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REVIEW OF TALENT FIRST

REVIEW OF

Context

Our staff and their collective talent is the first and foremost priority for a University that wishes to change the world for the better through the power and application of ideas and knowledge. For this reason, our People Strategy is named TALENT FIRST and supports the University of Sheffield to be one of the best Universities in the world; renowned for the excellence, impact and distinctiveness both

of its research and its research-led learning and teaching. Its vision is simple – to create a remarkable place to work. We believe this can be achieved through attracting, growing and engaging a diverse range of staff from many different backgrounds with the ambition to transform people’s lives, a desire to take a leading role in research and teaching and a commitment to continually enhance the reputation of the University. It requires talented people with

ingenuity, energy, innovation and stamina to be at the forefront of our pioneering work and our ambitious plans and developments across faculties, departments and between disciplines. As our staff are key to the achievement of the University’s strategic vision, successful delivery of the attract, grow and engage priorities of the TALENT FIRST strategy are critical to the University’s success.

We consider that delivering the TALENT FIRST strategy will create a remarkable place to work, where:

• Each individual’s talents and differences are promoted and respected; • Independence of thought and action over rhetoric is encouraged;

• Creativity and innovation are the norm, where we can all pursue the extraordinary; • Individuals work collaboratively with others within and beyond the University;

• Investment and excellence in leadership is viewed as critical to the University’s success; • A sense of belonging and engagement with, and advocacy for, the University is nurtured and developed;

• The efficiency and effectiveness of our resources are seen as crucial, both to the success of the University and achieving strategic growth to protect our long term future.

Purpose The Talent First Review outlines the major achievements and measures of success across the 7 priorities, 2 over-arching strategies and the underpinning strategy of

Excellence in HR Service Delivery of Talent First, during its 3 year lifespan, 2013-2015.

We developed MANAGE to ensure that all managers

across the University have access to cohesive, high quality and targeted support to improve and build their

management skills.

Following our launch in October 2014 we ran two core sessions for Heads of Departments and Departmental

Managers entitled:

• Fierce Conversations: the Foundations; • What is a Manager?

We also run ongoing bespoke sessions for faculties based on their particular needs.

Through Sheffield Leader we ensure that those who lead, or have the potential to

lead, have the knowledge, skills and behaviours needed by the University to

face the challenges ahead, both internally and externally, and lead others to provide

excellence throughout the institution.

Our Sheffield Leader Community enables powerful networking and connections to be made. Activities

include Community Events, Leadership Exchanges and Impact Groups who work

on a variety of challenges across the institution.

Sheffield Leaders also use the Google+ Community to access mentoring,

coaching and other opportunities related to their leadership roles.

Faculty Specific Activity

We’ve taken MANAGE to Faculties on a

bespoke basis to ensure we respond to their identified challenges.

Since the launch in October 2014

MANAGE development has taken place in

the Faculty of Science, Faculty of Social Sciences and Professional Services with provision for remaining

faculties to follow.

We run regular and well attended Community events, giving Sheffield Leaders the opportunity to learn from

each other. More than 100 Sheffield Leaders attended the Community Event in October 2014, which was presented by Professor Keith Grint on

‘Wicked Problems’.

We share our knowledge and experience across an international community, and

have welcomed visitors from both a number of Malaysian Universities and

Carleton University, who have developed their own leadership development provision, which was influenced by

Sheffield Leader. During July 2015 our team shared

expertise at an international conference in Nashville, Tennessee.

There are currently 1,123 members of the Sheffield Leader Community.

To find out more:

• The Sheffield Leader:

www.sheffield.ac.uk/hr/sld/sheffieldleader • MANAGE: www.sheffield.ac.uk/hr/sld/manage • Develop. MANAGE.Lead:

www.sheffield.ac.uk/hr/sld

MANAGE participants – ‘What would you change as a result of your session?’:

“Stop putting off tackling tough challenges”;

“Be more aware of the diverse needs of staff”;

“Think more about the impact of my interactions with staff”.

“As well as gaining a better understanding of an academic department and the challenges, the

reciprocal helped me to glean an external perspective on how I work and interact with others, which was also really insightful and

valuable (and a little unexpected)”.

Participant of Impact Group Leadership Exchanges

Short Term Impact (Measured 2014)

• ‘How helpful has the Sheffield Leader been for you?’; Cohorts gave an average

rating of 4.2 (4 ‘Extremely helpful’ and 5 ‘Excellent’).

Long-term Impact (Measured 2014) Sheffield Leaders reported that 6 months after finishing their cohorts:

• 75% used networks or contacts made during Sheffield Leader;

• 84% have more confidence as a Leader;

• 80% have started or improved a personal development plan;

• 30% feel they have made a difference to the University through Impact

Groups, Community work groups or similar;

• 75% consciously used tools/models/techniques (e.g. fierce conversations or

‘Wicked Problems’).

