People Strategy project
Find information and updates about the project
Page updated: 23 April 2024
Staff focus groups: help shape the employee experience at Oxford
The University strives to create a culture where every employee feels valued and motivated. Focus groups will be held in May to give all University staff the opportunity to contribute ideas to help shape the University's People Strategy. Complete this form to nominate yourself to take part in a focus group.
Nomination deadline extended to: Friday 3 May 2024.
A People Strategy project group has been established to use data and feedback from the recent CIPD People Impact Survey, the Staff Experience Survey and HR professionals across the University to produce a 12-month action plan on key central and divisional HR deliverables.
The group will also identify the key themes of a new People Strategy which will be developed in Michaelmas Term as one of the pillars of the new University strategy.
Key information
The Steering Group and Project team will deliver a paper to People Committee in June 2024, which will outline the final draft of the People Strategy and the 12 month plan. Delivery on those priorities and the three year People Plan will begin in the 2024-25 academic year.
The following enablers (and corresponding deliverables) have been identified as the key themes of the People Plan and Strategy:
Enabler 1: An Ethical and Sustainable Culture
- Inclusive and equitable leadership and governance
- Shared Oxford values to articulate our aspirations, beliefs and priorities
- Inclusivity and equity embedded into our working lives to foster a fair environment
- Change conversation on performance and behaviour
Enabler 2: World Class People Services
- Digital transformation – streamline processes and enhance operational efficiency, fostering a simplified and agile work environment
- Deliver precise and reliable people data as part of our commitment to world-class People services
- Embed professional bodies’ standards as a benchmark for our Professional Services
- Champion Professional Services together as a framework for continuous improvement
Enabler 3: Nurturing Talent
- Attract and retain world-class talent
- Academic and professional services strategic workforce development and succession planning
- Academic and professional services career pathways
- Line manager development, support and insight
Enabler 4: A Great and Trusted Place to Work
- Champion Pay and Conditions review recommendations
- Promote a healthy, safe and supportive work environment
- Foster a culture of fairness and transparency in rewards and benefits, sustaining our competitive and world-class reputation
The project team has identified a list of actions for both central and divisional HR teams, against the four enablers agreed as part of the People Strategy. This will be developed further following consultation over the coming months.
Working groups are being defined to work on these actions. These groups will identify key projects and groups they need to align with, set timelines and also define key objectives and definitions of success.
| Enabler | Actions |
|---|---|
| Enabler 1: An ethical and sustainable culture |
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| Enabler 2: World-class People services |
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| Enabler 3: Nurturing talent |
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| Enabler 4: A great and trusted place to work |
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Membership includes:
- Isobel Stokoe, HR Project Officer, UAS
- Jo Mason, Head Partnerships - HR, UAS
- Jonathan Roger, Departmental Administrator - HR, UAS
- Rachel Wilcock, HR Manager - Estates Services, UAS
- Sarah Willcox-Jones, Head of HR Shared Services, Humanities
The People Strategy Plan Steering Group (PSPSG) are responsible to the People Committee, for producing a 12-month action plan on key central and divisional HR responsibilities, in addition to reviewing the three year People Plan and refreshing the plan as appropriate. It will identify challenges, problems and immediate opportunities and take steps to prepare both divisional and central HR teams for ambitious changes to working practices.
Membership
- Professor Diego Sánchez-Ancochea, Associate Head for People, SSD (Project Sponsor)
- Gwen Booth, Academic HR Team Leader, MPLS
- Renu Gupta, Director of Talent, UAS
- Katharine Herdt, SocSci HR Team Leader, UAS
- Abigail Hipkin, Organisational Development Manager, GLAM
- Cathy King, Professional Services Together Lead, UAS
- Dr Markos Koumaditis, HR Director, UAS
- Meghan Lawson, Head of Academic HR, SSD
- Jo Mason, Head of Partnerships, UAS
- Elena McPhilbin, Head of HR - NDM, MSD
- Gillian Morris, Assistant Registrar, MSD
- Frances Parkes, Wellbeing Programme Manager, UAS
- Linda Pope, Head of HR, GLAM
- Julie Rees, Interim Head of People & Organisational Development, UAS
- Nichola Selby, Everyday Safe Programme Manager, UAS
- Vernal Scott, Head of the Equality and Diversity Unit, UAS
- Isobel Stokoe, HR Project Officer, UAS
- Rachel Wilcock, HR Manager, Estates Services, UAS
- Sarah Willcox-Jones, Head of HR Shared Services, Humanities
The People Strategy project team is partnering with a broad group of stakeholders across the University to deliver on its objectives. These include the following project groups, programmes and functions:
- Academic Career and Reward Framework
- Automation Competency Centre
- Digital Transformation Programme
- Equality and Diversity Unit
- Gender Pay Gap task and finish group
- Health and Safety Office
- Pay and Conditions review
- People and Organisational Development
- Professional Services Review
- Professional Services Together
- Recruitment Team
- Researcher Hub
Updates
| Date | Update |
|---|---|
| April 2024 |
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| December 2023 |
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| October 2023 |
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| August 2023 |
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| July 2023 |
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