Optimising Academic Achievement

HR Business Partner Team

Aston University has transformed its academic promotions process into a transparent, equitable and strategically aligned system that strengthens organisational culture and supports career development across all academic pathways. Central to this transformation is the integration of the Academic Performance Framework, which now acts as a single reference point for workload allocation, performance expectations and promotion criteria, reinforcing alignment with Aston 2030 priorities.

The University introduced clearer guidance, a consolidated criteria framework, a standardised CV template and stronger governance, including consistent committee structures and robust appeals processes. A balanced assessment model combining quantitative data with contextual narrative ensures fair and responsible evaluation across disciplines. Extensive EDI integration including targeted workshops and detailed analysis has improved participation and outcomes for women, minority ethnic and disabled colleagues.

The impact is demonstrated through sustained application numbers, strengthened trust, improved success rates for underrepresented groups and greater consistency across Schools. This sector leading approach provides a transferable model for modernising academic career pathways and embedding values driven performance in higher education.

Empowering leaders, transforming education – a new innovative model

Centre for Learning Enhancement and Educational Development

The Innovation Scholar Scheme is a sector leading People & Organisational Development initiative that has transformed how Manchester Met delivers strategic educational change.

Launched in 2023, the scheme empowers academic and Professional Services colleagues to lead major institutional priorities through a unique distributed leadership model. Scholars drive innovation across active learning, belonging, differential outcomes, digital capability, enterprise education and learner analytics - creating sustained, systemwide impact.

Now one of the University’s most vibrant and high impact development programmes, the scheme has built cross university Communities of Practice involving more than 1,000 staff, developed institution specific pedagogic and belonging frameworks, and delivered award-winning interventions including STRIVE, implementation of RIPIAG and a Belonging framework. These initiatives have contributed to measurable improvements in student outcomes, including reductions in awarding gaps and increases in progression and confidence.

The scheme has also strengthened organisational capability, enhancing leadership, collaboration and data-informed practice while attracting national and international recognition. Scholars have secured prestigious sector awards, influenced national conversations on distributed leadership, and been featured in forthcoming academic publications.

By placing staff leadership at the heart of educational transformation, the Innovation Scholar Scheme positions Manchester Met as a pioneer in inclusive, innovative and evidence-informed education.

University of Edinburgh Voluntary Severance Project Team: Innovative Process Optimisation and Collaboration

Voluntary Severance 2025 – Project team

In 2025, the University of Edinburgh launched a transformation program to address financial challenges, introducing a voluntary severance (VS) scheme streamlined by innovation and process automation. A cross-functional team, formed in November 2024, deployed an array of digital tools including Spfx REACT forms, Microsoft Power App, Power BI, Oracle Helpdesk, and SharePoint. These tools aided in managing the severance process effectively, enabling staff exits by July 31, 2025.

The digital strategy was holistic, featuring SharePoint sites for information dissemination, personalised severance estimates, a simplified online application process, and a real-time dashboard for Leaders to monitor application rates and costs. Additional SharePoint sites were dedicated to Leadership and HR/Financial support, enhancing decision-making and consistency.

Key achievements included the adoption of innovative digital solutions that enhanced delivery and user experience. The team’s success was underpinned by continuous collaboration across departments and a project-based approach, which involved a Project Sponsor/Lead, and Manager to ensure comprehensive oversight and effective implementation working with a diverse team of colleagues from Finance, Information Services and HR. This method met the immediate objectives of the VS scheme and equipped the university with scalable solutions to support future initiatives, promoting an innovative, efficient, and collaborative environment to support change.

Campus Jobs: Simple for students to find part-time work

Campus Jobs, Human Resources

Campus Jobs was launched in 2017 by University of Reading’s HR and Careers Service. The ethos of Campus Jobs is: "If a student can do the work, a student should do the work” and now 1 in 10 students work through Campus Jobs and it has reached the milestone of surpassing paying £20m to University of Reading students.

Schools and Departments across the University access Campus Jobs, an on-site centralised service to hire student workers to carry out part-time or casual work at Open Days, Visit Days, Graduation and Clearing. The on-campus bars and cafes are also a strong employer of Campus Jobs workers, giving students the opportunity to earn money in a vibrant and familiar surroundings. In the academic space, there are teaching and learning support roles and research support roles giving students the chance to earn money while they develop their academic skills.

