FIVE YEAR HR STRATEGIC PLAN 2012/ /17

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1 FIVE YEAR HR STRATEGIC PLAN 2012/ /17 Section 1: Background 1.1 The Human Resources Office underwent a major restructuring exercise in 2011 and is now professionally staffed and grouped into work streams which reflect a proactive Higher Education HR agenda. Each work stream is headed by a manager charged with strategically partnering the University business in their area of influence. Each work stream will contribute to the achievement of the new University Strategic plan. 1.2 This plan is based upon the HR Strategic Partner model 1, namely important and improved contributions to business strategy development and implementation as well as better quality of decisions related to strategy and talent In addition to professionally supporting the University s new Strategic Plan, the Human Resources strategic plan takes into account needs identified by members of the University Executive Committee, trends noted in the University s first Employee Engagement survey, and recommendations in the Holbeche report 3. Section 2: The Human Resources Strategy 2.1 Our Mission To facilitate a culture of excellence and innovation by (a) supporting the appointment of the best possible staff and (b) enabling all staff to realise their full potential as valued contributors to the success of the University. Recognising that how people are recruited, developed, organised and managed has a direct and strong influence on organizational performance, our core purpose will be the provision of a best-in-class HR offering encompassing compliance, services, decisions and the associated impact on business outcomes. 2.2 Our Vision By 2017 we will be recognised as valued strategic partners to the university community, providing a first class service and adding value through strategic partnerships, facilitating change, administrative excellence and championing employees. This we will achieve by proactively contributing to the formation of strategy, the design of the organization and the implementation of the new entrepreneurial business model which embraces excellence. 2.3 Our Values Our values incorporate those of the greater university: aspiration, confidence, creativity, professionalism and responsibility. We aim to contribute to, promote and embed these values within our existing staff and ensure new recruits display a willingness to embrace our culture. We aim to do this by 1 Yusliza Mohd.Yusoff (2012): The path from administrative expert to a strategic partner role: a literature review; Interdisciplinary Journal of Contemporary Research in Business January 2012 Vol 3, No 9 2 Lawler and Boudreau (2009: What makes HR a Strategic Partner? Center for Effective Organizations Marshall School of Business University of Southern California (555) 3 Linda Holbeche (2012): Changing times in UK Universities: what difference can HR make? launched May 2012

2 engaging with longer-term people issues and macro-concerns about structure, quality, culture, values, commitment and matching resources to future need Getting our baselines and setting our improvement goals The scope of the University Human Resources Office is wide. It includes all activities which help management in getting work done by our employees in the best manner possible to accomplish our organisational objectives. We are primarily concerned with the optimisation of our staff; therefore, the main objective may be summarized as the utilisation of our available human resources in order to complete work effectively, meeting individual and organisational expectations. The overarching HR drivers can be classified into general and specific General Desirable working relationship between employer and employee the HR Office works to achieve a highly positive working relationship between the employer and the employees in order to foster cooperation and productivity. When our staff are treated fairly and equitably and are provided with the correct tools for their job, their engagement level increases as does the efficiency and quality of their output Maximum individual development the HR Office works to establish and support values that have social recognition and importance. Our Learning & Development (L & D) provision acts as a bridge between local management and employees and keeps management apprised of both positive accomplishments and warning signals; moreover it facilitates effective performance and supports talent retention by providing line managers with skills and tools to manage, mentor, coach and assist with career management Creating and supporting productive and proactive leadership and line management culture the HR office provides management development at all levels, recognising that the relationship between employee and direct line manager is a major driver in organisational as well as personal effectiveness and engagement at work. We support and guide managers to embrace a culture of shared responsibility for outputs and to build relationships which support the development of individual employee engagement Specialized services the HR Office provides tools and services such as record keeping, policy making, controland advisory mechanisms. Although direct responsibility for individual employees rests with line management, the HR Office may assist the line manager by examining and analysing causes for non-efficiency or non-effectiveness, suggesting remedial measures if appropriate, researching proposed HR procedures, providing a positive working environment and handling negotiations Optimisation of the workforce our employees are our most important resource and the most active factor which engages all other aspects of the Corporate Plan. Thus the HR Office as Organisation and Staff Development expert largely contributes to the effective utilization of human resources as compared to physical resources. This means ensuring that the institution has the right skills, attitudes and knowledge available when it needs them. 4 CIPD (2012)