Feedback from 2 core sessions run for Heads of Department and Departmental Managers’:

‘Fierce Conversations: the Foundations’ • i) Was the session a good use of your time? Rated 3.4 (4 = Excellent);

• ii) How would you rate the facilitator/s? Rated 3.2 (4 Excellent)

Both Heads of Department and Departmental Managers later provided suggestions on ways to improve their performance (included to the right).

“It has really helped give me the confidence, skills and the will to take control of my career plan for the betterment not just of myself but

for TUoS as well”.

Sheffield Leader Cohort participant

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT)

We climbed from 82nd to 43rd position in the 2015 Stonewall Workplace Equality Index,

which demonstrates the improvements we have made in our support for LGB staff, in our journey towards creating a truly inclusive University community. We

were the 3rd highest placed University on the list.

To support all staff to be

themselves we have developed

‘Open@TUoS’, which has been

piloted within the Faculty of Science, and will be launched across the wider University in 2015.

Disabled Staff Network Our support for disabled staff has been strengthened with the development of the Disabled

Staff Network, bringing together members of the University community with a physical or mental impairment in an informal and relaxed way, to meet each other, gain or offer support and share experiences.

We have signed the ‘Time to Change’ Pledge, setting out our commitment to tackle

mental health issues at the University. Members of the Disabled Staff Network, Students’ Union and University will work together to promote a healthy environment and address the stigma which exists around mental health.

Athena SWAN All departments across the Faculties of

Science, Engineering and Medicine, Dentistry & Health have participated in the Athena SWAN awards process, enabling us to examine and improve our support and practices for women working within traditionally under-represented roles, and improve gender equality across our STEM Faculties.

As a result, the Medical School have introduced ‘The Whyte Payment’, which provides additional support for women on maternity leave by providing a financial contribution towards childcare to support the use of ‘Keeping in Touch’ Days for female staff and postgraduate students.

We’ve developed an Educational Rationale for Equality & Diversity at the University of Sheffield. Diversity is driven by social justice and equality

and by making it part of the core educational aims of the University we put these values into action.

We have improved the disclosure of Equality & Diversity data by staff on our internal system. Improved management information supports

policy and workforce planning across the institution.

We were Highly Commended for the Education Sector Diverse Company Award within the Excellence in Diversity Awards 2015.

To find out more: • LGBT Staff Network:

www.sheffield.ac.uk/hr/equality/networks/lgbtnetwork • Stonewall Workplace Equality Index 2015:

www.sheffield.ac.uk/staff/news/top-100-employer-stonewall-equality-1.431721

• Athena SWAN: www.shef.ac.uk/hr/equality/focus/athenaswan • Disabled Staff Network:

www.sheffield.ac.uk/hr/equality/networks/disabledstaffnetwork • Time to Change Pledge: www.sheffield.ac.uk/staff/news/time-to-

change-1.410942

In addition to an Athena SWAN University-wide Award, 18 departments across our Science, Engineering and Medicine, Dentistry & Health faculties have received awards during 2013-15, of which 4 are Silver and 14 Bronze. All departments have action plans detailing specific areas for improvement and development to support our staff.

The Staff Survey 2014 showed that:

94% felt that the University respects individual differences (e.g. cultures,

working styles, backgrounds, ideas); The University can be seen to respect people regardless of their:

Sexual Orientation (98%); Gender identity (98%);

Religion or beliefs (97%);

Ethnicity/nationality (97%). Between April 2013 and February 2015 the proportion of equality data

disclosed by staff increased for the following characteristics:

Sexual orientation: 5% to 36%;

Religion & Belief: 5% to 36%;

Ethnicity: 73% to 85%;

Disability: 70% to 80%.

Improved staff equality data enables better workforce planning and enhanced capacity to provide accurate information to our faculties.

In 8 sessions for The Big Message Project we asked 147 participants (72

Academic/Clinical Academic/Researchers/Teachers, 62 Professional Services, 5 Technical staff and 8 students) to contribute to a number of topics related to how diversity can enhance The University of Sheffield’s educational value e.g. diverse teams and our staff–student profile.

“Excellent workshop. I have already recommended it to several of my colleagues!”

Unconscious Bias workshop

attendee

“I’m delighted that the University has once again

been named a Top 100 Employer by Stonewall, and to have improved so much is testimony to our ongoing and

sustained commitment to equality and diversity”.

Andy Dodman, HR Director

“This is a great initial step in ensuring that the fear of prejudice and discrimination felt by many experiencing mental ill health is eliminated, and

will hopefully enable greater openness and disclosure to occur so that people can receive the

support they need”.

