July 21, 2022

This paid piece is sponsored by South Dakota Manufacturing & Technology Solutions.

It’s not easy for many business leaders to confide in other business leaders.

That’s especially true in human resources, where a high level of trust and confidentiality is key.

But once a month, when Cindy Krekelberg enters her human resources peer group, she knows what’s said in the room will stay in the room.

“I really enjoy it,” said Krekelberg, who serves as the human resources manager at Harvard Integrations. “It’s been great. It’s a pretty close-knit group.”

Her group is one of two peer groups organized by South Dakota Manufacturing & Technology Solutions for HR leaders. While Krekelberg’s group is comprised of what most would consider traditional manufacturing businesses, the second group includes a member representing the construction industry, the mechanical industry and others that have broader ties to the manufacturing sector.

“It’s a diverse group,” she said. “We get different questions from people I might not encounter as much at my organization, but it makes me think about how it could affect me or tie to a situation I do have.”

In both groups, there’s also “a high level of trust,” Krekelberg said. “We all sign nondisclosure agreements, so you can open up and discuss things you would not discuss in a larger setting. We run into a lot of the same challenges, so having that close-knit group to bounce things off of has been invaluable.”

The groups are part of a growing number of peer groups organized by MTS. There is also a peer group for CEOs, and there are new groups kicking off this month for chief financial officers and those who work in supply chain management.

“These groups are small by design, and we want to keep them that way with typically no more than 15 people in each group,” center director Don Cuperus said. “Many of our group members have been members for years and continue to see a lot of value. Between the members around the table, there are many years of experience, so you ask one question and get feedback from all those years.”

The existing groups have openings, though rarely, he said.

“In each peer group, the entire group has to give full blessing from every member to join because confidentiality is very high,” Cuperus said. “It’s a commitment. The group expects you to be there every month, and often our members communicate in between meetings.”

That’s the case for the HR peer groups, which have bonded so well members often email one another with questions or ask for feedback.

“Even between meetings, we’ll ask things like whether you have a policy in a certain area or advise on duties related to positions, and everybody chimes in, and you get a lot of different perspectives,” Krekelberg said.

Sourcing workers also has been a shared effort.

“The group will ask others if you see someone with a certain skill set to send them a certain way,” Krekelberg said. “And we will ask applicants if we can share their information with other manufacturers if they are not a fit for us.”

A typical monthly session is led by a facilitator with topics of interest determined by the group, often in a roundtable-like environment. The sessions also feature speakers addressing a topic of relevance to the industry as the groups request them. For instance, the HR groups recently heard from a speaker in the CBD industry who talked about new marijuana laws and HR implications.

“In addition to the facilitator, Don Cuperus from MTS will help speak as the voice of the CEO and talk to us about what they are looking for. He helps us realize what challenges could be on their dashboards we may not be aware of,” Krekelberg said. “There’s probably almost no topic we don’t touch over the course of a year.”

Click here to learn more about the MTS HR peer groups as well as the new one for CFOs and one for supply chain managers.