Innovative Approaches to Developing Staff - Talent Management at the University of Nottingham

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1 Invest and Aspire to Achieve Innovative Approaches to Developing Staff - Contact Details Sharon Caine, Alison Clarke, David Burns University of Nottingham Information Services King s Meadow Campus Lenton Lane Nottingham, NG7 2NR Telephone , sharon.caine@nottingham.ac.uk Executive Summary IS recognises the need to sustain the current high quality of leadership in the department Alison Clarke, Deputy CIO Information Services (IS) at the University of Nottingham recognises the importance of developing a motivated and skilled workforce as a strategic priority. Information Services sees talent Management as a process of retaining and developing talented staff, and is particularly important in a University context where career routes are traditionally ill-defined and careers develop haphazardly. The current economic conditions provide the ideal environment to execute a Talent Management Programme as a means of building internal capacity and developing staff to ensure longer term capability in key roles. In order to meet this challenge, Information Services at the University of Nottingham established Invest in 2010 an internally developed and delivered Talent Management Programme aimed at identifying and developing the next generation of leaders. The programme was developed collaboratively by Information Services and Professional Development to create something different to traditional training courses. Invest offers a flexible learning platform with participants engaging with senior management mentors and an organising committee to identify and develop opportunities to increase their personal effectiveness alongside gaining an insider understanding of leadership roles and organisational change within the institution. 1

2 The success of the initial 18 month pilot Invest programme and graduation of inaugural participants led to a second Invest cohort being recruited in 2011 all lessons learned from the pilot programme were incorporated into the second cohort and the programme continues to evolve and develop in response to participant feedback. This iterative process of design and re-design based on active engagement with participant feedback is one of the reasons why the programme continues to be successful. In 2012, Information Services Talent Management offering is being enhanced further with an additional programme, Aspire. This programme is currently recruiting its first cohort and is aimed at developing staff without line management responsibility, thus opening up the benefits of a Talent Management Programme for a wider selection of IS colleagues (Appendix 2 - leaflet). Overall the development of Talent Management Programmes within Information Services has provided significant benefits with minimal financial outlay, both for participants and also for senior staff involved in programme development and mentoring. The programme has used internal expertise and opportunities rather than external training courses as its core foundation - It's been a great opportunity for self -development. My mentor and others on the programme have helped me appreciate that leadership can take many forms The programme helped me to question where I ve been, where I am and where I think I want to be "I have found the programme to be an excellent experience with a supportive and well-thought-out structure. It has enhanced my knowledge of the University and given me access to areas that I otherwise wouldn't have The programme has proved challenging, it is not pre-determined, the structure is flexible and content tailored to individuals participants are supported by mentors, external coaches and the organising committee to develop their own potential and identify challenging practical opportunities to achieve that aim. The programme does involve significant input by senior management, in terms of using their expertise, experience and time. The success of the programme has been recognised by IS senior staff and across the University with Professional Development keen to roll out the IS model for Talent Management wider and reap the benefits already identified through the success of the IS models. 2

3 Scope of Activity The University of Nottingham has a well-established Performance Review process that enables Information Services to identify and respond to the development needs of staff, including both short-term development and more long-term career aspirations. However, the benefits of the Performance Review processes do not always enable IS senior management to recognise and address issues of retention and promotion towards leadership positions, or recognise that failure to build internal capacity could result in serious risk for both the organisation and service users. In recognition of this potential shortfall, in 2010, IS collaborated with Professional Development to develop and promote the first University Talent Management Programme Invest. The initial 18 month pilot programme sought to identify and develop colleagues with transferrable leadership skills with the following eligibility criteria: Staff at APM Levels 4/5 who have been In post for a minimum of 2 years Staff with service/line management responsibilities and/or a significant role in co-ordinating and managing staff Staff who have demonstrated a consistently high level of performance throughout their time with the University The original aims of the programme were: To identify and develop leadership talent Recognise the potential of staff Broaden understanding of the context in which staff operate Develop skills so that the talent pool is expanded, possibly leading to more internal promotions Develop a process to ensure longer-term capacity in key roles Co-ordinate efforts to head off future skills gaps No staff were automatically entered into the programme, those colleagues who were eligible were encouraged to express their interest via an application form assessing leadership competencies, followed by an interview and presentation. Information sessions were held to promote the programme and answer any questions. The initial Invest programme ran from March September 2011, 18 eligible applications were received and 8 colleagues were chosen to participate in the first cohort. An organising committee was established at the programme outset with representatives from IS and Professional Development and members of IS Leadership Team asked to volunteer as mentors of participants, who all attended mentor training run internally. 3

