Who is the strategy for? Does it include all Divisions, Departments and Colleges?
The strategy is for all University staff, including those who join us in the future. Our ambition is that everything we do as part of the strategy will also be made available to colleges to use and benefit from. Whilst the focus is on those employed here, the goals of the People Strategy – being a great place to work – will also help to create the conditions for a great student experience.
Who informed the content of the People Strategy?
The University People Committee commissioned and approved the strategy, and it was signed off by Council in December 2024. Content was developed following extensive engagement with divisional and departmental boards and groups.
People from all parts of the University contributed views. You told us what you value about Oxford as well as the challenges you face, and we compared these with information about current trends in the higher education sector and the wider world of work.
We believe that the resulting three outcomes that make up the strategy will be relevant to everyone. The ways we will achieve the outcomes may be different for the different parts of the collegiate University, and so it is important for the strategy to be flexible and remain focused on these long-term outcomes.
Why are values important for the People Strategy?
Values reflect the type of University and workplace we aspire to be. Our research showed that values are an increasingly important factor that people consider when deciding where they would like to work, and where they wish to stay and build their career. We found that nearly all major UK universities have defined their values and use them in a variety of ways, including to guide decision-making, frame HR policies, and as a way to celebrate and reward people’s contributions to the life and success of the University.
At Oxford, many departments and teams already have statements of their values, and the University Strategic Plan is expected to include cross-cutting themes that will underpin everything we do. We are investigating how we could integrate these shared themes into a set of Oxford Values, that are created and owned by the University community.
How does the People Strategy link with other University strategies?
The Collegiate University Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Strategic Plan sets out our aspirations for equality, diversity and inclusion. It is central to the way we will deliver each part of the People Strategy, with the Equality and Diversity Unit acting as a key partner. Our efforts are also integrated with the Thriving at Oxford wellbeing plan, the EveryDaySafe initiative and the Estates Strategy, as well as our review of employee relations. Together these initiatives will foster a supportive, inclusive, and safe working environment. Their audiences differ slightly, as the EDI plan includes actions for the whole University and College community, while the People Strategy is focused particularly on staff.
Good people information and systems are key to providing the level of professional support that the University’s ambitious academic mission demands. The Digital Transformation Programme will be an important enable of the People Strategy. In particular, the People and Finance Transformation (PFST) is the programme of work that will update our working practices with the help of supporting digital technologies.
The ways we organise our services will follow clear principles which have been set out in the University’s Strategic Review of Professional Services. This builds upon work we began under Professional Services Together, which included creating professional communities of practice and career pathways.
The strategy includes a lot of different things. Can we really do it all?
During the consultation phase, we heard that many people feel overloaded with change initiatives. Our aim is to coordinate and streamline existing projects and policies under the three People Strategy outcomes, without adding to the load. We hope that this will make it easier for everyone to follow and collaborate in work relating to people and HR.
How will we know if the People Strategy is making a difference?
Tracking progress throughout the People Strategy's implementation will be crucial to success, helping us to understand which approaches are beneficial and where we most need to focus our efforts. That is why we are taking care to gather a clear baseline of information from which we will be able to measure progress. A key source of information will be listening to the experiences of staff at the University, including but not limited to our biennial Staff Experience Surveys.
I work in an HR role. What does the People Strategy mean for me and how should I use it?
The People Strategy is for everyone but it has special relevance for members of the professional services community, particularly those who work in HR roles, who will be integral to the successful implementation of the strategy’s initiatives. There should always be a clear line of sight, linking the work we do with the University’s three People Strategy outcomes: A great place to work for all; Enabling talent to thrive; and high-quality people services.
The ways that the strategy can help include:
- Greater confidence in delivery: Working together towards shared goals, managing issues, risks and dependencies together and reducing duplicated efforts.
- More effective communication: Making it easier for our stakeholders to understand how the different aspects of our work fit together, to see what is coming and why it matters, and to participate in shaping the future direction.
- Supporting individual and team performance by making it easier to see how our work connects with our colleagues’ priorities, so that we can each collaborate across boundaries, share learning and access peer support.
- Being guided by evidence: Using the outcomes to measure our overall impact, uncover inequalities and target our efforts where they will have the most positive effect for people.
Who can I speak to about the People Strategy?
Please get in touch if you would like to get involved or discuss how to implement the People Strategy in the part of the University where you work. These Frequently Asked Questions will be updated regularly, and so please contact us if you have a question that was not already answered. To get in touch please email peoplestrategy@admin.ox.ac.uk.
