Page 42 - BusinessWest May 15, 2023

“The pandemic was a game changer. The hotline was really crazy during that time.”
Ebner joined EANE in 2016 as director of Membership and Partnerships, overseeing the group that is responsible for keeping members with the association and expanding membership, as well as developing relationships with partners who might provide ser- vices and support to members.
For example, “we have partners in the payroll space. We have partners in the background-checking space,” she said. “And we fully vet those vendors and bring them to our members if they’re good partners for our members to have and use.”
Last year, Ebner was promoted to vice president of Membership and Partnerships, and later selected by the board to succeed Wise. Linda Olbrys will join the EANE team as the new director of Mem- bership and Partnerships, bringing considerable experience in both human resources and talent acquisition and retention services.
As for Ebner, she brings not just her experience to the presi- dent’s chair, but a passion for EANE’s multi-faceted work.
“We are a nonprofit organization that provides amazing resourc- es to these member companies, and we all really believe so strongly in that mission,” she told BusinessWest. “We have the opportunity every day to make 1,050 organizations across the Northeast better, to have a better employee experience. We talk about that here — how we help create exceptional workplaces. That’s really what we do.”
What’s the Pitch?
Ebner jokes that it’s impossible to craft an elevator pitch detail- ing all the reasons a business should join EANE. An elevator ride of that length simply doesn’t exist. But it helps the discussion, she said, to break its services into three pillars.
The first is membership support, funded by annual dues that are benchmarked to the number of workers a member employs.
“Probably the most popular member benefit we have is access to our employer hotline, which is staffed Monday through Friday from 8 and 5 with seven or eight certified HR professionals. Mem- bers can call with compliance questions, employee-relations issues, safety-related issues, best practices, anything around policies, forms ... really, anything.”
Last year, the hotline fielded more than 5,000 calls. During the first year of COVID, it took more than 8,000 as companies were suddenly faced with unprecedented challenges.
“When needs arise, people want answers, they need advice, they need resources,” Ebner said. “Our director of Compliance, Mark Adams, was doing weekly Friday webinars with 500, 600 people
— it almost crashed our Zoom. Everyone was trying to keep up — ‘well, what are they saying now about compliance? What do we
do about testing? Are we allowed to require masks, or not require masks?’ It just got so crazy. And we had to be on top of everything.
“The pandemic was a game changer,” she added. “The hotline was really crazy during that time. And it still remains our most pop- ular member benefit.”
But members also get access to monthly webinars, compensa- tion and salary-benchmarking data, a library of sample forms and policies, and an online resource tool offering performance-manage- ment systems, job-description writing tools, and other resources.
The second pillar has to do with HR support services, like employee handbooks, affirmative-action plans, audits, and recruit- ing services.
“We’ve done a lot of compensation reports for organizations. When you can’t find the talent, the first place people go is, ‘well, what am I paying? Am I paying fair market? How am I bench- marked versus my competition?’ So we’ve done a lot of compensa- tion work over the last few years, during the talent crunch.
“We also use a service called HR Partner, where, if you need an extra hand in HR or you’re missing HR — maybe you’re a small organization, and you don’t have a dedicated HR person, or maybe you lost your HR person to a medical leave — we have a team that will go out and be your HR team,” she explained. “That’s a really nice option for folks, and a very fast-growing part of our business here at EANE.”
The third pillar centers on learning and development, including more than 40 different training programs, both virtually and on site.
“Our learning and development area is very, very strong, and that’s a fast-growing part of our
Ebner
Continued on page 44
>>
Relax. Rejuvenate. Renew.
For over 22 years, our clients have trusted us to provide them with an array of both medically-based and luxurious spa treatments. We pride ourselves in our knowledge, professionalism and cleanliness. Come in and let
our experienced and committed staff take care of you.
Our Services
• Skin Tightening
• Body Contouring
• Lash Lifts & Tinting • Lash Extensions
• Mineral Makeup
• Acne Solutions
• Therapeutic Massage
• Couples Massage
• Body Scrubs
• Treatments for Hyperpigmentation
Nurture Your Natural Beauty at Renew.calm Day Spa
413.737.6223 renewcalm.com
Visit us at our new location: 80 Capital Drive, West Springfield, MA
42
MAY 15, 2023
<< WOMEN IN BUSINESS >>
BusinessWest