The staff in HRS provide direct service to staff, faculty, and external applicants across a broad spectrum of needs ranging from the job classification reviews, processing performance evaluation and annual salary increase data, communicating all personnel actions to the Appalachian payroll system as well as with the Office of State Personnel, coordinating the billing process with benefit vendors, assisting hiring supervisors with the process of recruitment and staffing, conducting new staff orientation and benefits enrollment, supporting Staff Council, and providing learning and career development activities. Problems come in all shapes and sizes, and every staff member in HRS takes a personal interest in seeing that misunderstandings, lack of policy guidance, and missed communications are addressed quickly and effectively so that they do not result in more serious complaints or grievances. In addressing such circumstances, HRS staff not only seek to solve the problem at hand, but to offer counsel, guidance, information, and advice to keep a similar problem from recurring. In other words, many problems are resolved, but an even greater number are prevented by HRS staff acting in a consulting capacity to help others better understand policy and good human resource practice. Occasionally, some problems are more acute and complicated.
Specific steps vary according to the problem, but almost always involve hearing both sides.
Facilitating resolution to a complaint also involves helping both sides to ask the right questions and to consider the other person s needs and perceptions. Such problem solving relies increasingly on consultative techniques and an emphasis on understanding the big picture. The word grievance is often used interchangeably with problem and complaint but actually holds a particular meaning. Human Resource Services, as well as other offices on campus, frequently serves as the sounding board for complaints, concerns, issues, disagreements, and problems of all sorts. However, when one is prepared to file a grievance, a well-established and formal process is invoked.