Students work no more than 20 hours per week to support them to balance paid work and their academic studies and Campus Jobs has a Temporary Worker Framework to ensure equal pay for equal work.

For our HR team, Campus Jobs provides a valuable insight into the student community. It has to be agile and responsive, so lessons are learned by HR in how to promote services, vacancies and communicating with the local community.

Leading and Managing at DMU – Embedding A Refreshed Approach to Empowering Excellence

People Services Team

How we launched a new leadership and management framework, setting clear expectations of roles and behaviours, linked to pay and performance management, as part of our ambition to be an Empowering University.

Our approach involved the co-creation and design of a leadership and management framework which included three elements - a suite of leadership and management standards and behaviours linked to our organisational strategy, vision and values; reviewing our organisation design for leadership and managerial roles, creating a new job evaluation process and rolling out a new pay and grading scheme; the launch of a novel appraisal and performance management process.

Co-owned and led by People Services and senior stakeholders, the framework was launched in a holistic way to enable a refreshed approach to empowering excellence.

The framework has been aligned with the leadership lifecycle and core people processes such as recruitment, induction, probation, performance management, development and progression.

Trust Over Traps: A New Model for HR Cyber Security Learning at King's College London

Digital Skills Team - Organisational Development

This project transformed how phishing awareness and cyber security are understood and experienced across King’s, shifting them from compliance‑driven activities to trusted, learning‑led practice. Developed in an environment with no existing phishing awareness provision and where cyber security was often associated with fear or enforcement, the programme deliberately challenged sector norms by positioning simulations as supportive development tools rather than disciplinary measures.

Led by a small, Cornwall‑based Digital Skills Team within HR Organisational Development, the work demonstrated the power of aligning digital capability with people‑centred principles such as wellbeing, psychological safety and staff development. Trust and engagement were built remotely through consistent communication, transparency, and high‑quality training, enabling institution‑wide impact without reliance on physical presence.

A phased onboarding model ensured learning was embedded before scale, allowing staff to understand simulations, ask questions, and build confidence prior to organisation‑wide rollout. Continuous feedback from participants actively shaped the programme’s evolution, amplifying staff voice and reinforcing shared ownership.

The result is a scalable, transferable model that has achieved high engagement, strong behavioural change, and no formal complaints, demonstrating that cultural change at scale is possible when learning, trust and collaboration are placed at the centre of cyber security practice.

Creating a great place to work through the power of employee voice

People and Organisational Development

The University’s employee voice programme has transformed colleague experience through a bold, data driven and strategically aligned approach to listening and acting on staff feedback.

Beginning in 2022, the University replaced declining inhouse surveys with an externally hosted, trusted model supported by a comprehensive engagement and communications campaign.

This immediately restored confidence - raising response rates from 38% to 70% - and enabled the creation of an institution wide action plan focused on strategy alignment, ways of working, reward, wellbeing and creating a great place to work.

Significant improvements followed, including measurable gains in reward perceptions, autonomy, strategy understanding and confidence in leadership. In 2024, the University shifted to a devolved action planning model, empowering departments with tailored data, toolkits and facilitation support.

Despite sector wide pressures in 2025, engagement, recommendation and response rates remained exceptionally strong, leading to consecutive Outstanding Workplace awards and top tier national rankings.

This programme stands out for its scale, innovation and impact. It demonstrates a mature, sustainable model of colleague engagement, grounded in transparency, shared ownership and strategic alignment. It also provides a replicable framework for other institutions to improve trust, culture and organisational performance through meaningful employee voice.

Stand Up Speak Out campaign

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Team

The Stand Up Speak Out (SUSO) campaign is a major cultural change vehicle designed to encourage and equip staff and studentsto take action against unacceptable behaviours. It integrates organisational psychology, risk awareness and inclusive culture design into a coherent, institution-wide approach. The campaign extends to include our students, thus adopting a ‘one community’ approach to delivering a positive and inclusive work and study environment for all members of the University of Bristol. SUSO hasa strong visual identity that lends itself to functional visible artefacts, strengthening engagement and sparking curiosity by encouraging people to find out more. The branding provides cohesiveness, with the services and workshop examples being differentiated to meet the needs of the audience.

