BUCKS PEOPLE 2022
1. Foreword
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Bucks People 2022 is a key enabler for the three pillars of the University’s strategy which focuses on improving the quality of education; research; and organisation effectiveness. It’s also core to the Transformation Programme to improve ways of working and develop a progressive culture where our employees and students thrive. Core to the Bucks employee experience is being intentional in the pursuit of excellence in all we do; being ambitious; and ready to embrace new possibilities to achieve our goals and objectives.
The strategy has been developed through engagement and discussions with a range of stakeholders across the University including our Students’ Union. Through this we have gained understanding of the people priorities that are key to the University’s aspirations, strategy and goals. It’s a dynamic plan and, therefore, it will be updated periodically to reflect changing priorities and needs that are key to our people agenda here at Bucks.
All colleagues across the University have a role to play in ensuring the future success of Bucks by their involvement in delivering the people plan over the next four years and I look forward to working with you to implement the people strategy. Alexandra Bode-Tunji Director of HR (October 2018)
2. Introduction Our vision is to create a great workplace for the people who work at Bucks now and in the future. We recognise that creating a diverse workplace culture is key to our success and everyone’s skills, attitudes and behaviours are core to delivering great student experience here at Bucks. Core to our vision will be establishing strong values; ensuring people have a voice; inspiring institutional pride and building on exceptional characteristics that attract and retain people. We know that our people are key to taking advantage of the opportunities, and addressing the challenges, we face in the external environment. The sector continues to be affected by much uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity. Changes include regulatory reforms with the establishment of the Office for Students; proposed reforms to student fees within further and higher education; and the differentiation of Higher Education Institutions. This combined with removal of the student number cap; tightening of visa restrictions, increasing domestic and global competition including from new private providers; and the national decline in the population of 18-year olds, poses significant challenges for Bucks. This period of change, however, also presents opportunities for progressive and assertive institutions such as Bucks to shape the future of higher education in the UK. Leveraging these opportunities is at the heart of Bucks’ strategic thinking in the medium-term, as it seeks to secure income; accelerate growth; and expand its partnerships to differentiate itself within the sector. These are exciting times for Bucks with our consistent, distinctive and highquality educational offer, coupled with well-developed regional, national and international partnerships. Bucks has an advantageous geographic foot print and is well placed to thrive. Our Uxbridge Campus is 5 minutes from Uxbridge London Underground station and the main campus is 40 minutes from London by train and just 30 minutes from London Heathrow Airport. Our strategy for 2022 clearly articulates that Bucks is a leading university for professional, creative education and
applied research. At the heart of this is our focus and track record for transforming lives through employment focused and skills-based teaching which enables students from wide ranging and diverse backgrounds to achieve their ambitions. At Bucks we create the conditions for success and strive to be a catalyst in making a positive impact in communities and the creative and professional sectors in which we operate. As an anchor institution, we have an important role to play in the interaction between business and the education sector, and how best to address the current and future skills needs of our region and beyond. The University is ambitious in its plans to continually improve performance in the National Student Survey; league tables; and future Research Excellence Framework (REF) and Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) outcomes. We were proud to receive a TEF Silver Award in 2018 in recognition of our excellence in learning and teaching. Our ambition is to achieve TEF Gold and world leading REF outcomes by 2021. Core to this will be improvements in the quality of education and research, as well as putting students at the heart of everything we do. The University is also building relationships with companies and partner providers to deliver degree apprenticeships. This will require building new expertise within the University as well as a shift in culture and ways of working. Core to our success will be adopting a business mindset and approach as well as instilling a greater sense of institutional pride amongst our people. Key to this will be the Bucks Proud campaign which HR and Communications will drive, in partnership with the Students’ Union, to recognise the successes and achievement of the University and our people. Bucks People 2022 seeks to understand what change may mean for our people, to help us embrace the challenges and opportunities, and above all to create a positive, collaborative, flexible and innovative enviroment in which to succeed.
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3. Our People Outcomes
4. Our People Aims
We believe that the growth and success of Bucks depends ultimately on its people. The diversity of experience, skills and qualities of our people are core to making Bucks a great place to work and study.
