Harley-Davidson Motor Company HR Co-op

Kristen Erickson

HR Major

The company has two operations in Tomahawk, Wisconsin that produce windshields and cosmetic components for Original Equipment and Parts and Accessories, and also complete custom painting.

Currently, I am the Human Resources Co-op at Harley-Davidson Motor Company’s Tomahawk Operations. In my position, one of the tasks I have the opportunity to assist with is the coordination of the co-op recruitment drive (posting positions, pre-screening candidates’ resumes, setting up interviews, attending a career fair, and assisting with interviews).

I also help plan employee relations events, track monthly safety training, archive grievance related documents for joint access by the union and company, and run reports in Business Objects, AS400 and PeopleSoft. Recently, I have also been fortunate to assist with the recall process of over 20 employees, the planning of Supervisor/Union Steward Training, and the coordination of Myers Briggs testing and 360-degree feedback.

One of the best things about the internship at Harley-Davidson is the fact that each day is different. I am constantly learning new things, and whenever I have questions, or need assistance, someone is always willing to lend a hand.

I was nervous to move to an entirely different area of the state for the co-op, but since it is an established internship program, they had many resources available to help make my move smooth; including a list of apartments previous co-ops have stayed in, and a workforce that has been incredibly welcoming to me and other co-ops.

My internship has taught me so much about Human Resources already even though it’s only been two months. I look forward to continuing to learn at Harley-Davidson over the next six months.

The education University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh provided me thus far has been incredibly helpful during my internship, and I find myself growing personally, and professionally with each passing day.