HR Employee Engagement Specialist At Mennonite Central Committee

Job Synopsis: The HR Employee Engagement Specialist plays a key role in connecting MCC personnel with the broader organization, mission and vision. This position collaborates with the HR Directors to set employee engagement and training initiatives for the whole of MCC and holds primary responsibility for MCC’s General Orientation and Leadership Seminar. The Engagement Specialist is responsible for analyzing orientation needs, developing curriculum, determining appropriate training facilitators, and delivering orientation sessions. Additionally, this role supports employee wellbeing and spiritual life through staff recognition, employee engagement and chairing the Religious Life Committee.

This is a full-time position but candidates seeking anywhere between 30-40 hours a week will be considered.
Akron, PA office preferred, remote/hybrid options in the surrounding area will be considered. This position requires at least 3-4 weeks a year in person in Akron, PA.

Job Details

Salaried Employee -Full Time at 1 FTE

Qualifications

Organizational values and culture: All MCC workers are expected to exhibit a commitment to a personal Christian faith and discipleship; active church membership; and nonviolent peacemaking. MCC is an equal opportunity employer, committed to employment equity. MCC values diversity and invites all qualified candidates to apply.

Essential:

• 3-5 years’ experience in training and development, adult education or organizational development or bachelor’s degree in a related field in lieu of experience.
• Excellent verbal, written and cross-cultural communication skills.
• Strong administrative and event logistics skills.
• Computer/data proficiency, familiarity with Microsoft Suite.
• Strong interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to work collaboratively within a team.
• High energy, enthusiasm, and a professional approach to training & development
• Able to knowledgeably represent MCC, so that orientations and leadership seminars support MCC strategy and learning objectives.
• Willingness to be flexible, particularly during orientation times.

Employment eligibility: Legally eligible to work in the U.S. MCC offers of employment are subject to a successful criminal background check(s).

Preferred:

• International, cross-cultural or MCC service experience beneficial
• Bi-lingual Spanish or French
• Human Resources experience or HR Certification.

Anti-oppression commitment: MCC expects all staff to actively participate in an organization culture that focuses on dismantling any barriers based on race, economic inequality or gender-based oppression. This includes an expectation to assess and address any barriers within themselves, within their team(s), and within MCC; supervisors are expected to take leadership in assessing and addressing these barriers.

Safeguarding commitment: All MCC Staff are expected to work collaboratively to create and maintain an organizational culture that prevents and responds to situations of abuse of power (sexual harassment, child abuse, racism, exploitation, and fraud among other situations).All MCC managers are expected to work collaboratively to create and maintain an organizational culture that prevents and responds to situations of abuse of power (sexual harassment, child abuse, racism, exploitation, and fraud among other situations). Managers at all levels have responsibilities to support, promote, and develop systems that maintain this environment. In collaboration with the HR Director, keep an ongoing focus on an organizational culture that ensures a safe, diverse, inclusive and professionally rewarding environment.

Key Responsibilities

Orientation and Trainings 65%, Employee Engagement 25%, Spiritual Life and Mental Wellness Resourcing 10%

Specific Tasks and Duties:

• Some evening and weekend hours are required during orientations; summer is a peak work time and requires 3-4 weeks in Akron, PA.

Orientation and Trainings:

• Leads, in collaboration with the MCC Canada HR Specialist for Training & Development, the system-wide personnel training for all MCC workers including general orientation (GO) and leadership seminar (LS).
• Consults with HR Directors to assess organizational training and development needs and to understand changes in MCC policies, procedures, strategy and technology.
• Serves as a point person for policy interpretation during orientations and training activities.
• Determines eligibility of prospective attendees and ensures participation in General Orientation (GO), Program Skills Week and Leadership Seminar are recorded in the participants HRIS (HR Information System) file.
• Ensures employees have knowledge of General Orientation, Leadership Seminar and related events and resources.
• Maintains calendars, announcements, invitations, and registrations.
• Prepares instructional material, handouts, evaluation forms and visual aids.
• Posts resources to appropriate virtual locations for reference after training has been completed.
• Schedules the venue, oversees and assists with the physical setup, including any audiovisual equipment and coordinates virtual logistics.
• Communicates with presenters and other staff involved with logistics for training events.
• Assists with participant needs which arise during training activities and discerns whether follow up is needed. if follow up is needed, notifies respective HR Adviser/Supervisor. Needs include, but are not limited to: staff person in need of care, staff person unable to carry out role/meet organizational qualifications, or staff person needing more training/development.
• Evaluates GO and LS training methods to analyze effectiveness and modifies curriculum. Performs needs assessments to determine gaps in current training practice.
• Connects to general orientations lead by other departments, including young adult program orientations lead by the Global Service Learning Department, to ensure all orientations meet current best practice and that all eligible staff have access to relevant orientation(s).
• Participates in relevant working group(s) and organizes long-range vision for organizational training.
• Supervises the Children’s Orientation Specialist to ensure Children’s Orientation is carried out effectively. Assists Children’s Orientation Specialist as needed for her to select and supervise children’s orientation assistants and childcare staff.
• Provides direction and delegation of orientation preparation and logistical tasks to HR Administrative Assistant(s).
• Co-presents the HR presentations for MCC’s Program Training Institute.

Employee Engagement:

• Coordinates annual staff recognition activities to recognize years of service milestones for MCC U.S.. Maintains a document on procedures and best practice for staff recognition and other milestone events. Advises managers on best practice.
• Develop and perform stay interviews and periodic employee engagement surveys to assess and build staff engagement.
• Utilizes HR Information System (HRIS) tools including the Training Library and Surveys to support and document employee engagement.
• Meets with individual employees, interns, or departmental teams to provide encouragement or support.
• Reads exit interviews, assists with exit debriefing and prepares annual summary report for HR Directors.
• Assists with Dwight Moody Wiebe Scholarship administration.
• Become certified as an Intercultural Development Inventory Qualified Administrator (IDI QA) and serve on the team of QA’s available to debrief with MCC staff.

Spiritual Life and Mental Wellness Resourcing

• Supports the spiritual life of MCC U.S. by providing spiritual resources and guidance to staff teams or individuals.
• Chairs the U.S. religious life committee. Coordinates planning for weekly staff chapels.
• Increases awareness of available mental wellness resources including MCC policies, benefits, employee assistance programs and external resources. Directs staff to the appropriate HR resources or external providers.
• Assists with staff events such as retreats, service recognition, or re-entry when requested.
• Provides HR support in times of personnel crisis when requested by relevant HR staff. Support may include written encouragement, phone/video calls, coffee outings, etc.

Other duties as assigned on a temporary basis.

Supervision: This position directly supervises the part-time Children’s Orientation Coordinator, who schedules and supports Children’s Orientation assistants and childcare workers. During in-person orientations this position supervises 2-6 temporary Children’s Orientation staff.

Travel expectations: This position is expected to be present, in Akron, PA, for in person orientations or training events for 3-4 weeks a year. Additionally, this position requires travel once or twice per year for HR Network meetings and/or to resource training events across U.S./Canada/internationally and attend conferences, meetings or training events. If based in Akron, PA this position would require less than 30 nights away per year. If based outside of Akron, PA it would require approximately 30 nights away per year.