Our People Strategy sets out five interrelated strategic aims, which will support the delivery of our overall strategic priorities and the shifts in ways of working to ensure the University can deliver its goals and objectives. Over the next four years and beyond, Bucks People aims to achieve:
Core to this will be becoming an employer of choice. We will strive to create and maintain an environment that will enable all of our people to fulfill their career ambition in a university that is not only ‘right’ for them, but also challenges them and supports their development to embrace the future. This will ensure that Bucks:
GP
Our people are key to the success and growth of Bucks. We will aspire to attract, develop and retain capable people who take pride in the University; share the Bucks values; and have the potential to contribute to and shape our future.
a.
Can attract, recruit and retain talent
b.
Has capable leaders and managers to lead and inspire transformation
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Effective selection processes to attract, recruit and retain talent
c.
Develops skilled and capable employees with the relevant qualifications
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d.
Establishes a performance management culture with robust processes
Quality PDRs (Performance Development Reviews) and effective processes to inspire performance, work-loading and contribution
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Ensuring succession planning for critical roles within the University and enable knowledge transfer
To deliver this we will focus on:
e.
Fosters an engaged workforce with clear understanding of their roles
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f.
Is commercially focused and clear on why we are changing in relation to the University’s goals and priorities
Improving the quality of people management to ensure our people are engaged, supported, developed
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Talent management and career development to nurture individual growth, increasing the number of female employees in senior roles
g.
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A. Great People
Creates a culture centred on delivering the best student experience
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Effective reward and recognition framework to motivate performance and enable a culture where innovation and creativity thrives
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Graduate training opportunities for Bucks students to improve our student outcomes
B. Thriving Environment
TE
Create a progressive, engaging and healthy working environment which is conducive to both our people and student experience. We will build on our track record with equality, diversity and inclusion and ensure we are leading edge in the sector. We will aspire to make our people feel valued, involved, have a voice and feel fulfilled in the work they do, engendering growth and developing a culture where people feel empowered to take responsibility.
To deliver this we will focus on:
To deliver this we will focus on:
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Promoting health and wellbeing of our employees to deliver Bucks’ vision
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Ensuring equality, diversity and inclusion are central to everything we do at Bucks
Flexible resourcing plans that meet business needs and reflect the required staff-student ratio and work scheduling
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Promoting and fostering employee engagement and involvement through positive employee relations
Designing and reorganising functions and roles to create fit for purpose and cost effective structures
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Improving business processes through the innovative use of technology to improve efficiencies and the student experience
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Revising the University’s values to reflect the cultural shift required in ways of working, and embed these values in our people processes and internal communications. Career progression enabled through an integrated competency framework aligning academic, professional, leadership and external frameworks.
C. Working Smarter
WS
We will foster continuous improvement in how we organise ourselves by having futurefocused resourcing plans that identify what skills we need, to adapt roles and bring in new skills to meet future requirements. This includes minimising bureaucracy, making sure decision-making is at the right level and that people take accountability for making decisions for which they are responsible. We will enable people to do more work of value, leveraging technology opportunities to support them.
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Identifying and addressing skills gaps resulting from changes in technology
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Ensuring our leaders are equipped with the skills and capabilities to enable accountability, quality decision making and a quality contribution
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Improving our people policies, procedures, systems, processes and contracts to ensure that they are fit for purpose
D. Foster Collaboration
conversations and connections, and remove barriers to cross functional working so as to improve ways of working. To deliver this we will focus on: •
Developing opportunities and informal networks to improve cross-functional working using projects and action learning groups
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Working in partnership with our unions and employees to help our people understand our vision and future aspirations
FC
We will build and nurture the relationships and connections with students, colleagues, Bucks Students’ Union, trades unions, HEIs, partners, employers and the local community that the University serves. We will create opportunities to foster collaboration with stakeholders that are core to improving the quality of education, teaching and research at Bucks. We will enhance the quality of
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Using the PDR process and other mechanisms to encourage greater collaboration with external parties to inspire continuous improvement
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Developing leaders and managers to inspire and promote collaboration, both internally and externally
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Working in collaboration with the staff association to develop and foster informal networks and build effective working relationships
Working with the local community to cement our role as an anchor institution in the region, enhance our reputation, and and increase the sense of belonging and institutional pride in the University
E. Proactive Outlook PO We will develop the skills and behaviours that will ensure resilience and the ability to respond to the volatile, competitive and complex changes in our sector. Key to this will be the shift in mindset, becoming more commercially focused and operating as a business. Essential to this will be having a growth mindset and encouraging continuous learning in all that we do.
