Human Resource Roles

The Open Doors organization supports justice-impacted women with reintegrating into

their communities in several states. Nationally, more than 80,000 women--13 percent of total

releases--are released from prisons each year (this does not include jails) (United States Bureau

of Justice Statistics, 2019). Research has found that the women in this group have difficulties

with gaining employment, homelessness, and lower levels of education. They need assistance

reuniting with family, and interventions that are driven by gender and trauma awareness are more

successful (Sawyer, 2019). Open Doors assists with casework staff to connect clients to

resources, and specialists in behavioral health, housing, substance misuse, employment, and life

skills. These frontline social workers function in a variety of settings from urban to rural, in-

person and in-office to remote work, and various levels of external local support. A significant

concern is that the social work industry has an elevated level of turnover at above 40% (Cho &

Song, 2017).

The organization is funded primarily through grants and donations requiring fundraising,

communication, and financial staff. Unfortunately, turnover is also high, and satisfaction is low,

at a national level, among fundraising and similar types of positions. This has the potential to

undermine the continued growth of the organization (Rizkallah, 2023). Iarrobino (2006) offers

some strategies to counter these issues including strong recruitment practices, professional

development, and excellent communication.

There are several Human Resources (HR) roles that could potentially add value to the

Open Doors organization, but there is only the capacity to add four positions to the HR

department at this time. This means that the HR Director will need to focus on safety policy
development, regulatory compliance, and benefits issues since there will not yet be staff

available to assist in spearheading those efforts.

Positions Selected

Recruitment Coordinator

Given the high rate of turnover shown for industries in which Open Doors is involved,

and in the expectation of further expanding operations, it will be critical to add a recruitment

coordinator to the organization. This will assist in keeping the needed positions filled with

qualified employees. Developing relationships and a knowledge base of possible employees in

less populated areas will be especially helpful. Although there appears to be some potential

overlap with the tasks of an employee relations specialist, who may also participate in

recruitment and some other hiring tasks, the attraction and identification of prospective

employees to these roles is of primary importance. Retention, clearly also an issue with high

turnover, starts with strong recruitment of good candidates to the right positions through the

alignment of a potential candidate with the mission of the organization (Renz, 2016).

Additionally, the recruitment coordinator will be expected to work closely with the already

established Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) consultant to develop a plan for attracting a

wide and inclusive range of potential employees.

Recruiter responsibilities:

 In consultation with the HR Director and/or other relevant team members,

determine the skills and qualifications required for any open positions in the

organization. Write job descriptions for hiring, focusing on those needed skills.

 Develop a comprehensive network of potential recruitment sources such as

websites, organizations, and people.

  Participate in job fairs and other recruitment events to attract talented and skilled

candidates. Use key team members to highlight the company’s mission and

benefits.

 Schedule, select, interview, handle paperwork, and provide positive customer

service for potential job seekers.

 Maintain a wide understanding of relevant laws and best practices in hiring,

recruiting, employment law, organizational policies and practices.

 Manage and analyze candidate and other recruitment data in consultation with the

IT manager.

 Continuously evaluate recruitment practices and systems for effectiveness, Return

on Investment (ROI), and improvement.

Payroll Manager

The growth of Open Doors requires a payroll manager to ensure that employees are

properly compensated and that benefits such as insurance, retirement, etc. are correctly

determined and deducted. The company operates in several states so there will be differing laws

and regulations for local and state tax obligations, reporting, and compliance. In a blog post,

Gary Webb (2023), contends that payroll is a key part of company culture because it contributes

to employee engagement and employee progression. He believes that employees are more likely

to want to stay at their job if they trust that they will be paid correctly and on time. Further, any

additional recognition of the employee through bonuses, promotions, etc., could lead to their

continued employment. While it is not clear that there is any specific data to back those claims

up, it does seem plausible that most employees will not be happy in a job where they cannot

count on the compensation to which they have agreed. Externally, the reputation of a company
that specifically relies on fundraising requires that all financial transactions be made, including

payroll and taxes, in a timely and accurate manner in compliance with federal, state, and local

regulations. Since there is not a separate benefits coordinator at this time, some of the tasks that

might typically fall under that position such as insurance billing, maintaining employee files, and

assisting employees will fall to the payroll department, necessitating additional departmental

time and leadership.

Payroll Manager Responsibilities:

 Establish payroll procedures and systems for gathering and entering new and

continuing employee data to process compensation and benefits.

 Oversee payroll staff and ensure timely processing and reporting of payroll, taxes,

benefits, and other related items.

 Develop processes to measure department goals for improvements in operations

and customer service.

 Manage issues and respond appropriately to inquiries regarding pay, benefits

deductions, taxes, and other concerns.

 Maintain accurate employee compensation and benefits files.

 Complete reviews of payroll, taxes, and benefits forms, filings, and reports for

accuracy, timeliness, and completeness.

 Consult with members of HR and organization leadership to develop competitive

compensation strategies.

 Develop a strong knowledge base of current employment law and best practices

along with regulatory updates that pertain to compensation and benefits. Be a

source of guidance in these areas.

