Task Force looking at many recruitment and retention issues
The Recruitment and Retention Task Force that is researching ways
to hire and keep good employees in the Montana University System discussed and
debated a number of ideas in a work session on April 17.
Task Force members at the work session in Helena examined concepts
across a spectrum of employment phases. They ranged from hiring (“start-up
packages” and partner/spouse accommodation), to retiring (enhanced
pension benefits), and a lot in between (employee salaries, working
conditions, flexible schedules, housing, child care, transportation).
The Board of Regents assigned the task force to study both
economic and non-economic ideas for improving the ability of campuses to
recruit and retain employees in competitive job markets. The task force
will provide a report and recommendations to the Regents in September.
Task force members in recent work sessions agreed that most ideas
at this stage are preliminary and tentative. While just about any “good
idea” for improved recruitment or retention ability is appropriate for the
discussion, the task force will eventually organize or prioritize the concepts
with some respect to need, cost, and feasibility.
The Regents have cautioned the task force against a
“one-size-fits-all” solution, and have encouraged task force members to look
for innovative ways of addressing recruitment and retention problems in order
of severity. Failed job searches, declining number and quality of
candidates in job recruitments, and high turnover are among the most obvious
indicators of recruitment and retention problems.
A number of factors have an impact on an employer’s ability to
recruit and retain employees in a competitive job market. Factors
include: compensation; health benefits; retirement benefits; scheduling
flexibility; training and professional development opportunities; workloads; a
variety of job satisfaction criteria; and recruitment methods. The
Recruitment and Retention Task force is gathering research and data from other
states for ideas on how to make Montana University System jobs more attractive
to faculty, classified staff, contract professionals, and administrators.
The next two task force work sessions are scheduled for May 25 and
June 8. The names of task force members appear below. Anyone
desiring contact information for a particular task force member, or desiring to
submit written information or interests to the task force, should contact Kevin
McRae (in the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education) at 444-0327 or kmcrae@montana.edu.
Doug Abbott, Vice Chancellor, Academic Affairs and Research,
Montana Tech
Elizabeth Nichols, Dean, MSU College of Nursing
Erik Burke, Public Policy Director, MEA-MFT
Gerald Fetz, Dean, College of Arts and
Sciences, UM
Mary Ellen Baukol, Assistant Dean,
Business and Finance, MSU-GF COT
Quinton Nyman, Executive Director, MPEA
Rob Gannon, Human Resources Director, UM
Sara France, Classified Staff, MSU
Shannon Taylor, Faculty Council Chair, MSU
Susan Alt, Human Resources Director, MSU
Terrie Iverson, Vice Chancellor, Administration and Finance,
MSU-Billings
Kevin McRae, Labor Relations and Human Resources, OCHE