The scope of human resources management encompasses the entire employee lifecycle from onboarding to retirement, striving to drive initiatives that uphold core values, boost morale, and increase overall workplace satisfaction. HR acts as a bridge between management and staff, playing a vital role in ensuring legal compliance and fostering a positive organizational culture. We also mediate disputes and fairly address employee grievances.
Over the past five years, my primary areas of concentration have included fostering a positive work culture and implementing fair, efficient HR policies in accordance with the North American Division policies, Mid-America Union Conference policies, and governmental laws and regulations. I also coordinate our healthcare insurance and the other voluntary employee benefits. Maintaining employee service record is another vital component, especially when it is time to complete the retirement process for employees.
CREATING SUPPORTIVE WORKPLACES
Through my HR journey, I have come to appreciate the importance of empathy, active listening, and adaptability.
I have learned that effective HR goes beyond rules and regulations; it is about understanding people and their needs so they feel heard and valued.
Furthermore, I have discovered the power of continued learning and staying updated with the ever-changing HR landscape, while being willing to unlearn old protocols and embrace fresh solutions.
A successful HR professional moves beyond processing paperwork to acting as a strategic partner.
Effective human resources departments must help build empathy and accountability while objectively guiding both the entity and the employee through difficult situations—while keeping the human element at the center.
No benefits or perks can fix a toxic culture. A lack of communication and transparency breeds confusion and mistrust.
VALUE OF CERTIFICATIONS
Another aspect of my role is to support and encourage the human resources departments of our six conferences and Union Adventist University. All but two of our conferences have designated human resource professionals, and those two are on track to have an HR generalist and director in place within the coming year.
MAUC strongly supports all individuals being or becoming HR certified, which proved to be a valuable process for me.
This certification ensures staying completely up to date on rapidly changing labor regulations and compliance requirements. It also greatly increases expertise in complex employment laws.
Our current conference human resources directors are a vital and valued part of their conference, and I am so blessed to work alongside each of them, mostly by providing a listening ear in difficult and sometimes discouraging situations. The dedicated work of each of these individuals promotes the mission and vision in their respective conferences, along with caring for their own diverse employees.
GRATEFUL FOR OPPORTUNITIES
I am thankful for the opportunities I have had to be mentored and guided, the chance to contribute to a positive work environment, and the knowledge gained from navigating diverse challenges. I am grateful for the resilience and growth I have experienced within the human resources field. I am incredibly grateful for our current administrative team who lead with a blend of humility, kindness, humor, wisdom, support and steadiness, all while keeping the wellbeing of the employees first and upholding our union’s vision and mission. I especially appreciate the spiritual retreats in recent years that have greatly enhanced the teamwork in our office, while also providing time to unplug and meet God in the stillness.
I am excited about the future of human resources and its potential to create even more inclusive and supportive workplaces.
I look forward to exploring innovative strategies for employee engagement, promoting mental wellbeing, and continuing to learn and adapt to the evolving needs of the workplace.
My favorite Bible verse to guide human resource leaders is: “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others” (Phil. 2:3-4).
Raylene Jones is director of human resources for the Mid-America Union.
