UA-Fayetteville gets human resources rework

Chief people officer’s title part of ‘employer of choice’ goal

Michelle Hargis Wolfe, the first "chief people officer" at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, is shown with the university's administration building in this undated combination of courtesy photos.
Michelle Hargis Wolfe, the first "chief people officer" at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, is shown with the university's administration building in this undated combination of courtesy photos.


FAYETTEVILLE -- As Michelle Hargis Wolfe drove along Garland Avenue last year and watched students at her alma mater stroll down the street, "I got goosebumps all over my body."

"They are the future, of our region, state, country, and the world, and I see that potential," said Hargis Wolfe, the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville's first "chief people officer." She didn't know then the job was open, and "I wasn't looking, but I knew I wanted to be involved" in helping those young people and the university.

Hargis Wolfe, who began her new duties Feb. 1, spent nearly two decades with Walmart Inc., including time leading human resources for several large divisions -- such as senior director for Enterprise Business Services -- overseeing supplier onboarding, master data management strategy and operations, and realty construction contract and project management, according to the university.

Hargis Wolfe has more than a decade of legal counsel experience -- she has a Juris Doctor degree -- preparing cases for various civil rights and employment-related topics, contributing to increasing diverse representation at a Denver law firm, and growing Walmart's partnerships with minority-owned law firms and general contractors in her roles with the retailer.

She had worked with Ann Bordelon -- who took over as the university's executive vice chancellor for finance and administration in 2020 -- at Walmart years earlier, and "we got reconnected," which is how she learned about this job, said Hargis Wolfe. "I have such pride in [my alma mater], and I'm so excited" for this role.

Though this isn't a new position -- it was formerly known as associate vice chancellor for human resources -- it was important to change the title to "chief people officer" to signal "a change in how we're thinking about our people on campus," said Bordelon, also a UA-Fayetteville alumna. Rather than treat employees in a "transactional" manner, universities "need to think about what they want, and how we can fulfill that."

More than 60% of the university's operating budget is "people-related costs, and we need to optimize those dollars" by focusing on "our human capital," Bordelon said. "We have to address the needs of baby boomers [working for us] to [people] first entering the workforce -- and everyone in between -- and those needs are very different."

"Are we making their jobs easier, or are we adding frustration to their days? It's not just about pay and benefits," she said. It's about "is your day rewarding?"

As part of an emphasis on making the university an employer of choice, the university announced a classification and compensation project -- which Hargis Wolfe is now leading -- for staff roles last year and has partnered with Huron Consulting Group for the work, according to the university. UA-Fayetteville has also sought feedback from stakeholders across campus to revamp the university's job classification architecture for staff roles and evaluate the university's compensation structure.

The project team has been working with a variety of subject-matter experts across campus to establish job families for staff roles that more consistently represent responsibilities and ultimately create clearer paths to development and career advancement, according to the university. The team is also refining the university's compensation philosophy to better attract, inspire, and retain talent.

As deans, "the most important thing is deciding who to hire," said Kim Needy, dean of the College of Engineering. In order to attract and retain top talent, those individuals need to see opportunities, and "we need to make sure they can be successful."

Hargis Wolfe's top priority is making the university "an employer of choice," which entails attracting new talent, of course, but also keeping key talents from leaving, and she plans to attack that task through variegated methods, she said. "A lot of listening sessions and a lot of action, [as] I have to make sure faculty and staff see that I've heard them."

Making the university an employer of choice has been a main goal of Charles Robinson's since his tenure as interim chancellor began in 2021, and that's continued since he was officially named chancellor in November.

The university must signal to employees "that you matter to us," according to Robinson. "When people feel that, they tend to give more."

Hargis Wolfe is also leading the university's Employee Value Proposition project.

The employee value proposition is "the soft stuff, why you come to work," the reward, impact, and service, said Hargis Wolfe. Diving deeper into those concepts will inform "what that means," and that will tie into job postings and job descriptions.

Hargis Wolfe wants to know why employees "come here," but also why they stay, as "we want to ensure a healthy, supportive environment," she said. That includes listening, obviously, but also examining data that explains "why people accepted a job."

She's already learned staff want career paths and opportunities for growth, as well as feeling they "belong, that they are working toward a meaningful purpose, and that they can thrive," she said. "I have the experience creating tools that show employees career paths, and I've led [all manner] of teams for Walmart."

The university "was looking for a leader, but also someone with the technical skills," she said. "I have both, and I've already bought in with my heart, mind, and soul" to the university's focus on becoming an employer of choice.

Hargis Wolfe brings different experiences to the role, and her business expertise helps her understand "the impact of business decisions being made," said Bordelon. "She's seen everything, and her legal background is very helpful, too."

"I know what it takes to be successful at Walmart ... and I want to see more of that expertise on this campus, so I was thrilled when she was interested in the job," Bordelon said. "It takes a special set of communication, influence, and relationship skills to move the needle on a campus like this, and she can do it."

Hargis Wolfe "has a long history of transformation, and her learning agility is high," Bordelon added. She picks things up quickly, which "she's already proven" during the first few months of her tenure, and she's a "highly collaborative person," not someone cloistered in her office all day.

A Little Rock native, Hargis Wolfe earned her Bachelor of Arts from UA-Fayetteville after graduating from Little Rock Central High School, and she received her master's and doctoral degrees from the University of Denver, according to UA-Fayetteville. She's served on several boards, including a five-year stint with the Arkansas Research Alliance and her current role as the Board Secretary for Horses for Healing NWA.

Through the Arkansas Research Alliance -- based in Little Rock, it operates as a public-private partnership, investing in research that stimulates innovation, encourages collaboration, and strengthens economic opportunity -- Hargis Wolfe learned more about higher education in the state by meeting with chancellors and hearing from grant recipients, she said. "That piqued my interest, and I realized it was time for me to try to make an impact."

The "energy, vibrancy, excitement, and continuous learning" on this campus is "very rewarding," she said. "It's fantastic."


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