3 2.4.2 Specific Well-organized timely and innovative recruitment & selection of the right type and number of persons Efficient, streamlined and accurate administration Engaging orientation and induction of new employees Excellent employee relations with representative trade unions and employees Highly effective employee communications and engagement mechanisms Effective consultancy for legal compliance and efficient case management Provision of sound, fair, attractive and effective salary administration and incentives Accurate and relevant data provision, analysis and reporting Provision of appropriate working conditions, tools for the job and a stable and confidential HRIS platform Targeted investment in high quality, modern and flexible learning and development opportunities Provision of a proactive quality health and well-being service Facilitation of a highly positive and active leadership and line management culture A summary statement of our key performance indicators and action plans underpinning the strategy is at appendix Value for Money We will measure the cost of all of our activities and monitor effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability of our HR provision. The ratios which we shall measure and track are listed at Appendix 2 Section 3: Staffing profile 3.1 A brief outline of the University s current staffing profile, sub-divided into various categories, is at appendix 3 (addenda A-G). Changes in numbers and percentages since 1 st April 2007 and 2010 are indicated. 3.2 Headcount has increased by 67 since 2010, most notably in teaching staff which has increased by 61. The number of teaching fellows within the University has increased from 15 in 2007 to 29 in 2010 and 33 in In addition there are currently 4 National Teaching Fellows compared with 1 in A breakdown by School can be found at Appendix 3i. Research staff increased by 8 since For the first time, we are including data on the number of teaching fellows and the number of academic staff with Doctoral qualifications in order to support the focus of the new Strategic Plan. The decrease in the number of manual staff reflects the outsourcing of portering, gardening and cleaning services. The overall proportion of staff on fixed term contracts has decreased. The significant decrease in research staff on fixed term contracts is surprising as externally funded research has significantly increased. The most likely explanation for this change is a change in HR practise following an Employment Tribunal decision which provided that time-bound or limited external funding was not a justifiable reason to deny a permanent academic contract. 3.3 The period since 1 st April 2010 has seen a net increase of only 2 staff in Support Services and Senior Management roles (2.6%, as compared to 7.2% growth in academic staff). The

4 greatest increase has been in admin/library/computing support posts (21), which have been more than offset by reduced numbers of manual staff (-26). This represents a significantly smaller increase in Support Services staff than over the preceding years, and total nonacademic headcount numbers are likely to reduce further as budgetary constraints endure. Schools will continue to be encouraged to deploy additional staffing resources into academic posts whilst Offices will continue to have requests for new posts regulated by the demands of corporate priorities. All hiring requests will be subject to scrutiny by the Vice Chancellor, Finance Director and HR Director. 3.4 Although there has been a slight increase in the proportion of teaching staff under the age of 40 (19% compared to 18% in 2010), this falls short of the target of 20% identified in the previous two HR strategic plans. There has been an equivalent decrease in the number of teaching staff over the age of 55-29% compared to 30% in The proportion of staff in senior management roles aged 55 and over has remained flat. In view of Age Discrimination legislation and the abolition of the former default retirement age it is anticipated that the proportion of staff in the higher age groups will grow. Nevertheless the need to have a balanced staff age distribution curve is recognised in order to address sustainability, fresh thinking and ideas as well as knowledge retention and transfer. Providing funding resources are available, the HR Office will continue to enable the University s Teaching Excellence and World Class Research goals with proactive innovative recruitment activities in order to hire additional outstanding professors and early career researchers. Additionally the HR Office will continue to conduct age audits, challenge the use of age and age-related criteria in every aspect of employment decision-making and educate and train all staff about the implications of age discrimination. 3.5 Whilst the proportion of female staff in the workforce has remained unchanged since 2007, it is disappointing to notice that the trend of decreased representation in senior management has continued and increased representation in manual workers has returned. There has been no significant change in the proportion of staff with a declared BME background. 3.6 The HESA staff record collects information on age, disability, gender and ethnicity. The university has decided not to answer the optional questions introduced by HESA relating to the remaining protected characteristics, including sexual orientation and gender identity. Nevertheless the Employee Engagement survey does ask questions regarding sexuality and other additional protected characteristics thus enabling trends to be identified and concerns, should they arise, to be addressed. In relation to equalities data collection, the Equality and Diversity Committee agreed that equalities monitoring information will be extended to sexual orientation for job applicants to the university. This is to support the university s commitment to the Stonewall Diversity Champions programme to promote us as an employer of choice for Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual people. Section 4: The University 5 year Strategic Objectives and the HR Office contribution 4.1 The Human Resources function will proactively support the institutional strategic objectives throughout the employment lifecycle in accordance with the values and behaviours laid out in the current Strategic Plan. This is illustrated at Appendix 4.

