Volume 16
February 2009

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Easy Access to Personal Files
401K/457 Plan Changes
Employer of Choice Initiative
Employee Portal
Changes to Vacancy Posting Web Sites
Events

Newly Appointed Civil Service Commissioner
We are very pleased to inform you that Governor Jennifer Granholm recently appointed Kelly G. Keenan to the Civil Service Commission, replacing Bryan Waldman.

Commissioner Keenan brings to the Commission a wealth of knowledge about the Executive Branch of state government.  Most recently, he served as the Chief Legal Counsel for Governor Granholm and was previously a Senior Deputy Director with the Office of the Attorney General.  His many years of legal experience as an Assistant Attorney General will also be an asset to the Commission.  Commissioner Keenan’s term will expire December 31, 2014.

Welcome New State Personnel Director
Jeremy Stephens was appointed by the Civil Service Commission to serve as the new State Personnel Director, effective January 5, 2009.  Chief Deputy Director Janet McClelland has served as Acting State Personnel Director since April 2008, subsequent to the departure of Jim Farrell.

Mr. Stephens brings to the Commission a vast array of human resources experience, having served as Regional Human Resources Manager for Barnes Group, a global manufacturing firm, and as the Human Resources Manager for several other Michigan-based companies. 

Mr. Stephens has extensive experience in labor contract negotiations, managing employee relations programs, training and development, compensation, and has managed multiple facilities worldwide.  He has been considered a top performer within several organizations and has been placed in special training programs that focus on developing business and employee growth potential.

Mr. Stephens earned a Bachelors degree in Business Administration and a Masters degree in Human Resources Management from Central Michigan University.

We are fortunate to have Mr. Stephens lead the Civil Service Commission’s initiatives to centralize and standardize human resources services, while continuing to work toward the Governor’s initiative to make the State of Michigan an employer of choice. 

Farewell to Commissioner Bryan Waldman
We wish to extend our sincere appreciation to Bryan Waldman, who recently resigned from the Civil Service Commission, after serving over one year as its Chair.   Although Commissioner Waldman’s tenure with the Commission was brief, his contributions were many and his willingness to listen to the opinions of all parties will certainly be missed.  On behalf of the citizens of Michigan, the Civil Service Commission, and the staff of the Civil Service Commission, we wish Commissioner Waldman all the best.

Easy Access to Your Personal Files
You can now access many of your personal records via your self-service account from virtually any Internet connected PC, anywhere in the world, anytime.  You can make your own copies and updates, see your pay stub a week in advance, and look up customized answers to almost any question you may have about being a state employee.

Access to your personal records is private!  Our security team recently upgraded our system and added the ability to send passwords encrypted inside the state of Michigan e-mail system.  Employees who may want to use this e-mail option in the future can sign up now or use the enable passwords via e-mail link on the MI HR Gateway page at www.mi.gov/selfserv. Additionally, this link is the gateway to your personalized information library, your earnings statements, and your self-service account – three key resources with the same user name and password.

If you need assistance, please contact the MI HR Service Center at 517-335-0529, or call toll free 877-766-6447, 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday - Friday, or email Self-Serv-Support@michigan.gov (TDD: 517-241-8046).

401 (K)/457 Implements Important Changes to the Fund Lineup
Effective December 1, 2008, the following changes were made to the investment funds.  Western Asset Core Bond Fund Institutional was replaced with PIMCO Total Return Fund I,  Oakmark Equity and Income Fund, a balanced fund, was added, and Legg Mason Large Cap Growth Fund Y was replaced with Rainier Large Cap Growth Equity Fund, a collective trust fund.

If a plan participant had an existing balance or investment election in either Western Asset Core Bond Fund or Legg Mason Large Cap Growth Fund, they were automatically changed to PIMCO Total Return Fund I and Rainier Large Cap Growth Equity Fund, respectively.

If none of your balances or elections were in Western Asset Core Bond Fund or Legg Mason Large Cap Growth Fund, no changes were made to your account.  You may choose to invest in one of the new funds if you wish.

Employer of Choice Initiative
During 2008, the Executive office sponsored cross-functional teams to implement ideas to help make Michigan state government a more attractive employer of choice.  The goal of the Employer of Choice Initiative is to ensure that our processes and programs are updated to support current and prospective employees in experiencing a great workplace.

The following are some of the projects these cross-functional teams are working on.  You will be hearing more about them in 2009.

