Welcome to the Eastern Iowa Human Resource Association
Board Message
Greetings from the new EIHRA president:
Happy 2023 and CHEERS to new beginnings! 
My name is Sarah Brown, Talent Acquisition Manager at Kirkwood Community College. It is with highest honor that I serve as the 2023 President of EIHRA. I have been an active chapter member for seven years and through this time and many cherished experiences, I have grown to hold a special place in my heart for EIHRA!
This chapter has awarded me the ability to grow and strengthen my HR network and the opportunity to learn from other professionals through HR roundtables. With EIHRA, I was able to support and participate in study groups that helped me earn my SHRM-CP. The many chapter-provided resources have enabled me to grow professionally and personally. I am eager to serve this chapter and community in EIHRA’s mission of creating a collaborative community to service HR practitioners and further their professional development.
We have had our fair share of challenges these past few years. The COVID pandemic, record-high inflation, and workforce shortages, are just to name a few. These issues took a toll on HR professionals and caused many to feel disengaged or just simply burnt out. These major crises and issues plagued our lives at work and home—and this ultimately affected this chapter. Recently, our new and returning EIHRA board members had the opportunity to join together to collaborate and outline our goals and objectives for the new year. The board members are very excited to bring this chapter back to what it was pre-COVID, to stretch and meet the ever changing world of HR and enhance our overall member engagement.
There are so many great things this board has planned, all centered around YOU, our members. Because, YOU are what make this chapter so incredible! To start, we will bring back monthly meetings that not only have relevant content for our development but include a delicious breakfast and hot coffee. EIHRA will also begin hosting an HR roundtable directly following monthly program meetings. These roundtables will be beneficial to HR professionals seeking advice on HR issues and for members to share best practices. Lastly, the board will be committed to publishing newsletters and maintaining updated website content to include the latest HR information and upcoming events in our area. Keeping you informed will be our priority!
I invite our members to share your voices and ideas on how we can enhance member engagement and what EIHRA can provide to you professionally. We continue to always welcome volunteers and are eager for member involvement. If you are interested in volunteering on the board or have program or sponsors ideas please reach out to me directly at sarah.brown@kirkwood.edu or eyeoneihra@gmail.com.
Thank you for your continuous support for EIHRA and we look forward to serving you this year!
Hope to see you soon!
Sarah
P.S. You can register for and see all our upcoming events on the website Events page
Eastern Iowa Human Resources Jobs
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Kent Corporation
Compensation Manager, Muscatine, IA (On-Site)
Description
Looking for a career with an innovative, sustainable, family-owned US Best Managed Company award winner? KENT® Corporation has a unique opportunity to join our exceptional team as a Compensation Manager!
The Compensation Manager is responsible for the design, development and execution of Compensation Administration at KENT, including base pay, bonus, variable pay, short term disability, employee recognition programs, etc. This critical role is based in Muscatine, Iowa (ON-SITE) and will provide support across KENT® Corporation and all subsidiaries.
SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Human Resources Administrative Assistant, Administrative Receptionists
PRIMARY DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Designs and develops a wage and compensation practice that includes a system for compensating employees.
- Provides information to managers on department salaries to support budgets and compensation changes.
- Proactively and systematically evaluates compensation for various job groups and ensures the company is paying at market average for roles.
- Administers all salaried new hire and changes to compensation and oversees administration of hourly wages and salaries including paid time off practices for both groups. Recommends ways to drive efficiency in the process and works with individuals using payroll information to improve the level of services.
- Administers annual merit increase process. Optimizes HRIS system compensation module to ensure workbooks and workflows are set to approved budget, tested and deployed effectively. Provides training to managers on utilizing the compensation workbooks. Completes post increase analysis and reports out results via Executive Summary.
- Collaborate effectively with Payroll to ensure smooth payroll processing and data integrity.
- Administers bonus and short-term disability pay programs.
- Ensures HRIS data integrity. Supports Director in data requests and analysis. Functions as a System Administrator in HRIS.
EDUCATION:
- Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field is required, MBA preferred
- CCP preferred – Certified Compensation Professional
EXPERIENCE & QUALIFICATIONS:
- Minimum of 5 years human resources experience
- Prior Compensation administration required
- Ability to work with highly sensitive information and keep confidentiality at a high level
- Ultimate Kronos Group (UKG) experience preferred
- Strong organizational, computer, leadership collaboration and interpersonal skills
- Excellent communication skills both written and verbal
- A sense of urgency with an ability to handle multiple priorities and meet deadlines
- Ability to exercise sound judgment and a strong business results focus
- Individual must have a high level of energy and be a self-starter
TRAVEL:
- 0-10%
The above statements cover what are generally believed to be the principal and essential functions of this job. Specific circumstances may allow or require some people assigned to the job to perform a somewhat different combination of duties.
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Recent News
OUR MISSION:
Creating a collaborative community to serve HR practitioners and further their professional development.
OUR VISION:
To be the most reliable resource for HR practitioners and the most relevant voice of our profession in our community.
Member Benefits
EIHRA is an affiliate of our national organization, the Society of Human Resource Management. Membership in EIHRA is around 200 members and growing. Membership is offered to both national SHRM members and members who wish to belong on a “local only” basis. It is a great benefit to belong to both the local and national organization.
Welcome to our newest EIHRA members!
We are so glad you are here.
- Holly Madorin- CRST
- Christa Kalb- HR Manager XL Specialized Trailers
- Nicole Eales- Records Clerk City of Marion
- Zoe Fernandez-Sandell
We are an affiliate of the Society for Human Resource Management. Whether you are new to the HR field or have many years of experience, we are a local starting point for networking, information, professional development and continued support of excellence in Human Resources.
We welcome your use of this site as a resource, and encourage you to check back frequently for updated information. We also encourage your involvement and suggestions about all of our activities, on the web and off.
We look forward to seeing you at an upcoming meeting or event!
RESOURCES
EIHRA offers anything from legislative updates to how to get connected with area students studying human resources.
If you can’t find something on our website, please don’t hesitate to contact us.