HR

Human Resources (HR) is one of the four main service areas of the PEAK Initiative.

Prior to PEAK, many employees across the system performed a variety of HR tasks, or even a variety of HR and Finance tasks. This led to compliance risks due to inconsistent processes across the system, unclear roles and responsibilities for staff doing the work, duplicate work across campuses/colleges/units, and inequitable opportunities for developing HR expertise and professional development. 

PEAK established the HR Operations Center to create a more efficient, equitable, and consistent way to deliver and receive services at the University.

New positions for existing HR staff will be created that focus on:

  • Payroll 
  • Talent acquisition
  • Compensation and benefits
  • Workforce data management
  • Leave of absence

 

PEAK is creating equitable and inclusive opportunities through clearly defined roles and standardized job responsibilities (across similar job titles) within HR. HR staff will benefit from working on a team surrounded by other skilled specialists and from the structure of clearly defined levels and pathways for professional development and advancement. In addition to the HR Operations Center, central HR includes the HR Centers of Expertise (COE) and local HR Leads who will partner with the HR Operations Center on planning and service delivery.

HR Operations Center

The new PEAK roles in the HR Operations Center will include workforce data management, leave of absence, and talent acquisition. Job descriptions for opportunities in the HR Operations Center will be shared with units in each phase as part of the Expression of Interest process. 

How will roles change in the HR Operations Center?

Right now, staff completing HR tasks may focus on talent acquisition, workforce data management, classification, and other miscellaneous tasks outside of HR. 

Those who transition to the HR Operations Center will be able to focus on an area of specialty, receive the latest updates on processes right away, have the support of peers doing similar work, plus a backup to ensure services continue to be provided when a team member is out of the office.

How is the Work Changing?

It depends on the individual and which role they will be moving into, whether they remain in their department or transition to the HR Operations Center. Today people might perform a variety of tasks in human resources and other areas. 

Those who transition to HR Operations Center will be able to focus on an area of specialty, receive the latest updates on process right away, have the support of peers working on similar things, and there will be backup to ensure services continue to be provided when a team member is out of the office. 

Where work is moving to the HR Operations Center, and those who used to perform the work remain in the department or college, people will be asked to take on different work.

Human Resources Questions and Contacts

HR Service Model (slide deck) and HR Town Hall recording for University of Minnesota staff systemwide (login required)

More information about the Human Resources HR Operations Center is on their page with the University Human Resources website.

Transition Teams

As each academic or administrative unit moves through PEAK implementation, representatives and leaders from each unit will form a Transition Team. Team members serve as a valuable resource for employees and supervisors within the unit as questions arise. When your area is actively engaged in the process, you will be able to find your representative on the list of transition team members from Finance, Human Resources (HR), Information Technology (IT), and Marketing and Communications (Marcom).

PEAK Office

Connect with us via email at [email protected].