KU Begins Implementing People First Transformation

The People First HR Transformation initiative has progressed from the strategic planning stage to the implementation stage, including the launch of two Centers of Excellence and a name change from “Human Resource Management” to, simply, “Human Resources.”

Last fall, the People First project team shared an update on some of the planned changes, including the introduction of an HR Partner model and combining of the HR Shared Service Center and central HR into a new organization that includes the HR Partners, Centers of Excellence and administrative functions that support the overall HR organization.

Human Resources

The vast majority of employees, when asked about the unit that supports employees, will say, “Human Resources.” It’s classic. It’s simple. It’s universally understood. So, as of April 1, our HR team is simply called “Human Resources.”

Centers of Excellence

HR Partners aligned with each campus unit will provide frontline support to employees for most HR-related needs. The Centers of Excellence staff will provide in-depth support to KU employees and the HR Partners on more complex matters. Each Center of Excellence will be focused on a specific area, such as talent acquisition, learning and organizational effectiveness, total rewards (i.e., benefits and compensation) and employee relations.

Over the past several weeks, HR leaders and staff have invested a tremendous amount of effort in the process of scoping and creating the first two Centers of Excellence. They have drafted job descriptions, reviewed appropriate salary structures and completed a position preference identification process designed to align employees with positions based on skills, experience and employee preference. One of the benefits of the Centers of Excellence as they evolve and mature will be a more defined and robust path for HR employees to advance in their careers.

The first two Centers of Excellence being implemented are Talent Acquisition and the People Support Center.  

Talent Acquisition

The Talent Acquisition Center of Excellence will provide strategic recruitment and retention services to help units attract and hire top candidates. Talent Acquisition staff will provide guidance on best practices and strategies to help ensure a qualified and diverse applicant pool for searches. Assistant Vice Provost Terri Osborn will lead the Talent Acquisition Center of Excellence.

People Support Center

The People Support Center includes many of the activities previously managed by the HR Shared Service Center, including new employee onboarding, transaction processing, customer support, and appointment processing. Jody Milford will lead the HR People Support Center as Assistant Vice Provost.

Implementation Work Continues

People First committees comprised of faculty and staff continue working to implement the strategies identified in the planning phase last year. The groups are researching best practices, talking with KU and unit leaders, and seeking input from their faculty and staff colleagues across campus.

A key area still being researched and defined in detail is the HR Partner responsibilities, positions and structure. The HR Partners assigned to each unit will provide strategic consultation to unit leaders and be the initial and primary HR contact for unit employees for most employment needs. Look for more information about the progress of our implementation in our next update.