Mark Morley, Chair Staff Disability Network

The proportion of female Professors has increased by 48% over the 5 years

leading up to 2015. As at July 2014, the percentage of Professorial staff who are

female was 23%, the target set in the Strategic Plan 2010-2015.

Our employer brand reflects the University’s ambition, confidence and culture of discovery and collaboration, and has measurably challenged people’s assumptions about Sheffield and achieved the goal of getting people excited to work here;

We enhanced our appeal for potential applicants and increased our accessibility as a employer, through developing innovative methods of advertising our brand using full-colour pictorial adverts and web-based microsites.

We’re promoting our

opportunities to a wider applicant pool, through our internal networks and enhanced social media usage including Twitter feeds, Facebook and LinkedIn;

We’ve created maximum impact in promoting our University brand and reputation, e.g. use of adverts in the Times Higher Education during the Engineering Big Splash Campaign;

We’ve worked with External Search Agencies to reach global talent pools for our senior vacancies across the University.

Our updated Jobs pages

promote the benefits of the University, city and region to potential applicants by providing a bright, attractive and welcoming first impression which signposts to further information;

We’ve made changes to our

E-Recruitment system to enhance the user experience for our current staff, and we’re also working on changes to benefit our external applicants.

Our achievements reflect our inclusive culture in which

developing staff talent and enhancing wellbeing is key:

Voted No. 1 for Student

Experience in the Times Higher Education Student Experience Awards, 2014-15;

Ranked 43rd in the Stonewall

Top 100 Employers for the Workplace Equality Index 2015;

Staff Networks including Women@TUoS, Parents@TUoS, LGBT Staff Network & Disabled Staff Network;

Juice Everyday Health and Wellbeing offers a wide range of free activities for all staff.

Our focus on attracting senior talent, which has included the revised employer brand, targeted use of search agencies, enhanced opportunities to promote the University as an employer and relocation support (see below), has enabled us to enhance our profile of the University at both national and international level. This has achieved high quality appointments to support the University’s vision of excellence, impact and distinctiveness.

We’re supporting our senior staff appointments through a partnership with Relocate2Sheffield, which introduces the city and region, both before and after appointments, and assists successful candidates with finding suitable accommodation, amongst other requirements. We’ve also been able to secure key appointments through ‘dual career support’ which is a unique offering in supporting the appointee’s partner with finding suitable work within the region.

Senior Talent Attraction

Pursue the extraordinary

University culture Web, system and

process improvements

Enhanced recruitment channels

Employer brand and engagement

Pursue the extraordinary

To find out more:

• Jobs: www.sheffield.ac.uk/jobs • Recruitment guidance:

www.shef.ac.uk/hr/recruitment • Athena SWAN:

www.shef.ac.uk/hr/equality/focus/athenaswan • Relocate2Sheffield: www.relocate2sheffield.co.uk • E-Recruitment:

www.sheffield.ac.uk/hr/recruitment/erecruitment • Twitter: @shefunijobs

74% of appointees who had seen the new brand reported it had

changed their perception of the University, and 62% said it had changed their perception of the University as an employer *

The Vice-Chancellor’s Fellowships (2013) secured the appointment

of 15 strong early-career researchers with high academic potential. The second Vice-Chancellors Fellowships scheme is in progress

with over 200 applications received during early 2015.

Reduction in applicant calls to the E-Recruitment Helpdesk from

12.7% to 2.9% between May 2013 and May 2015.

84.8% of all posts across the University were appointed to across

the 2013-14 period. Increase from 50.0% to 62.8% in successful appointments to senior posts between August 2013 and January 2014.

“Your aspirations and culture, and the Library’s reputation and talented team,

have made the decision to move to the UK an easy one”.

Anne Horn, Director of Library Services & University Librarian

“I am very much looking forward to taking on this new role in Sheffield – I have noticed and admired

for some time the distinctive culture of the University and its outstanding contribution to

research, education and the student experience”. Professor Shearer West, Deputy Vice-Chancellor

“Nowhere else have I found such a combination of scientific excellence and motivation to

engage for success”. Professor Winston Hide, appointed to SITraN from

Harvard University

*Source – TMP Research 2013/14

Winner of the Heist Award – joint TMP/University of Sheffield submission under category of “Best Employer Marketing Initiative” in July 2015.

Staff Induction Portal

We developed a fresh, new Induction

Portal to engage and support our new staff before they join the University,

and during their first three months in post.

This brings together information about the University and the city of Sheffield and acts as a bridge between the time new starters are appointed to, and when they arrive at

the University. The Portal enables staff new to the University to feel a sense of

belonging, and contribute quickly to their role.

Managers Toolkit

Our Managers are better equipped to deliver a more consistent induction

experience following the development of a Managers Toolkit. This includes information on local department

provisions and shares good practice. A selection of Line Managers were involved

in the induction evaluation exercise to explore perceptions and usage of the

induction toolkit.