5 4.1.1 Employment Policy and Support Robust employment policy and support services will help to build an effective and efficient HR service that supports managers manage the University s academic activities and therefore will improve staff performance and will in turn enhance the student experience A highly effective service in this area will reduce institutional financial risk associated with employment tribunal cases (and the associated risk to reputation) by proactively managing problematic situations and finding effective alternative methods of resolution Reward and Benefits Linking to excellence as a key strategic theme, the Rewards and Benefits service will incentivise exceptional performance to improve the quality of the student experience in the new competitive HE environment. Quality support will be given to change initiatives by improving the quality and capacity of the grading review process This will be aligned with career management initiatives and future academic career progression to support the university in climbing to the top 50 in league tables Health and Well-Being Health and Well-being will provide a proactive and quality service committed to promoting physical, mental and social wellbeing for the university s employees and reduce the incidence of ill-health arising from exposure to work place hazards. Ultimately this will enable the university to fulfill its legal obligations. Appropriately used, OH and Wellbeing has the capacity to be a good value-for-money initiative for the University Improved uptake of such services will contribute to achieving a state of physical, mental and social wellbeing of staff. This will improve staff engagement, performance and productivity and will ultimately and positively impact on student experience and overall excellence within the University. 4.2 Outstanding learning and teaching: An inspiring culture of high aspiration, expectations and standards will maximise achievement. Highly-trained top performing staff will be essential. The proportion of academic staff with an accredited teaching qualification will increase from 20% to 75% and the proportion of academic staff with a doctoral qualification will increase from 43% to 60% over the next five years Learning and Development Work will focus on supporting the broad strategic objectives of developing, valuing and rewarding staff contributions as well as enhancing the competences and capabilities of staff through a culture of continuous improvement. With students at the heart of the system, many initiatives will be aimed at enhancing student experience through facilitation of more meaningful staff/student interactions and

6 input into creating a culture of belonging. This work will concentrate on developing Learning Communities across the university and embedding the core values and behaviours We will provide opportunities for leadership and management development and provide our managers with the tools and skills to manage effectively and efficiently. A closer alignment of appraisal outcomes with the institutional training needs analysis will be developed. A cross-university coaching and mentoring network will be developed to provide additional support to staff in the achievement of their objectives and will contribute to the development of the university community We will create frameworks and opportunities for talent management and career development will form an important part of future activities, linking strongly to activities which engage our employees and encourage their personal development. 4.3 International quality research and knowledge exchange: We will enhance our commitment to research and enterprise, further developing our vibrant community of world-class researchers HR Excellence in Research The HR Office is leading on the University s application for the HR EU award for researcher development and implementation of the Concordat for the support of research career development. Working closely with GRE and the Early Career Researcher Steering Group this will provide an environment of excellencefor our researchers. 4.4 A strong sense of community: A culture of continuous improvement will be supported by a comprehensive staff development programme and employee engagement activities. Technology will be used creatively to support student and staff virtual communities and we will enhance community linkages. The proportion of Staff participating in a development programme will increase from 33% to 66%. The employee engagement rate reflecting those staff who are high performers will increase from 32% to 47%. The engagement of staff and students with external community activities will double Employee Relations and Engagement The Employee Relations and Engagement Team will be developing mechanisms to facilitate employee voice and two way communication, to raise engagement levels and organisational effectiveness to support the strategic plan By providing an expert consultancy service to local leaders across the university, we will support effective local organisational design, tackle barriers to high engagement levels, ensure compliance with equality and diversity legislation and regulations and be a key contributor to the development of a university community. This strategic partnership will aim to greatly contribute to maximising individual performance and thereby positively effecting student experience We will further develop clear, fit-for-purpose and accessible communications between the university and all staff, fully utilising new technology and media, to support robust and constructive two-way communication and consultation. This will

7 support the university in gaining access to the improvement and innovation ideas of front line staff and empower them to improve their services holistically and creating an internal knowledge exchange with combats our existing silo culture There are opportunities for closer partnership working with trade unions which will be explored to support collective engagement and raise levels of affiliation. Optimised trade union relationships will support flexibility and positive involvement in change management, focussing on activities which are beneficial to staff and university alike and will reduce potential levels of contention Personnel Administration The aim of the Administration team over the next five years is to improve standards in the provision of administrative services to employees in an increasingly competitive market place. Developing an effective, efficient and sustainable service provision that supports the University s activities will help attract, appoint and retain the best staff thus enhancing the learning and teaching experience which will maximise the student potential and satisfaction. This will positively influence the University s Employer Brand thus contributing to the appeal of world class researchers. 4.5 Effective, efficient and sustainable services and infrastructure: The academic activities of the university will be supported by efficient support services. We will eliminate duplication of services, improve efficiency and ensure value for money. Our IT infrastructure will be optimised to ensure effectiveness and resilience. Sustainability will be embedded firmly in academic and administrative activities Human Resource Information and Statistics Accurate and relevant information is at the heart of any informed decision making. ESS and HESA data rationalisation projects will not only enhance the quality of the information we hold on our employees but also enhance the staff experience Priorities will be the Employee Self Service (ESS) project, which will streamline and automate processes and enhance the quality of the data we hold on our staff. ESS will also contribute to the carbon reduction and sustainability targets for the organisation by reducing HR related paper, printing and postage costs as well as enhance a positive attitude to the environment Putting procedures and processes in place to gather high quality statutory and business relevant data will provide confidence in our workforce planning and the quality and the range of data we hold on our workforce will influence and shape our decisions and choices. Section 5: Monitoring the Strategy 5.1 Performance against the targets set out in the Strategy will be monitored monthly using dashboards through the HR Office SMT and the HR Office staff meetings, termly through the HR Committee to Executive Committee and will be reported annually to Court. Achievement will be measured against a series of detailed objectives set out in the Action Plan Appendix 1.

8 30 September 2012 Moving on