Better Together: Shared HR Services for Non-profits

Lee Rose

When I think of the benefits of pooling resources, I am reminded of a scene in the 1986 movie Stand By Me. The four main characters – Gordie, Chris, Teddy and Vern – are in the midst of what will be their final boyhood summer adventure together. It’s late afternoon. They’ve already walked for miles, dodged a train, and lost the communal comb when suddenly it hits them. No one thought to pack food for the overnight trip. The procession stops and as if by instinct, the boys turn out their pockets, count up their change and send Gordie off to the store to buy the necessary provisions for everyone (For the record, Vern’s contribution was seven cents).

Better together. More with less. It’s a common theme – and not just in the movies. For the past year or so I’ve had the opportunity to work on a project that explored practical ways for non-profit organizations to work together, more specifically through shared services and collective business activities...

Operational HR Planning

All organizations engage in HR planning at an operational level even those that do not have a strategic plan. At the operational level, good HR planning is in part based on thinking ahead about the organization.

At an operational level, organizations put in place HR management practices to support management and staff in achieving their day-to-day goals. Whether it's determining how many staff are needed to deliver services over the next year or how performance will be monitored, HR management practices and activities need to be planned to answer the question: "Where is our organization going and how will it get there?"

Take a moment to check out the list of HR Council Bookmarks on delicious.com, featuring links to websites and online resources that we feel are worth a visit.

Some bookmarks of note:

Mieux ensemble : les services RH partagés

Lee Rose

Lorsque je songe aux avantages qu’on peut tirer de la mise en commun des ressources, ça me rappelle une scène du film Compte sur moi (Stand By Me). Les quatre personnages principaux — Gordie, Chris, Teddy et Vern — vivent ensemble les dernières aventures estivales de leur jeunesse. Il est tard l’après-midi. Ils ont déjà marché pendant des milles, esquivé un train et perdu leur peigne lorsqu’une pensée les frappe soudainement : personne n’a pensé à apporter de la nourriture pour leur voyage de nuit! La procession s’arrête et, d’instinct, les garçons retournent leurs poches; ils comptent leur monnaie et envoient Gordie à l’épicerie acheter les provisions nécessaires pour le groupe (pour la petite histoire, la contribution de Vern s’est élevée à sept sous).

Mieux ensemble. On peut faire plus avec moins de ressources. C’est un thème courant, et pas seulement dans les films. Ces douze derniers mois, j’ai eu l’occasion de travailler à un projet qui a étudié des façons pratiques que pourraient utiliser les organisations communautaires pour travailler ensemble, plus spécifiquement en partageant des services et en menant ensemble certaines activités.