IT Manager and Head of Workforce Analytics

Many employees will be working remotely at least part of the time, and a variety of

software from case management, payroll, financial/fundraising systems, communication,

scheduling, and more will require an IT manager who can direct effective spending for those

systems as growth happens. This person can also make informed decisions regarding the

integration of those systems for a seamless operation, as well as understand the fundamentals of

protecting the information (for both clients and employees) contained in those systems. Further,

this position will be the head of worker analytics. Successful work in this area could result in

more efficient operations to better serve clients, more effective hiring practices, and better

stewardship of donor funds (Griffin, 2021). Using predictive analytics, the organization may be

able to determine the best choices for innovative programs or better understand how changes will

affect a client's ability to use services making the work easier and more targeted for

organizational staff (Wake Forest University, 2020).

IT Manager and Head of Workforce Analytics Responsibilities:

 Ensure that all software, hardware, security, internet, and other computer systems

work together as seamlessly as possible while maintaining system security.

 Proactively learn about system improvements and determine cost-effective ways

to deliver company goals through technology such as increased productivity,

lower operating costs, etc.

 Oversee the maintenance and installation of equipment and software.

 Troubleshoot technology issues and provide excellent customer service to

organizational staff.
  Train new IT staff in company systems. Train new and existing staff on new IT

products or upgrades in partnership with the training staff, as needed.

 Evaluate IT systems and processes for improvement.

 Collect data including information provided by clients, staff evaluations,

fundraising feedback, and other available information for analysis in

improvements, efficiency, predictive outcomes, and employee satisfaction.

 Consult with and make recommendations for the management team and other

departments to determine what workforce analysis reports would be beneficial

and ensure the needed data is or will be available.

Training and Development Coordinator

To successfully retain valuable staff members, it will be necessary to hire a training and

development coordinator. Stahl (2013) notes that non-profits typically provide salaries at the

lower end of the scale so other areas such as staff development need to take a larger role to avoid

loss of morale and a negative impact on performance. Sharing the organizational culture,

encouraging engagement, and assisting new hires in connecting with their peers—particularly

with remote work settings—can promote “embeddedness,” making the company more valuable

to employees (Renz, 2016, p. 602).

Training and Development Coordinator Responsibilities:

 Collaborate closely with the recruiting coordinator to ensure a smooth transition

from hiring to onboarding and continued training.

 Establish a strong rapport with new hires to encourage staff to return with any

questions and seek input for development.

 Seek feedback from regional managers and other teams to determine training

needs and the effectiveness of original training.

 Plan, coordinate, and deliver onboarding and initial training.

 Work with workforce analyst to assess employee training needs.

 Provide individual and/or group training for new procedures, to solve skills gaps,

and prepare employees for new roles/promotions by setting up a leadership

development program.

 Provide training in areas such as discrimination, employment law, ADA,

personnel policies, and other relevant federal, state, and local regulations.

 Support training needs for job-related certifications.

 Conduct exit interviews. Report findings to the HR manager and analyze results

for future training and development improvements.

 Function as a resource and advocate for employees

 References

Cho, Y. J., & Song, H. J. (2017). Determinants of turnover intention of social workers: Effects of

emotional labor and organizational trust. Public Personnel Management, 46(1), 41-65.

https://doi.org/10.1177/0091026017696395

Creative HRM. (2012, July 31). Key HR roles and responsibilities. Slideshare.

https://www.slideshare.net/CreativeHRM/key-hr-roles-and-responsibilities-13819234

Griffin, G. (2021, October 21). Why social workers need data science. SocialWorker.com.

https://www.socialworker.com/feature-articles/technology-articles/why-social-workers-

need-data-science/

Iarrobino, J. D. (2006). Turnover in the advancement profession. International Journal of

Educational Advancement, 6(2), 141-169. https://doi.org/10.1057/palgrave.ijea.2150013

Renz, D. O. (2016). The Jossey-Bass handbook of nonprofit leadership and management. Wiley.

https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119176558

Rizkallah, N. (2023, July 26). Shutting the revolving door of development turnover. Philanthropy

Daily. https://philanthropydaily.com/shutting-door-development-turnover/

Sawyer, W. (2019, July 19). Who’s helping the 1.9 million women released from prisons and

jails each year? Prison Policy Initiative.

https://www.prisonpolicy.org/blog/2019/07/19/reentry/

Stahl, R. M., M.A. (2013). Talent philanthropy: Investing in nonprofit people to advance

nonprofit performance. The Foundation Review, 5(3), 35-49.

https://marshall.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://proquest.com/?url=https://

www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/talent-philanthropy-investing-nonprofit-people/

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United States. Bureau of Justice Statistics. (2019, March 21). National Corrections Reporting

Program, [united states], 2000-2016. https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR37007.v1

Wake Forest University. (2020, July 17). Predictive analytics in social services: Wake Forest

University. WFU Online Counseling. https://counseling.online.wfu.edu/blog/predictive-

analytics-in-social-services/

Webb, G. (2023, June 28). How payroll contributes to company culture. Achievers.

https://www.achievers.com/blog/how-payroll-contributes-to-company-culture/