New Starter Events Our New Starter Events provide the opportunity to learn more about the University and to meet other new starters. The Welcome to the University events, New Starter Campus Tours and New Starter Coffee Mornings are held on a regular basis, are well attended and receive positive feedback.

Selection Techniques Our selection tools and techniques have been reviewed and we have produced a Selection Toolkit for Managers. The

Toolkit will enhance selection across the University by ensuring the robustness of the

selection process for the recruiting manager, and thus providing a high quality

candidate experience.

Unconscious Bias We are minimising the impact of

Unconscious bias across the University by delivering targeted training to key

staff groups involved in recruitment and selection, and consideration is being

given to embedding information within Chairs of Interview Panel training. Online

training and accessible webpages with relevant information are available for all

staff.

Personnel Today Award

Finalists for categories in “Award for Excellence in Technology” and

“HR Director of the Year”.

To find out more:

• Staff Induction Resources: www.sheffield.ac.uk/hr/recruitment/induction

• New Staff Welcome Events: www.shef.ac.uk/hr/recruitment/induction/indevents

• Manager Induction Toolkit: www.sheffield.ac.uk/hr/recruitment/induction/managers

• Unconscious Bias: www.sheffield.ac.uk/hr/equality/focus/unconsciousbias

Staff Survey 2014 results showed:

• 94% of staff are proud to work for the University (increase from 86%

in 2012);

• 80% of staff feel a strong sense of belonging to the University

(increase from 66% in 2012).

Since the online staff induction portal was launched in May 2014, 55%

of new staff across all roles have accessed the portal – this includes

65% of new academic staff, 60% of new research staff, and 61% of

new managerial staff. New staff have access to the online portal from 3 months before their start date, enabling support from the period before they arrive, through to their first three months in post.

• 81% of new staff who provided feedback on the staff induction

portal advised that the portal supported them in settling into their new job;

• 75% of staff who provided feedback advised that the portal made

them feel proud to work for the University.

100% of attendees at the December 2014 Coffee Morning advised that

they would recommend the event to new starters

94% of new starters who completed the 3 month evaluation

questionnaire advised that their recruiting department provided them

with local induction information and/or induction activities, with 63% rating this as ‘very useful.’

“It was a very enjoyable event. I met lots of new starters and was able to feel as though I was

part of the bigger picture in terms of the University’s mission and plans for the future”.

Staff member at New Starter Coffee Morning

“It was great to get a feel of University life and to get an idea of what happens in each of the

buildings”.

Staff member at New Starter Campus Tour

“I was really impressed, more detail than I

imagined and really interesting”.

Staff member at Welcome to the University event

Launch of Development Everywhere

We developed, designed and launched

Development Everywhere, which focusses on

4 key skills enabling our staff to develop their talents. We created new Development Everywhere webpages which feature a range of resources

including learning events, videos, online resources and books to help facilitate learning at a time and in a

way which suits our staff.

In April 2014 our Staff Development Team presented Development Everywhere at the Staff Development Forum Conference (SDF), and published a paper in

the November 2014 issue of the SDF Digest.

In 2014 we launched the revised Futures Programme, available for Senior Female Academics

who are mentored by Pro-Vice Chancellors or other senior staff members.

Our Impact programme, open to female Lecturers

who are mentored by female Professors and other senior staff, continues to grow, with the 2015 programme attracting several new mentors.

UHR Award Winners 2015

Our Staff Development team in collaboration with Leadership and Management colleagues have won a prestigious UHR Award for their work underpinning

Develop, MANAGE, Lead.

The University was named a winner in the Organisational Change and Values category, with an emphasis on development as a continuous process at the University.

We launched ‘Develop, MANAGE, Lead’ as a gateway

to our HR webpages and to demonstrate how Development

Everywhere links to other key HR areas and initiatives.

We promote, support and develop a variety of mentoring

opportunities which both enable our staff to develop and

contribute to key business needs.

We are jointly sponsoring the new CAMPUS Mentoring Programme

which gives Academic and Professional staff the opportunity

to link together, and gives mentees an understanding of how their role aligns to those of other colleagues in contributing to the University’s

success.

We will work with colleagues to develop a new Learning

Management System, to support and enhance the learning experience for our staff.

Staff Survey 2014 results showed:

• 94% of staff are proud to work for the University (increase from

86% in 2012);

• 80% of staff feel a strong sense of belonging to the University

(increase from 66% in 2012).

To date:

• 42% of Futures mentees who were at Senior Lecturer or Reader

level when participating have since been promoted to Professor, compared to 14% of eligible pool.