4 The pilot Invest programme was launched in March 2010 with a day-long induction intended to introduce participants, mentors and the organising committee. The induction day outlined expectations, aims and objectives of the programme, introduced potential training and development activities and featured presentations both by the organising committee and from individual participants outlining what they wanted to achieve from the programme. At the end of the induction, expectations of the first 3 months of the programme were outlined with participants expected to initiate meetings with their mentors, establish a learning set and make contact with Professional Development to arrange training sessions to support the group s objectives and individual development needs. A further review point was arranged for 6 months whereby additional reflection was undertaken by participants, mentors and the organising committee at this point more directed learning opportunities were provided for the participants (i.e. challenging projects). For the final half of the programme, development opportunities and projects were delivered alongside formal training sessions and on-going learning sets and mentor meetings. During the latter half of the programme, three significant projects were delivered jointly by the group (Develop a Service Costing Model, Identify a Greening ICT Programme, Develop the next Talent Management Programme), all of which delivered immediate benefits or initiated further activity. All participants completed the ILM First Line Manager course, undertook a 360 questionnaire supported by an external coach, completed Train the Trainer, undertook Belbin Role Profiling with follow-up analysis by Professional Development and developed/delivered training sessions on a variety of leadership themes. In addition to this, participants completed their own personal development plan which included bespoke activities such as project management, programme co-ordination, short-term secondments, work-shadowing, conference attendance and attending senior management meetings, including access to the IS Leaders Forum. Overall, the programme allowed participants the time to develop new skills, explore opportunities and gain increased knowledge about the institution from senior members of staff with the support of the group and also from mentors, an external coach and organising committee. It was stated at the beginning of the programme that participation required hard work and commitment, but could offer no financial reward, although over 50% of pilot programme attendees went on to secure higher level positions within the organisation and, at the end of the programme, all were able to demonstrate the new skills, knowledge and experiences they had gained as part of Invest (See Appendix 1). 4

5 Wider Relevance The initial Talent Management Programme Invest was run as a pilot within Information Services, in conjunction with Professional Development. Although there are core elements within the programme (i.e. 360 questionnaire/coaching, ILM completion), Invest is essentially a self-led development programme, individually designed using the expertise of a mentor and guidance of an organising committee to create a bespoke experience for each participant. The programme is not designed for an individual looking for a training course it is innovative in its design and delivery, flexible in nature and can be adapted to suit individual need. Colleagues participating in the Invest programme have access to all core Professional Development activities, but these are usually tailored for them as a group. Participants also have access to expert services such as external coaching, not normally offered within existing staff development. The programme utilises a tailored version of the 360 questionnaire used more widely within IS, but which was more focussed upon leadership skills. Where the programme does differ from traditional staff development activity is that it also offers practical opportunities to implement new skills, such as secondments, project opportunities, participation in working groups etc. The programme has close links with the IS Programme Office to identify possible project opportunities and also with the IS Leadership Team who are encouraged to identify appropriate development opportunities for participants. The development of the Invest Talent Management Programme has been fully documented at 3 month stages throughout the programme lifecycle with regular review/reflection points in-built into its design. The design/timeline/type of activities contained within the programme are generic and could easily be more widely applied. The partnership between Information Services and Professional Development is an essential component of the programme with colleagues able to access relevant courses/experience, but also being made aware of other cross-university opportunities that may be of relevance to participants. Overall, although the Invest Talent Management model was developed to meet the needs of IS colleagues, its structure (18 month flexible programme), themes (development activity, delivered training, practical opportunities) and support networks (mentors, coaches, organising committee) could very easily be adapted to different University departments or other Higher Education Institutions. 5

6 Peformance Indicators The overarching objective of the IS Talent Management programme Invest was to: Identify, develop and retain leadership talent Recognise the potential of staff Broaden understanding of the context in which staff operate Develop skills so that the talent pool is expanded, possibly leading to more internal promotions Develop a process to ensure longer-term capacity in key roles Co-ordinate efforts to head off future skills gaps These objectives were certainly achieved on completion of the initial pilot programme in September 2011 and are already being realised on the second Invest cohort (end date April 2013). 15 IS colleagues have participated in programmes to date, their performance is measured via an individual development plan and also formally via 3 month review sessions. All participants have kept logs of their development activities and are required to reflect/report on their achievements regularly. Overall, 8 significant projects have been delivered by Invest participants and 3 participants have undertaken the additional responsibility of becoming a Programme Co-Ordinator. 50% of the first Invest cohort were successful in attaining new, enhanced internal positions by the culmination of the programme and 30% of the second cohort likewise have secured new positions before the programme has finished. To date, for the newly initiated Aspire programme, over 40 colleagues have attended Information Sessions to find out more about the programme. Accrued Benefits Overall, the success of the Talent Management Programmes, Invest and Aspire has been recognised internally within IS and also more widely within the University with a Pro-Vice Chancellor speaking at the final celebration event and Professional Development/other University departments interested in progressing the model further. For IS senior managers, the programme has been successful in identifying potential future leaders, helping them to define possible career paths and making them more visible internally. The involvement of senior managers as mentors has been rewarding and provided two-way development opportunities many of the mentoring relationships have continued after the programme has finished. For participants, significant practical and formal opportunities have been progressed personal user testimonials are included as Appendix 1. All participants have continued their career journeys within the University and IS has declared its ongoing commitment to Talent Management via the approval of a second Invest programme and launch of Aspire to ensure Talent Management opportunities are available more widely across IS. 6

