About the Author
Andrea Butcher is a catalyst for growth and a visionary — she knows how to lead organizations from big picture to execution. She is a dynamic speaker, executive coach, and facilitator. As the CEO of HRD – A Leadership Development Company, she leads a national team of expert facilitators and coaches to accomplish organizational goals by building and strengthening leadership capability. She is the host of the popular leadership podcast, Being [at Work] and is the author of The Power in the Pivot: Leadership Lessons from Being [at Work] to Take You from Chaos to Clarity (Red Thread Publishing).
Andrea’s work spans organizations of all sizes and industries all over the world; she has experience in global HR positions, consulting, operations, and executive roles for private and public organizations. Andrea is also the co-founder and President of Next Gen Talent, a program specifically designed to equip emerging HR leaders for success.
Dedication
To the professor who asked me, “Have you thought about a career in human resources?” and to the HR profession — thank you for being dedicated to the well-being of people. Every single employee is bringing their humanness to work each day, and I’m grateful to be part of a profession that is dedicated to creating workplaces that are enriching and supportive.
Author’s Acknowledgments
In preparing this fourth edition of Human Resources Kit For Dummies, I relied on the advice and assistance of a number of talented individuals whose contributions made this book possible.
Thank you to my dear friend, and the technical editor of this book, Kelly Lavin. Kelly is the co-founder of Next Gen Talent (a nonprofit we created together to equip emerging HR leaders) and the chief people officer at Niche. In addition, thank you to the subject matter experts who collaborated with me on the best practices within specific areas of HR: Megan Nail, vice president, Total Rewards Practice at NFP; Dora Lutz, founder at GivingSpring (expertise in CSR); Thomas Mackey and Art Pizzello (expertise in employee benefits); Phil Strazzulla, founder at Select Software Reviews, (provided extensive insight on HR technology); and Ronda McClurg, vice president, People Solutions at iA (expertise in talent acquisition).
I also want to acknowledge the individuals who made the previous editions of Human Resources Kit For Dummies possible, most notably Max Messer. In addition, I’m indebted to Kelsey Baird, managing editor at Wiley, who recognized my passion for the profession and strong HR practices; and to the editors and reviewers whose efforts carried this fourth edition through to completion — thank you to Chad Sievers, Christine Pingleton, Kristie Pyles, and Steve Hayes for your guidance and encouragement throughout the process.
My background and passion is in employee engagement and development, so I relied heavily on the expertise and partnership of leaders at the highly respected law firm of Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C. Thank you, Bonnie Martin, office managing shareholder in Indianapolis and her fellow shareholder (and co-chair of Ogletree’s Benefits Practice Group), Stephanie Smithey — your collaboration was essential to this project. Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart is a leading labor and employment law firm. They provide coverage through 55 offices in 32 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and in Canada, Mexico, and Europe. They represent employers of all sizes and across many industries, from small businesses to Fortune 500 companies. As employment issues continue to grow in legal complexity, I believe readers will benefit greatly from their expertise.
Publisher’s Acknowledgments
Executive Editor: Steven Hayes
Project Manager and Editor: Chad R. Sievers
Senior Managing Editor: Kristie Pyles
Copy Editor: Christine Pingleton
Technical Editor: Kelly Lavin
Production Editor: Tamilmani Varadharaj
Cover Image: © Ground Picture/Shutterstock