Creating a Staffing Solution Within PeopleSoft HCM

The Right Resources, in the Right Places at the Right TimesJune 20, 2017

The Calgary Catholic School DistrictCalgary Catholic is the largest Catholic school district in the province of Alberta, serving over 55,000 students in 112 schools located in municipality of Calgary and the surrounding rural areas of Airdrie, Cochrane, Chestermere and Rocky View.

We employ over 5,400 employees, in which over 4,700 occupy school based positions.

Calgary Catholic, like many of the school districts across Canada, each year will allocate positions to adapt,

to ever changing student enrolment school complexity (Diverse Learning, English Language Learners) program needs (French Immersion, Off Campus) employee changes (retirements, resignations, leaves of absence)

“Staffing” alone can generate thousands of employee changeseach year.

Why the Need for a New Solution

For over fifteen years, this staffing activity had utilized an in-house program built using an Access platform for the HR component and later a .NET program for the school / employee web based component.

Limitations Unable to apply changes or enhancements. Unable to keep pace with technology enhancements. Uncomfortable risk of system failure during the “staffing” season. Integration from core HR done on an annual basis through a data import. Excluded the second largest employee group, our school based support staff. These movements were processed manually.

Our Initial Direction

“To develop a sustainable program and tools that will ensure that this critical business

activity continues; to include the school based support staff and re-imagine our current processes

to identify and develop efficiencies.”

Discovery

During the discovery phase, the team met with a number of stakeholders in and outside of Human Resources.

It became evident that “Staffing” was a much larger process involving seven different business units with a variety of tasks from the projection of school enrollment, resource needs analysis and allocation budgeting to name a few.

One item each business unit had in common, they all used excel spreadsheets.

Our Revised Direction

To develop a sustainable program and tools which will ensure that the staffing activities of Planning, Finance, Instructional Services

(in particular Diverse Learning), Senior Administration and the Staffing Committee, our School Based Administrators, the HR

Recruiting and Staffing Teams and finally our employees (teachers and support staff) will continue.

The project team will leverage the District’s current investment in PeopleSoft HCM, ensuring that the various staffing activities

are housed within one common home to allow for full integration, improved efficiencies and workflow.”

Fundamental Requirements

To adhere to the District principle that customizations are kept to a minimum and, if required, are essential to the operation of the organization.

Sustainability and Integration

To ensure that existing business practices related to District staffing continue.

Automated formula allocations

Tracking and audit of allocation overrides and contingency allocations

Future and Current Year panels

Principal security to access multiple school sites

Eligibility to apply in a staffing cycle based on the employee’s contract status.

Three Phases of Staffing

Foundation Tables

Allo

cati

ons Student Enrollment

Home Room OrganizationMaster Teacher AllocationsMaster Support Staff AllocationsDiverse Learning Teacher and Support Staff AllocationsClass Size Contingency AllocationsCoordinating Teacher AllocationsAllocation Cash Ins

Staf

fing

Update Invalid Position NumbersBalance Allocations to Positions and StaffStaff List, Employee and Position ProfileDeclare Surplus StaffApprove Surplus Staff RequestsPriority Placement / Layoff and RecallApprove Staffing TransactionsProcess Transactions into Core HR

Ads

& A

pplic

atio

ns

Assign Employee Screening CriteriaCreates Ads for VacanciesUpdate Ads for Screening, Destination, Open and Close Date RequirementsEmployee ApplicationInterview, Selection and Application

Our PeopleSoft HCM Environment

PeopleSoft HCM 9.1

People Tools 8.52.22

SQL Server 2008

Windows 2008 R2

Modules Utilized for Solution

Recruiting

Workforce Administration

Position Management

Profile Management

Global Payroll and Absence Management

Self Service

Time and Labor

Structure | Security

Following standard PeopleSoft methodology, the team developed the Staffing module using proven best practices and some creativity on our side.

Modeling the PeopleSoft approach to foundation tables we developed the staffing foundation tables to hold the various attributes and elements required for all staffing processing.

Using PeopleSoft row level security structure, we created permission list security based on location.

The Machine

The Allocation Phase

The configuration of District staffing formulas in a centralized database in a flexible, efficient and transparent manner.

The development of automated and online functionality for the student enrolment, home room organization plans, allocation processing, staffing compliments in a centralized repository.

Enhanced reporting

The Student Enrollment Page

The Projected School Enrollment Page

The Home Room Organization Page

The Diverse Learning School Profile Page

The Master Allocations Page

The Staffing Phase

Enhancements to the existing Staffing process for teaching staff in the areas of employee and position information.

Apply the existing Staffing technology model to school-based support staff.

Manager directed updates with an HR approval process.

Real time integration from core HR

Enhanced reporting

The Balance Page

The Staff List Page

The Staff List Page

The Staff List Page - Absences

The Staff List Page - Vacancies

The Ads | Applications Phase

Utilization of PeopleSoft delivered eRecruit functionality for the creation and maintenance of job openings.

Utilization of PeopleSoft delivered Person Profile functionality for eligibility screening.

Enhanced control and audit of applicants and successful candidates.

Applicant and Job Opening history

Enhanced Reporting

Creating a Job Opening

Creating a Job Opening

Managing a Staffing Cycle | Round

Principal View of Job Opening 360View While the Staffing Cycle is Open

Principal View of Job Opening 360View Once the Staffing Cycle is Closed

Lessons Learned

The mind set change from an annual data import to real time integration, and change to historic workflow.

Effective Dating

Don’t over complicate things. PeopleSoft works, so work with PeopleSoft not against it.

Desired Enhancements through Positive Experiences

Expect the Unexpected

Need a Shepherd

Lesson to be Learned – Image Management

2016 – 2017 Staffing in a Nutshell 122 Projected School

Enrollment 54,164 Projected Students 1,294 Job Openings Submissions

54,658 Actual Students

109 Principals 122 Home Room Submissions

7 Business Units 5 Support Staff Recall Rounds

3,416 Staffing Transactions 137 Priority Placements 8 Certificated Staffing Rounds

5,661 Applications in HR Self Service

2,986.2 Certificated Allocations (FTE)

131 Recall Employees 35,577.6 Support Staff 300 Auto

Generated Positions

Allocations (Hours)

109 Diverse Learning Profile Submissions

Questions

Paula FinleySenior Manager, HR Information SystemsCalgary Catholic School Districtpaula.finley@cssd.ab.ca

Jeff BeattyPresident and Senior Consultantb3 Systems Solutionsjeff@b3ps.com