Category: Webinar Takeaways

  • PeopleAdmin A PowerSchool Company

    PeopleAdmin A PowerSchool Company

    As we dive into the challenges of 2024, there are some lessons we can take with us from 2023.

    In our recent webinar, Lessons from 2023 for a Bright 2024, panelists reflected on what was top of mind as they wrapped up 2023, including job advertising, the candidate experience during the hiring process, and HigherEd workforce trends. Attendees heard from Andy Boom (JobElephant), Ircka West (PeopleAdmin), and Lucas Del Priore (PeopleAdmin) as they shared their valuable insights—check out some key takeaways below.

    JobElephant’s Innovation in Job Board Optimization

    Did you know that on average, 40% of job advertising spend is wasted? Andy Boom, Director of Business Development at JobElephant, noted that his team sees this budget waste frequently because customers want to “spread the net as far and wide as possible, adding multiple publications to a campaign, which might make sense—but it all depends on the specific job description.” The reality that not all job boards are created equal, and not all are going to have the right audience for every job description. JobElephant tracks every ad they post for their customers, and has seen that some publications fail to drive traffic and lack optimization. Andy’s team utilizing machine learning and AI to curate the top ten options for specific searches. By analyzing keywords, JobElephant ensures that job descriptions are matched with the boards that promise the best potential return, reducing ad spending waste.

    Elevating the Candidate Experience

    Ircka West, Solution Engineer at PeopleAdmin, spoke about improving the candidate experience as a top trend from 2023. She emphasized the power of presentation in attracting candidates—creating excitement about the workplace begins with focusing on the candidate experience. Reflecting the candidate’s values and interests is crucial, and your team can take advantage of existing information by linking to pages that show off the institutional experience. Ircka recommended re-evaluating the application process by streamlining lengthy forms and implementing two-step application processes can encourage completion. “To get feedback on the application process, there are a few different ways,” said Ircka. “One would be to use your reporting capabilities and seeing what their actions do. What parts of the application process are they stopping at? Where are you losing them in the process? That’s a more passive way to find out some answers. Another way is to remember that everyone who works at your institution went through the application process at some point. You can reach out to your staff and get feedback from what they remember.”

    Adapting to Workforce Trends

    Lucas Del Priore, Product Manager at PeopleAdmin, spoke about the evolving landscape of workforce trends in higher education. One major trend that Lucas thought institutions should focus on is the continued normalization of hybrid and remote work, which presents a number of opportunities for growth. While hybrid work isn’t new in 2023, there are still a lot of improvements to be made with digitization and automation. “The implication is a big cultural shift of engagement, where engagement is becoming problematic for faculty and staff,” said Lucas. “The most concrete example is how to reconfigure every task and event to fit in that digital format. Not everything converts clearly, and we’re continuing to learn and understand how to implement tools that work for hybrid models and continue to encourage engagement.” In 2024, HigherEd teams should focus on institution resilience, purposeful and innovative digitization, and providing meaningful opportunities for faculty development are key strategies to navigate these changes successfully.

    Final Thoughts

    The world of HigherEd is becoming increasingly complex, and staying informed about the latest trends and leveraging innovative tools is essential. From optimizing job boards with JobElephant’s data-driven approach to enhancing the candidate experience and adapting to a digital workforce, there is a lot to learn from 2023 as we launch the strategies of 2024. Check out this webinar on-demand for more insights.

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  • PeopleAdmin A PowerSchool Company

    PeopleAdmin A PowerSchool Company

    Navigating Change in Higher Education

    Change is a constant in higher education, and institutions are continually evolving to meet the demands of the modern world. In a recent PeopleAdmin webinar, Mastering Change Management in HigherEd’s Digital Transition, experts from Central Oregon Community College and Chapman University shared their experiences with change management during two large technology implementations, offering tips and best practices for other institutions anticipating change in the new year. In a poll at the start of the webinar, 95% of attendees responded that they would be facing a change in the new year. 31% are facing a major change, while 64% are navigating minor adjustments. If you’re among that 95%, read on below.

     

    Case Study: Central Oregon Community College.

    Laurel Kent, IT Project Manager at Central Oregon Community College, explored her team’s journey through a Performance Management upgrade that took place over the past year.

    Case Study Focus: Performance Review Transformation

    • Moving from manual, PDF-based processes to a digital platform within PeopleAdmin.
    • Addressing issues like inconsistency, versioning, and tracking associated with PDF processes.
    • Utilizing the PeopleAdmin portal to streamline performance evaluation tracking.

    Wins and Lessons Learned:

    • Leadership Buy-in and clear project vision: Project support from the CHRO and CIO helped provide the appropriate resources. Dedicated project managers and functional analyst team, working collaboratively with HR, oversaw project timelines and deliverables to keep things on track.
    • Clear project plan and frequent communication: Sharing the project progress and updates regularly across campus meant that end-users knew what to expect.
    • Clear Roles and Timelines: Regular and predictable working sessions, clearly defined roles, and a reasonable timeline for testing and implementation kept things moving forward.
    • Relationships matter: Make sure that you have users across campus who can answer questions and provide feedback.
    • Build in time to fine tune product: A lesson learned was to include extra time for testing and stakeholder feedback. The team found it was important to see the product live and get direct feedback, and then tweak the platform as necessary.

     

    Case Study 2: Chapman University

    Robin Borough, Director of Talent Acquisition at Chapman University, shared insights from her many experiences with change management—and her top tip was a formula.

    Change Management Formula from Beckhard and Harris: Change (C) = Dissatisfaction (A) * Desirability (B) * Practicality (D) > Perceived Cost (X)

    “This formula is old, but everybody will be able to relate to it and see that it’s a real quick and dirty way to see if you can get the funding, and the sponsorship that you need, or if you need to prove something to get that funding and sponsorship,” said Robin. “‘C’ is the change. ‘A’ is the level of dissatisfaction with the status quo, and ‘B’ is the desirability of the change or proposed end state. ‘D’ is the practicality of the change—so are the steps to make this change practical and are we minimizing risk and disruption as much as possible? ‘X’ is the perceived cost of the change. For change to make sense, A * B * D has to be greater than X—meaning, I have to have a lot of dissatisfaction and a lot of desire for something different, and the plan has to be practical. If AB, or D are zero, you’re out. Don’t even try to make the change. So much of what we’re doing is subjective, because there’s so many people and constituents involved with change management, so I thought this formula was an interesting way to think about it.”

    Final Thoughts

    In the ever-evolving landscape of higher education, change is inevitable. The experiences shared by Central Oregon Community College and Chapman University underscore the significance of proactive change management, user-centric approaches, the value of learning from past successes and challenges—and how important it is to understand what you’re getting into from the start. As institutions embark on their journeys of transformation, these insights can serve as guiding principles for navigating the complexities of change in higher education. For more, check out this webinar on-demand.

     

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