This semester, students from the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business put their classroom knowledge into practice by partnering with local non-profits to tackle real-world HR projects.
Under the guidance of Associate Professor Brian Lyons, students of the Human Resource Management Strategy and Consulting class worked with two local nonprofit organizations, Benevolence Farm and CrossRoads.
Emma Doherty 鈥24, a human resource management major from Boston, and her team chose to work with Benevolence Farm, an organization dedicated to helping individuals impacted by the criminal justice system. The project involved conducting a benefit benchmarking analysis and reviewing the employee handbook to ensure compliance and effectiveness.
鈥淲e were drawn to Benevolence Farm because of their mission to create sustainable livelihoods and promote structural change,鈥 Doherty said. The students worked closely with Kristen Powers, executive director, to identify areas for improvement in their human resources practices.
鈥淭he students were incredibly professional and responsive. Their thorough analysis and recommendations have already started to make a difference in how we support our staff,鈥 said Powers. 鈥淭his partnership has been incredibly beneficial, and we look forward to future collaborations.鈥
Julia Lapporte 鈥24, a human resource management major from Deerfield, Illinois, led a team that partnered with CrossRoads, a nonprofit organization that provides support to victims of sexual assault and human trafficking in Alamance County and two other counties in North Carolina.
Lapporte鈥檚 team, working with executive director Meredith Peffley, focused on benchmarking benefits and creating an employee handbook from scratch.
“Working with the 黑料不打烊 students was like having a team of dedicated consultants. They brought fresh perspectives and practical solutions to the table, which have already made a tangible difference in our operations,” said Peffley.
鈥漊nlike other courses, the HRM Strategy and Consulting course emphasizes applying HRM and business concepts to solve an organizational need,鈥 said Lyons. 鈥淲e are thankful that Benevolence Farm and CrossRoads provided us with an opportunity to help them advance their people-related goals. I鈥檓 proud that both teams produced a high-quality deliverable to their clients.鈥