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Enhancing the use of digital technology to improve, business processes, self-service and the overall employee experience
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Developing the change capability of our leaders to shift mind-sets and ways of working and develop a culture where innovation, creativity and enterprise flourish
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Supporting our staff in developing their future skills to meet the changing needs and requirements of the employment market
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Developing change advocates to foster innovation and support the drive to change ways of working
To deliver this we will focus on ensuring: •
People understand why things are changing and have an opportunity to get involved
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Changes are well designed, planned and co-ordinated, using lessons learnt to improve our approach to managing change
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Developing a culture where people are encouraged and supported to change and to meet the challenges the University faces in the increasingly competitive and commercial environment in which we operate
5. Our People Strategic Plan and Priorities - 2018/19 – 2021/22 The people strategy priorities seeks to achieve over the next four years and beyond the following:
1. The People Strategy seeks to achieve the following over the next four years and beyond Organisation Capability Priorities
Links to People Aims
Embedding Bucks Academic Framework and review outcomes to improve academic capability
GP, TE, WS, FC, PO
Develop, implement and embed Bucks Professional Framework to improve capability within PSE
GEP, TE, WS, FC, PO
Develop, implement and embed Bucks Leadership behaviours to inspire, empower and promote engagement
GP, TE, WS, FC, PO
Revise Bucks Values and underpinning behaviours to align with organisational vision and strategic priorities
GP, TE, CR3
Integration of frameworks to create the Bucks competency framework and embed into key HR processes
GP, WS, FC, PO
Develop, promote and embed the Bucks Employer Brand which inspires pride in the University, ensures everyone are ambassadors and attracts, recruits and retains talent
GP PO
Develop an approach to Total Reward to inspire and motivate high performance
GP, WS4, FC, PO
Develop an approach to use insights and data from benchmarking to inform organisational design
WS, PO
Implementing the actions from the gender pay gap report
GP, TE
Plan for and achieve the Athena Swan bronze award
TE
Develop a customer service culture and ethos to improve the overall student and customer experience across the University
FC, PO
Develop an attractive, compelling and inspiring intranet platform that provides a platform for consistent employee communication, inspires engagement, fosters collaboration and enables knowledge management
GP,TE, WS, FC, PO
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2. Leadership capability Priorities
Links to People Aims
Developing capability of Bucks Leaders and managers across the University including use of 360 feedback mechanisms
GP, WS, FC
Deliver Bucks Leaders journey to ensure improvements in the performance culture
FC
Improve our leadership capability to inspire, empower and retain our great people
GP, WS, FC, PO
Ensure the Leadership Action Teams formed through Bucks Leaders fosters collaboration across teams, remove silos and shift ways of working
FC
Deliver Level 7 Management Apprenticeship and Academic Professional apprenticeships to improve individual and collective leadership capability
WS
Improve management capability across the University by offering the management apprenticeship qualification and professional apprenticeship for PSE
FC
Identify and sponsor female employees for the AURORA Leadership challenge to increase the number of female employees in senior management and extend the plans to include employees in other diversity categories
GP, TE
3. Performance culture
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Priorities
Links to People Aims
Develop a bank of smart objectives informed by our people, for use in performance development reviews. These will be linked to the University’s strategic priorities and KPIs to improve performance and development of all staff
FC, PO
Embed, monitor and evaluate new Performance Development Review process to improve quality of reviews for academic and professional services staff
FC
Develop the use of 360 feedback starting with Leaders to improve overall effectiveness and performance within the University
GP ,FC
Ensure managers have the toolkit and support (policy, training, coaching to enhance people management) to manage performance
GP, WS
Review internal governance arrangements to identify opportunities to collaborate, remove silos and drive continuous improvement across the University
FC
4. Recruitment and Retention Priorities
Links to People Aims
Implement an eHR system within Business Connect to streamline the recruitment process, increase applicant ratio and improve overall applicant experience
GP
Improve selection process, tools and techniques, working closely with the Students’ Union to improve the time to fill vacancies and the quality of appointments
GP, WS
Identify wider advertising frameworks & networks to attract more and diverse applicants
GP
Revised competency framework and question bank to improve the effectiveness of the selection process
TE, PO
Development of AL (assoiciate lecturers) induction to improve student experience and NSS results
WS
Develop approach to succession plan for business critical roles
GP, TE, WS,FC, PO
Introduce a workforce planning system to ensure business continuity and student experience and academic offering. Long term resource planning for PSE areas to develop capability in organisation.
