HR Staff Resources

What's a hot topic in the HR world right now?

• Artificial Intelligence: How can we use AI in HR in a Christian organization? Resources and information coming soon. (If you have information or resources on this topic, please enter it on the form at the bottom of this section.)

• People Ops: Companies and organizations have been shifting from using "Human Resources" to People or People Operations (People Ops). If you Google it, you will find lots of articles, books, and resources about People Ops. Many HR departments in SIL and partners are adopting this and adjusting their name to reflect this broadening scope of Human Resources.

Book Recommendations:

I asked some of our SIL HR leaders for HR-related book recommendations. (I am interpreting HR broadly to include HR, Spiritual Formation, Care & Wellbeing, Security, Children & Families, Leadership, Learning, Recruiting, Innovation, etc.). Here are their responses:

• What HR-related books have you read in the last couple years that you recommend? Why do you recommend them?

Jackie: The Heart and Hands of Leadership by Dan Gaynor is a good summary of the need to have both skill and 'heart'. 

Leadership on the Line by Ronald Heifetz and Marty Linsky is one of my favorite books about leadership because it acknowledges the hard things, the very real struggles of leading, rather than just trying to focus on the positives. 

A World Without Email by Cal Newport- very thought provoking about the way we spend our time and how we are so distractable. And finally, a couple of books that I've deeply appreciated since so many HR leaders are female; Women in God's Mission by Mary Lederleitner, 7 Deadly Sins of Women in Leadership by Kate Coleman. Crucial Conversations and Crucial Accountability are great how-to books for difficult conversations. Nine Lies About Work by Marcus Buckingham.

Terry: Atomic Habits by James Clear - It is a great book in talking about the gain of our success is contingent upon our habits and our habits are part of our 'system' for how we do life. 

Tara: I just finished  Creative Change: Why We Resist It...How We Can Embrace It by Jennifer Mueller, PhD. I love how this book made me think differently about how creative solutions can be embraced in the organization, and how we need to listen to the different mindsets to make change successful. 

Bethany: What's Your Problem? To Solve Your Toughest Problems, Change the Problems You Solve by Thomas Wedell-Wedellsborg. It's been helpful for thinking about problem solving.

• What HR-related books are on your shelf right now waiting to be read?

Jackie: Slow Productivity by Cal Newport; Institutional Intelligence by Gordon T Smith

Terry: A Long Obedience in the Same Direction by Eugene Peterson; Think Ahead by Craig Groeschel

Tara: Rooting for Rivals by Peter Greer and Christ Horst; Talent Tectonics by Steven T. Hunt, PhD; How Performance Management is Killing Performance - and What to Do About It by M. Tamra Chandler

Kimberly: Sticking Points: How to get 5 Generations Working Together in the 12 Places They Come Apart by Haydn Shaw; Soul Keeping: Caring for the Most Important Part of You by John Ortberg; Reinventing Organizations: An Illustrated Invitation to Join the Conversation on Next-Stage Organizations by Frederic Laloux; Managing Generation Z: How to Recruit, Onboard, Develop, and Retain the Newest Generation in the Workplace by Robin Paggi, Kat Clowes;

• What HR-related books are on your wish list for the coming year?

Terry: For the Gospel's Sake by Boone Aldridge; Pace Setter: Leadership & Culture in Mental Health by Dr Rhonda Johnson

Tara: Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention - an How to Think Deeply Again by Johann Hari; Change Your Questions, Change Your Life by Marilee Adams PhD; A More Beautiful Question: The Power of Inquiry to Spark Breakthrough Ideas; Artificial Intelligence for HR: Use AI to Support and Develop a Successful Workforce

Kimberly: ADHD is Awesome: A Guide to (Mostly) Thriving with ADHD by Penn & Kim Holderness

If you would like to submit something to this section, please fill out this form for consideration.

1. Introduction. The HR manager is the advocate for the well being of the staff in his or her unit. We are hopeful that by taking this course, you will have a good foundation for your role. However, this doesn’t take the place of the people who will support you. You are not alone. In addition to your SCO (SIL Community Organization) director, your Area HR Director is available to support you, provide advice, talk through situations, and explore solutions. 