• 35% of Impact mentees have been promoted to Senior Lecturer

since their participation in the programme, compared to 19% of the eligible pool.

Key statistics demonstrate how Development Everywhere is embedded into staff learning at the University:

• 15% increase in visitors to the Development Everywhere site

between January and August 2014;

• 82% of visitors returned to the Development Everywhere website

(compared to 61% for previous Staff Development site);

• 230 members of the Google Community;

• 332 Twitter followers.

To find out more:

• Develop, MANAGE, Lead: www.sheffield.ac.uk/hr/sld • Development Everywhere:

www.sheffield.ac.uk/hr/sld/developmenteverywhere • Impact Mentoring Programme:

www.sheffield.ac.uk/hr/sld/developmenteverywhere/coachmentor/impactfutures/impact

• Futures Mentoring Programme: www.sheffield.ac.uk/hr/sld/developmenteverywhere/coachmentor/impactfutures/futures

I am amazed. Thank you!”

Feedback on Development Everywhere from

an academic colleague.

“My mentor gave me invaluable advice for my career development and future promotion.”

“My mentor was exceptional and provided me with

pathways and wisdom to turn my ambition into reality”.

Feedback from Futures programme mentees

“It was very useful to speak with a busy senior academic about what counts in terms of promotion, how to allocate any time wisely and how to monitor

it and about the importance of networking within the University. Since then, I’ve made strides in

addressing these three areas” .

Testimonial from an Impact programme mentee

Performance Management Activity

We’ve enhanced our performance management activity across the lifespan

of Talent First 2013-2015.

We’re undertaking an increased volume of performance management cases across all

Faculties, ensuring that we’re supporting our staff to perform to the best of their abilities.

We’ve also developed performance, capability and conduct guidance for our managers.

Research metrics are ready to be introduced in the Faculty of Social Sciences and linked to

the 2015 academic promotions round following a successful trial in 2014.

Talent Management

We’re improving the ways in which we

manage our talented staff to ensure high performers are recognised, motivated and

desire to remain at the University.

Our Departments within the Faculty of Science have developed action plans

identifying cases of talent management and development, where the potential of

individuals can be better utilised with support, mentoring and development enabling our

individuals to realise their potential. A total of

43 cases of talent management have been

identified with developed action plans for specified individuals.

Our approach to Talent Management enables

us to grow and engage our talented staff, supporting our visions of being one of the best

Universities in the world and creating a remarkable place to work.

We undertook a University-wide review of Academic Probation in 2014 with the

aim of both streamlining and updating processes. The review resulted in future

savings of time and paper and greatly improved document security.

Within the review we also clarified roles and

responsibilities resulting in greater consistency for new lecturers, enabling better

support to perform to the best of their abilities.

We’re undergoing a programme of development work within HR to reduce the

time taken to resolve cases, and enhance the usage of existing procedures to ensure robust

case management.

This programme also includes;

• Developing a bold approach to case management;

• Development of investigation training to enhance current capacity;

• Development of panel member training for Managers who sit on formal Capability or Conduct panels.

To find out more:

• The Sheffield Professional: Performing for Excellence: www.sheffield.ac.uk/sheffieldprofessionals/theshefprofessionalframework/realisingpotential

• Sheffield Academic: www.sheffield.ac.uk/jobs/uni/sheffieldacademic

• Develop, MANAGE, Lead: www.sheffield.ac.uk/hr/sld

• Reward and Recognition – The Deal: www.sheffield.ac.uk/hr/thedeal

“Introducing agreed, shared behaviours into the conversation can improve the experience for individual and manager, making it easier to

celebrate successes and explore development needs in a way which is more comfortable and easy to

understand”. The Sheffield Professional Webpages – Performing for

Excellence

Staff Survey 2014 results showed:

• 94% of staff are proud to work for the University (increase from

86% in 2012);

• 87% of staff would recommend the University as an excellent place

to work (increase from 75% in 2012);

• 66% of staff feel there is a culture where all can flourish and succeed

(increase from 44% in 2012);

• 82% of staff feel that their manager/supervisor does a good job of

managing them;

• 90% of staff have a clear understanding of expected standards of

performance.

The time taken to resolve cases in a period of less than 3 months since

the start of the project has reduced by 38%. The below graph shows

the change over time.

“Talented people are always searching for ways to improve and strive for the highest possible standards

in whatever work they are engaged in for the University”.

Talent First

Global Corporate Challenge

We encourage staff to participate in the Global Corporate Challenge (GCC), a health and wellbeing programme which encourages participants to take 10,000

steps daily to help increase their overall health and fitness levels.

75 teams (525 individuals) from the

University took part in this global health and wellbeing programme.

