The HR Review has revealed opportunities to improve, transform, and support the McMaster community in realizing its potential. Mosaic, McMaster’s pan-university PeopleSoft technology platform, has been an integral tool for implementing accurate, simplified processes and reporting across the university since 2014.
HR Review Recommendations and Objectives
The HR Review Report detailed 20 recommendations, which were categorized into seven objectives for improving processes throughout the university. Each recommendation and objective plays an important role in standardizing and simplifying campus-wide HR functions.
To optimize the use of this new technology platform, the Assistant Vice-President, HR and Chief Human Resources Officer Wanda McKenna, initiated an HR Digitization strategy which was approved by the Enterprise Administrative Technology Committee (EATC).
At the same time, in order to assess the current and future state of HR at McMaster, a Human Resources Review was undertaken in November 2018 at the request of the Vice President Administration, Roger Couldrey. Over the course of eight months, the Review team, made up of three external experts from other academic institutions, and five internal McMaster faculty and staff members, met with and interviewed leaders and employees from across the HR function and beyond – to determine how HR can improve, transform, and support the McMaster community in realizing its potential.
The report was communicated to the McMaster community in October 2019 and shortly thereafter plans were put in place to respond to the report recommendations.
Expandable List
- HR Reporting Hub – Phase 1
- Automation and Efficiency improvements of Payroll Reports – Phase 1
- Implemented Ad Hoc EFT Payroll Payments
- Improvements to pay processing timeline with change of time reporting deadline to Monday
- Exception time for interim employees
- Continued roll-out of self-service time and absence reporting
- Total Rewards Statement
- ESS Banking – Completed (Objective 1)
- Debit Pay – Completed (Objective 1)
- Leave management business process review – Completed (Objective 1)
- EHS Sick Leave review – Completed (Objective 1)
- Interim SPP JIRA solution for FHS– Completed (Objective 1)
- HR Reporting Hub – Expanded reporting (Objective 2)
- Automation and Efficiency improvements of Payroll Reports – Expanded reporting and access to Business Intelligence software (Objective 2)
- Onboarding module (Objective 6)
- Onboarding resources (Objective 6)
- Recruitment Process Review (Objective 6)
- One to One Position Management – Moved to Foundational Project Position Management
- Access to change chartfield information by departments
- HR Event Form redesign – Moved to Foundational Project eForms
- Tuition Bursary and Awards – Completed (Objective 1)
- Short Term Employee Contracts – Completed (Objective 1)
- SPS A-1 – Recommendation/Objective 6 – Completed (Objective 6)
Organizing the Work
HR Digitization Strategy and the HR Review Report projects were integrated because of various overlaps and common goals, resulting in seven shared Objectives and two Foundational Projects.
A small HR Review Project Management Office (HR PMO) consisting of one expert HR consultant and one external project manager was put in place to support the HR team as they worked with partners across the university to implement these objectives and projects. A governance structure to provide insight and oversight was also established, and included an HR Review Steering Committee and regular reporting to the PVP. Over time, due to the detailed nature of the projects, it was necessary to introduce an HR Review Working Group (HRRWG) to provide advice and approvals to process changes. This group was made up of Faculty and Directors of Finance and Admin, Senior Department Finance and Admin leaders, experts from Research, Finance, UTS and HR.
Expandable List
- David H. Farrar, President and Vice-Chancellor
- Saher Fazilat, Vice-President (Administration)
- Kevin Beatty, Director, Housing and Conference Services
- Dr. Mark Crowther, Chair, Department of Medicine
- Gayleen Gray, Assistant Vice-President and Chief Technology Officer
- Dr. Laura Harrington, Assistant Vice-President, Faculty of Health Sciences
- Dee Henne, Assistant Vice-President (Administration) and Chief Financial Officer
- Dr. Maureen MacDonald, Dean, Faculty of Science
- Wanda McKenna, Assistant Vice-President and Chief Human Resources Officer
- Wanda McKenna, Chief Human Resources Officer
- Laura Harrington, Faculty of Health Sciences
- Nancy Balfoort, Faculty of Engineering
- Kathleen Blackwood, Faculty of Science
- Susan Mitchell, DeGroote School of Business
- Marcy Murchie, Faculty of Humanities
- Juliette Prouse, Faculty of Social Sciences
- Leslie Cooke-Bithrey, Faculty of Health Sciences Human Resources
- Sue Galloway, Faculty of Health Sciences Finance
- Shari McHugh, Facility Services
- Andrijana Olaizola, Student Affairs
- Ryan Liddell, University Advancement
- Lou Mitton, Finance
- Mark Rumbles, UTS
- Barbara Eftekhari, Faculty Relations
- Sean Van Koughnett, Students and Learning
- Annette Rosati, Department of Medicine