2. Strategic HR Thinking

   1. Transactional vs Transformational HR. Transactional HR involves performing the tasks of the HR life cycle (e.g. entering data into Workday, etc.). It is the mechanical side of HR. Transformational HR is about understanding, improving, and changing the processes behind the mechanics. It is a strategic approach to HR that catalyzes change in individuals and organizational systems to better serve the staff and impact the organization. The primary responsibility of most new HR workers is to do a set of transactional tasks. However, the primary responsibility of most HR managers is to support and encourage transformational HR, and in some cases, to also do some transactional tasks. 

   2. Adding value to your unit leadership team. HR managers add valuable input to their leadership teams by providing the people-perspective to meetings and strategic conversations (e.g. How will these plans impact our staff?), and also by offering their expertise directly to each leader regarding all matters of engaging with their staff. HR Managers are usually the go-to person in their units for policy guidance and compliance issues, advice on interacting with and supporting staff, and for supplying data regarding staff in their unit.

3. Staff Management. Interaction between Supervisors (Line Managers) and their staff is staff management. This includes planned/predictable/intentional interactions, as well as more informal/casual connections. Supervisors who invest their time in their staff and teams find that their staff are generally more content and confident that they are doing what they should be doing. HR managers are usually the ones who help the supervisors in their SCO to understand the organizational expectations of supervisors for staff management.

   1. Planned interactions. 

      1. Regular Check-ins. Supervisors are expected to schedule regular check-ins with their staff. The minimum expectation is once per quarter, but many choose to meet monthly or biweekly. This is expected to be a one-to-one meeting (not a team meeting) that is face-to-face if the supervisor and staff person are in the same location, or via video call (e.g. Zoom, Google Meet) if they are not in the same location. Supervisors can use this time to check on the staff person’s health and wellbeing, monitor progress on work, discuss professional development opportunities, etc. While it is a good idea to take notes during these conversations for your mutual benefit, there is nothing to submit for these conversations.

      2. Annual Reviews. During one of the regular check-ins each year, the supervisors should conduct an annual review with each staff person and submit it to their unit HR Manager. HR will then upload it to Workday, and for seconded staff, inform their sending organization. The annual review is a good time for supervisors and staff to reflect on the past year together and prepare for the next. It's preferable that there not be any negative surprises for the staff person that come up for the first time during the annual review. Areas of concern should be discussed as they happen and/or during a regular check-in.

      3. Staff Development.  Supervisors are expected to encourage learning and development in their staff and help them create an Individual Development Plan (IDP), and it is likely that they will look to their HR manager for guidance. Staff development doesn’t have to be a separate meeting. It can be accomplished during a regular check-in and progress can be reviewed during the annual review. 

   2. Casual connections. HR Managers can encourage the supervisors in their units to have casual connections with their staff in addition to the planned expected interactions. These can be team activities, shared meals, etc., for teams located together, and social media chat groups, etc., for teams that are dispersed.

4. Working relationships beyond your unit.

   1. With Sending Organizations: Since many of your staff are likely seconded from Sending Organizations, it is essential that you build relationships with the HR staff of your Sending Organizations. Name recognition and trust are valuable. This makes it easier to liaise with the Sending Organization HR when various conversations need to take place in relation to:

      1. Assignment

         1. APR

         2. Copy of current PRD

         3. Name of supervisor

         4. Training and Development plans

         5. Change of assignment within entity

         6. Assignment plans (incl. Home Assignment) for coming 3 years

         7. Change of location

         8. Significant change of working hours

         9. Conflicts in assignment

         10. Workload management

         11. Other concerns

      2. Living situation

         1. Contingency plans

         2. Name of SG Contingency officer

         3. Events that affect living situations

      3. Personal issues

         1. Physical health concerns

         2. Emotional health concerns

         3. Family concerns (immediate)

         4. Concerns re. extended family (elderly parents etc.)

         5. Financial concerns

2. With Area HR: Each SIL Area has an Area HR Director. This person reports to their Area’s Director, but interacts with both global HR and SCO HR. As an SCO HR manager, your Area HR Director is your go-to person for help with HR issues and questions. Be aware of who your Area HR person is and participate in any HR CoPs or scheduled meetings that are organized. Your Area HR will cascade information to you from Global HR. Be sure to read these promptly and respond as needed. 

