ABOUT HR CONNECTIONS
VHEDC has been sponsoring HR Connections since 2016 . The networking group brings human resources professionals from companies throughout the Northeast Metro together to share best practices , network with peers , and keep up with business trends .
Pre-COVID , the group met in person the last Wednesday of each month over the lunch hour . Currently , HR professionals are meeting virtually in an open forum format .
“ The open forum is really engaging people differently ,” said group founder Cindy O ’ Donovan , owner of Right 4 Your Business and a VHEDC Board member . “ People really enjoy participating and adding to the meaningful dialogue that is taking place .”
One of the most talked about topics early in 2021 is how companies are going about bringing people back to the office . They have also discussed benefits , recruitment and retention and training on diversity , equity , and inclusion .
“ It ’ s really helpful for HR professionals to find out what is going on at other companies , and to learn that they are not the only ones dealing with a particular issue . People also appreciate finding out that in many cases there are already solutions being talked about at other companies that can benefit their organizations as well ,” said O ’ Donovan .
VHEDC members and their guests can register for the next HR Connections meeting through the VHEDC website . The direct link is VHEDC . com / event
I think 2020 has taught us that we can have a home / office balance , and hybrid may be something we can include as a work option moving forward . It allows for a lot more flexibility for our staff . I think hybrid will be an option in the future .
- Kristin Papke , HR and Accounting Specialist , Hallberg Engineering
way . “ For the most part , people are adjusting to work life out of the office and then having that balance . As an employer we are trying to be respectful of that while at the same time keeping people connected . Zoom has been an asset for us ,” said Kristin Papke , HR and Accounting Specialist , Hallberg Engineering .
Not all businesses were able to send people home to work though . Buerkle Automotive ’ s three dealerships and collision center are considered critical businesses , and as such stayed open from Day One .
“ Very early on it became apparent that COVID-19 was going to be a game changer for how Buerkle Automotive would do business . As a result , Buerkle put together a management team to gather and disseminate all information coming from the Centers for Disease Control ( CDC ) and the Minnesota Governor . The management team worked with all department managers to formulate a company response and keep employees updated to ease employee concerns and fears ,” said Linda McDonough-Rees , H . R . Manager for the Buerkle Automotive Group .
Not only did managers have the challenge of ensuring the company was responding in a way that would ensure it stayed operational , safeguarding employees and customers was a constant challenge . Initially , many workers were furloughed and / or laid-off . However , as safeguarding processes and practices were developed and implemented , and business increased , all Buerkle employees were brought back .
“ The automotive industry has generally stayed strong as the world continues to navigate through the pandemic . Although Buerkle has not seen a big change in the number of employees or the jobs needed within the company , we are putting a larger focus on the soft skills employees need in addition to the technical skills ; flexibility , adaptability to change and problem solving for example ,” said McDonough-Rees .
“ As a Human Resources manager , I see 2021 as a year to take a breath and ensure as a company we reflect on all of the valuable lessons we learned in 2020 and incorporate them into our plan for the future stability of our business .”
IC System has done an amazing job of maintaining our culture , employee engagement , and productivity . With all that we have accomplished together , we expect nothing less in 2021 .
- Rachel Scherer , Human Resources Generalist at IC System
IC System , a debt collection agency in the Northeast Metro , also learned a lot in 2020 . “ IC system was proactive leading up to the shutdown . A pandemic team was created and met daily to discuss and solve issues as they arose ,” said Rachel Scherer , Human Resources Generalist at IC System .
The biggest challenge the company faced at the beginning of the pandemic was quickly moving more than 450 employees from the office to their remote locations . Scherer said the IT and operations departments stepped up to the challenge and successfully accomplished the task in a two-week period — all without compromising client consumer relationships or productivity .
In 2021 , the company expects to remain hybrid with most employees working remote . “ All new hires are working on-site to ensure the best training , onboarding , and retention practices ,” said Scherer , who added that she thinks overall the company will continue with a hybrid staffing model indefinitely .
“ Most of our support staff will continue to work remotely ,” she said .
20 Northeast Metro Business