Human Resources/Organisational Development

Left to right:
Mr Greg Charnley (UniSA)
Ms Jennifer Gilmore (UTS)
Mr Bill Ryan (Curtin)
Mr Graham MacAulay (QUT)
Mr Michael Hansen (QUT)

With more than 15,000 people employed within the Australian Technology Network of Universities, the ATN Human Resources/Organisational Working Group plays a pivotal role in maximising staff and organisational performance.

By sharing information on a range of issues, including remuneration strategies and benchmarking programs, the working group is developing strategies which will provide support and advice, in a collective sense, which will enhance the professional development of university staff.

Convenor:
Mr Michael Hansen - Executive Director, Human Resources (RMIT)

Alternative Pay and Career Structures for Academic and Professional Staff: ATN Workplace Productivity Project

The Australian Technology Network (ATN ) has just commenced a three-year project to look at staff reward and career paths. The project aims to help ensure that ATN Universities are an employer of choice for staff.

As a group we consider it a priority to employ and retain the best possible staff, and the project is focused on ensuring that staff have career pathways available, and that we effectively recognise achievement through competitive rewards and conditions.

The project team is made up of the HR Directors from the five ATN member Universities of the ATN, who are working in conjunction with MERCER, a Human Resources consulting firm who has experience working in the higher education sector.

As part of the project we will be drawing on staff input received in our recent Staff Survey, and asking a cross-section of staff to contribute ideas and suggestions through focus groups.

Staff focus groups will be conducted at all Australian Technology Network (ATN) Universities in early June.

The four focus groups at each University are a major staff input to the national Workplace Productivity Project which began across the ATN earlier this year.

The research project is funded by the Federal Government and it aims to provide the basis to better identify, recognise and reward the individual performance of University staff and to ensure sustained workplace morale.

Importantly, we aim to address what we need to do, to ensure Australia has a world class University system in the context of attraction and retention of teaching, research and professional staff.

For that reason, listening to what our staff has to say about their workplace and what is important to them, is extremely important to us.

It is this information that will allow us to define, and then consider, possible options for the future that can impact on your employment opportunities and desired career path.

Mercer Human Resource Consulting has been engaged to undertake the project in conjunction with the HR Director of each University.

The results of their ongoing data analysis – which includes current reward and performance policies and programs - and of the staff focus groups, drive the options and costings the five ATN Vice Chancellors will be asked to consider in the final quarter of this year.

For further information please contact the following people at your University:

    QUT:    Meagan Roberts
    RMIT:   Lawrence D'lima
    Curtin: Mike Kustka
    UniSA: Greg Charnley
    UTS:    Peter Fox

What is the project?

This project provides an opportunity to rethink our current pay and career structures.
The project is funded by a grant secured under the government’s Workplace Productivity Program.
The project aims to produce a pay and career progression model which enables and supports the attraction and retention of high performing staff, thus providing better student and research outcomes.

Who is involved?

The Australian Technology Network (ATN) of Universities (which includes Curtin University, RMIT University, University of South Australia, University of Technology, Sydney and QUT), together with Mercer Human Resource Consulting.

Why is change required?

Current classification structures (HEW Levels 1-10 and Academic Levels A-E) are more than a decade old.
We are experiencing increasing difficulty in attracting and retaining high quality staff.
Under our current structures, there are imprecise links between performance, remuneration and career progression.
Staff members continue to express dissatisfaction around pay incentives, reward and recognition and career progression.

What will the model look like?

Significant data collection and analysis, and workforce mapping will need to be undertaken before we can form a clearer picture of what the model will look like.
The model will become clearer as the design phase progresses later in 2008.
It will be a flexible model that can be adapted by universities to enable and support their unique attraction, retention, reward and engagement strategies.
The pay and career structures proposed by the model will:
- Recognise current staff expectations of reward, benefits and careers
- Support the attraction and retention of high performing staff
- Facilitate career pathways, driven by performance
- Provide the basis to better identify, recognise and reward performance

How long will the project take?

The project will take place over a three-year period, 2008-2010.

What process will be used?

Analysis and design phase (1 year, 2008)
- External analysis
- Internal analysis
- Total rewards and careers development strategy
Detailed Implementation Phase (2 years, 2009-2010)
- Implementation within industrial relations frameworks

How will staff and unions be involved?

Consultation with staff and unions throughout analysis and design phase
Regular project updates (via consultative committees, emails)
Implementation within existing industrial frameworks

Other Projects

HR Benchmarking

In 2003, the ATN undertook a pilot benchmarking program which involved providing data on a range of HR indices, production of a report, sharing rationales for best or worse practice and then identifying area for improvement. ATN universities have since used this information to help inform decision making on HR strategies and policy development.

Due to the success of this pilot, the program has now been taken up by 28 universities across Australia. The 2003 Annual Report has been produced and circulated to members. ATN universities will continue to use this Annual Benchmarking Report to share information and identify best practice.

Attraction and Retention of High Performing Academics

The HR Directors have begun a research project to inform distinctive strategies through which the ATN Universities could attract and retain high performing academics. This was identified as a priority project by the HR group at the 2005 Annual ATN Conference.

Industrial Reform

Achieving HEWRR compliance has been a significant component of work for HR Directors since April 2005. Major areas of discussion and collaboration have been;

Compliant certified agreements
AWA strategy
Models for Direct Consultation with staff

Organisation Learning & Development

The group has continued to share information on professional development strategies and approaches to Organisational Capability building. It has also encouraged more interaction amongst HR staff seeking to share ideas and information between institutions either through campus visits or through ATN discussions at conferences and seminars.

Reward and Recognition

The HR Directors are currently sharing policies and practices in relation to the reward and recognition of high performing staff; including practices in:

performance pay schemes
incremental progression
market allowances
staff awards.