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Jerry Nelson
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Greg Fouks
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What does the MCUL’s August 2007 purchase of HRN Management Group mean for credit unions?
Credit union ownership of a one-stop shop for all credit union HR needs, featuring state-of-the-art products and services at affordable and reasonable prices.
Prior to the MCUL’s purchase of HRN, the League had been an HRN product user for several years and the management relationships between the two organizations and their CEOs had always been at the highest professional level, according to HRN President/CEO Jerry Nelson.
“The purchase made complete business, professional and customer service sense,” Nelson says. “And, once HRN was firmly planted within the credit union industry as a subsidiary of the MCUL, the next logical step was to merge HRN with another HR entity that CUcorp was managing — HRValue Group (HRVG).
“With the merger of HRN with HRVG, a complete human resource credit union service firm has been formed. HRN’s high level of HR products and services joined with HRVG’s HR consulting and placement services has created a synergistic organization that is readily able to meet the human resource needs of all credit unions. The merged relationship is really exciting — it’s created a one-stop shop for all credit union HR needs.”
HRN Management Group had been servicing the credit union community since 1989 by first providing a myriad of human resource consulting programs. These offerings initially included compensation design and management, performance management, supervisory training, EEO and affirmative action compliance, and employee HR handbook design.
In the mid-1990s, however, HRN’s focus changed as the company moved into the development of HR software and on-line products. The consulting services, while still offered, became a lesser part of HRN’s strategic mission.
“The design and delivery of effective and efficient human resource on-line services moved to center stage,” says Nelson. “The flagship product became Performance Pro — a fully automated and on-line performance appraisal system now in use by more than 600 companies and organizations, including 300 credit unions.”
Other automated HR products that were either developed or provided through partnership arrangements include HR Suite, Job Descriptions Plus, Handbooks Plus and Compease. “These well received on-line and easily delivered services have enabled HRN to now have clients in all 50 states as well as several foreign countries,” Nelson says.
In addition to a commitment to product perfection and usability, HRN’s reputation for customer service and support are legendary, according to MCUL President/CEO David Adams. “A competitor, when recently questioned if their customer service was as good as HRN’s, responded with ‘Well, no one’s that good,’” Adams says. “HRN has really carved out a niche in the HR arena and within the credit union industry in particular, providing effective, efficient and cost effective premier HR products and services.”
Although HRValue Group has been assisting the Credit Union System since 2000 in HR Consulting and Executive Search, the company has been revitalized since the new management agreement with CUcorp in 2006, according to HRValue Group President/COO Greg Fouks.
“Our 20 credit union league investors and the CUNA Mutual Group are now seeing a greater benefit and need from their credit union members for human resource projects and services,” he says. “This is especially true in Michigan.”
Fouks notes that the HRValue Group Vision has always been “to be the preferred national provider of human resource products and services for the credit union movement.” The company’s growth now has it serving more Michigan and national credit unions toward that end, with human resource products such as:
- Salary/Compensation Development — Base, Incentive and Executive;
- Performance Management Consulting;
- HR Administration — HR Audit, HR Policy Consulting, Affirmative Action;
- Skill Assessment/Background Checks;
- Organizational Analysis — Org Chart;
- Executive Search;
- Staffing Solutions — Recruitment Assistance;
- Succession Planning;
- Customized Management Training;
- Employee Opinion Surveys;
- Board Governance;
- HR Outsourcing.
“Now with the merger of HRN-HRVG, we can even more directly offer the HRN suite of Human Resource products, such as Performance Pro, HR Suite and Compease (Salary Administration System), along with our consulting services,” Fouks says. “The good news is that we have already been offering these products for several years and the relationship can simply be strengthened even further. Together our two companies have become more vibrant organizations that can add greater value to Michigan and national credit unions.
With credit union membership growth slow, margins tight and competition strong, there is an even greater need for HRValue Group’s products and services, he adds.
“Our knowledge of the credit union industry and our experienced Human Resource Consultants and Executive Search team can consistently share ways and ideas for credit unions to improve their staff’s talent level and work environment so that they’re motivated and freed up to optimize their job performance,” Fouks says.
“HRValue Group believes ‘there is no substitute for talent or cultural fit.’ We offer human resource solutions to the credit union industry to ensure every credit union becomes the best it can be in serving its membership.”
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Regulatory Affairs
