I’m not an HR expert, I just play one on TV

by Anna Wilcox, WNN Director of Learning & Development

By the age of 40, I’d had enough jobs that I could walk you through the first week of HR processes with my eyes closed; I’d been on the receiving end of the tax paperwork, handbooks and SOPs, benefits discussions, facility tours, and team meet and greets. Oh, and if I was lucky, hours of hilarious, poorly acted, seemingly never updated 1980s training videos on VHS.

The reality, though, is that I merely understood how to follow through with these tasks being administered by, in most cases, an HR professional. There was no way that I could actually administer these processes myself!  Luckily, I didn’t have to. Until the day I became the executive director of a small nonprofit.

Now, I don’t remember Human Resources experience being listed in the job expectations, and I don’t recall these skills being vetted in my interview, but here I was in charge of making sure people got paid, had health insurance, 401ks, and understood all of those crazy acronyms and how they worked for them.  I was not prepared, but I trudged through. Google was my friend. I phoned friends. Board Members helped where they could.  But I made mistakes, and I learned things—sometimes the hard way.

Not shockingly, a year ago when I surveyed local nonprofits, many of you shared the same experience. This makes it extra exciting to bring a learning and development opportunity to Natrona County focused specifically on HR for nonprofits!

As nonprofit leaders, we have so many hats to wear, and we face challenges that require a diverse skill set that no amount of passion for our missions can overcome. With HR training, we can be empowered to effectively manage our organizations. From building a strong organizational culture to acquiring and retaining top talent, ensuring legal compliance, and fostering employee growth, HR training equips leaders with the knowledge and skills necessary for success.

On Tuesday, June 27, Wyoming Nonprofit Network and the Natrona Collective Health Trust will be presenting a 6 ½ hour workshop focused on human resources for nonprofits with the goal of helping Natrona County nonprofits to be(come) thriving workplaces that attract dedicated professionals, maximize impact, and ultimately achieve their organization’s mission.

This session is presented by Jenny Hargett, HR Director and Consultant for The Align Team, and will be held from 9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. at the Hilton Garden Inn. You can find out more about the training content and register for the session here. Due to the interactive nature of the course, class size is limited to 20.