myHR: October 30, 2024

Welcome, Job Seekers

Prospective Penn staff members can meet face-to-face with recruiting teams from across schools and centers at the 2024 University of Pennsylvania Job and Career Fair on Monday, November 18 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Houston Hall’s Hall of Flags. This event provides job seekers with detailed information about the benefits of working for one of Pennsylvania’s top 10 employers.

The job fair is open to the public. Pre-registration is recommended but not required. To register, visit this year’s Workday Job Fair page, which features a selection of available staff positions at Penn.

Next month, more than 20 University and Penn Medicine Health System representatives will convene in Houston Hall to share information about entry- and mid-level job openings in an array of fields. Openings are available in business services, development, facilities, public safety, veterinary health, information systems, community outreach, research, financial administration, nursing, and several other areas.

"Last year’s career fair event was a success for our division, with two placements on our teams that are working out very well,” says Richard Le, HR Director in the Division of Finance.

A 2023 attendee and Division of Finance staff member, Wan Yu Tan, recommends the event to current and would-be employees.

“I gained invaluable insight into what recruiters are seeking--enhancing my understanding of their expectations and refining my approach to succeed in the job application process,” says Tan, who works as a Senior Accountant/Financial Analyst.

This year’s attendees can also take advantage of the Resume Café, a HRIM-Talent Acquisition initiative designed to provide instant personalized resume feedback to potential candidates. 

More information about working at Penn is available on the Careers at Penn page.

Penn's Way Campaign Keeps Giving

Penn’s Way, the workplace charitable giving campaign at Penn, continues making a difference. After three weeks of the campaign, more than 5,500 Penn faculty and staff have participated and raised $1,044,391. There is still time for you to join in the effort to support and build community by making your pledge. The Penn’s Way campaign runs through November 22.

During the campaign, the University will continue to match your contributions dollar for dollar. Penn will double the distance of your donation with a 100% match for every dollar you donate. Use the Penn’s Way website to make your contribution and help your choice of charities in a safe, efficient, and simple manner.

Last year, the University launched its 100% match program, which resulted in a record-breaking $2.2 million donated by you! With the matching donations, Penn’s Way raised more than $4 million to support local charities. Let’s continue to go the distance together.

After donating to your favorite charities, share why you give by posting your personal story to social media using #OurWayPennsWay!

Thank you for supporting Penn’s Way!

Extended Call for Staff Award Nominations

Penn’s annual Models of Excellence Award Program celebrates the outstanding achievements of individual full- and part-time staff members and teams throughout the University’s schools and centers. Your nominations are crucial to make sure all exemplary staff have the opportunity for Models of Excellence recognition. The 2025 Call for Nominations has been extended. Submissions are due by November 8, 2024.

The online nomination form is available at www.hr.upenn.edu/models.

See highlights of the 2024 Models of Excellence Ceremony in this Call for Nominations video.

Now in its 26th year, Models of Excellence advances the University’s principles and practices by honoring the people who are the foundation of all we do. Join this long-standing tradition by nominating individual staff members or teams for 2025 Models of Excellence honors.

Anyone in the Penn community may nominate individual Penn staff members and teams for an award in three categories: Models of Excellence, Pillars of Excellence, and Model Supervisor. Download the Call for Nominations brochure or visit www.hr.upenn.edu/models to learn more about the practices recognized for each category.

In all Models of Excellence categories, award recipients each receive $500 and a symbolic award. Nominees selected for honorable mention receive $250 and a symbolic award. Awards will be announced in the spring term. The next Models of Excellence Award Ceremony will take place in Harrison Auditorium at the Penn Museum on April 7, 2025.

The Models of Excellence Selection Committee rates each submission based on the content of your nominations.

Visit the Models of Excellence Program webpage or email models@hr.upenn.edu for more information.

Recommended Last Hire Date for Calendar Year 2024

Managers should be aware that hiring candidates for full-time staff positions well in advance of Special Winter Vacation makes onboarding more efficient. For calendar year 2024, the Division of Human Resources recommends that full-time staff start employment with the University before Monday, December 2, 2024. Keep this date in mind to make sure your new staff members’ first days go as smoothly as possible. Start dates can resume on January 2, 2025.

If you have any questions about the hiring timeline, feel free to contact your school or center recruiter.

Be in the Know Biometric Screenings for a Simple Check-in

Be in the Know on-campus biometric screenings are still available this fall. Free biometric screenings are available at convenient University locations now through November 26. For a complete list of screening dates and locations, download the biometric screening schedule.

You can sign up for your biometric screening appointment online at the Health Advocate website using your PennKey and password. Click the HEALTH tab at the top, then Health Screenings. Look for Schedule an Onsite Health Screening, then click Schedule Now. Select your preferred location and follow the steps to schedule your appointment. You will receive an email from Health Advocate confirming your appointment.

If you still need a flu vaccine, you can register for the combined biometric screening and flu shot event on November 7. Follow the same registration process as above and search Houston Hall, Hall of Flags to see scheduling options for both a screening and flu vaccine.

Be in the Know participant Meredith J. Methlie, Administrative Director, Organizational Dynamics says completing a biometric screening became part of her annual routine for tracking vital statistics.

“I'm a working parent who has to be at a desk a lot,” says Methlie. “So, blood pressure is something I want to monitor, and a home cuff isn't as good as the cuffs that they have at the biometric screenings. My motivation was to get a baseline to see where I was year over year.”