   1. There are twice yearly Global HR CoP meetings which your Area HR person will attend, along with representatives from Global HR & AO HR, to discuss topics of relevance to HR.  You may be asked to give input to, and be expected to cascade feedback from, these meetings. There are also global HR domain-specific CoPs that you could attend, such as Workday learning, staff care, etc.

3. With Global. Although your Area HR person will be your primary organizational HR contact, there will be times when you will interact with those in global HR. 

   1. Chief People Officer. The Chief People Officer is the top of the HR chain in the organization. This person supports the Executive Director's team, negotiates MOUs with Partner Organizations, manages a team of HR related domain leaders, and interacts with the Area HR Directors. The Chief People Officer can be contacted at chro_intl@sil.org. 

5. HR Related Domains. SIL Global HR has various HR domains - Workforce Management, Staff Care, TCK Care & Education, Security Risk Management, Counseling, and Learning & Development. However, some units organize their departments differently, so in your unit you may find that some of these domains are not under your HR department and your HR department may have additional domains not listed. In larger units, you may have one or more staff serving in an HR domain, whereas in very small units there may be one person responsible for more than one HR domain.

   1. Workforce Management. This domain encompasses all of the processes and procedures of the HR Life Cycle including recruitment, screening, placement, onboarding, policy development, workflow processes, Workday maintenance and development, and complexities such as workplace inquiries and child safeguarding investigations. 

   2. Staff Care. This domain encompasses a range of practices offering holistic organizational support to staff and their family members. This support is both proactive and responsive, and is focused on individual, community and workplace wellbeing and resilience.

   3. TCK Care & Education. This domain encompasses the care, well-being, and educational needs of the children of the staff in our organization that are not living in their home country. TCK stands for third culture kids.

   4. Security Risk Management Services. This domain encompasses the safety and security of our staff. This support is proactive (crisis preparedness), reactive (responding to a crisis), and reflective (evaluating the effectiveness of a crisis response).

   5. Counseling. This domain supports the staff of SIL by engaging in preventive and restorative care for individuals, families, and teams. Our services may include professional counseling, psychiatric care, consultation, training, and crisis intervention. 

   6. Learning & Development. This domain encompasses the professional development of our staff. This support includes creating courses, championing  individual development, and promoting learning opportunities. A major part of this is leadership development.

6. Dealing with difficult situations.

   1. Principles: 

      1. Grace and Restoration: Remember how God deals with people. Our intent should always be to help the person grow and be restored.

      2. Duty of Care: Our Duty of Care is twofold: On the one hand to the person themselves and on the other hand to their colleagues or other people involved in the case. 

      3. No situation is truly ‘black and white’ - look for and assess

         1. What are the person’s motives in noncompliance? 

         2. Has something like this happened before?

         3. What are the person’s expectations and are they reasonable or not?

      4. Multiple perspectives

         1. Not any one person will have all the sides to a story/narrative/situation

         2. Evaluate a situation from all perspectives

         3. Continue to seek, ask questions to understand the full perspective(s)

   2. Policies - Familiarize yourself with the SIL policies and the levels of severity

   3. Process:

      1. When encountering any difficult personnel situation, your first step should be to contact your Area HR Director for advice.  Your Area HR Director can guide you to the relevant policies and offer advice on what to do next.

      2. A Workplace Inquiry is an investigation of a complaint or of possible wrongful behavior. You will find SIL resources on this Gateway page, and your Area HR Director can help you find the specific resources you need.  It may be helpful to know that workplace inquiries are separated into three categories: minor breach, major breach, and child-related major breach. 

      3. Begin documenting early - concerns and conversations, both with the person and with others about the person.  Follow up on any verbal conversations with a written summary or email.  Make sure everything is documented with dates. Good documentation makes a clear statement of the situation: What happened? Who was involved? When? Where? What was the impact?

