Help shape the employee experience at Oxford

Image left to right: Professor Diego Sánchez-Ancochea and Jo Mason

Professor Diego Sánchez-Ancochea is sponsor of the University People Strategy project and Associate Head for People in Social Sciences. Jo Mason is Head of Partnerships, University Human Resources and leads the project team in the delivery of the University People Strategy project. They share plans to develop the employee experience at Oxford and invite academic, research, technical and professional services staff to share their views.

Last summer, under the direction of Professor Anne Trefethen, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for People & Digital, and Dr Markos Koumaditis, HR Director, we set up a project team to begin working on a new University People Strategy.  

Our People Strategy will essentially address how we, as an institution, can create a culture where every employee feels valued, motivated and enabled to collaborate in partnership with one another. In addition to enabling us to effectively develop and support our people, it will also help to attract and retain talent, and sustain our reputation as a world-leading university. 

Aimed to launch in Michaelmas term, the People Strategy will also form part of the University’s new Strategic Plan, and will work in partnership and in an integrated way with five projects all designed to improve the experience of our staff over the next few years: 

• the Pay and Conditions Review; 
• the Digital Transformation Programme; 
• the Academic Career and Reward Framework; 
• the emerging Review of Professional Services; and  
• the development of a collegiate University approach to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI). Read Chief Diversity Officer, Tim Soutphommasane’s recent blog where he shares the University’s progress towards EDI.

We are pleased to say this has truly been a collaborative effort, with the project being supported by colleagues across the divisions and GLAM from its inception.  

We have made great progress in recent months and the strategy is now in draft form, covering every aspect of your experience at Oxford. Key themes include: 

• An ethical and sustainable culture: promoting an environment where every individual feels valued and empowered to thrive  
• World-class People services: building our digital capabilities, enhancing operational efficiencies and championing continuous improvement 
• Nurturing talent: developing career pathways for all staff and opportunities for skills enhancement   
• A great and trusted place to work: championing outcomes of the Pay & Conditions review, promoting a healthy, safe and supportive work environment and work-life balance for all 

Nominate yourself for a focus group 

People issues impact all of us, whether we work in a lab, library, hospital, office or garden. It is therefore critical that we garner views from staff across the academic, research, technical and professional services community. 

Our next step is to consult all staff groups across the University to gather your feedback, identify gaps and define key outcomes and measures of success.  

We would love to hear your thoughts on our developing University People Strategy and invite you to join our focus groups to share your feedback and help shape a vibrant and inclusive environment for all staff members. Complete this form to nominate yourself for a focus group by Friday 26 April. 

Find out more 

For more information about the People Strategy project, visit: https://hr.admin.ox.ac.uk/people-strategy-project.