May 24, 2007

HEFCE: People management self-assessment tool

The self-assessment tool was developed by the Universities Personnel Association and the SCOP Personnel Network, to measure progress in people management in the HE sector...

1. Remuneration and fair employment

The institution has:
a. HR staff skilled in providing advice and support on pay, rewards and employment
b. HR staff skilled in or receiving skilled support in job evaluation
c. Expertise on equal opportunities and diversity...
f. Regular reviews of equal opportunities and diversity policies and practice...
k. Schemes for recognition and reward of individual or team excellence in teaching and learning effectiveness...

The institution achieves:
b. Staff who feel motivated and satisfied in their work
c. Staff who believe the institution is a fair employer – there is a healthy psychological contract...
h. Investors in People status (in parts or for the whole institution)
i. Staff who feel there are opportunities for teaching career progression...

The institution avoids or effectively manages the risks associated with:
a. Industrial tribunal or legal cases brought by staff for unfair dismissal, unfair employment practice or discrimination (including equal pay claims)
b. Negative publicity about unfair or discriminatory employment
c. Being seen as having poor terms and conditions of employment compared with other employers (locally, nationally and/or internationally)...

2. Staff recruitment and retention

The institution undertakes/has undertaken:
a. Recruitment and selection guided by clear policies and procedures
b. Exit interviews with staff who leave
c. Skills audits of future workforce needs
d. Monitoring and evaluation of:
- the service provided on staff recruitment (e.g. managers’ views on recruitment practice) on a regular basis
- staff turnover
- staff views on employment...

4. Staff development and skills needs

The institution has:
a. Managers and staff aware of staff development processes within the institution
b. Investment in learning and staff development
c. Expertise in staff development
d. Staff skilled in job design and work organisation (or access to these skills externally) to support staff development through job re-design and enrichment...

The institution avoids or effectively manages risk associated with:
a. Staff leaving because of inadequate opportunities provided for staff development and learning
b. Poorly focused staff development that leads to no appreciable gains for the individual and the institution
c. Lack of take-up of staff development provisions available
d. Under-resourcing of staff development
e. Missed market or programme development opportunities because of lack of appropriate skills or expertise amongst staff...

5. Leadership, involvement and change management

...The institution avoids or effectively manages risk associated with:
a. Industrial relations disputes
b. Lack of commitment to change and improved performance at different levels in the institution
c. Staff perceiving a lack of effective leadership in the institution
d. Staff feeling poorly informed and not consulted about changes made in the institution...

The institution avoids or effectively manages risk associated with:
a. Legal cases brought against it on work related ill-health and breaches of health and safety practice
b. A poor accident or health risk record
c. Stress-related illness and absence
d. Staff who leave because of work pressure or an unacceptable working environment
e. Perceptions of bullying, unfair workload practice, etc. because of poor staff management practice...

7. Performance management – linking people management to organisational performance

...The institution avoids or effectively manages the risks associated with:
a. Poor performance and poorly performing staff not dealt with
b. Managers lacking the skills and confidence to manage their own and their staff’s performance effectively
c. Staff feeling unclear about roles and responsibilities
d. Staff feeling poorly informed and receiving insufficient guidance and support from their line managers
e. Poorly managed grievance and discipline cases...
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From: http://www.hefce.ac.uk

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

It is excellent that HEFCE recognise the importance of effective 'people management' in HE. Lists like these give a very useful baseline from which HEs approach to people management can be assessed in the current performance based culture. The message is clear that HEs have a responsibility to manage their staff appropriately.

However many HEs are a long way from meeting the requirements of this list...

There are scenarios like the one below being acted out in HEs across the land.....

The first person to speak is a member of staff. They have usually endured many months or years of bullying before they pluck up the courage to approach HR.

I feel that I am being bullied.

HR Oh dear

I feel that I am being bullied.

HR Oh dear

I feel that I am being bullied.

HR Oh dear...let's have a mediation meeting.

WE'RE NOT BULLYING HER... SHE'S JUST A TROUBLE MAKER.

***The next year.****

I still feel I'm being bullied.

HR Oh dear

But I am being bullied.

HR Silence

I am being bullied.

HR SILENCE

I am being bullied... here... in this university

HR SILENCE AND MORE SILENCE

I AM BEING BULLIED..........I AM BEING BULLIED

HR ************

I feel like I'm going mad.

HR She's crazy....great... now we can get rid of her.

HEFCE - What advice can you give to employees who experience this type of people management?

... whose university's approach to people management is through bullying and favouritism... and then when there are complaints it's

SILENCE and DENIAL.

What should we do????

Or is your approach also...

SILENCE and DENIAL....

Creating lists is so much easier than having to take action......

Aphra Behn