Efficiency in HE Conference27 March 2014

Fit for the Future: The HR challenges of delivering transformation

Veryan Johnston, Chair, UHRHelen Fairfoul, Chief Executive, UCEA

Delivering Transformation

• Articulate the vision• Catalysts for change• Communication• Engagement• Innovation• Persistence!

Swansea University:Performance Enabling

Swansea – Performance Enabling

• Drivers for Change• What is Performance Enabling?

– Clarifying expectation of role and standards– Clarity on objectives and contribution– Removing barriers to performance– Recognition and challenge

• 5 Year Plan for Cultural Change– Intense engagement– 8 work streams– Academic KPIs

Swansea – Performance Enabling

• Process– 1500 cultural change sessions– Coaching for 734 leaders– Online student feedback system linked to PDR

• Progress at Year 3:– 99% staff participation in PDR– Online review for Heads of College with business aimed

KPIs– Reward linked to KPI outputs– Academic career pathways

Edge Hill – Measuring the Organisational Impact of Health & Wellbeing

edgehill.ac.uk

Edge Hill – Measuring the Organisational Impact of Health & Wellbeing

• Drivers for change– Motivation, performance, attendance

• Strategy for Wellbeing– Create environment where staff able to achieve– Create expectation of high performance– Enable work life balance

Edge Hill – Measuring the Organisational Impact of Health & Wellbeing

The “Whole Person” Framework

Work

Health and

Resilience

SocialFamily

Finance

Staff

Edge Hill – Measuring the Organisational Impact of Health & Wellbeing• Progress:

– Continual improvement in NSS, Retention and League Tables– Staff KPIs – Opinion Survey results

• 91% say Edge Hill is a great place to work– Health and Wellbeing KPIs

• Over 1300 working days saved• £100k reduction in annual sickness pay costs• Reduction in long term sickness absence

– External Benchmarks• IIP Award for Wellbeing• UHR Award for Organisational Impact

UHR – Sharing Best Practice

• UHR Annual Conference and Awards• UHR Development Days• Further details and case studies at

www.uhr.ac.uk

UUK Efficiency programme, phase 2:Higher education workforce change, practices and processes

• The group will - seek to publicise and build on successful initiatives where

there could be short-term impact; and- seek to identify areas that will require longer-term

strategic focus.

• Very aware of the workforce themes in other work streams, e.g. asset sharing and estates utilisation

Key focus areas identified

1. Organisational change2. HR processes and streamlining administration3. HR as an agent for enhancing business effectiveness

and organisational development4. Employee engagement and wellbeing

UCEA work supporting organisational change in HEIs

The key themes• Strategic influence• Leadership behaviours• Employee voice, communication and feedback• The academic role and work prioritisation • Reward, recognition and performance • Flexibility and contracts

Leading academic talent to a successful future (Tony Tysome 2013, edited 2014)

‘The changing environment presents as many opportunities as threats, but new approaches to leadership in HE

are needed’

‘A key challenge for academic leaders amid the changes will be maintaining focus on their

institution’s core purpose, mission and values.’

‘Leading and managing academics through the changes

and associated challenges must involve striking a balance between

preserving academic autonomy and

introducing a culture of greater

accountability’

‘Performance management has a key role to play in

increasing accountability and

bringing about change, but

implementing is difficult’

‘The academic workforce will need to become

more flexible in terms of the way academics work

and what they are expected to do.’

Post-92 contract arrangements for academic staff

UCEA survey of HEIs, August 2013

Framework Agreement component Requirement in local agreements

Use of single 51 point pay spine Yes, as the basis of determining the local spine

Use of model grading structures No

Progression between grades No

Progression within grades Progression to include a mix of service and contribution-based pay

Harmonisation of working hours Yes, within grades and where working week defined

Treatment of hourly-paid staff No

Job evaluation Yes, for grades covered by JNCHES

Market supplements Enabled use of recruitment and retention premia

Employee voice

…… the various forms of two-way communication between employers and employees in the workplace….. focused on accessing • employee views • involving staff in decision making • resolving differences of opinion • gaining access to the knowledge and expertise of the

workforce • sharing information with employees • encouraging employees to express opinions on decisions that

affect them and making sure their views are listened to

UCEA’s programme of support• Interactive practitioner groups:

‒ Academic career pathways: research, teaching, enterprise ‒ Flexible contracts: operational and technical staff‒ Changing the post-92 contract: teaching hours, scholarly activity ‒ Academic workload: ‘bean counting’ or work mapping

• Workshops led by experts and professionals‒ Masterclass on Reward Strategy: the what, the how, the why ‒ Strategic Planning and the influence of HR

• Conferences‒ Developing leadership behaviours to enhance performance ‒ Employee voice, taking the workforce with you

• Case studies, research reports, literature reviews and member briefings