A biometric screening is the first step towards earning rewards in the Be in the Know campaign and the only activity required to receive Pulse Cash rewards for the 2024-2025 campaign year. Once you complete a biometric screening, you will earn $75 in Pulse Cash rewards – plus the opportunity to earn up to $300 Pulse Cash rewards by completing any qualifying "Ways to Earn" wellness activities. Redeem Pulse Cash rewards on the Virgin Pulse platform for your choice of gift cards, wellness items, and charitable donations.

Methlie managed to earn enough points during the 2023-2024 Be in the Know campaign to become a VIP, despite spraining her ankle last fall.

“I suffered an injury that prevented me from doing my go-to form of exercise, which is walking. So, I had to be creative about how I was going to get in activity with some limited mobility. I sought out the HR lunch things where there's either meditation or there's yoga, and those were things that I could do while still in a boot. I really leaned on those kinds of programs to get fitness in while I was still healing.”

What to Expect at the Screening

Quick, convenient, and confidential biometric screenings show you key indicators about your health. Your privacy is strictly protected. Penn will never know your individual screening results, health assessment answers, or personal health goals. At the on-campus biometric screening, a Health Advocate educator will measure your blood pressure, blood sugar/glucose, and lipids (including total, HDL, and LDL cholesterol and triglycerides.)

Methlie finds the cholesterol and blood glucose checks as beneficial as the blood pressure check. “It was particularly satisfying that my results were still okay, even with the injury,” she says.

After your on-campus screening, you will automatically receive credit for Be in the Know. Please allow approximately two weeks for credit to appear on the Virgin Pulse platform. If you’re not enrolled on Virgin Pulse, get started at https://join.virginpulse.com/penn.

More Biometric Screening Options

If you are unable to attend an on-campus biometric screening, there are additional, no-cost, convenient options available for you to learn valuable health information and earn biometric screening credit. Review the Biometric Screenings Options 2024-2025 flyer for details.

For complete details about the 2024-2025 Be in the Know wellness campaign, visit www.hr.upenn.edu/beintheknow.

*Per IRS guidelines, all Be in the Know rewards are subject to applicable payroll taxes at the time they are earned and rewarded to participants - even if rewards have not yet been redeemed (i.e., spent). Penn will process taxes on any earned rewards through participants’ paychecks on a quarterly basis (October 2024 and January, April, and July 2025.)

Develop Your Job-Related Skills

Earlier this year, HR Talent Development created and launched the first set of courses in an online competency curriculum to support Penn staff and leaders in understanding and developing their job-related skills. With the recent launch of the last 19 courses, staff can now access a total of 39 modules, including the Overview.

With the mid-year performance review process launching on November 1, now is a great time to explore the courses and learn ways to enhance your job performance and move toward greater success in your career.

The final round of self-paced courses includes:

• Manages Ambiguity
• Nimble Learning
• Being Resilient
• Situational Adaptability
• Manages Complexity
• Decision Quality
• Balances Stakeholders
• Action Oriented
• Resourcefulness
• Directs Work
• Plans and Aligns
• Optimizes Work Processes
• Courage
• Instills Trust
• Demonstrates Self-awareness
• Self-development
• Global Perspective
• Cultivates Innovation
• Strategic Mindset

Each course takes about 15 to 30 minutes to finish and can be completed in any order in Workday Learning. To access the competency courses, you can click on the links above or log into Workday and search “Penn Competencies” on the Workday homepage.

For the full competency curriculum, visit the Performance Management webpage.

For more information on competencies, visit the Competencies for Performance Appraisal webpage.

Healthy Meals: Lentil Mushroom Bolognese

This Penn Medicine recipe is a good way to cut back on meat while still enjoying the heartiness of a homecooked meal. Processed meat alternatives may be an easy fix for going plant based, but they often contain high levels of sodium. This lentil-based Bolognese is low in sodium and high in fiber for a satisfying meal.

Click here to send us your healthy recipes and tips.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large carrot, finely diced
• 1 large celery stalk, finely diced
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 8 ounces mushrooms, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 28-ounce can no-salt added crushed tomatoes
• 1 32-ounce carton low sodium vegetable broth, divided
• 1 cup lentils
• 8 ounces cooked spaghetti

Directions:

1. Heat the olive oil in a skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Add carrot, celery, onion, bay leaves and salt to the skillet and sauté for 5 to 7 minutes or until onion is translucent.
2. Add the mushrooms and garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes as the mushrooms soften.
3. Stir in the tomato paste, black pepper, oregano, thyme, basil and red pepper flakes and cook about 2 minutes, until the tomato paste melts into the vegetables.
4. Add crushed tomatoes, vegetable broth, and lentils. Stir to combine. Bring the sauce to a boil and reduce heat to low. Simmer, covered, for at least 30 minutes or until lentils are soft.
5. Cook the pasta according to package directions. When the sauce is ready, toss about 1 cup with each serving of spaghetti. Top with additional sauce if you like.
6. Store leftover Bolognese in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days, or in the freezer for six months.

Meet With a Registered Dietitian Today!

• One-on-One, virtual sessions you can schedule at any time that works for you
• 100% covered under many insurance plans
• Available to spouses and dependents
• Fill out the Ramp Health Nutrition Counseling Sign Up Form or call 800-484-7720.

Did You Know: Mid-year Performance Review Reminder

Penn’s staff performance review process starts November 1 in Workday. The mid-year performance review process is an opportunity for staff and their managers to discuss goals and performance between May 1 and October 31, 2024. On November 1, all eligible staff will receive a Workday notification to start their self-evaluation. For more information, contact your manager, the HR representative in your school or center, or the Penn Employee Solution Center at solutioncenter@upenn.edu and (215) 898-7372.