Human Resources Improvements and Success – 2021-2022
By Jaime Steenkolk, HR Manager
Many consider the primary roles of
Human Resources to include recruitment,
onboarding and benefits. What might sur-
prise those who don’t work in HR is the
level of commitment and time invested in
assisting employees with personal needs
and challenges they face. These don’t show
up in the form of successes and cannot be
measured, but we consider them successes
all the same.
Over the past year, this employee sup-
port has been challenging and a privilege.
We’ve sat with those who’ve lost parents,
children and siblings. We’ve walked
through medical scares, offered sup-
port to staff with aging parents who are
struggling and we’ve listened to stories of
fatigue and burnout. We keep tissues close
by as we help employees navigate their
resources and options following trauma.
We assist supervisors and managers
with discipline, team building and differ-
ing perspectives. What walks through our
door often resembles a complicated story
problem, rarely quick and easy to solve.
Assisting employees also includes helping
navigate policies, launching investigations,
and fielding complaints, incident reports
and productive workplace violations.
In response to COVID-19, we have
fielded many calls walking staff through
the COVID testing requirements, followed
by the vaccination requirement. Hours
were spent helping staff through their
decision process related to whether to get
vaccinated or leave their jobs. HR’s role
in response to the pandemic has shifted
several times as guidelines change from
CTSI, OHA and the CDC.
Improvements in recruiting: HR seeks
to attract qualified applicants, which is
accomplished primarily through adver-
tising. During this past year, HR added
Linked-In and Indeed platforms for
recruiting. Indeed recently highlighted the
Tribe as a responsive company and only
20% of companies using Indeed qualify!
This is due to timely responses to Indeed
applicants.
Depending on the position, we have
added state newspapers, colleges and
journals to our advertising efforts. We’ve
broadened our list of free posting options,
including the Handshake app, which is
great for our positions that require a col-
lege degree. We have expanded the Work-
Source Oregon postings to the Portland,
Salem and Eugene areas. WorkSource
previously only posted our positions to
the Lincoln City/Newport area.
Goodwill Job Connections now
receives our postings and will send them
to the Portland, Salem, Eugene, Lincoln
City and Newport areas. Goodwill Job
Connections will refer applicants to us,
can provide help with résumés/applica-
tions, can give applicants $25 to purchase
clothes/shoes for interviews if needed and
provides a $25 gift card if the applicant
needs clothes/shoes for their new position.
Between June 2021 and July 10, 2022,
HR has processed 410 applications. HR
calls references on all applicants to be
interviewed, and most are – 410 appli-
cants x 3 reference calls results in 1,230
phone calls.
Last year, HR moved all applicant
paper files to an electronic process and
with the help of our IS Department, Tribal
managers and supervisors have access to
their files electronically. An electronic
interview rating sheet was developed so
our hiring committees can see all appli-
cants and their scores on one form.
All interview questions are being
moved into a new format, providing inter-
viewers with clearer direction on scoring,
as well as access to electronically fillable
forms. Reference forms were updated and
are now fillable documents.
We completed a flow-diagram to iden-
tify how we can streamline and simplify
our processes, and as a result, we reduced
four tracking spreadsheets into one. Col-
laborating with IS, HR now has an applica-
tion that can be submitted electronically
through the Tribal website.
Onboarding improvements: Orienta-
tion is currently a 6-7 hour process for
employees new to the organization and
this does not include the review of ben-
efits. Due to COVID-19, we’ve been able
to orient only one person per day (for the
most part) and between June 2021 and
July 10, 2022, we have on-boarded and
provided orientation to 135 employees and
seven summer interns. For comparison,
for the same time period between 2020
and 2021, we had 65 new hires and six
summer interns.
We are in the process of updating
and modernizing our orientation to be in
alignment with the process at Chinook
Winds. This should shorten orientation
times and provide more meaningful infor-
mation for our new employees.
Benefits: The Benefits Department
was previously housed in the Accounting
Department for many years. In late June
2021, Benefits was moved to HR follow-
ing the retirement of the previous benefits
coordinator. We are excited to add this
important department to the HR team and
look forward to the cross-training oppor-
tunities within the combined departments.
As we modernize, we’ve completely
revamped the look of the benefits package.
Projects: HR developed a Telework
Policy with input of Tribal managers. This
has allowed hybrid work schedules during
the pandemic and will be allowed after.
We hope this will be a significant aid in
recruitment. As we continue to update our
systems and modernize our department,
we have identified 37 processes with
the opportunity to improve and we will
address them as we are able.
We have worked tirelessly on the sal-
ary analysis and job description project,
which has experienced many setbacks and
delays. We anticipate this project to be
completed in September. Other projects
include the development of roughly 35
desk references and we are utilizing these
references for cross training. We are in the
middle of updating our filing systems in
Laserfiche and have written an associated
procedure for structure to ensure compli-
ance. We have scanned and e-filed a large
portion of our paper documents in an
effort to digitize.
In reflection, it is difficult to remem-
ber all of the improvements made as so
many were, and still are, needed. It’s a
work in process, so we remind ourselves
and anyone who will listen, “In a world
where you can be anything, be kind.”
For an application, go to
www.ctsi.nsn.us/heritage/pow-wow/
Hourly Rate
$15.00
Positions
Maintenance/Security &
Kitchen (Multiple Shifts)
Bring
Valid Photo ID, SS Card,
and Proof of COVID-19
Vaccination
Per the I-9 form, there are
other forms of identification
that can suffice
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10TH
10:00 AM - 4:30 PM
SILETZ COMMUNITY CENTER
402 GOVERNMENT HILL DR.
SILETZ, OR 97380
For questions or more information, contact Buddy Lane at
BuddyL@ctsi.nsn.us. or 541-444-8230; 800-922-1399, ext. 1230
August 2022
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Siletz News
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