Staff Life Cycle Project: Communications Update
The purpose of the Staff Life Cycle project is to identify goals and related initiatives that will contribute to making uWaterloo a highly attractive destination for staff, including members of CUPE, and to facilitating continuous development and growth of staff once they begin employment at uWaterloo. In the context of a life cycle plan, the project is addressing issues around recruitment, development, career progress and retention.
The coordinators of the Staff Life Cycle project are Terry McMahon, Dean of Science, and Bruce Mitchell, interim Associate Provost, Human Resources. Carlos Mendes, President of the Staff Association, is an active partner in this initiative.
The goal now is to obtain suggestions from staff that will identify specific initiatives in the context of the overall University of Waterloo strategic plan, which should be prepared by the summer of 2013.
Based on comments received during the fall term 2012 from staff, attention to the following four topics have potential to add real value since they are relevant to the entire staff community on campus:
- How to improve the USG classification system.
- How, most appropriately, to attract the best candidates to careers at uWaterloo.
- How to enhance arrangements for staff to develop a career path, with particular attention to helping staff develop new skills for new times and to support managers as coaches and mentors,
- How to improve the overall compensation system.
Two Stage Approach to obtain Suggestions during the Winter Term 2013
During the winter and spring terms, a two-stage approach is being used.
STAGE 1
The first stage, which began in mid February, involved inviting individuals to engage staff colleagues in 13 selected academic support units, the 6 Faculties and one Federated University and Affiliated College to propose practical recommendations that would make Waterloo an exemplary employer, with emphasis on the four points above. The rationale for using a selection of units is to reduce the time and effort from staff colleagues for this exercise, given everyone is very busy. Each lead contact is arranging to engage with their colleagues in a way that makes sense for that unit, given there are significant differences among units so a ‘standardized’ approach was viewed as unlikely to be effective.
The responses from this consultation will be collated and summarized, and then in consultation with the contacts in the participating units and the President of the Staff Association, suggestions relevant to most staff across the campus will be identified.
STAGE 2
The highlighted recommendations will be shared generally with staff in all academic and academic support units, so that all staff on the campus have opportunity to make suggestions. This activity will start in late April and continue through May.
Outcome and Impact
The President of the University of Waterloo has asked that a new Strategic Plan be prepared for June 2013. The purpose of the Staff Life Cycle Project is to ensure specific, practical recommendations are identified through consultation which can be used to facilitate action relative to the Strategic Plan to help make the University of Waterloo an exemplary employer for staff.
