Dessie Calihou

Accomplished Director of Human Resources at Dunn County Government, adept in HR Management Expertise and Organizational Leadership. Spearheaded a merit increase plan, enhancing employee wages by an average of 2.5%, and led a comprehensive classification and compensation study, ensuring pay equity. Excelled in talent acquisition and collaborative team development, significantly improving recruitment processes and employee relations.

Public Sector Human Resources Association (PSHRA) Certified Professional (CP), Recognized certification demonstrating expertise in public sector human resources practices, policies, and regulations. Validates proficiency in managing HR functions such as recruitment, compensation, labor relations, employee development, and organizational effectiveness in public sector environments.

HRIS/Payroll Software Implementation, Dunn County, North Dakota, 02/01/22-12/31/22

Identified inefficiencies within the HRIS and Payroll system., Researched company products to determine a good match for the organization., Developed and presented a presentation to the Board of Commissioners outlining the ROI of moving to the recommended product., Led a team of six through the process of developing the software to address the needs of the organization., Documented system processes configured and tested new software and trained internal users of the new system., Successfully implemented a new HRIS/Payroll system, resulting in a reduction of errors, increased payroll processing speeds, and increased data accuracy. 

Merit Increase Plan, 01/01/22-05/31/22

Identified the need for a structured increase plan., Prepared and delivered a presentation to the Board of County Commissioners outlining the need and value of a structured increase plan., Developed a merit increase plan based on objectives, performance reviews and market data., Successfully implemented a new merit increase plan, resulting in an average 2.5% increase in employee wages. Performance Review Process, Dunn County, North Dakota, 01/01/21, 10/31/21, Identified the need for a performance review process., Developed a performance review system designed to assess employee performance, track objectives and recognize areas of strength., Developed and presented a presentation outlining the value of a performance review process to the Board of County Commissioners, resulting in the adoption of the process., Developed and delivered performance review training to all County Commissioners, Department Heads, and mid-level supervisors., Continuously oversees the performance review process to ensure it is completed fairly and consistently. 

Classification and Compensation Study, Dunn County, North Dakota, 03/01/19-0/31/19

Identified pay inequity within the organization., Proposed a plan to the Board of County Commissioners to partner with a consulting company to complete a classification and compensation study., Researched consulting companies within our area, making a recommendation to the Board of County Commissioners., Identified areas of concentration for the salary survey, including benchmark jobs as well as counties and organizations that are our direct competition for job candidates., Led our team of 12 department heads and 5 commissioners through a 7-month process to complete a classification and compensation analysis resulting in job classifications, updated job descriptions, a compensation plan, and a pay scale., Continuous maintenance of our compensation plan.