In 2014 for the second consecutive year,

we were named the Most Active Organisation within the Education and

Training Sector, with 406 staff participating across the University

Juice Everyday Health and Wellbeing

We developed and launched Juice Everyday Health and Wellbeing to support our ambition to be a top employer, through which we promote social, physical

and mental wellbeing with a variety of accessible and free services for staff and

managers.

We offer a breadth of activities supporting social, physical and mental wellbeing

including Juice Choir, Book Club, Boot camp, Tai Chi and Health Checks.

Our past Campaigns have included:

Juice New Year Campaign including

Pilates, Spinning and Healthy Eating; Get Moving Campaign encouraging

staff to be active, including Couch-5km Challenge, Juice Lectures and Weight

Management.

Our Workplace Health and Wellbeing team have engaged with leaders, managers and

Heads of Departments across the University, to increase awareness and encourage

engagement with the service.

We developed an integrated health and wellbeing brand and provision, and our new

health and wellbeing web portal was launched in April 2014, bringing together wellbeing

initiatives and services which encourage our staff to look after their health, both physical and emotional. Our enhanced Staff Helpline

was launched in April 2014 and is a free, confidential and independent source for employees and their families to access

information and help on a variety of topics.

To find out more:

• Health and Wellbeing Portal: https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/hr/wellbeing

• Juice Everyday Health and Wellbeing: https://juice.shef.ac.uk/

• Global Corporate Challenge: https://www.gettheworldmoving.com/

“”It’s a fantastic accomplishment that highlights the commitment and effort of staff

from across the University towards health and wellbeing. We look forward to continuing to

support staff in their efforts to maintain good health and active physical activity levels and

creating a remarkable place to work”.

Andy Dodman, HR Director on Global Corporate Challenge.

“Getting involved with Juice has made me feel more positive about achieving my goal….It’s

great to do it with like-minded people”.

Staff user of Juice activities

Our sector leading initiative has been recognised nationally with the following awards:- • UHR High Performance HR 2014 (Winner); • Employee Engagement Award 2014 (Winner); • HR Excellence Award 2014 (Winner); • Employee Benefits Award 2014 (Finalist).

Current usage for the staff counselling provision during 2014-15 is

8.9%, including the online health portal hits and the number of calls

received by the Health Assured helpline.

“I loved the inclusiveness…everyone was made to feel they could achieve and there was no

judgement made on different levels of talent”.

Staff user of Juice activities

Juice Data Since Launch:-

• Total activities scheduled – over 2,000;

• Different activity types – 37;

• Different locations – 191;

• Total bookings – over 11,000;

• Total individuals – over 1,900.

Engagement with Juice continues to grow; as of January 2015 23% of

University staff had participated in a Juice activity. The January ‘Get

Moving’ campaign received over 1,200 bookings within the first 2 days.

Staff Survey 2014 results showed:

• 88% Staff are able to cope with the demands of their job (increase

from 80%);

• 84% staff feel inspired to do their best work every day (increase

from 76%);

• 87% would recommend the University as an excellent place to work

(increase from 75%).

Reward and Recognition Principles

We developed a set of Reward and Recognition principles (see right) through focus groups with a variety of

staff from across the University. These fed into the work of the Strategic Review Group and informed development of the

revised reward and recognition strategy.

Our approach to rewarding and recognising staff is built upon

the principles of Total Reward, in which the benefits of

working for the University are considered in their entirety, taking account of the whole range of financial and non-financial benefits, rewards and working environments available to staff.

Total Reward Package

We launched The Deal in March 2015 which brings together the

pay, benefits and rewards staff members earn by being a valued member of the University and by being ambitious and performing

at their best.

The Deal will bring us closer to our strategic principles.

The Deal online portal includes a

Total Reward Statement which provides

a breakdown of all benefits earned throughout the year, and access to a variety of exciting offerings enabling staff to save money online.

We’ve changed how we recognise the contribution of our staff with

The Deal Recognition scheme.

Managers can recognise staff

contribution with vouchers, small gifts, team rewards, annual leave

and more. All staff will also be able to send ‘thank you cards’ to

recognise each others contribution. The awards were piloted in April-June 2015, and

launched to the whole University in September 2015.

We’ve made changes to how we

reward our Academic Leaders. All Academic Heads

of Department and Academic Faculty Directors now receive a

guaranteed annual allowance and additional benefits which recognise the leadership role

undertaken within their departments.

Introduced new, more

transparent, Executive Reward Framework,

which aligns objectives to the organisational goals.

