Jon's Final Week

I have had a great time during the fall internship at the State Personnel Department. I have spent 192 hours over the past ten weeks learning and growing. The experiences the internship provided could not been taught in class. Indiana State Personnel Department is truly a leader when it comes to human resources. Managing the employment needs of the third largest employer in the state is not an easy task.

I spent the last two weeks at the Indiana Department of Health (ISDH). The mission of the ISDH is to promote and provide essential public health services. I was exposed to a multitude of areas concerning human resources during my time there. I worked on projects involved with I-9s, filing, information gathering, recruiting, and was able to sit in on some employee relation conversations.

The I-9 project picked up where the other fall intern left off. In addition to this I had the chance to visit the Indiana School for the Deaf.While at the School for the Deaf, I updated the HR board with some required postings and notices. Filing was kept to a minimum, and I only spent a couple hours total in the file room. I had the opportunity to assist in gathering documentation for an unemployment hearing and information pertaining to employees that are required to maintain a CDL.

Most of my time was spent on employment efforts. I logged a lot of hours using PeopleSoft. I would change the disposition of applicant to initiate background checks by a 3^rd party. I would also need to print off applications and create a packet for candidates that were being considered for employment. Before a candidate may be hired, their packet must be complete with all the items required by SPD policy. I was responsible for maintaining a handful of applicants during the hiring process. Once the top candidate was selected I would create an offer letter and send it to the candidate. I was able to complete a few reference checks and employment verifications. However, at ISDH the hiring managers usually complete these tasks. After the offer letters were sent I would change the applicant’s disposition and prepare them for hire in PeopleSoft. I would also complete the Onboarding registration form and send it to the appropriate people.

The employee relations issues I had the opportunity to sit in on are confidential. If you want more information on them, apply to be the next intern at SPD. I came into this internship hoping to be exposed to how a large agency handles their HR needs. I also wanted to experience what it is like to work in a government organization. I feel that my expectations have been surpassed. If anyone reading this is considering the SPD HR internship, I would encourage them to apply. I know I am glad I did!