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Welcome to the Irish Universities HR Seminar Series 2012
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Challenging times for HE- HR’s strategic contribution
Linda Holbeche PhD
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The Higher Education reforms
Ireland – the Croke Park Agreement: “...both its cost and the number of people working in the Public Service can fall significantly, while continuing to meet the need for services and improve the experience of service users” UK- HE White Paper – ‘radical reform’ to put higher education on a ‘sustainable footing’ Tuition fees – institutions must deliver a ‘better student experience’ – measurable outcomes e.g. employability Institutions must increase social mobility Increased competition Efficiency and value for money Leadership, management and governance ©Linda Holbeche
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Institutional responses
Distinctive missions, new markets Internationalisation Driving through efficiency savings – new structures, ways of working Managing culture change: aiming for agility Embracing the ‘student experience’ agenda Looking to make the most of knowledge and innovation Managing risk/reputation Sourcing key talent Amalgamating services Traded services Working in partnership ©Linda Holbeche
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Shifting the performance curve to maximise human value
Number of employees Performance and individual value 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Unacceptable Acceptable Superior HR? © Linda Holbeche 2012
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‘People’ and ‘organisational’ issues
The student experience agenda Student expectations – from selectors to recruiters How widely is need for change recognised? Balancing priorities – research and teaching How to raise standards? How to attract and retain the ‘right’ workforce? Challenges in attracting, retaining and engaging the ‘right’ workforce The ageing workforce How to respond to younger staff’s expectations of rapid career growth? Sourcing new talent The changing academic career and psychological contract How to enable academics to maintain a research-intensive career in the current context? How to ‘re-engage’ employees? Developing institutional agility How well equipped are leaders and managers to manage change? How to mobilise people for change? ©Linda Holbeche Values conflict? “The change is making universities more like commercial operations. They are becoming less collegiate in the approach to business. Old style academics are seen as losing out as their time becomes more open to review. There is a growing tension between the professional managerial approach and academic life – the need to account for resource and time, the need to produce and measure. Those engaging in academic management are being required to take decisions and responsibility in greater amounts.”
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A distinctive contribution from HR?
“For HR people in HE, this is a challenging and exciting time. HR issues have institutional visibility. HR practitioners have to be Jacks-of-All-Trades, able to go from strategic to operational issues in the same breath.” (Mike Moore, HR Director, University of East London). © Linda Holbeche 2012
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What are the improvement points that will drive value?
The Value Triangle Created Value Added Value Value for Money What is the best human system to deliver what is required now and in the future? What are the improvement points that will drive value? © Linda Holbeche 2012
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Synthesis of roles for HR
Human Capital Developer Employee Advocate Strategic Partner HR Leader Functional Expert Ulrich & Brockbank, 2005
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HR leadership More than ever organisations need HR leaders with the vision and the deep capability to build organisational cultures and business leadership which are fit for both the present and future. HR leadership is about proactively identifying and building the people and organisational capabilities required for sustainable success. (Holbeche, 2009)
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By: Moving from reacting to proacting
Creating a people and organisational mission for the business, not an HR agenda Ensuring the organisation has the right talent in the right place at the right time Transforming the institution to ensure it meets its full potential © Linda Holbeche 2012
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A fresh mindset – challenging orthodoxy
Words do things ‘human capital’ ‘human stock’ More dynamic and ‘real’ Language and Action Authenticity and mutuality New OE Mindset Paradox and Ambiguity Leadership and management Tensions individual/ collegiate/ corporate motives? More dispersed, valuing different sources of evidence ©Francis, Holbeche and Reddington, 2012
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The HR leadership agenda
Aligning HR efforts with institutional vision and mission Leading the strategic and operational agenda Leading the talent agenda Enhancing the student experience Supporting the academic agenda Building relevant future capabilities Helping institutions become more agile Building leadership capability Leading change and culture change Building resilient employee relations (Re-)engaging employees Developing a new employment relationship Building healthy, effective and ethical organisations Sparrow et al (2010) Strategic competence and business model change Boardroom engagement Performance drivers and Organisation design The engagement-performance link Changing the way talent is managed Evaluating and improving the ways in which people improve the capital of an organisation HR trajectories: coping with the changing technology and ways in which HR services can be resourced. © Linda Holbeche 2012
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1. Aligning HR efforts with vision
Align with vision - devising the People Strategy collaboratively with key stakeholders as part of the business strategy e.g. Supporting the student experience agenda Supporting the internationalisation agenda Supporting the academic agenda etc. Work out the implications for structures, roles, managerial capacity, leadership behaviour, resourcing, information needs, systems etc Restructure for strategic impact Get the basics right Continually improve Make the big moves Key metrics © Linda Holbeche 2012
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2. Helping institutions become more agile by:
Acting as change agent, working closely with change leaders, looking back and ahead, identifying learning, risks and potential opportunities Acting as trusted friend to be relied upon, helping managers handle the behavioural elements of change Understanding ‘levers’ for change – which to pull, where, when and how Partnering on organisation redesign - shaping thinking about realigning organisations to become more agile, customer-intensive, engaging etc. Cutting out layers and managing integrations (mergers and acquisitions) Improving staff communications Developing constructive employee relations © Linda Holbeche 2012
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Critical people risk factors of change
What are you asking people to do differently? Who will be most affected and how? How will their part of the organisation change? What reactions can you expect? Who is most at risk? What can you learn from past experiences? Do staff have the right skills for the change? If not, do they have access to learning to develop those skills? What practical and other support will they need to make the changes required of them? © Linda Holbeche 2012
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Stimulating culture change
Requires top level commitment and visibility Shared values as the basis of change Sense of coherence – clarity about goals and roles Widen the circle of involvement: Connect people to each other Create communities for action Promote fairness Bring consistency and strengthen what works – while everything around that can change Act as role model of the organisational values and new practices © Linda Holbeche 2012
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3. Enhancing the student experience by:
Supporting student employability Designing the people strategy and HR activity around what impacts on the quality of student experience at the front-line Helping raise performance standards Attracting and retaining the ‘right’ staff Developing and delivering employer brand and equitable ‘employee value propositions’ Making it easier for people to do difficult jobs Advancing the equality and diversity agenda Supporting staff at ‘the front line’ Re-engaging employees © Linda Holbeche 2012
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Elements of engagement
Social Intellectual Emotional VOICE EQUITY © Linda Holbeche 2011
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©Holbeche and Matthews, 2012
Employee Engagement Model CONNECTION Sense of identification Pride in the organization Common purpose Shared values Trust Social Emotional Intellectual Engagement Autonomy & mutual trust Growth & accomplishment Meaning & purpose Being informed Being Involved Being heard VOICE SCOPE Fairness Treated as an individual Feeling valued Fair deal Enabled to do the job Well-being SUPPORT ©Holbeche and Matthews, 2012
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Re-engaging employees
Enhancing staff well-being Ensuring that ‘front-line’ (academic and services) staff have the relevant professional and skills development Providing career opportunities Advancing the equality and diversity agenda Developing high engagement cultures Developing engaging leaders and managers © Linda Holbeche 2012
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Balance people and costs
Keep focus on talent management Improve skills and competencies people really need; especially for people in new roles Maintain support for high performers Use non-financial benefits – recognition etc – that matter most to people Innovative approaches to learning © Linda Holbeche 2012
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A different deal at work
Old New
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4. Supporting the academic agenda
Helping academic, research and professional staff develop their core professional skills Supporting the innovation agenda Enabling cross-institutional learning Researcher careers © Linda Holbeche 2012
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5. Building relevant future capabilities
Strategic workforce planning Succession planning and talent management Developing coherent career progression Developing ‘change-able’ leadership and management Developing ‘change-able’, innovative cultures Especially at middle management © Linda Holbeche 2012
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HR continuum: strategic influence
High Low Irrelevant Work -Undermined HR works hard but not smart Short-term intervention but lacks long-term impact High impact Long-term influence Admin centred Seen as lacking expertise Lacks credibility No involvement with the business Clerical function Technically competent At beck and call of clients Fire-fighting Blockages in work flow occur Hard workers: lacks influence Pass-through contribution Fails to change the internal workings of the organisation “Politician” role: says the right things Avoids details and keeps things at a broad level Tool-kit approach Lacking in expertise Strategic/diagnostic role Enabling role Acts as coach to the rest of the organisation Devises processes to meet business needs Problem solver Perceived as experts Negotiates with the business Board HR Director Evaluates own performance Leadership qualities/role models Laurence Handy / Ashridge
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Role model good practice
Credibility Cohesive team Prepare for change Focused delivery Actively share and develop learning Identify own values and ways of working Look and work beyond current boundaries © Linda Holbeche 2012
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The HE HR Value Triangle
Building strategic capability Building healthy, agile cultures Aligning with institutional vision Core people processes fit for purpose, compliance, risk management A value-creating proposition ! © Linda Holbeche 2012
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Linda Holbeche
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(Re-)engaging employees – the key issues and groups at risk.
What are the biggest challenges /risk issues to delivering excellence you’re aware of? What are the implications for leadership (organisational, functional, team – at all levels)? (Re-)engaging employees – the key issues and groups at risk. And what do you think are possible solutions to any of the above? What is HR’s part in delivering these solutions? © Linda Holbeche 2012
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What challenges does this create for you personally?
How do you feel about this? What are the barriers to you doing this work? What can help you to do this work? © Linda Holbeche 2012
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On reflection 1 point to take away (that you found particularly interesting or thought-provoking) Points you would like to consider applying in your organisation or role 1 point you bring – e.g. good practice - learning point or hint/tip to contribute from your organisation that others can follow up with you on. © Linda Holbeche 2012
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