During 2014/15 we revised our Local Framework Agreement in

collaboration with our Trade Unions, which outlines reward for staff in

Grades 1-9 . The resulting Agreement is aligned more closely to the University’s

strategic aims and will help us to develop new practices in 3 key areas

aligned to University goals:

• How we reward contribution; • Promotions and re-grading;

• Staff Review and Development Scheme (SRDS)

Staff Survey 2014 results showed:

• 94% of staff are proud to work for the University (increase from 86%

in 2012);

• 71% of staff feel fairly paid for the work they do (increase from 60%

in 2012);

• 77% of staff are satisfied with their total reward package (increase

from 61% in 2012);

• 63% of staff are satisfied that their contribution and performance is

appropriately recognised in the total reward package (increase from 50% in 2012).

To find out more:

• Reward and Recognition Review:

www.sheffield.ac.uk/hr/thedeal/review/update • Reward Strategy:

www.sheffield.ac.uk/hr/thedeal/strategy • The Deal: www.sheffield.ac.uk/hr/thedeal • The Deal Recognition Awards:

www.sheffield.ac.uk/hr/thedeal/recognitionawards • Academic Leaders Reward:

www.sheffield.ac.uk/hr/thedeal/academicleaders

Between March-May 2015, over 1,500 staff and over 100 family

members registered for the Shop & Save offer within The Deal and

began to make savings on shopping and cinema purchases. So far, over

£23,000 has been spent via the portal, with total savings amounting to

around £1,000.

“[I felt] pleased to be recognised for my hard work”.

Comments received from participants during The Deal Recognition Scheme pilot

phase included:

By May 2015 the personalised Total Reward Statements within The

Deal were visited over 2,000 times.

During March 2015 we transferred over 600 staff members participating

in the Childcare Voucher scheme to our new voucher provider. We contacted members by email and provided them with additional support and FAQs. We received positive feedback from a number of transferring members praising the support and help available, and commenting on the ease of the new process via the portal.

“I was grateful for [my colleagues] effort and wanted their manager to see my

appreciation as well”.

Change Projects In February 2015 we welcomed over 40 new staff to the University

as part of the Energy 2050 initiative, which aims to expand

our expertise in tackling the world’s energy challenges, through an interaction between University research, industry innovation and

government policy.

We supported development of the innovative building project,

The Diamond, through staffing strategy and assisting the

Faculty of Engineering with the resulting impact on day to day operations.

Investors in People We share good practice across Professional Services through the Investors in

People Standard, which focuses on the importance of staff to the success of the organisation. Our Internal Review team collects evidence for the standard across

Professional Services which is externally verified, enabling us to continuously improve our working practices.

The most recent round of assessments took place in 2014 in which the

Professional Services accreditation was renewed and areas of good practice highlighted.

Change Management Toolkits We provide support and professional advice to managers dealing with key

restructures and changes throughout the University. Our HR team works closely with faculties to ensure we achieve change in line with our legislative

requirements, and our management toolkits provide support throughout the process (see Excellence in HR Service Delivery).

TUoS in the Media

Our external profile is being raised through media coverage of our achievements, enhancing our reputation across the sector and beyond.

• The University was rated No. 1 in the Times Higher Education Student Experience Awards, 2014-2015.

• A research collaboration with the University of Copenhagen which discovered a link between drugs to treat osteoporosis and their applicability in

treating breast cancer was highlighted by The Daily Telegraph in May 2015.

DRAFT

National Award Winners

Our sector leading initiatives have been recognised nationally and

we have both won and been shortlisted for prestigious awards across the University, demonstrating the breadth and impact of

our work in creating a remarkable place to work.

• THE Leadership and Management Awards 2014 • 2014 Winner - Outstanding Library Team; • 2014 Winner - Outstanding Departmental

Administration Team, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry & Health.

• THE Leadership and Management Awards 2015 • 2015 Winner - Outstanding Administrative Services

Team, Registry Services and Student Administration;

• 2015 shortlist - Outstanding Estates Team.

“I’m delighted to see the hard work of colleagues recognised yet again with these awards….. As a University, we have great

reason to share pride in these awards and we are delighted that our efforts have received

this national recognition.”

Professor Sir Keith Burnett, Vice-Chancellor on awards wins at the 2014 THELMA Awards

To find out more:

• Investors in People: www.investorsinpeople.co.uk/ • The University of Sheffield News Releases:

www.sheffield.ac.uk/news/nr • Change Management Toolkit:

www.shef.ac.uk/hr/guidance/change/toolkit • THE Leadership and Management Awards 2014

article: www.sheffield.ac.uk/staff/news/thelma-awards-2014-1.381087

“My team and I are delighted to be joining The

University of Sheffield which has an increasingly powerful national and international reputation for

its work on energy.”