Getting and Growing the Best and Brightest
We work with the best people in Michigan.  Our employees are committed, proud, public servants who care deeply about their work.  Yet, we all know that in the next five years the demographics of state employees will be changing dramatically due to retirement possibilities for many of our peers. To keep the state of Michigan employing the best and brightest, teams are working hard to attract and grow employees with these initiatives:

A centralized student internship program.

Employee development that is a match to an employee’s career path.

A leadership pipeline that encourages the use of 21st century leadership competencies.

Management curricula that prepares our leaders to be innovators.

Technology that supports cutting-edge work.

Work spaces designed for maximum collaboration.

Enhanced recognition programs.

Working to Put You in the Spotlight
Good news abounds in state government; we are getting high marks and providing high value to our citizens.  But competing with other good news stories in the media is a challenge. A gap in communicating the value state employees add can result in loss of program dollars, especially in these tough economic times. Cross-agency teams have designed approaches to bring to light our successes.

The first approach is to design a marketing plan to highlight the innovative work state employees are doing to add the most value to our citizens’ tax dollar. 

The second approach is to design videos and multi-media resources to bring our story to citizens.

The final step is to launch an “Accountability Portal” for citizens to show how tax revenue is utilized.

Refining Our Human Resource Practices
HR practices that impact the state of Michigan as an “Employer of Choice” are getting a second look.  Short-term and long-term improvements to these practices are being sought. Teams are working on many activities, including the following:

Expansion of the use of alternative work schedules for employees.

Implementation of strategic workforce planning.

Review of existing experience and education requirements.

Review of training rates.

Employee Portal to be Launched in 2009
The State of Michigan (SOM) intranet has some great information and resources for employees.  Employees sometimes search for information without being able to find it.   To help all employees find generally sought information, resources, and connections, a team has been formed to develop a statewide employee portal.  

This portal will feature items such as:  

Agency-to-agency news
Resources for families
Learning opportunities
Professional development
SOM innovations highlighted
Daily information to help get work done
Human resources and benefits
Freebies and special offers for employees
Employee volunteerism

Our Teams and Sponsors:
Hiring & Retention 
Sharon Bommarito
Director, OSE
Marketing
Gen. Carol Ann Fausone, Chief Deputy Director, DMVA
Employee Development
Janet McClelland
Chief Deputy Director, CSC
Workforce Planning
Lisa Webb Sharpe
Director, DMB
Workplace Innovation        
To be Determined
Leadership Development
Ken Theis
Director, MDIT
Phyllis Mellon
Chief Deputy Director, MDIT

For more information on any of these projects, contact the Office of Great Workplace Development at (517) 373-4251.

Changes to the Vacancy Posting and Employment Information Web Sites
Changes were recently made to the structure and some of the content on the state’s vacancy posting site www.michigan.gov/mdcs.  We hope these changes make it easier for you and the general public to view important information regarding job vacancies in a logical sequence with logical terminology.

Among other changes, we have added a field to the vacancy posting site called “Common Job Title” to reflect what the hiring department calls a job internally, which can differ from the official classification title of the position.  We have also restructured the sequence of the information to present it in the order we think you will find most beneficial in your career searches.

In addition, you will notice a new header on the Civil Service Commission (CSC) home page called “Apply Now.” This field currently identifies jobs for which the Departments of Information Technology and Energy, Labor and Economic Growth has immediate or on-going hiring needs, and will also soon contain other critically needed vacancy postings, such as for human services and health care professionals.

While you are navigating through the CSC Web site, please also check out a new feature on the Employment Information Web site that we hope captures the true beauty of Michigan.  Just click on “Employment Information,” then “Live, Work and Play in Michigan.”  To view the benefits available to state employees, just click on “State Employee Benefits,” also located under the Employment Information link.

We hope you will find these and other upcoming changes useful.  As always, any comments or suggestions you might have to improve this site are welcome.

Events
Monday, February 16, President’s Day
Week of May 3-9, State Employee Appreciation Week
Monday, May 25, Memorial Day
Friday, July 3, Fourth of July
Monday, September 7, Labor Day
Wednesday, November 11, Veterans Day
Thursday, November 26, Thanksgiving
Friday, November 27, Thanksgiving
Thursday, December 24, Christmas Eve
Friday, December 25, Christmas Day
Thursday, December 31, New Year’s Eve

Civil Service Commission 2009 Tentative Meetings
March 11
May 20
July 22
September 23
December 9
(meeting dates subject to change)

We  Welcome Your Comments ! 
  Please contact us by e-mail at:  MDCS-CivilServiceNews@michigan.gov
 Or in writing to: 
 MI CS News, 400 South Pine Street
P.O. Box 30002, Lansing, MI 48909