SUSO is driving culture change through enhancing and improving how we connect and interact with each other, while being responsive to our operating context and any external influences that could impact working relationships, such as protected beliefs/freedom of speech and preventing sexual harassment.

From confidential chats with SUSO Champions to confidence-boosting Active Bystander Workshops, we’ve developed a range of activity to engage all members of our university community in creating a positive and inclusive culture.

Anglia Ruskin University Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Strategy

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

Anglia Ruskin University’s organisation-wide Equity, Diversity and Inclusion strategy is designed to embed inclusion at the heart of workforce performance and culture. Structured around three clear pillars, the strategy aligns EDI directly to the University’s People Plan and strategic objectives, ensuring that inclusion is integral to all people functions, including recruitment, induction, training, progression, development, reward.

Led by the EDI team and co-created with colleagues, staff networks, and leaders, the strategy uses robust data, engagement insight and accountability frameworks to address structural barriers rather than isolated symptoms. It has delivered sector-leading reductions in pay gaps, improved leadership diversity, significantly increased staff engagement, and strengthened inclusive leadership capability across faculties and professional services. The strategy has led to national recognition, achievement of inclusion awards, and its delivery has scaled across the HE sector and into other sectors, demonstrating its wide positive impact and leadership nationally.

By embedding EDI into core systems and governance, the work has enhanced trust, sustainability and organisational resilience. The approach provides a transferable model for other universities seeking to align inclusion with performance, culture and long-term success.

Inclusive Data, Inclusive Decisions

People and Organisational Culture

Northumbria University has transformed protected characteristics disclosure to strengthen inclusion, people experience and progress towards eliminating pay gaps. Overall completeness improved from 76.9% to 91.4% in a year, with a standout rise in colleagues declaring a disability from 3.8% (Mar 2024) to 9.9% (Sep 2025). Better data supported a reduction in the disability pay gap from 13.4% to 6.3% (mean) / 6.7% (median) within twelve months.

A simple HRIS (Oracle) Journey, short video, clear purpose led communications and respectful, named follow ups built trust and made action easy. All staff surveys (new starter, engagement and leaver) are now analysed by EDI characteristics, giving visibility of differences in experience so the university can act where it matters most. An annual update cycle ensures sustainable data quality.

Delivered collaboratively by People Experience, HR Operations, EDI, and Strategic Planning, Northumbria’s trust-first approach offers a scalable model for the sector to improve disclosure with dignity, strengthen evidence, and enable targeted EDI action that delivers measurable results for colleagues.

Professional Services Leaders of Colour Programme

Equality Diversity and Inclusion Team

The Professional Services Leaders of Colour (PSLC) Programme is first-of-its-kind and sector leading pilot designed by and for racially minoritised senior Professional Services staff across five regional universities and a Students’ Union. Coordinated by the University of Birmingham’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Centre, the programme addressed longstanding gaps in leadership development, representation, and peer support for racially minoritised staff within Higher Education. Across five full day sessions held over eleven months, participants explored themes they cocreated—including navigating organisational politics, recognising strengths, responding to microaggressions, shaping personal brand, and understanding how race and identity influence senior roles. The programme brought in high impact external speakers and created an intentionally inclusive, identity affirming space.

Evaluation showed significant improvements in confidence, sense of belonging, career clarity, and ability to handle challenging workplace situations. Participants consistently highlighted the value of the peer network formed through the programme. The pilot demonstrated the need for ongoing, collaborative, and regional approaches to developing racially minoritised leaders. Future plans include an alumni network, wider sector expansion, third-party partnerships, and more structured institutional support to strengthen both personal development and systemic change.

Inclusion is the business of the Business

Equity, Inclusion and Wellbeing

This work describes how the Inclusion agenda was embedded across the whole organisation, instigating an organisational shift in mindset that moved away from centralised ownership of equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) to a deliberate model of distributed accountability. The launch of the Inclusion Strategy and its accompanying business-wide action plan took the underpinning ambition of exceeding compliance and goodwill based on discretionary effort and realised role modelling and allyship from the very top of the institution.

UWE Anti-Racism Strategy

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Team

UWE’s Anti-Racism Strategy is a comprehensive whole university approach to addressing racial inequities, aimed at creating lasting change within the university. By embedding anti-racism into recruitment, decision-making, and governance, the strategy drives systemic transformation. It emphasises senior leadership accountability, with all committees completing anti-racism training. Notable achievements include a reduction in awarding gaps and increased student success for Global Majority students. The strategy has fostered collaboration across departments and external partnerships, ensuring anti-racism is a core part of UWE's culture. This work offers valuable lessons for other institutions and HR professionals looking to create inclusive, diverse environments.