      4. Inform and consult with leadership depending on the severity of the case, e.g. with your OU Director and Area HR Director. (Child Safety allegations go directly to your SCO Director.)

      5. In consultation with Area HR and OU Director, communicate with partners (i.e. Sending orgs):

         1. Control the narrative

         2. Be proactive

         3. Communicate how you are responding

4. Mediation/Conflict resolution. Keep it informal as long as possible.

   1. Conflict is normal! Whenever people work and live together there will be conflict. Sometimes it can damage teams and dramatically lower morale. Yet, the fact that conflict exists is not necessarily a bad thing. It can also lead to productive change. Knowing how to manage and resolve conflict successfully can increase understanding within your team, and improve people’s relationships with one another. 

   2. Possible sources of conflict: different priorities and competing interests, lack of clarity about goals, misunderstandings due to lack of communication or miscommunication, stress, different cultural working styles, distrust and jealousy due to bad relationships

   3. Benefits of conflict: learning new ways of doing things, reaching better conclusions/results, better understanding and stronger relationships after conflict, improved self-knowledge

   4. Levels of conflict: Conflicts can be less or more severe. They can range from just a problem to solve, over disagreements and contests to fights and even to being unresolvable. Depending on the level, you may be able to resolve the conflict yourself, have to engage outside help (e.g. a mediator) or just debrief the conflicting parties and provide a healing process. Before trying to help solve a conflict, assess what level the conflict has reached and then decide whether you can help yourself, need outside help or can only pick up the pieces.

   5. What to keep in mind: Listen first, talk second. Keep people and problems separate. Relationships take priority.

   6. Preventing conflict from escalating:  Teams need to develop ways of preventing conflict from becoming damaging. Here are some tips:

• Deal with conflict immediately – avoid the temptation to ignore it.

• Be open – issues should not be allowed to fester. Practice clear communication – articulate thoughts and ideas clearly.

• Practice active listening – paraphrasing, clarifying, asking questions.

• Don’t let conflict get personal – stick to facts and issues, not personalities. Don’t look for blame – encourage ownership of the problem and solution. Demonstrate respect.

• Practice identifying assumptions – asking yourself "why" on a regular basis. Encourage different points of view – insist on honest dialogue and expressing feelings.

• Focus on actionable solutions – don't belabor what can't be changed.

7. Process for solving conflict: 

   1. Set the scene: Make sure people understand that this problem will best be resolved through discussion and negotiation.

   2. Gather information: Agree on the observable facts that might impact your decision together. Ask for each person's viewpoint and respect their opinion.

   3. Agree on the problem: This might sound obvious, but it's important that everybody understands what needs to be resolved.

   4. Brainstorm solutions: By asking each team member to help generate solutions, you ensure that everyone feels included and that they're more likely to be satisfied with the outcome. Be open to all suggestions.

   5. Negotiate a solution: At this stage, the conflict might already be resolved if both sides understand the other side’s position.

5. Child safeguarding training and cases. There are two aspects of Child safeguarding that you will be engaging with, and it is important for you to know who is responsible for each in your unit.

   1. Child safeguarding training. It is mandatory for each staff person in your unit to remain current in their SIL child safeguarding training. For seconded staff, this is in addition to whatever child safeguarding training is required by their sending organization. SIL is working with our primary sending organizations to try to combine these when possible, but different countries can have different laws and training expectations, so it isn’t always possible. SIL Global will notify staff (via Workday) when they are due to renew their child safeguarding training, though it is often HR’s practical responsibility to encourage members toward completion.  Training can be completed either online or in person; HR will often arrange for in-person training (like at their group conference) if large groups of their staff are due for the refresher course at the same time or if it needs to be offered in a local language for local staff. The contact for the Child Safeguarding training office is cstraining_mgr@sil.org.

   2. Child safeguarding cases. Unlike a regular workplace inquiry, a child safeguarding inquiry in your unit will be handled primarily by the global Child Safeguarding team. If someone in your unit brings a child safeguarding concern to you, immediately contact your SCO director and the director needs to immediately contact the global Child Safeguarding team at child-safety_intl@sil.org. Although Global HR will take the lead in the investigation, OU HR may have some input and involvement in the case.