Professor Mohammed Pourkashanian Leader of the Energy 2050 Research Team

Within the 2012-2015 Investors in People Review 199 staff members were

interviewed across Professional Services, encompassing 9.7% of total staff

in these departments. Key improvements since the previous review held in 2012 included: • Communication such as informal information updates; • Enhanced focus from managers on recognising good performance; • Staff more involved in determining departmental strategy; • Staff encouraged to take greater ownership within own areas; • Improvements to SRDS implementation. Our Registry Services and Student Administration Team won a Times Higher Education Leadership and Management Awards 2015 for

Outstanding Administrative Services team in recognition of:

• Implementation of a system for adding students to the electoral register

embedded within the University registration process, resulting in the highest proportion of registered student voters nationally provision of guidance to other Universities;

• Introduction of higher education achievement reports for undergraduate students;

• Roll-out of peer conciliation service for students which has seen a 100% success rate.

• Judges said Sheffield’s “collaborative approach to all the team’s activities focus on results that matter”.

Sheffield Professional

The Sheffield Professional Framework outlines a range of values and

behaviours that our staff need to exhibit, and we developed guidance and resources to demonstrate how the Framework can be

used in the everyday work of our staff.

We’re also encouraging our staff to work

across boundaries by promoting secondment opportunities available across the University.

In March 2015 we held the first Sheffield Professional Awards, to celebrate the

achievements of our Professional staff across 21 categories aligned to our values and

behaviours.

We’ve worked with our Faculties to

develop People Plans which are aligned

to their operational and strategic goals. The Plans define key Faculty HR priorities

for the year ahead and provide a focus for delivery in all aspects of Talent First.

We’ve developed Toolkits to support our managers with various policies and

procedures including managing performance, dispute resolution, sickness

absence and managing change. New policies have also been developed with accompanying guidance including Shared

Parental Leave and Disability Leave.

HR Service Delivery

Our business-facing operational teams provide tailored support to

individual faculties and departments, from transactional activity to strategic HR

guidance.

The University business planning process now includes a specific focus on staff resources and succession planning. Human Resource Managers work in

partnership with Faculties and Departments to deliver their staffing

plans.

HR Transactional activity (contracts, staff changes, visas) has increased significantly across the lifespan of Talent First, whilst HR efficiency and streamlined processes

have resulted in achievement of target turnaround times with the same

resources.

Several of our HR led initiatives have been recognised with national awards, demonstrating the impact of our work

across both Higher Education and wider sectors. • Develop, MANAGE, Lead; 2015 UHR Award Winner; • Juice Everyday Health and Wellbeing: 2014 UHR

Award Winner, 2014 HR Excellence Award Winner; • Equality & Diversity: 2014 Winner of Sheffield

Chamber of Commerce Award for Celebrating Diversity

In the Staff Survey 2014 we found that 94% of staff are proud to

work for the University.

We reached an impressive

72% response rate and later held a

University-wide town hall style event focussed on

the results, and involving a cross-section of staff

from across the University interacting with members

of the Executive Board.

HR Staff Survey 2014 • 69 members of staff

completed and returned the survey (100%)

• 100% of HR staff are proud to work at the University

• 84% feel valued by the University

• 88% say their manager provides them with feedback about their performance

• 99% would recommend the University as an excellent place to work

To find out more:

• Sheffield Professionals:

http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/sheffieldprofessionals • Sheffield Professional Awards 2015:

http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/sheffieldprofessionals/awards

• Change Management Toolkit: http://www.shef.ac.uk/hr/guidance/change/toolkit

• HR Awards and Achievements: https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/hr/aboutus/about/achievements

“A secondment will give you the chance to try

something new with the safety net of your substantive role to return to….You will learn a

lot about your skills and abilities. It’s a really positive experience for me. I’m really enjoying

it!”

Staff member on secondment advertised by Sheffield Professional

Across the Sheffield Professional Awards::

• 384 staff nominated across all Faculties and Professional Services;

• 95 staff were shortlisted;

• 29 staff won an award.

• 98% of staff enjoyed the event;

• 89% of staff who attended the event felt that the awards were

successful in achieving the aim of recognising and celebrating the contribution of exceptional Professional staff;

• 89% of staff felt that their contribution as a Professional staff member

was more valued by the University as a result of the Awards.

Change Management Toolkits “There is a wealth of information available within the toolkits, and the more managers use them the more beneficial they become.” HR Adviser, HR Operations “The toolkits are user-friendly, and managers find them useful as it makes information clearer and easier to follow.” Trade Union Representative

Our HR Operational teams continued to deliver excellent service and meet target turnaround times during a period in which transactional activity increased and HR Assistant resource decreased. Throughout 2010-2014 there were: • +72% job postings; • +106% additional appointments; • +92% change of positions; • +28% new appointments; • +35% changes to hours; • +133% casual registrations.

“I thought the event was informative, it gave me a sense of what the UEB do and I now feel having met some of them that I could directly contact a

member of the Board”.

“Thanks for taking the issue seriously and making time”.

Attendees at the University-wide Staff Survey

event in December 2014