key operational plans

Human Resource Support and Development Plan

Executive Summary September 2006
VI. Human Resource Support and Developent Plan Goals and Recommended Action Steps

Based on the information provided in this key operational plan, nine challenges have been identified for the human resource support and development plan.  These nine challenges span a variety of functions of human resources and different levels of service delivery.

The first challenge is to develop a mechanism for consistent and ongoing review of the human resource support and development services provided by the Human Resource Office and the Office of the Provost.  This plan needs to identify and develop key metrics for tracking the performance of human resources (e.g., turnover rates, recruitment success, grievance and complaint rates).  Action steps include:

  1. Human Resources Office and the Office of the Provost will develop a plan to conduct a program review.
  2. Use data obtained from the program review to revise and prioritize the plan goals and action steps.

The second challenge is to develop a performance support plan for all employees of the university.  This plan needs to be aimed at improving the skills of supervisors, department chairs, and other “line” managers in recruitment, training, motivation, goal-setting, and performance evaluation of the employees they manage or supervise.  Action steps include

  1. HR develops a draft performance support plan, including a performance appraisal process,  to implement with a pilot group of supervisors of academic staff
  2. Develop training of a pilot group of academic staff supervisors
  3. Implement for those supervisors of classified staff
  4. Implement for all supervisors of classified and academic staff, to include career development
  5. Include career development for Instructional Academic Staff
  6. Develop metrics to evaluate outcomes and improve plan

The third challenge is to develop a university-wide recruitment and staffing program.  A key barrier to this step is the currently decentralized model which the university uses to recruit and select new employees.  We need to have a better understanding of the success of the current decentralized model of recruitment and staffing and whether efficiencies can be gained with more centralization.  If centralization is not appropriate, the focus may need to be on training individual units to conduct recruitment and staffing planning.  This issue overlaps with the finance operational plan. Action steps include:

  1. Convene a workgroup to include representatives of all colleges and divisions  to review the Diversity Plan 2008 goals, the current Affirmative Action Plan goals, and current recruitment and retention statistics; determine other statistics that need to be gathered
  2. Develop a 3-5 year university-wide staffing plan
  3. Develop a plan to train search and screen committees, supervisors, department chairs, faculty, and other individuals involved in recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce
  4. Develop a new recruitment policy to include:  when to offer “internal” recruitments, when to recruit externally, or when to just appoint to a position or promote
  5. Develop metrics to evaluate outcomes

The fourth challenge is to develop and implement a career development and succession program. Action steps include:

  1. Determine if career paths exist and if so, describe them
  2. Determine if career paths are meeting the needs of employees and are made available in an equitable manner
  3. Improve flexibility in career tracks for all employees
  4. Develop a new recruitment policy to include:  when to offer “internal” recruitments, when to recruit externally, or when to just appoint to a position or promote
  5. Develop a “progression chart” to make career paths more transparent
  6. Train supervisors and department chairs on development plans
  7. Develop succession planning strategies for identifying and developing well-qualified supervisors and administrators
  8. Include goals in current Affirmative Action Plan
  9. Develop metrics to evaluate outcomes

The fifth challenge is to develop and implement an organization satisfaction survey that can be used to assess employee satisfaction with various aspects of their employment and guide human resource policy decisions in the future.  Action steps include:

  1. Develop survey to include pay, job opportunities, supervision, co-workers, benefits, type of work, safety and security, and work/life balance
  2. Develop metrics to evaluate outcomes

The sixth challenge is to improve new employee orientation and socialization.  Action steps include:

  1. Develop a comprehensive new employee orientation program
  2. Train people to mentor new faculty and staff
  3. Collaborate with EAP
  4. Meet with new employees within 2 months of beginning work to conduct satisfaction interviews

The seventh challenge is to work with the academic colleges to improve renewal and promotion processes.  Action steps include:

  1. Develop a plan to ensure individuals are familiar with and understand performance expectations, and that they are clearly applied and individualistic
  2. Continue to ensure equity in promotion and renewal for faculty and instructional staff
  3. Continue to improve transparency and clarity in expectations for renewal, tenure, promotion, merit, rewards, incentives, and compensation
  4. Continue to ensure equity in promotion and salary for all employee groups
  5. Develop a policy/practice statement for promotion from within and leadership transition that allows the university to capitalize on the development of internal leadership talent.
  6. Include goals in current Affirmative Action Plan

The eighth challenge is to offer leadership development training.  Action steps include:

  1. Continue leadership training for department chairs and other faculty considering leadership roles
  2. Continue leadership training for supervisors
  3. Collaborate with EAP
  4. Offer leadership training for those wanting to move into leadership roles
  5. Develop metrics to evaluate outcomes

The ninth challenge is to develop an integrated employee wellness program. Action steps include:

  1. Continue work of the Healthy Titans 2010 task force
  2. Implement the program plan
  3. Include work-life balance issues
  4. Include Employee Assistance Program
  5. Improve the occupational health and safety program in relation to workers’ compensation injuries
  6. Develop metrics to evaluate outcomes

The last challenge is to increase the diversity of faculty, academic and classified staff.  This goal is integrated with the Diversity Plan 2008 and Affirmative Action Plan goals.  Action Steps include:

  1. Initially focus on increasing the diversity of faculty and classified staff.
  2. Develop a plan to increase the diversity of faculty over the long term to include developing relationships with appropriate Ph.D. granting institutions, and a “grow our own” program. 
  3. Obtain staffing delegation from OSER and UW-System
  4. Increase the diversity of applicants on the registers through relationship-building with community organizations
  5. Develop metrics to evaluate outcomes