   3. Child safeguarding investigators. SIL needs to have trained child safeguarding investigators available, preferably in different parts of the world, and these people usually come from SCO HR input. You may be asked to identify potential child safeguarding investigators to be trained from among your unit’s staff.

6. Crises. You will likely be involved in working though crisis and contingency issues alongside your SCO director and SCO security officer. Know your SCO’s evacuation plans. Be prepared in a crisis situation to take instructions from your SCO Director and Crisis/Security officer for new responsibilities you may need to take on; be prepared to help in any way asked.  One step of preparation is to ensure that staff contact information is kept up to date. The major contribution of HR in a crisis is making sure all staff (and families) are taken care of - physically and emotionally. This could include offering debriefs, trauma healing, and more. Be sure to involve your Area HR director. They will support and advise you as you support and advise your staff. 

7. Other things to know

   1. Legal potential awareness/issues

i.  SIL adheres to the highest level available which is currently GDPR (European General Data Protection Regulation)

Principles of GDPR:

1. Informed consent: People should know in advance what you plan to do with their information and agree to it.

2. Portability: A person has the right to demand a copy of their data. 

3. Right to be forgotten: People can request to have certain data about them deleted.

4. Information security: You are responsible for the safekeeping of any personal information you’ve gathered.

ii. Make sure you are aware of any local labor/employment laws in consultation with your leadership or Area HR.

2. Continuing HR training education:

• SIL Identity account help site

• Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) Courses

• Free Nonprofit Courses

• Avado Learning Free Training

3. Wrap-up

   1. Resource Pages. Here are some helpful HR resources: 

      1. Preventiveness & Proactiveness: Best Practices for working with People

      2. Addressing Unhelpful Behavior slide-deck  (internal) 

      3. Data Protection and Confidentiality slide-deck (internal) 

      4. Preventing and Managing Conflict slide-deck (internal) 

      5. Download of this Course

   2. Be encouraged! The purpose of HR is to see our staff thriving on their field of service for the long term.  It is our privilege as HR Staff to walk alongside our people as they walk through all these phases of life and service. By you being willing to take on these responsibilities, you are helping people thrive and succeed. Don’t worry if your new HR management role feels overwhelming at first. There are many people in the organization who are willing and eager to support you as you grow into your role.

   3. Congratulations! You have completed Orientation to HR Level 2. 

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Many times people in SIL get these teams confused since they all are globally-based and HR-related. Hopefully this will help you to understand the differences and know who to go to when you need HR input.

Firstly - An Overview of the SIL Reporting Structure and how HR fits into it:

     SIL is basically divided into three reporting-level tiers:

SIL Community Organization (SCO) - these are the on-the-ground groups that do the language-related work of SIL. Each of these has an SCO Director, and as part of their team, an HR Manager. HR managers in an SCO report directly to their Director (or designate), NOT to a higher-up HR person. However, when the HR Manager has questions and needs support or training, they consult the next level up - their Area HR Director.

Areas - SCO's are grouped into Areas, mostly (but not always) by geographical location. Areas have an Area Director, and as part of their team, an Area HR Director. The Area Director and team lead and support the SCO's under them. The Area HR Director reports to their Area Director (or designate), NOT to a higher-up HR person. However, when the Area HR Director has questions and needs support or training, they consult the next level up - the People Strategies - Global team.

Global - Area Directors report to a member of the ED's team. The Chief People Officer is the top of the HR chain in the organization. This person supports the Global Leadership team, negotiates MOUs with Partner Organizations, manages a team of HR related domain leaders, and interacts with the Area HR Directors. The Chief People Officer (sometimes referred to as the Chief Human Resources Officer, or CHRO) reports to the Director of People & Community.

Now that we have a framework to fit them into, let’s look more specifically at the three globally-based HR-related teams:

The People Strategies - Global team - This is the top-tier of SIL HR. It prioritizes strategic thinking in all aspects of HR throughout the organization. It's also the highest level in SIL to consult with on staffing issues. This team focuses on transformational HR rather than transactional HR. Transactional HR functions for staff who are assigned to a global role are provided by IA or ILS HR departments.

