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Professional Support Services take action on Staff Survey issues

04 Mar 2015

The PSS took the responses to the Staff Survey very seriously and put in place an action plan to address the issues that were identified

Staff Survey 2015

These are the issues which staff raised and the action which the PSS has taken to remedy them:

Communication

  • The Team Brief process has been refreshed to introduce CoreMunicate, which features more forward looking items.
  • A CoreMunicate discussion topic has been introduced each month to encourage feeding views upwards.
  • Over 250 managers have completed training to carry out our Team Brief.
  • An online communication strategy will be developed for the PSS to improve two-way and cross-team communication.
  • An action plan will be developed to address the needs of different audience groups, including staff without access to PCs.
  • Additional ways will be explored of allowing PSS staff to raise ideas and questions (to be progressed through PSS Operational Priority Social Intranet) in selected areas until July 2015.

Staff reward and recognition

  • A series of recommendations has been introduced that have been incorporated into the Rewarding Exceptional Performance Policy for 2014/15.
  • The new Recognition policy has been introduced which includes the launch of the thank you scheme in January 2014 with 2,000 cards sent to date.
  • A culture of recognition emerging within PSS has been noticed, eg Outstanding Achievement Awards in Directorate of Student Experience, Thank you breakfasts in Estates and Facilities.
  • PSS achievements and awards are being celebrated with a regular theme within CoreMunicate.

Feeling valued

  • The PSS Staff Development Framework has been established by developing a detailed framework setting out expectations and requirements of staff at each grade and engaging external consultants engaged to help develop leadership capacity within the PSS through the PSS Leaderships Development Programme.
  • The relationship between PSS and academic staff has been improved by identifying opportunities for giving PSS staff more insight into the work of academics and inviting academic staff to attend Student Experience Leads Conferences.
  • A policy of zero tolerance of harassment and bullying has been introduced (the 'We Get It' campaign has been launched internally to staff and students).
  • The quality of line management will be improved by asking HR to flag new starters and staff appointed to line management roles to allow greater focus on management training and development, and by developing an induction process (identified as key PSS priority for 2014/15).
  • Access to informal professional development will be improved through ongoing work to create opportunities for short-term secondments and/or serving on Working Groups more visible, and by developing a series of recommendations on job shadowing (to be progressed through PSS Staff Development Framework).

Performance and Development Review

  • An expectation has been set that all PSS staff should have an annual PDR.
  • Active participation has begun in University PDR Group and sub-groups.
  • More appropriate PDR mechanisms have been developed in certain areas, eg Estates.

Accident and incident reporting

  • Accident and Incident Reporting was discussed in the December 2013 CoreMunicate and processes around reporting accidents were highlighted through festive themes (positive feedback was received).

What's happened since Staff Survey 2013?

To find out what's been done across the University since the last Staff Survey in 2013, visit:

What could you do in 15 minutes?

Staff Survey 2015 launches on Monday, 9 March and you will have the chance to share your views on a range of topics that.  It only takes around 15 minutes to fill it in - so watch out for the email from Capita next Monday and make your voice heard!