies and procedures manual. We are also streamlining our processes and HRIS system, Ceridian, to provide faster and more comprehensive services. We are making a lot of positive changes in the department and I am thrilled to be a part of it all.
Q - What advice can you give to executive and program management to boost and sustain workforce morale? What are some good strategies?
A- Everyone is motivated differently. Some employees are motivated by recognition, increased responsibility, autonomy and a sense of purpose. It is imperative for managers to learn what motivates each of their employees and respond accordingly. Managers should also proactively provide direction and feedback and whenever possible, link the employees’ contributions to the success of the organization. This creates an environment of accountability and ownership. I encourage the managers to reach out to their Generalist for guidance in this area as well.
Q - What are two of your short and long term goals for Community Options Human Resource Department?
A- Our short-term goals include expanding upon the metrics we established to analyze and respond to the needs of our workforce. This includes items such as employee sustainability and the ROI of our recruitment sources. Long term, in conjunction with the goals of the Executive Management team and we will focus on talent management.
Courtney indicated that she looks forward to working on these initiatives with management and the HR staff and couldn’t be happier with her decision to join Community Options.