Global Administration HR (formerly International Administration HR) -  HR provides HR services for anyone employed by SIL in the US, or seconded to SIL into a Global (but not ILS) assignment. This HR Director reports to the Chief People Officer. Global Administration HR, due to its size and position in the organization, basically operates like an Area and as such, this HR Director interacts with the other Area HR Directors.

International Language Services (ILS) HR - ILS HR provides HR services for SIL staff assigned to the ILS team. ILS provides language-related services globally. The ILS HR Director reports to the AED of Language Services. International Language Services HR, due to its size and position in the organization, basically operates like an Area and as such, the ILS HR Director interacts with the other Area HR Directors.

Email Transition: 

What happens to my individual SIL email account when I leave my SIL assignment? Link to Document 

What happens to my functional and positional SIL email accounts when I leave or change positions? Link to Document 

Sabbatical:

What is an SIL Sabbatical? Link to Document 

Wycliffe US Retirement Process & Guidelines:

Everything you need to know about WUS Retirement: Link to Document

Short Stays and Home Assignments:

Whenever overseas seconded staff are planning a trip back to their passport country, they need to first talk to their immediate supervisor and sending organisation to let them know the reasons for that visit. Together you can help the staff person work through what preparation or requirements need to be considered.

A Short Stay (up to 3 months) is a temporary relocation, during which time you remain in your SIL assignment.

• You will need to notify HR and your sending org about your travel dates/location. Your SCO and/or sending org may have additional requirements.

• You are still responsible to fulfill the work requirements and hours of your assignment(s).

• You may choose to take all or part of your annual vacation during your short stay, but no extra vacation or personal time is granted as part of a short stay.

• A short stay is not generally used for PD time beyond the normal average granted by SIL and/or your sending org. 

• While there are usually no support requirements to return to your assignment location, wisdom dictates a sustainable/livable level of support.
  
  

A Home Assignment is a change of assignment, sending you back to the care of your sending organization. The details are determined by your sending org.

• A home assignment usually can be up to 12 months long, depending on how much home assignment time you've accrued.  (e.g. Generally 1 month of HA is accrued for every 3 month period on the field.)

• During a home assignment, your SIL assignment ends, and you are given a "Home Assignment" assignment by your sending organization.  You will be supervised by your sending org.

• Home Assignments include your regular vacation, plus personal time and PD time at the discretion and direction of your sending org.

• There may be requirements for your return by either your sending org (like support requirements) or by your SIL SCO.

• Home assignment plans are created by the staff person in Workday, and the staff person will need to be cleared by assignment SCO and their sending org (finances, trainings, etc.) before returning to your assignment location.

How do you decide between the two?  Ask yourself:

• What is the purpose of my return to my home country?

  • 1. If it's for vacation, then you have personal time off determined by SIL and/or your sending org to spend wherever and however you like.

    2. If it's to help kids settle into university or navigate some other life event, this might be a short stay - you will still be primarily working, but it's advantageous to be in your home country for non-working hours/days.

    3. If it's primarily to spend time with family/friends, this is either vacation (see above) or a short stay, with work expectations remaining.

    4. If it's primarily to raise support and connect with churches, and this will be a full-time task, this is probably a home assignment and needs to be treated as such.

• How often am I planning to return to my home country?

  • 1. If you are planning to spend 2 months per year (e.g., June and July) in your home country, every year, you may want to consider taking a short home assignment each summer. (Note. Not all sending orgs will agree to short home assignments.)

    2. If you are generally planning to go back for 6 months after 2 years, or 12 months after 4 years, that is a normal home assignment cycle.  If you have a one-time reason to back for a few months during this cycle (i.e, taking a kid to university), that would likely be a short stay.

• Do I plan to take work with me back to my home country?

  • 1. If your answer is an emphatic "no way!", you need to plan a home assignment in order to be released from assignment responsibilities.

    2. If your answer is "yes", a short stay might be the appropriate option, if your supervisor agrees your job can be done remotely for a time.