Human resources focus of classes

By TINA ALLEN

VIEW STAFF WRITER

When most people hear the words human resources, they often think of cold-hearted decisions based on the bottom line.

Tim Schneider, president of Soaring Eagle Enterprises, a company that offers educational training for those who work in the human resources field, said that stereotype is inaccurate.

"They are becoming much more of a service function, where the professionals in the human resource departments are geared to providing internal service for the employees of the organization," Schneider said.

Starting this month, human resource professional Linda Florence will be teaching an educational program she co-developed with Schneider.

The series will be offered through the Community College of Southern Nevada's Continuing Education program.

The nine-week course is designed for human resource professionals in all types and sizes of businesses. Schneider said classes are interactive and focus on the best practices being used in the Las Vegas market.

"Because of the changing nature of the human resource (departments) over the last two to three years in Las Vegas, employers have figured out their people are turning into a resource and are not to be taken for granted, and that's where we've taken this program, as well," Schneider said. "We look at it from an employer's perspective, but the issues we look at are retention -- when you get a good person, how to keep them."

Individual classes in the series are Finding and Recruiting Team Members; Measuring Employee Performance; Effective Rewards; Recognition and Retention Strategies; Disciplinary Coaching and Actions; Dealing with Difficult Team Members; Training Program Design and Availability; Compensation and Benefits; Building Personnel Policies and Procedures; and Current Employment Issue Overview.

"It's the little things, like providing a parking space, that are the difference between keeping one talent or watching it go across the street," Schneider said.

Classes can be taken separately for $55 each or as an entire series for $389. An optional notebook outlining the course, which includes sample policies and procedures from companies is available in class for an additional $65.

Schneider said human resource departments are usually the first view prospective employees get of a company and it should be a good one.

Classes are scheduled from 6 to 9 p.m. every Tuesday from Jan. 30 through March 27. The course will be at the Sahara West Center of the Community College of Southern Nevada, 2409 Las Verdes St. Students can register through Jan. 30.

Those interested in the program can call Soaring Eagle Enterprises Inc. at 242-9080. For registration, call the community college at 651-5790.