HR Partner Model

The Human Resources Department is changing their organizational structure to better support Executive Leadership, Managers, and Employees. The new model is to provide the highest-level customer service and build relationships to help support organizational goals and initiatives.

HR Partners by Division

HR Partner Divisional Lead: Sarah Staley, sstaley@holycross.edu

HR Partner Liaison: Kim McCullen, kmcculle@holycross.edu 

  • Communications and Marketing
  • Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
  • Institutional Advancement
  • Provost and Dean of the College
  • Student Development and Mission

HR Partners Divisional Lead: Kristan Coffey, kcoffey@holycross.edu

HR Partner Liaison: Merrilee Grenier, mgrenier@holycross.edu

  • Administration and Finance
  • Athletics
  • Enrollment Management
  • General Counsel

The HR Partner Model

  • HR Partners support the strategic efforts of Holy Cross through well-designed approaches to build our strengths, enhance our culture, focus on talent, and be recognized as an employer of choice. Understand the business strategy and how the organization succeeds. We partner with leaders to anticipate and solve organizational, people, and change related issues and strategically manage workforce planning.
  • HR Partners act as trusted collaborators and thought partners, supporting employees and leaders to attract, retain, and develop the best and brightest faculty and staff who are empowered to thrive in a diverse and inclusive community. We seek to institutionalize university values and beliefs and champion DEI initiatives.
  • HR partners are experts in human resources with key responsibility to provide progressive, value-added solutions through collaboration and partnership with leaders to build organizational capability: behaviors, structures, and processes that deliver on the department/division strategy. We will collect and act on feedback from employees, represent their voices in conversations and champion employee engagement.

The new vision and model supports a pro-active supportive approach to the following:

  • Strategic Thinking around priorities across Holy Cross and the divisions
  • Process Improvement creating efficiencies and increasing innovation
  • Change Leadership to help you guide, lead and manage change effectively
  • Organizational Design, a process for reviewing and enhancing department structures
  • Employee Relations to assist with problem solving or opportunities for improvement
  • Workforce/Succession Planning to support continuity and strategy-aligned talent
  • Performance Management and Coaching a developmental exercise to help employees perform their best and find satisfaction, reward, and purpose in their jobs

Our aspiration is to:

  • To advocate for what is equitable and in the best interests of Holy Cross and its employees.
  • To influence decision makers with sound practices and rationale.
  • To serve as consultative resources for employees and managers.
  • To serve as courageous communicators of the message.
  • To serve as transformative change agents on behalf of Holy Cross’ strategic goals.
  • To serve as trusted advisors to all employees.

HR Core Services

HR Core Services Illustration

Outside of the new support model as outlined above, we continue to offer our HR Core Services. Employees should reach out directly to those listed on the HR Contact page to engage with HR for expertise outside of the listed areas.