Attracting the most talented staff, getting them interviewed, hired and working behind a desk or in front of a classroom is one of the main missions of Human Capital Management. Perfecting the system of recruiting and training talented new hires for an organization of 20,000-plus employees is no small task.
In search of methods to increase efficiency, the Board of Trustees created the Star Employee Commission, which comprises human resource experts from area corporations including Presbyterian Hospital, The Container Store and Texas Instruments. Their charge: to recommend improvements to the district’s human resource function.
One of the commission’s central findings was that HCM lacked the employees and support to effectively address the growing needs of the district. The process at the time placed much of the burden of staffing schools on campus administrators.
Changes made in response to the commission’s recommendations include: a restructured department staffed with more, better experienced professionals; clearly defined hiring standards and practices; increased focus on training and development for HCM staff; and the creation of quality controls across the hiring process. These changes have resulted in a new, streamlined hiring process. New employee orientation has also been revamped to ensure new hires receive the information they need to navigate the district’s structure.
At the campus level, schools were reorganized into vertical feeder patterns to reflect the paths students take toward graduation. This shift provides students with more consistency throughout their educational experience, and makes it easier for teachers to follow their students’ progress as they move on to middle and high school.
Director of Human Capital Management Carmen Darville said the report and resulting changes have strengthened the department. “Reviewing the findings and recommendations provided a theoretical road map of the highest yield strategies to improve the experiences our customers have with the department.”
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