Human resources director named in December

This archived article was written by: Tiffany Cloward

Some of you may already know Jay Stephens as a history teacher for the College of Eastern Utah last semester. Stephens is now the director for the college’s human resources department.
Stephens was previously the human resources analyst for the State of Utah Eastern region. His educational background includes a bachelor’s degree in history from Brigham Young University and also a master’s degree in public administration with a focus on human resource management, also from BYU.
When asked what drew him to the area, Stephens replied, “The job market was in a slump and there was work available here.” Stephens is originally from Beatty, Nevada, a small community located just outside of Death Valley.
Many students are unaware of how the human resources department is run and that it does affect their studies. The human resources department’s main concerns and duties include keeping the faculty and staff that are currently employed at the college by making sure that they are satisfied employees. The human resources department is also in charge of recruiting new talent to the faculty and staff on campus and attending to the wants and needs of the college’s employees.
Stephens and the board of directors have several innovative ideas and changes that they would like to implement to make sure that everyone is having a positive experience at CEU.
When asked what top three major changes and goals would be for the department, he stated performance management, getting everyone back on track, re-vamping policies, and starting training for the faculty and staff on HR issues would be the top concerns to be reviewed.
For those interested in a career in human resources, Stephens is willing to meet with students to discuss the job duties and details and also what different options there are for careers in the field of human resources.