The Personnel Monitor results are in: what happens now?
The most problematic themes in the Faculty of Humanities are workload and social safety, according to the recently completed Personnel Monitor. What happens now?
Given that the Faculty has more than 1,100 staff members, it’s only natural that the results of the Personnel Monitor will vary. The Faculty has decided to focus on tackling two issues, which unfortunately were again highlighted as problematic in the latest Personnel Monitor: workload and social safety. ‘It’s better to give our full attention to two issues, rather than take a fragmented approach to five things, and that’s the message we want to project,’ says HRM advisor Brigitte Heming.
Work balance
To address the heavy workload, HR established the ‘Work Balance in Action’ programme. This programme aims to eliminate the specific causes behind the workload. For instance, staff members mainly point to the amount of actual work combined with the administrative burden and bureaucracy as the cause of their excessive workload. ‘Together with the Work Balance Advisory Group, a Faculty-wide group of colleagues is working to identify which measures for reducing workload can be introduced at the Faculty level,’ says Heming. ‘For example, there could be fewer constituent examinations in the curriculum and more effective “onboarding” of new colleagues.’
Safety in the workplace
The Mindlab project is also intended to raise the topic of social safety in the workplace. ‘The Mindlab project consists of at least a theatre performance and a number of discussion sessions afterwards,’ explains Heming. This theme is important for the Faculty because the Personnel Monitor revealed that over 18 percent of respondents had personally experienced unacceptable behaviour. ‘This is a source of concern.’ The Faculty hopes that Mindlab will allow people to engage in frank discussions, as a means to explore what the problems are and what is needed to create a work environment where everyone feels safe and secure.
Introducing discussion
Managers themselves can start the dialogue about the Personnel Monitor results in various ways. For instance, HR developed a webinar where managers are given tips for acting on the results of the Personnel Monitor. In addition, HR provides support in various areas. ‘For example, we can work with the institute management on finding the best way to organise a workshop so that people feel able to talk about the problematic areas,’ says Heming. She sincerely hopes that use will be made of the opportunities within the teams. ‘Take action together, in dialogue. Share your ideas about possible initiatives for greater job satisfaction, a better work balance and a safer work environment.’