Manager: Maria da Graça Barbosa Assistant Manager: Margarida Gonçalves
New model’s working group: Bernardo Almada Lobo, Sara Brandão, Sandra Nunes, Rita Cardoso, Vera Pinto
9.4.1 Presentation of the Service
The current Human Resources (HR) service coordinates and executes all activities pertaining to HR administrative management and to the implementation of HR related policies, according to the applicable law, internal regulations and guidelines provided by the Board. Moreover, some specific duties include follow-up and management of INESC TEC’s insurances related to people, namely Personal and Work Accidents, health insurance and Safety and health at work.
In this report, in addition to the highlights of the service in 2019, the result of the work related with the strategic mission on the Definition of a New Human Resources Management Model is presented.
9.4.2 Highlights in 2019
• Improvement of intranet HR-related processes, in order to reduce workload, processing time and nonconformities, namely with the creation of automatic: (i) messages to notify the absence of plans and grant reports; (ii) lists to the secretariat and coordinators to notify processes whose date has already ended or exceeded; (iii)”Movimento de Ligação“(ML); (iv) lists to Workers Committee, communicating the beginning and the ending of employment contracts subject to certain or uncertain terms;
• Generation of the most frequently needed reports and lists based on the historical record implementation in order to help HR management at global and Centre level and definition and report of strategic HR indicators organised by function besides legal status of the collaborators;
• Other activities included: update of job descriptions, so as to reflect the organization evolution; revisit of nomination categories and appointed positions (new tables); recruitment improvement process:
higher participation in job fairs and social media publications; internal sessions addressed to the Secretariat or other attendees, to inform of changes occurred in HR processes and new requirements;
continuous revision of all processes involving personal data treatment, in order to comply with the requirements of the General Data Protection Regulation; clarification on foreign degrees, recognition and instruction of the procedures for foreign researchers to apply for research visas; Transition and monitoring of the activity of the new service provider for Safety and Health at Work;
Figure 9.4.1 - RH - Team composition and evolution
• Approval of a new INESC TEC Research Grants Regulation due to the changes on the Research Grant Holder which triggered: (i) dissemination of several calls for applications under the previous regulation;
(ii) revision of the INESC TEC’s HR documents available on intranet;
• Adjustment of the monthly Welcome Sessions made to new collaborators, in order to include key messages and presence of support staff;
• Profound change in the assessment process to the renewal of contracts for hired staff; Implementation of employee exit interviews in order to understand the reasons for leaving and to improve attractiveness of the institution.
9.4.3 Definition of a New Human Resources Management Model
The following procedures were developed to define the new HR management model:
1. Assessment of the current Human Resources management model, based on the practices of the Evidence-based Management Model:
• Identifying the best available scientific evidence, gathering information of practices that could better be applied to INESC TEC complex institutional model;
• Collecting stakeholder values and concerns, conducting over 80 interviews, to assess top-priority needs, suggestions and improvement points, and running a INESC TEC Climate Survey, to measure the perception all collaborators have of INESC TEC, its work environment and conditions, and interpersonal relations with leaders and co-workers; this first survey was conducted in June 2019;
• Seeking professional expertise, by (i) creating a network and getting experience from more than 40 professional experts, that meet regularly to share information of the latest HR practices, by (ii) providing appropriate training to the RH team and by (ii9) conducting some benchmarking in renowned companies and institutions;
• Gathering internal organizational data to better understand how the institution works, its legal, administrative and governing model and its strategic objectives and main concerns by: (i) assessing the current state of each RH process, making the diagnosis of the AS IS of the main seven HR processes, namely recruitment and selection, performance management, training and development, career development, compensation, communication and coordination and work environment; (ii) identifying improvement opportunities and delineating action lines across the institution; (iii) collecting analytical data to revision and monitoring the model, setting specific goals that can be measured; (iv) discussing alternative approaches both on functional and strategic HR activities to reconceive and reconfigure the human resources management strategy, policy and practice.
2. Creation of an assessment framework that helped gathering all the information collected
The scope of each main HR processes was defined, the employee’s perception, the needs, suggestions and mains objectives of the stakeholders, and the current state of the process. This framework allowed the identification of the main improvement action lines.
3. Characterization of the current management model
The need for a transformational change has been identified, to move from a highly reactive and administrative model, poorly integrated with the current HR service, to a more proactive model capable to manage the HR processes in advance: (i) implementing new HR Best Practices, (ii) having more efficient HR processes and information systems, (iii) implementing a more agile communication mechanism, (iv) approaching the HR service to the strategic decision, (v) operating as an agent of change, and (vi) giving employees a voice.
4. Define and propose a new Human Resources Management Model with 3 dimensions:
• OPERATIONAL: executing efficiently all the HR processes on a daily basis and integrating all initiatives that are scattered throughout the organization; adequate tools need to be provided to allow the team to become more efficient and administrative specialists;
• COLLABORATOR’S LIFE CYCLE: introducing HR Business partners working together with the line managers in (i) identifying and attracting the best candidates, defining well the Employee’s Value Proposition while using an adequate Employer Branding, also helping in the selection process , and make sure we are capable to retain good talent; (ii) developing career paths, training and promoting development, and creating Individual Development Plans; (iii) helping managing performance of each individual with a clear definition of goals and evaluation of expected results, creating a Matrix of Potential vs. Performance Assessment for each individual; (iv) engage, recognize and compensate, allowing to choose between a mix of benefits, from the classical Tangible Benefits (salary, bonuses, health insurance) to more Intangible Benefits (flexitime, teleworking) and also more Career-focused Benefits (specialized training, functional upgrades), to name a few; (v) managing employee leave, ensuring the knowledge transfer is secured and making exit interviews; make sure succession plans are prepared in a timely manner; manage the former employees as an asset of the organization;
• STRATEGIC: developing strategic initiatives, to influence change and provide specialized training to make change happen, to train leaders to be HR leaders, while bringing the interests of the organization and its people closer together. Two additional support groups will be created: an “HR Advisory Body”
that would meet regularly to provide advice and assistance; and “HR Centres of Excellence”, that are working groups specifically brought together to help developing practices, policies or frameworks of specific strategic matters (e.g. talent attraction, careers progression…).
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NEW HR MODEL
Considering the complexity of the operation and the sophistication of the organization itself, an implementation committee will be created in 2020 to put into action the transformational change that is required. This committee will work together as a team to guarantee the day-to-day operations while the new management model starts to take place.