‘Purdue Pursuits’: ‘One Hour With HR’

Shane Haselby rarely passes on an opportunity to elevate his performance and grow as a Purdue employee. His Purdue career began when he was hired as a Building Services custodian, and over the past 10 years, he’s worked his way up into a leadership role as a custodial safety and buildings senior manager.

But he’s not only concerned about his own growth. Haselby wants to see all of his colleagues gain new skills and expand their knowledge, and lately, the university’s ‘One Hour With HR’ sessions have been a prime opportunity that he often promotes and takes part in.

“I’m a big promoter of growth and putting people in the best positions to move up within the university,” Haselby says. “Someone did that for me, so I want to do the same. When this program rolled out, I thought it would be a fantastic opportunity not only for me, but also our supervisors and crew chiefs who are working with our custodians and customers on a daily basis.”

Offered monthly since fall 2023, ‘One Hour With HR’ learning sessions help university employees foster new connections and gain more information about human resources topics like coaching, wellness, leaves of absence, communication skills and more. During the in-person and virtual options designed for both staff and supervisors, an HR representative dives into the details with a presentation and sets aside time for discussion and questions.

No matter the topic, Haselby often attends the sessions in person and encourages other staff to join. And although he typically goes into each meeting with a general understanding of the material, he’s there, ready to listen and refresh his memory. Whether he’s learning how to deliver bad news, navigate difficult conversations, or guide and support his employees, Haselby always finds a useful piece of information to share with colleagues when he returns to his office.

“We try to find nuggets from the session that we can use to help other people if they couldn’t make it,” Haselby says. “Sometimes I’ll follow up with my supervisors who went and ask if we can use some of that information in a meeting with staff.”

The relaxed, informal setting allows participants to engage with others and ask questions or talk through different scenarios they’ve faced that are related to the material. And after each session, a one-page flyer and PowerPoint presentation sent via email give attendees easy access to the concepts, processes or policies discussed during the meeting.

In February, Haselby had the chance to serve as interim director for his department, learning and taking on new responsibilities. He says programs like ‘One Hour With HR’ are a crucial and invaluable source of information as he continues to climb his way up the career ladder.

“They’re not only helping our people learn new skills in leadership, communication and coaching, but they also help employees build their network,” Haselby says. “If you’re looking for opportunities to grow here at Purdue, these sessions are essential as you move up into leadership roles.”

How you can participate

Working within team environments is the topic of ‘One Hour With HR’ sessions in March. The session will cover prioritizing tasks, clarifying roles and responsibilities, and building trust. In-person employee and supervisor sessions are scheduled as follows:

• March 20, 11 a.m. to noon, Wilmeth Active Learning Center, Room 2007 — in-person employee session; register here.
• March 22, 11 a.m. to noon via Teams — virtual employee session; register here.
• March 27, 11 a.m. to noon, Wilmeth Active Learning Center, Room 2007 — in-person supervisor session, register here.
• March 28, 10-11 a.m. via Teams — virtual supervisor session; register here.

For a list of upcoming session topics, visit the ‘One Hour With HR’ webpage.