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.

Expand Your Reach with Pinterest

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Visuals speak louder than words. In 2013, MSU Journalism Professor Karl Gude conducted a competition using Pinterest, which was designed to promote the Media Sandbox program in the College of Communication Arts and Sciences. Professor Gude and the CAS faculty and staff decided that Pinterest would be an effective social media tool to promote the program to high school students and build their interest in MSU.

Advertisement for media sandbox
The advertisement used on Pinterest by the Media Sandbox faculty and staff.

Karl Gude shares a few tips for using Pinterest for marketing and communications needs derived from the competition and his professional experience with the platform. Check out the video with his tips here!

Spotlight on HR Toolkits for Hiring Faculty and Academic Staff

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This month we are spotlighting the toolkits for determining the requirements and process for running background checks and degree verifications when hiring Faculty and Academic Staff.

The questions are simple, sometimes the answers are not. When do you need to run a background check when hiring faculty? How do you initiate a background check degree verification? How do you complete it? The answers to these questions are in our latest toolkit postings under Toolkits for Administrators, Managers and Supervisors.

The links to these toolkits can also be found on the Human Resources home page under What’s New.

January is National Mentoring Month! Make a Difference in a Child or Teen’s Life through the Michigan 4-H Youth Development Program.

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January is National Mentoring Month.  According to mentorscout.com, “a mentor is a coach, guide, tutor, facilitator, counselor and trusted advisor. A mentor is someone willing to spend his or her time and expertise to guide the development of another person.”

Mentoring can make a positive impact on a child’s life that lasts a lifetime.
Mentoring can make a positive impact on a child’s life that lasts a lifetime.

Youth can benefit from positive and caring mentors. Mentors can help youth discover their interests, pick careers, make better choices in life and so much more. Michigan 4-H Youth Development, is a mentoring program overseen by MSU Extension and serves as a resource to help build long-term positive mentoring relationships between youth and adults.

Michigan 4-H has more than 200,000 youth between the ages of 5-19 that participate. All 4-H’s policies and procedures are based on child development research.Continue Reading… January is National Mentoring Month! Make a Difference in a Child or Teen’s Life through the Michigan 4-H Youth Development Program.

Spotlight on HR Toolkits for All Employees

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This month we are spotlighting the toolkits for form and time deadlines related to monthly and bi-weekly payroll.

Payroll runs on a bi-weekly or monthly basis for all employees.  To ensure employees are paid accurately, HR and Payroll have established deadlines for submission of changes that might impact payroll.  Personnel forms (e.g., hire, rehire, change of status) must be submitted by the HR Cutoff Date deadline for the applicable payroll.   Time must be submitted by the Time Due Date deadline for the applicable payroll. The deadlines for each payroll cycle can be found on the Payroll website.

The toolkits explain where you can find this information and what the date columns really mean in the display.  The toolkit links are here and on the Human Resources website home page.

New Toolkits for Administrators, Supervisors & Staff 
– Monthly Payroll Form & Time Deadlines
– Bi-Weekly Payroll Form & Time Deadlines

State of Mind Awareness

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Calming your mind allows you the opportunity to learn new information and develop new insights. EAP Counselor and HRD Facilitator Lisa Laughman (formerly Davidson) offers tips on learning how to manage your thoughts and become aware of your state of mind. Check out the video here.

Build your skills and grow professionally by enrolling in one of several upcoming HRD course offerings in the spring of 2014, or check out Lisa’s upcoming Health4U courses.

Tips for using Tech Gifts Safely

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Some of the most popular gifts this holiday season are tech toys. Make sure you take steps to protect your personal information and that great new toy in the best way possible.

At any given time you may have your financial information, family photos and contact information on one or several devices you carry daily. It’s important to protect yourself against digital pickpockets, hackers and identity thieves by following some basic safely rules:Computer, tablet and phone

  • Protect your device first and its contents second.
  • Never leave your computer, phone or tablet anywhere out of your reach or sight. Keep them hidden in your car, and don’t attach your phone to an outside visible pocket on your purse or backpack.Continue Reading… Tips for using Tech Gifts Safely

Being a Positive Role Model

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Negativity breeds negativity, but positivity breeds more positivity. HRD facilitator Lois Wolf-Morgan offers tips on turning negative traits into positive ones and making a lasting impression as a positive role model. Check out the video here.

Grow your knowledgebase and develop new skills by enrolling in one of several upcoming HRD course offerings (http://oed.hr.msu.edu) in the spring of 2014.

Get Connected with LinkedIn

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Building a professional network, staying up-to-date on the latest industry news and creating an engaging social media profile can help propel your career forward. HRD Facilitator Chuck Folino offers tips for utilizing the social media network “LinkedIn” to your advantage. Check out the video here.

Dealing with Violence in the Workplace

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Violence can happen at any moment. It’s important to be prepared for any danger that may present itself. Watch this video by MSU Police Officer and HRD facilitator Ken Zimmerman, and learn tips for dealing with violence in the workplace.

To view the course description and upcoming dates for the Recognizing and Preventing Violence in the Workplace course, visit the OED website.

Windows 7 Quick Tips: Snap, Peek & Shake

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Snap, peek and shake!  No that’s not a new breakfast cereal jingle, they are quick tips for using Windows 7.  Snap lines up boundaries of two windows on your monitor.  Peek shows you open applications in a minimized view.  Shake clears the clutter of multiple open windows by minimizing everything but the active window.

Computer with Windows 7
Photo courtesy of Aravind Sivaraj.

Ready to learn more about snap, peek and shake?