The document outlines the University of Oxford's People Strategy to support its strategic plan. The People Strategy has six key parts: 1) recruiting the highest quality people, 2) retaining talent, 3) developing diversity, 4) developing staff skills, 5) ensuring good governance of HR policies, and 6) providing effective HR support across the University. Each part identifies themes such as attracting top applicants, reviewing pay and benefits, increasing diversity, training programs, keeping policies and statutes updated, and delivering high quality HR advice. The overall strategy aims to recruit and develop a talented, diverse workforce to achieve the University's goals.

1. The People Strategy and key
current HR issues
#oxlib15 The Anybook Oxford Libraries Conference 2015
Julian Duxfield
Director of Human Resources

2. University of Oxford strategic plan 2013 - 2018
12 commitments, 3 are explicitly about people......
 ‘To recruit and retain high-calibre staff from across the
world’.
 ‘To work towards an increasingly diverse staffing profile’.
 ‘To develop all staff to enhance their effectiveness and
contribution to the University’s goals’.

3. Our People Strategy to underpin the University’s
Strategic Plan
1. Recruitment of the best people – ensuring that Oxford is able to attract the highest
quality people from the relevant employment market.
2. Retention of talent – retaining the best people in the face of increasing international
competition
3. Developing diversity - recruiting, retaining and promoting the very best people, whoever
they are and ensuring equality of opportunity.
4. People development – supporting people to improve their skills, knowledge and
competencies
5. Governance – ensuring good decision making processes on people issues and that our
statutes, policies, procedures and resources relating to personnel issues are appropriate
6. Delivering effective support on people issues across the University – a high
quality HR function working across the University to support the people strategy

4. 1. Recruitment of the best people – ensuring that Oxford is able
to attract the highest quality people from the relevant
employment market.
Key themes:
• attraction of the highest quality applicant pool for all roles;
• highly objective selection process;
• use of tier 1, 2 and 5 immigration visas;
• relocation support for key new recruits;
• launch of the internal temporary staffing service.

5. 2. Retention of talent – retaining the best people in the
face of increasing international competition
Key themes:
• right reward package – regular reviews of base pay, appropriate
pension provision, merit-based pay;
• personal development review (PDR) – build use across different
groups of employees;
• promotion and progression – clear career paths;
• retirement - selective use of employer justified retirement age
(EJRA) to extend employment in key cases.

6. 3. Developing diversity - recruiting, retaining and
promoting the very best people, whoever they are and
ensuring equality of opportunity
Key themes:
• increase the proportion of women in senior roles across the
University;
• broader diversity approach – progress race and disability issues;
• equal pay reviews to address pay inequality;
• maximise impact from VC’s diversity fund;
• Athena SWAN award process – all 26 STEM depts achieved
bronze or silver AS award;
• Gender & Race Equality Charter Marks – pilot and then use
across the University;
• training – embedding equality and diversity in training /
unconscious bias training;

7. 4. People development – supporting people to improve
their skills, knowledge and competencies.
Key themes:
• induction training – prior to joining, induction events, on-line
material;
• use of PDR – application across different groups of employees;
• management and leadership skills – for those in administrative
and academic leadership roles;
• structured training programmes – e.g. apprenticeships;
• support for people to give of their best – e.g. mentoring.

8. 5. Governance – ensuring good decision making processes on
people issues and that our statutes, policies, procedures and
resources relating to personnel issues are appropriate.
Key themes:
• role of Council, Personnel Committee and its sub-committees;
• keep University statutes, regulations and policies under review –
possible reform of Statute XII;
• delivering the people strategy within the cost-constraints of the
University – monitor headcount, pensions, salary review
process;
• the Human Resources function being effectively managed and
accountable;
• compliance audits – level of compliance with HR policies across
the University.

9. 6. Delivering effective support on people issues across the
University – a high quality HR function working across the University
to support the people strategy.
Key themes:
• high-quality advice and support for divisions, departments and
faculties;
• positive employee relations via engagement with trades unions;
• HR information system – develop and use to best effect;
• care and support for our people – occupational health, health &
safety, childcare;
• HR teams working effectively with administrators, academics and
HR staff within divisions and departments.

10. Questions and feedback