I. Human Resource Management

An excellent way to build a school culture is by hiring individuals who believe in the vision set by principals. Most principals do not get the chance to hire the majority of their staff until they have been there for some time, so there needs to be a calculated effort by principals to mold the culture with the existing staff, most of whom are just as passionate about education as the principal is. When dealing with human resource management, there are a lot of variables that are out of the principal's control and the principal has to have a deep understanding of them. The collective bargaining process, employee contracts and benefits, and much more are often mandated to the principal rather than decided by the principal. The principal does, however, have a degree of control in supervision and evaluation techniques, staff development, and recruiting, selecting, and retaining personnel.

Most of my experience related to the Human Resource Management competency comes from Educational Leadership program coursework, union activities related to collective bargaining and labor relations, and a few instances of being on a hiring committee for superintendent and middle school principal for Fergus Falls Public Schools. I believe that I have the right temperament to do well in the Human Resource Management competency, but I need more hands-on experience before I can call it an area of strength.