Meet Erin Glesner: A personal story of moving to the Shared Services team

The PEAK team had the privilege of sitting down with Erin Glesner, a staffing operations specialist, who transitioned from an HR liaison position to the shared services team in Phase 1 of the PEAK program. Erin’s story is unique, not only about how she transitioned into her new role, but you could say Erin was destined to work here one day.

Working at the University is a Family Affair

For Erin, the University of Minnesota Duluth has always been a second home. She spent her childhood in the halls of the Recreational Sports Outdoor Program, forming bonds with her mother’s colleagues and the student body from a young age. This early immersion led to a summer position at the front desk, where she mastered the department’s inner workings. After graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, Erin returned to her roots to succeed her mother, carrying on a family legacy within the university.

Qualifying for a lateral career transfer

While Erin was in her position, she quickly noticed that her workload was heavy without the training support she really needed. As Phase 1 of the PEAK program commenced, Erin’s work was transitioning to the shared services team. This shift made her eligible for the Expression of Interest process, allowing her to transfer a large portion of her workload to the Human Resources Operations Center through a lateral career transfer. Although the change was intimidating, Erin was determined to remain within the university system - a place she considers home. That commitment fueled her decision to apply, as she later noted, “I didn’t know what to expect, but this has ended up being the best transition of my career.”

Being On A Team

Erin said,  “I now know what it feels like to be on a real team.” She noted how she can take time off, and her team has her back. “It used to take me three days to catch up on emails after taking time off, and I had to get through them as quickly as possible, or they just compiled.” With the level of support and care on her team, she mentioned that someone is always there to respond to questions or manage situations. “It makes me feel confident about the service we are providing.”

Another thing Erin appreciates is the way the staffing operations team is set up. They work in a portfolio model, for example when staff transition from a specific unit to the staffing operations team, they are asked if they would like to serve their prior unit and if not, they are assigned to a different portfolio. That way institutional and unit-specific knowledge is not lost, it also helps make the transition easier as shared services staff learn new policies, etc.
 

If you are interested in sharing your experience with the PEAK team, feel free to reach out to us at: [email protected].