Into the Public Sector: HR Intern Ryan Lattimore

Greetings,

I recently had an opportunity to do some job shadowing in two different divisions within the Indiana State Personnel Department. The first division I encountered was Compensation, where I met Liz. Within just a few hours, I had witnessed everything from strategic hiring, job classifications, salary adjustments, pay for performance, and much more! I found the classification of lawyers to be the most interesting. 

The second division I shadowed was Employee Relations (ER)! I spoke with ten of the most talented individuals in ER, covering a multitude of topics. The main topics that were covered included Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), Civil Service, American’s with Disabilities Act (ADA), Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity Employment Commission (EEOC), State Employee’s Appeal Commission (SEAC), unemployment, and investigations. I found the ADA to extremely interesting. Disability accommodation is extremely vital in the workplace, and can be costly if overlooked. My favorite sector of ER was definitely the EEOC and following investigations. EEOC claims are seen more frequently as the year’s progress. It is fascinating how legality plays such a crucial role in Employee Relations.

Aside from doing some job shadowing, I was also assigned a project to work alongside our other intern Mary. We both received climate surveys for a division within a different agency and started our analysis. After reviewing each and every survey, we developed a recruitment plan for the HYCA, which included five major renovations. One of our suggestions was to authorize a Job Analysis Questionnaire (JAQ) to get a better understanding of what the job entails. Another aspect was to take that information from the JAQ and reevaluate our job postings and interview templates. These changes would give applicants a better understanding of the job, and it wou
ld also give the agency a bigger quality pool of applicants. Another big aspect was improving the job training program. The goal is to ensure that each new hire has all of the necessary skills and tools to be efficient and effective in their role.

This project is pretty extensive, and I am pleased to work with someone as devoted and talented as Mary. I work every Monday and Wednesday and she works every Tuesday and Thursday. Due to this scheduling, we are constantly communicating with one another and exchanging our work. However, we both are scheduled to work on Fridays, giving us an opportunity to work together and collaborate.

Aside from all of these activities, I have also had multiple opportunities to attend "all staff" meetings within Indiana State Personnel and Talent Acquisition division meetings, as well as sitting in on interviews. The staff meetings are very intriguing because they have shown me the direction our agency is going. This gives me, an intern, the chance to correlate my work with the goals and standards of the entire agency. Sitting in on panel interviews has also been extremely beneficial for my professional career. Not only am I gaining knowledge on what to look for as an employer, but also I am getting to see firsthand what I should be portraying as an applicant. By getting to sit on both sides of an interview, I have a better idea of what employers are looking for in a candidate.

Overall, my experience as an Human Resource (HR) intern with Indiana State Personnel has been extraordinary. I am constantly gaining experience that most students my age won’t experience until after graduation. Accepting this internship was the greatest decision I made this semester. I am beyond excited to progress in the various agencies I am assigned, as well as progressing as an HR professional. Over the next few weeks I am headed to work with the HR staff embedded with IN School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, and Pendleton Correctional Facilities! Until next time…

Ryan Lattimore

HR Intern

Indiana State Personnel Department