“Historically, we had hundreds of new hires every year, and all of those were handled manually,” said Damarie Cardona-Reilly, senior director of human resources information systems. “This new system takes away all of the tedious manual effort involved in both the front and back ends. Now applicants have a much more streamlined way of getting access to open positions and being able to apply for them.” 

The move to modernize the University’s hiring system began in 2019, said Cardona-Reilly.

“IT has always been in the forefront of finding new technology and better ways of integrating different systems. A few years ago, their strategy for system integrations transitioned from flat file to Ethos, and the Office of Human Resources decided to leverage the Ethos integration for our applicant tracking system implementation,” she said.

Throughout the pandemic, IT and the Office of Human Resources worked together to integrate data from two platforms, Ellucian Ethos and PeopleAdmin, in order to create an online platform where prospective talent could easily apply to jobs and new hires could “seamlessly” enter the University system, said Cardona-Reilly. 

“In the past, applicants used to apply for positions by completing a paper application. When hired, they would complete paper onboarding forms that included personal information. We also had a team that manually input information for personal, employee, and job records. Now all of that is seamless. Instead of filling out paperwork and applying for a position manually, it’s all automated. This increases transparency, streamlines the process, and helps us to better secure personal and confidential information,” said Cardona-Reilly.

Thanks to the new online system, Fordham has been able to expand its reach to prospective hires, said Cardona-Reilly. From 2020 to 2021, nearly 1,000 applications were received for 60 open positions. In addition, 50% of recent hires are coming through this new award-winning system, while the other half are still coming through the older system, which is transitioning to the updated version.

The $25,000 grant was awarded to Fordham in April, in recognition of the University’s ability to use technology to operate more efficiently and to offer a better employee experience. The grant will be used to further enhance technology and streamlining processes at Fordham, said Cardona-Reilly.

“This integration was a huge effort by many members within HR and IT, and this could not have been achieved without the support of Fordham’s leadership. This is also the first time that HR has received an award in technology,” Cardona-Reilly said. “To see that our colleagues at Ellucian and other schools understand and appreciate the effort that was involved in that—that’s important to us.”

Who She Is
Benefits Manager in the Human Resources Department. From retirement plans to disability insurance, Busby is one of a staff of four who oversee benefits for Fordham’s employees.

Where She’s From
A native of New York state, Busby’s family hails from the Bronx with strong ties to Fordham. Her father, Eugene O’Brien, graduated from Fordham College Rose Hill in 1948 and from Fordham Law in 1951. Her aunt, Sister Mary Walter Santer, attended the Graduate School of Religion.

Background
She worked in human resources at Gannett newspaper’s Journal News in Rockland County, New York. “The main difference between my job at Gannett and my work here at Fordham is that was a small HR location of a larger corporation. Most of the decisions were made at the headquarters. Here at Fordham we do everything. We’re responsible for the medical coverage, retirement accounts, working with vendors—and for handling the billing.”

Biggest Misperception of HR
“I think when people are told to call HR they feel that its not a good thing, like they’re in trouble. But we’re here to help you. It actually makes everybody’s life a lot better if employees come to us to ask questions about benefits rather than asking a co-worker. Your co-workers may have an idea, but they don’t know all the answers. There are four of us here and this is all we do.”

Getting Personal with the Personnel
“Sometimes people are hesitant to talk about personal issues at work, but, honestly, people come to us with intensely personal business on a daily basis, and confidentiality is of the utmost importance. It never leaves our office. Sometimes it’s about a serious health issue. We are trained to deal with confidential issues and be sensitive to what employees are going through.”

The Key to Good HR
“This job is about listening. Sometimes people just need to talk, but mostly they want to understand the specifics of their benefits.”

The Payoff
“My favorite part of this job is when someone comes to me with a real problem. By getting them the information they need, I feel that I’ve lifted their burden a bit—even if it’s just a little.”

The Fordham Baby Boom
“We also get to hear lots of good news around here too. People come to us when they’re purchasing houses, getting married. Babies are one of the best parts of the job. The University is experiencing a little baby boom right now. I love to hear about that—and the adoptions!”

Down Time
In the warmer months, Busby and her family get out onto the Hudson River for sailing, a pastime, which has become the subject of her photography. Several of her photographs hang in her office. She has exhibited and sold in Rockland County. In addition to shooting the sailing landscapes, she often pops into Manhattan to shoot street scenes.