Aston Resourcing Transformation Programme

Human Resources & Organisational Development

We modernised Aston’s resourcing end-to-end – building a stronger in-house Talent Acquisition (TA) service, transforming casual worker engagement through a Stonefish Vacancy Manager solution, and launching a Managed Service Provider (MSP) with Reed for agency worker hiring. This whole-system approach delivers faster hiring, better compliance and stronger value for money.

Casual onboarding now takes 31 days on average (down from 124, a 75% reduction), with clearer Right to Work check ownership and far fewer emails into HR. Our MSP has consolidated agency activity and reduced quarter-on-quarter spend by 35% while onboarding managers’ preferred suppliers into a governed route for visibility and control. Meanwhile, our TA team is progressing to a Strategic operating model – using briefings, targeted branding and dashboards to reduce external search dependency and spend, with projected mid/senior hiring savings in FY26/27. 

The outcome is a resourcing ecosystem that is faster, clearer and smarter – supporting our academic and professional services communities to deliver Aston 2030. Our approach is low-cost, data-led and highly transferable, offering a practical blueprint for universities seeking pace, compliance and sustainable value in a challenging market.

The University of Law has been recognised for its outstanding work on two projects, both of which so impressed the judges that they have earned a joint place on the shortlist:

Growing Academic Talent Pipelines at ULaw 

Law School

The Graduate Teaching Assistant Scheme at The University of Law is a strategic talent development initiative designed to strengthen academic capability, enhance financial resilience and future-proof the institution’s workforce. Launched in 2024, the two-year programme recruits graduates into full-time academic roles combining hands-on teaching experience with structured professional development, including Associate Fellowship of Advance HE and a Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education.

The scheme has demonstrably improved student satisfaction and learning outcomes, reduced assessment workload for senior academics, lowered visiting lecturer costs, and supported operational resilience during periods of staff absence. It also provides a clear pipeline into permanent Lecturer roles, with early promotions already achieved.

By embedding professional qualifications, digital capability and pedagogical training within paid employment, the initiative removes barriers to academic entry and supports diversity and succession planning. The scheme exemplifies how HR strategy and academic leadership collaboration can deliver measurable institutional impact while building a sustainable, highly skilled academic workforce for the future.

Benefits and Wellbeing Programme

Reward Team, People and OD

ULaw’s Benefits, Wellbeing and Reward Programme (launched 2025) integrates benefits, recognition, wellbeing and EVP under senior governance to deliver a detailed, joined-up colleague experience. Workstreams delivered an external audit, surveys and focus groups, a branded Benefits & Wellbeing Hub and induction assets, new benefits (e.g., free Will Writing) and Long Service recognition. Engagement and uptake are rising: Hub awareness 79%→89%; pension beneficiary completion 30%→38% vs sector 17%; platform activations 72%→77% vs 50%; ~25% webinar participation; volunteering days 17→67 (+294%); shopping-discount users 2.4%→30% with savings ~£1.8k→~£5.5k.

The Programme supports the Strategic People Plan with benefits across financial, physical, mental and social pillars. Innovation includes comprehensive KPI tracking, robust governance, and always-on, multichannel communications. Next steps include the launch of eCards supporting colleague recognition and personalised Total Rewards Statements (launching summer 2026).

Purple Place: a new home for Benefits and Recognition

Reward Team

Purple Place represents the University of Manchester’s biggest investment in reward, benefits and recognition, bringing meaningful and measurable improvements to the colleague experience. Developed in response to fragmented benefits provision and a lack of instant, peer‑to‑peer recognition, the platform centralises everything into a single, modern and intuitive hub designed to support over 12,000 colleagues across diverse roles and locations. Since launch, Purple Place has transformed engagement—achieving a 421% increase in activations, over £2.5 million spent through the platform, and more than 8,500 eCards sent, demonstrating a significant cultural shift towards everyday appreciation.

