A Change in Direction, Part 2

InsideCCA asks EVP, Human Resources, Brain Collins and new Vice President, Facility Human Resources, Development/Training what new initiatives employees can expect to see from the HR department in 2010 and 2011 in part 2 of our Q&A session.

Inside: There seem to be a lot of automation projects coming online in the near future. What can employees expect to see in the coming months and how will this affect their work flow?

Collins: The first new process our employees will see is the new applicant tracking system (ATS). This automated process tracks new employees from the time they submit an online application throughout their application process. It systemizes the application process companywide, and saves HR managers' time in that they are only reviewing qualified applications. In addition, ATS gives us an idea of where the applicants are coming from; what advertising methods are driving the most traffic. ATS will help pinpoint that data, and over time we'll know exactly where to invest our advertising dollars. This project is being rolled out now and will be completed by mid-September.

There are several other projects we're developing with our Technology department that will be deployed in 2011. We're working to automate the Problem Solving Notice (PSN) process. Our performance reviews are going through a complete overhaul and will eventually tie into our succession planning. Additionally, we are working to provide a self-driven portal through MyCCA that will allow employees to independently review personalized benefits and PTO information. This will free up a good bit of our HR managers' time and provide a valuable tool to staff.

Inside: The Vice President, Facility Human Resources, Development/Training will be responsible for managing CCA's succession planning. What is succession planning? And what are we trying to accomplish?

Collins: Succession planning is about being committed to and developing a deep and strong bench of employees who are trained and prepared to be promoted into that next position when it becomes vacant. We have a responsibility to provide that stability and continuity to our shareholders, partners and employees. With succession planning we are developing a process that will identify and analyze each employee's strengths and weaknesses. Through customized training and staff development we'll foster employees' strengths and work on the weaknesses. It's all about our preparedness as an organization to grow and move forward.

Turner: Our wardens know who the rising stars are in the field. But with succession planning, we will be able to identify them earlier on, track the progress of those future leaders and help them gain the experience and guidance they will need to lead at the next level. That goes for employees at the FSC as well. We’ve got great people working for CCA but we don’t always know their complete skill sets. CCA is growing and our future is bright – with succession planning we're preparing for the future.

Inside: How are we working to continue to develop a diverse workforce?

Collins: That's a piece of what succession planning will do for us. In our business, we see imbalances with females, minorities and others, especially in leadership positions. Succession planning will help us understand better what the organization looks like today but also what our people bring to the table from a talent perspective. The competency-based review process will also help us have a better understanding of our workforce landscape. It is a priority of this company to continue to monitor diversity.

Inside: Are there any plans to measure or ensure our employees' ability to enjoy an appropriate work-life balance?

Turner: Some of the tools we're putting in place, including training, will help foster work-life balance. But I think it's more important for our leadership to recognize the need to demonstrate work-life balance as many employees want to emulate their leaders. Additionally, we want to be sure that leadership doesn't ask for more than what's appropriate. The nature of the corrections industry makes it harder for us to not ask too much of our employees. But as long as company leaders, at all levels, demonstrate what we expect from our employees, I believe that will roll through our organization.

Inside: What do you think are the top issues on the minds of our employees right now?

Collins: Raises. I think people want to know when we'll eliminate the wage freeze. We are aware that this is a serious concern and we continue to review the issues quarterly to determine our next steps. We want to provide raises as much as our employees want them.

The other issue on their minds is health care reform – what it's going to do to their health care costs. We continue to get questions from employees about the reform bill. But the current answer is, we don't know. The bill is still under review. We do know that dependent coverage will be extended to age 26 in 2011. Beyond that there are ongoing revisions to the reform bill and we've been advised to hold on any plan changes until those rewrites are complete.

Turner: The economy. We've communicated with our employees and they know we've had several partners with considerable budget shortfalls due to the economy. Facility and FSC leadership are working very hard to find ways to be competitive in our proposals so we can gain new partners and maintain our existing contracts.

Merit increases are also on their minds. The most recent incentive bonus was introduced to offset some of those concerns. Additionally, our benefits team has worked incredibly hard to keep our costs down so no new costs where passed down to employees. Several companies have stopped paying their 401k match, but CCA did not. So we've continued to stay focused on our responsibilities, but not lost focus on our employees.

Read Part 1 of A Change in Direction posted on July 29, 2010.