WS
Develop Bucks approach to Total Reward to improve the employer brand as well as the attraction and retention of great people
GP, TE
Refresh local induction to improve the student experience and NSS results
GP
Develop a graduate training programme within PSE for Bucks students to create a graduate talent pool
GP
Implement effective and consistent leaver process to report on themes, patterns and insights
TE, WS, PO
5. Employee Development Priorities
Links to People Aims
Articulate & promote employee development offer to improve skills of our people
GP, TE5
Embed Bucks PDR process to inform Training Needs Analysis at individual & organisational level
GP
Report & evaluate development activity/interventions at individual, team & organisational levels
TE
Improve management capability to ensure improvement in the quality & consistency of people management strategies
WS
Encourage & embed take up of digital learning as part of a blended approach to develop skills for the future
PO
Maximise opportunities of Business Connect & intranet to streamline & improve efficiency of Learning & Development procedures.
WS
Expand the Doctorate Programme with Staffordshire University through the provision of bursaries GP, TE to improve early career research opportunities Use the outcomes from BAF Assessment to build and grow our professorial employees to improve our research outcomes
GP, TE
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6. Employee Engagement and Wellbeing Priorities
Links to People Aims
Staff engagement survey, engagement plans and pulse surveys to improve engagement and retention
GP, TE, WS, FC, PO
Identify, develop and empower engagement champions
TE, WS, PO
Work with the Communications team to deliver road shows to share the revised strategy and Bucks Values
TE
Articulate and promote the Bucks wellbeing offer to improve user take up
GP, TE, WS
Review and revise current arrangements for Occupational Health, Employee Assistance Programme and the use of mental health first aid toolkit to drive improvements in individuals’ health, safety and wellbeing
GP, TE, WS
Engage a benefit provider to enable integration and improvement of Bucks wellbeing offer to include financial well-being
GP, TE, WS
In partnership with Bucks Gym, promote health and wellbeing events to improve individual wellbeing
TE
Encourage staff to partake in the University’s staff volunteering programme to foster community links, and develop their own skills and experience. Consider opportunities to volunteer at the schools with whom the University works as part of its widening participation activities.
7. Employee Relations Priorities
Links to People Aims
Full policy reviews in line with current legislation & business requirements to ensure all our people policies and procedures meets business needs
WS, PO
Provide training and coaching for managers to improve the quality and consistency of people management and shifts in ways of working
PO
Foster collaboration with unions to ensure effective partnership working
WS, FC
Engage with all staff to ensure support and timely use of Access to Work services to support employees with disabilities
TE
Ensure all our people policies and procedures support equality, diversity and inclusion
PO
8. Reward and Recognition Reward and Recognition Priorities
Links to People Aims
Development of Reward & Recognition strategy to inspire individual motivation and performance at all levels
GP, TE
Develop and implement an innovative approach to recognition to improve employee engagement
TE, WS4
Establish progression linked to performance to retain talent
GP
Develop wellbeing policy to attract and retain staff
TE
6. Measuring Success Success will be measured using the following metrics:
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• • • • • • • • • • •
Delivery of the people strategy plan Recruitment, retention and stability index Employee engagement index Leadership and management index Change management index Health and wellbeing index Employee absence Morale index Line managament index Completed performance objectives linked to the University Strategy Student outcomes e.g. NSS scores
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