7 Supporting Statement Alison Clarke (Deputy CIO and Director of IT Systems) Recruiting staff to senior leadership positions from outside an organisation can be expensive, and in the current economic conditions, we wanted a programme that would enable staff to develop the competencies they would need to compete against external candidates when applying for more senior roles. The programme has been very successful in helping us to identify and develop our talented staff, in particular staff with the potential to become future leaders. One of the main challenges the staff faced was the self directed nature of the programme, and balancing development activities with the demands of already busy roles. This was a particular challenge for staff that were not used to prioritising their own personal development. However, the staff that have participated in the programme have seen the benefits both personally, and to their immediate roles through a greater understanding of the workings of University, and are now great advocates of the programme. Although we were originally intending to take a long term view of the impact on internal promotion, a significant number of staff that attended the pilot programme have already gone on to more senior roles in the University. It is obviously great to see our own staff competing successfully with external candidates, demonstrating their capabilities, and successfully winning senior roles, but it also means that the University retains motivated, knowledgeable and talented staff. The success of the programme has been noted and across the University with other programmes based on this model being developed. 7

8 Supporting Statement David Burns (Director of Professional Development) The Invest programme assists the University in meeting objectives from its Sustaining Excellence Strategy. This strategy identifies the importance of identifying and developing new leaders to create a large pool of home-grown future leadership talent and the importance of providing professional development and career progress support to all staff in order to allow them to maximise their potential. Having been involved in the programme from its initiation there are many aspects of Invest which have helped to transform the perspectives of participants and opened up for them opportunities which have encouraged them to develop a sophisticated range of skills and attributes. I would like to highlight two particular aspects which I think illustrate this. Participants on the programme are, in my opinion, given an opportunity to develop a unique insight into the leadership process within the organisation. With regular and close contact with senior managers, through mentoring, through sessions delivered by senior managers about their career progression and through privileged access to University Committees and Working Parties, participants can begin to develop the knowledge, skills and attributes which will enable them to obtain senior posts in the future. Though the programme demands that participants spend some time identifying and planning their training needs, there are some structured opportunities which are designed to challenge individuals to reflect on their current management style. One opportunity which has proved highly valuable is the use of a 360 feedback process which requires participants to gather feedback about their everyday behaviour and approach, using the University s 360 feedback software. The results of this are shared with a coach and participants are required to action plan against their feedback in order to develop skills and attributes in more depth. The results of the programme speak for themselves in that many of the original Invest group have obtained promotions, moved into roles they aspired to, or have been given greater and more complex responsibilities. Talent management on this scale is a new activity in the University and the objectives, principles of development and learning and the involvement of participants in delivering organisationally significant projects, is one that is being scaled up to be used across the organisation. For the viewpoint of a learning and development professional, I think this is a significant organisational development which would not have happened without the determination of Information Services to deliver such a programme. In the future, talent management at the University of Nottingham will have a significant impact of the skills, knowledge and attributes of a whole range of staff and therefore impact on the future success of the organisation. 8

9 Appendix 1 - Participant Testimonials first Invest programme The programme taught me about who I am and what I want to do Has helped me to question where I ve been, where I am and where I think I want to be The programme has provided excellent opportunities for developing contacts both inside and outside IS, and has given the chance to get involved in projects and work that I would not have previously had the chance to do "I have found the programme to be an excellent experience with a supportive and well thought-out structure. It has enhanced my knowledge of the University and given me access to areas that I otherwise wouldn't have" The talent management programme has brought together a great group of people from all areas of IS and has provided me with opportunities for personal development beyond those which I would get from my day job. If you can make time for this programme then I would highly recommend it It has been an excellent opportunity for me to work with members of IS staff I wouldn't normally come into contact with, and one of my objectives was to broaden my IS perspective so I think I am on my way to achieving that. The flexibility of the programme has meant that I can plan and organise activities myself to help balance the workload, and some of them have linked nicely with the day job too "It has been a privilege to participate in this scheme, which is providing the necessary development opportunities to progress my managerial skills" "It's been a great opportunity for self-development. My mentor and others on the programme have helped me appreciate that leadership can take many forms, and with the support of the organisers, I feel encouraged to redefine my comfort zone." Feedback comments from final celebration session Sept 2011 Contextualisation Obtaining a broader understanding of IS and the University Greater understanding of strategic decision-making Networking Opportunity to develop new contacts Building good working relationships Opportunities to work outside my immediate area Peers and Mentors were a good support group Career Development Training & development opportunities opened up Increase suitability to apply for senior positions Good grounding for career development Identifying development opportunities Motivational, boost to be selected Challenging and rewarding Programme has helped to identify strengths and weaknesses 9