Category: Development and Training

Training, education and ongoing professional development is very important to your ongoing success at MSU. This category highlights professional development news, views and opportunities.

Learn how to improve your emotional intelligence

Published on by MSU Human Resources2 Comments

The upcoming Skillsoft Live Event, free to MSU employees through elevateU, focuses on a particular human quality that affects your everyday thoughts and actions.

elevateU offers thousands of online resources for free to MSU employees
elevateU offers thousands of online resources for free to MSU employees

On Wednesday, December 2 at noon EST, Travis Bradberry will present “Emotional Intelligence 2.0: Taking Your Game to the Next Level.” His presentation will take place in San Diego, but you can get a front row seat through your computer screen.

Bradberry is the award-winning coauthor of Emotional Intelligence 2.0 and the cofounder of TalentSmart, the world’s leading provider of emotional intelligence tests and training services. Emotional Intelligence is ability of an individual to recognize their own and other people’s emotions, to discriminate between different feelings and label them appropriately, and to use emotional information to guide thinking and behavior. It is responsible for 58 percent of your job performance. Bradberry will enable you to capitalize on your emotional intelligence and in turn improve the overall quality of you decision-making skills, leadership capabilities and much more.

You can view this presentation live and for free through elevateU. You do not have to sign up in advance; log in to EBS, select your ESS tab, click the Professional Development link and then the elevateU link. Once you are in elevateU, click the title of the presentation in “Live Events” under “Upcoming Events” in the home page before the presentation begins.

Clerical-Technical Award 2015

Published on by MSU Human ResourcesLeave a comment

Congratulations to Mindy Nienhouse, the 2015 recipient of the Michigan State University Clerical-Technical Award!

CT Award 2015
From left to right, Clerical-Technical Union President Deb Bittner, MSU Human Resouces Assistant Vice President Sharon E. Butler, award recipient Mindy Nienhouse and director emeritus of the MSU Study Abroad program Dr. Charles Gliozzo at the 2015 CT Award ceremony.

The Clerical-Technical Award is sponsored by the Thomas and Concettina Gliozzo Endowment Fund and recognizes outstanding clerical-technical employees. For six years Mindy has done amazing work with the College of Human Medicine, and she embodies the ideals emphasized in the award. These include respect for everyone in the workplace, concern for students, faculty, staff and colleagues, providing significant contributions to the community and innovative thinking.

Mindy exhibits these qualities every day as she juggles two clerkships, two elective rotations, serving as the administrative assistant to the Emergency Medicine department and the variety of additional responsibilities that Mindy has volunteered to take on. In her nomination, one faculty member wrote that she is “innovative, creative, and has an amazing capacity to complete her own work diligently, while still taking time to help others in the unit.”

Outside of work, Mindy serves as a youth counselor, advocates for healthy living and fundraises for important causes. One staff member wrote, “What is impressive is that her fundraising efforts are typically not a requirement of any of the races – her fundraising is a result of her own care and passion.”

Watch this video to learn more about Mindy and her work with the College of Human Medicine.

Mindy’s efforts were recognized at an award ceremony in Grand Rapids attended by her family, colleagues and Human Resources staff. Congratulations and thank you to Mindy Nienhouse for serving MSU, your colleagues and your community!

Use ElevateU and PDS to become an effective influencer

Published on by MSU Human ResourcesLeave a comment
"Influencer" book cover
“Influencer” is one of thousands of texts available through ElevateU

Do you want to create a lasting impression among your colleagues and enact change within your organization? You have the ability, but just might lack the in-depth knowledge of behavior necessary to influence those around you.

Attend the Professional Development Services “Influencer” session to learn how to be more effective in your everyday interactions and create strategies for lasting change. You will learn a proven model for creating change by applying six sources of influence. Find the root/real causes behind behavior problems, effectively motivate and enable others regardless of formal authority. The information in this two-day session is founded on tested research and case studies from trusted professionals. This session is in 10 Nisbet on Wednesday, October 21, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Friday, October 23, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., with attendance required both days.

You can also read the book that this class is based on, “Influencer,” for free through ElevateU. “Influencer” is a New York Times bestseller that will empower any reader, regardless of background, skill level or profession, to create inevitable change through influence. It was written by distinguished scholars and behavioral scientists.

