key operational plans
Human Resource Support and Development Plan
Executive Summary September 2006
II. Environmental Scan/Forecast
In considering a five-year operational plan for the University’s human resources function, attention must be paid to trends and challenges imposed by the environment. According to enrollment data, the following six counties account for the majority of freshman admitted to the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh: Brown, Fond du Lac, Milwaukee, Outagamie, Waukesha, and Winnebago. Thus, with the exception of the discussion of the labor market, we restricted our environmental scanning and forecasting data to those areas.
Demographics
Among the most visible changes in demographics affecting the university environment is the aging population in our major feeder counties. Final household projections for Wisconsin counties from the year of the 2000 Census to 2010 are shown in Table 1 below. These changes have several implications for the university. First, the population of traditional college-age students is not growing as fast as other categories within the population. However, the increase in the age bracket that captures nontraditional students is increasing at a greater rate. In addition, the population of individuals eligible for the workforce is increasing but the workforce is aging along with the population.
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In addition to the aging population, the racial and ethnic composition of individuals in these counties is expected to change over the next 5 years. Current race composition for UW Oshkosh feeder counties are shown in Table 3. According to the 2003-2005 Wisconsin Blue Book (2003-2004 State of Wisconsin Blue Book, Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau, available at: http://www.legis.state.wi.us/lrb/bb/intro.htm) Wisconsin’s overall population showed a relatively small, but statistically significant, change in the population’s race and ethnicity composition. The proportion of the population who were of color increased from 7.8% in 1990 to 11.1% in 2000 and 72 counties had 10% or more of the population were persons of color (2003-2004 Wisconsin Blue Book, p. 118). Table 3 indicates that for the five counties excluding Milwaukee County, the proportion of the population of color is approximately 6.4%.
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Technology
In addition to these demographic changes, human resources management will be
impacted significantly in the future by changing technology. These changes
will occur within the HR function itself but also in terms of the issues HR
will need to manage within the organization as a whole. Looking at the
university as a whole, technology will have an enormous impact on the jobs
being managed and the equipment used to perform those jobs. HR will need
to embed practices that allow the university to stay abreast of these changes
to ensure training, performance support, compensation, and other HR decisions
will complement the positions as well as possible. Within the HR function,
three key changes that will be important for the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh
are: 1) increased ability to gather human resources data (e.g., performance
ratings, skills inventories) and use these data to support decision-making
and day-to-day management of the HR function, 2) integration of technology
into the delivery of human resources services (e.g., using the web to recruit
and screen applicants, deliver information to employees and applicants, and
deliver training), and 3) increased possibilities for outsourcing work that
has traditionally been completed within the HR department.
Legal and Political
Changes in the legal and political environment will also have a tremendous impact on the management of human resources at UW Oshkosh. Declining support of the institution by the state and an increased reliance on private sector dollars will mean a greater emphasis on grant writing and fund-raising by employees. The Society for Human Resources Management identified the following legal and political changes at the state level on the horizon: mandated leave and time off, same sex marriage and partner benefits, offshoring, health care legislation controlling the employees’ share of premium costs and health care provisions, continued tightening of immigration policy, conceal-and-carry laws, protections for victims of domestic violence (Workplace Visions 2004, No. 3: State Public Policy and Its Impact on HR.)
Economy
Of the economic changes expected to affect the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh human resources function, the most crucial are increasing health care costs. Other economic trends with implications for human resources management include increased disparities between the costs of delivering educational services here and abroad, offshoring trends for certain occupations, “borderless careers” for knowledge-based employees (i.e., continued increases in labor mobility),
Labor Market
The relevant labor market for employees of the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh depends on the particular classification of job. Classified staff members are generally recruited from a local labor pool, whereas for IT positions we sometimes recruit on a state-wide basis. For most non-instructional academic staff in entry level positions, the relevant labor market is local or regional and could include Milwaukee and Madison. However, a position at the "director" level could very well be recruited at the national level and most are. Instructional academic staff members are also recruited locally, regionally and nationally. Faculty members are recruited at the national level as are most upper level administrative positions.