Succession Planning in the Midst of the Madness

Your Presenters Cindy Butler Retired Director of Student Financial Services Metropolitan Community College of Kansas City 33,000 students MASFAP President 1997 Melinda Wood Retired Director of Financial Aid Truman State University 6,000 students MASFAP President 2001

“The Two-Weeks Notice Boogie” You’re at your desk in the midst of the madness. You look up and he’s peeking around the doorway. “Can I talk with you for a few minutes?” “Sure,” you say. He closes the door, sits down and sighs. And so it goes…

When someone leaves… Staff gap Lost knowledge Temporary reassignment of duties Hiring process (if approved) Is the new person right? Training Team fit (skills & personality)

It’s expensive to replace people NASFAA’s Student Aid Transcript: 200% + of executive level employee’s salary 70% of non-executive level employee’s salary Spent in recruiting, retraining and loss of productivity

Succession Planning Benefits Lets you identify and develop internal people with the potential to fill key positions (building bench strength) Ensures leadership and management as well as technical skills Lets you adapt your staffing model Gives you a chance to maintain and retain a functional, complete, diverse, reasonably happy team

Strategic envision the perfect staff think several steps ahead of whoever/whatever’s going on right now, and plan accordingly Intentional take the steps necessary and get people on board to make the plan materialize Timely have a plan ready when an opening appears or resources become available Succession Planning is

Yeah, but you two are retired… – We lasted 55+ years in financial aid – We got awards – We developed our own replacements – We made it out alive

Here’s what I did Worked at Truman for 33 years, 22 as FAD Small ‘inbred’ staff 4 months from approval to retirement Rehiring process was slow due to succession of internal staff Current structure was not planned

Here’s what I did Left Avila College after 20 years for Metropolitan Community Colleges in 2001 MCC was 4 separate colleges ( with a 5 th on the way ) that had just – Combined under one OPE code – Implemented PeopleSoft – Decided to create a new district financial aid director position (FA Officer of Record)

What I walked into in 2001

What I left for 2012 and Beyond

Here’s how I did it Intensive process review Combined 4 departments to cross train staff and gain efficiencies Constantly watched for talent Developed rationales for additional staff positions Presented arguments they couldn’t refuse Started over

Breakdown of Each Position (Current & Proposed) with Major Functions/Responsibilities

Proposed Student Financial Services Position Actions by 2013

What else we need to make it happen: Trainer dedicated to Student Financial Services FA Processing Supervisor Veterans Processing Specialist 2 Collections Specialist Loan Preparation Specialist Presentation to MCC Officers

Succession Planning Resources U.S. Office of Personnel Management Course Society for Human Resource Management Corporate Leadership Council’s Succession Planning Homepage