Use these resources provided through MSU to take control of your influence!

Gain knowledge and skills with elevateU this summer!

Published on by MSU Human ResourcesLeave a comment

Do you want to learn in a way that’s free, easy and convenient? The e-learning resource elevateU, provided by HR’s Professional Development Services and IT Services, offers free online instructional guides, videos, books and even courses. The tools available in elevateU focus on improving overall work performance, with topics ranging from the development of interpersonal skills to computer literacy.Print

Summer is a great time to catch up on reading. With elevateU, you will never be short of free books. The resource includes Books 24×7, a platform that boasts on-demand access to thousands of books, research reports, best practices and more. On Books 24×7, you can make notations and bookmarks, receive email alerts about new arrivals of books related to your interests, and read on tablets and smart phones. ElevateU will enhance your career through professional certification programs and quizzes.

If you want to sample elevateU before diving into courses and creating development plans, you can try watching the 7-12 minute business impact videos that dramatize frequently encountered business problems and provide solutions. You can also partake in a 15-20 minute challenge in which you analyze and solve a problem. Check out an overview of the elevateU resources here.  For a more in-depth and MSU-specific explanation, watch this video.

All MSU faculty and staff can use elevateU. To access elevateU, log in to EBS, click on the ESS tab, and then click on Professional Development. Look for the elevateU link under Training Opportunities.

Develop your student employee supervision skills

Published on by MSU Human ResourcesLeave a comment

One of the benefits of working at a university is the ability to work with those attending it. Students bring fresh ideas and skills to the workplace, but working with them can present new challenges and require different methods of supervision.

From June 15 to 18, HR’s Professional Development Services will be hosting the Foundations of Student Employee Supervision Certificate Series. You can take individual courses or all four, which will result in a Certificate of Completion. All courses are located in 10 Nisbet Building.

MSU Greenline 2013 staff and students
MSU Greenline 2013 staff and students. Photo courtesy of Communications and Brand Strategy.

Find out how to enroll and view more classes on the Professional Development Services website.

Learn the ins and outs of supervising MSU’s greatest resource this month!

Sessions:

Prohibited Harassment: Student Employees
Monday, June 15, 2015 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Investment: Free
Learn how to upholding the university’s policy on prohibited harassment by recognizing and responding to a range of prohibited harassment issues that might arise at work.

Hiring Student Employees at MSU
Tuesday, June 16, 2015 9:30 a.m. – noon
Investment: Free
The hiring process can be lengthy and requires knowledge of correct procedures and forms. This course will guide you through the paperwork and the best ways to communicate with new student employees.

Foundation of Student Employee Success
Thursday, June 18, 2015, 9 a.m. – noon
Investment: $100
Work experience is fantastic learning opportunity for students. Find out how to prepare student employees for their future careers, with lunch provided.

Motivating Student Employees
Thursday, June 18, 2015, 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Investment: $100
Regular and student employees are at different points in their lives, and as such require different ways to be motivated. Enjoy the provided lunch while learning the best ways to motivate student employees.

Spring cleaning for your documents

Published on by MSU Human ResourcesLeave a comment

Every office has one: the person who saves every file they work on to their desktop as an icon. Not only does this slow response time for start-up, it puts you at risk of losing that data should your desktop machine fail. Instead, move files that you want to keep to your network file space, and if absolutely necessary, create a shortcut on your desktop to the network location. Storing your files on the network ensures that they are being backed up on a regular basis.Messy Desktop

Sort through your documents and archive or remove those you don’t need anymore. It can be scary, like opening a file cabinet that hasn’t been opened in months–or years–and is covered with dust. Do it, though. If you don’t, every time you search, the computer has to search through all those outdated files.

To make this easier in the future, give your folders and files meaningful names. If you save a document every month with updated data, keep the base name the same every month but append the date. For example: MonthlyStatusDATE.xls. If working on a project, develop a naming convention at the start and be consistent throughout the project. That way even if players change as the project progresses, everyone can still find the information they need.

Windows TrashcanAnd empty your trash! If you haven’t gone back to restore it within a few days or weeks, you probably never will.

New Supervisor Essentials Course

Published on by MSU Human ResourcesLeave a comment

Continual learning and networking is the key to supervisory success. Don’t go it alone.Person choosing a path

Are you a recently appointed or newly hired supervisor or manager? If so, or if you are just looking to brush up on your leadership skills as a manager or supervisor, the monthly-held New Supervisor Essentials professional development course is available on Thursday, April 16 or Wednesday, May 13 from 8:30 a.m.- 1 p.m. in Suite 10 of the Nisbet Building. This session is designed to provide you with support and information to help you get off to a good start in your important role as a leader at MSU. Content includes an overview of leadership skills, administering Employee Relations and a panel discussion with current MSU supervisors. Lunch will be provided and attendance is free. Your presenters will be Jennie Yelvington and Kathie Elliott of MSU Human Resources.

To find more courses offered through the Professional Development Services Department check out their catalog. To register for this course, please log into EBS.

Want to Win a Tablet? Put Your Financial Knowledge to the Test!

Published on by MSU Human ResourcesLeave a comment

160x600_TIAA_CREF_whiteboardThe What’s Your Financial IQ 2.0 challenge, sponsored by one of MSU’s retirement plan vendors TIAA-CREF, just might be the easiest way to win a free tablet computer. From April 1 to April 22, participate by answering questions that will help you learn important information regarding financial planning. Every day, What’s Your Financial IQ 2.0 will feature new topics and questions, allowing you to show what you know. Every time that you play, you will be entered to win one of three tablet computers. The more that you play, the better your chances are to win. Sign on frequently to keep the odds in your favor! Don’t worry if you aren’t in the financial know either, all responses are completely confidential.

So go ahead, get started today! Topics vary and will cover retirement, taxes, healthcare and privacy. All MSU employees are eligible to win. You can see last year’s winners here.

Measure Value with These Courses!

Published on by MSU Human ResourcesLeave a comment

How do you know the functions and services you offer are providing what your “customer” needs? And, if so, do you have the data to back that up? MSU leadership is promoting and supporting data-driven decision making. How do you know what to measure and who to ask? Attending two upcoming Professional Development Services (PDS) courses offered will help you decide what you should measure and then create a plan to do it.

Business Presentation
Assessments and surveys can help you better present your programs and services’ value to MSU leadership!

On Wednesday, March 25, from 2 p.m. – 4 p.m. you can attend Proving Value: Introduction to Assessments, for free. How do you know the programs you offer are adding value? Assessments provide a method for determining what to measure, how to measure and who to ask. This session will cover a wide range of assessment topics such as, developing an effective assessment plan, collecting data, and interpreting and reporting your results.

The second class, Proving Value: Designing Effective Surveys,  will be held on Monday, April 20, from 2 p.m. – 4 p.m. and is also free. This course will discuss the best ways to get feedback from your customers to ensure your programs and services are adding value. This interactive session will help you in developing surveys that are useful, informative, and contribute to data-informed decision making. You will also discuss how to make your surveys user-friendly and increase survey response rates. The presenter for each of these courses is Paul Goldblatt of the MSU Residential and Hospitality Services Assessment Office.

For more information about these courses please visit the PDS site or download their catalog which details many more professional development courses offered throughout this year!

Electronic I-9 Tips: Hiring International Employees Correctly

Published on by MSU Human ResourcesLeave a comment

Our electronic I-9 system is now fully-operational and has made on-boarding duties much easier for the MSU community. In order to keep the I-9  procedure running as smoothly as possible, please keep these tips in mind when processing international employees:

  • International employees cannot use an “unclean” social security card. “Unclean” social security cards will display the phrase “VALID FOR WORK ONLY WITH DHS AUTHORIZATION”.  Do not accept “unclean” social security cards as valid documentation.
  • Very few employees fall under the non-citizen U.S. national category. Only those born or with ties to the outlying U.S. possessions of American Samoa and Swains Island are born as non-citizen United States nationals. Verify if these characteristics apply before accepting an I-9 with non-citizen U.S. national citizenship.
This social security card cannot be used as a supporting document for the I-9 form.
Unclean social security cards CANNOT be used as a supporting document for the I-9 form.
  • Employees must present one piece of documentation from List A or one piece of documentation from List B accompanied by one piece of documentation from list C. The following List-A documents are typically-accepted for international employees:
    • Foreign passport with I-94 or I-94A and I-20
    • Foreign Passport with I-94 or I-94A and DS-2019.