The project has also enabled the introduction of long‑requested initiatives such as the fully electric vehicle scheme, reflecting the University’s commitment to social responsibility and sustainability. Cross‑department collaboration has been a hallmark of the work, with teams such as Wellbeing and Alumni Relations partnering to deliver financial wellbeing campaigns, payroll giving initiatives and multi‑channel communications that have broadened reach and impact.

Purple Place not only enhances everyday colleague experience but sets a strong foundation for future innovation. It is a model of how thoughtful design, creativity and collaboration can reshape reward and recognition at a university‑wide scale.

Manbassadors: Promoting men’s health in the workplace

Organisational Development

The Manbassadors initiative is a sector-leading, peer-led programme transforming men’s health and wellbeing at Aston University.
As the first UK university to train Manbassadors, it has built an authentic, staff-driven network of male colleagues who champion wellbeing, break stigma, and open up conversations men have traditionally found difficult to initiate. Visible allyship means
supporting women’s health initiatives, such as menopause awareness, creating a balanced, inclusive approach to wellbeing.

By connecting staff from academic, professional, research, and trade roles, Manbassadors has created a cross-University community, raising the profile of men’s health through increased awareness of the five leading causes of death in men in the UK.
Additionally, this programme provides psychologically safe spaces and offers meaningful opportunities for early intervention, with many colleagues reporting relief in discovering they’re ‘’not on their own’’.

Supported by Executive sponsorship, the initiative has grown organically, inspiring colleagues to take on coaching, lead wellbeing activities, and foster a more open and engaged culture. Through a low-cost, practical, and highly replicable model, this programme provides a blueprint for other institutions to help pave the way for a potential national Manbassadors network.

Transforming wellbeing through collaboration and colleague voice

People and Organisational Development

Manchester Metropolitan University has transformed its approach to colleague (and student) wellbeing through a collaborative, whole university model that brings together Health & Safety, EDI, Employee Engagement, Reward & Pensions, and Student Services.

In response to colleague feedback, the University redesigned its wellbeing offer around the five pillars of wellbeing, ensuring balanced, preventative support shaped by colleague insight.

Across 2023–2025, a wide range of initiatives were introduced, including the Great Place to Work and Inclusive and Diverse Culture strategies, improved wellbeing communications and campaigns, a new EAP and Occupational Health provider, the SafeZone safety app, retraining of Active Listeners, the launch of Report and Support, and the introduction of Respect at Work Advisors.

High impact wellbeing campaigns, training programmes, and improved policies around parental and neonatal leave further strengthened support for colleagues. A new benefits platform and enhanced health and safety inspection programme also contributed to a safer, more supportive environment.

These efforts have delivered measurable improvements: increases in perceptions of wellbeing support and work–life balance, high engagement with wellbeing campaigns, increased trust in reporting mechanisms, and stronger safety outcomes. Together, this programme reflects a strategic, data driven and sector leading commitment to colleague wellbeing and an ongoing culture of
continuous improvement.

UoB Wellbeing Programme

HR Executive Office - Pay and Reward Team

The University of Birmingham’s Wellbeing Programme demonstrates how a strategic, community driven approach can deliver meaningful impact without relying on large budgets. By aligning activities with national awareness moments and the University’s communications calendar, the programme ensures support is timely, visible, and relevant throughout the year.

The team brings together academics, clinicians, staff volunteers, and external partners to deliver high quality sessions on topics such as breast health, men’s health, sleep, gut health, and financial wellbeing. Many sessions regularly reach capacity and generate waiting lists, demonstrating strong engagement and trust in the programme.

A redesigned flu vaccination initiative has achieved 100% uptake for two consecutive years with zero waste, removing practical barriers and normalising preventative health behaviours. Staff report greater confidence discussing wellbeing and are increasingly engaging earlier with health and financial concerns.

The programme is strengthening organisational culture, improving staff experience, and positioning the University as an emerging sector leader through national collaborations, including with FinWELL. Its scalable, sustainable model shows how institutions can embed meaningful wellbeing support into everyday working life.

UCL Mental Health Training for Student-Facing Staff

Workplace Health (Wellbeing)

Supporting the supporters: Mental Health Training for Student-Facing Staff is a strategic mental health training initiative designed to enhance staff wellbeing while improving the student experience. Developed in response to rising student mental health needs, the programme was co-designed with staff and rapidly adopted across the institution.

Within three months, more than 500 staff enrolled. Evaluation using matched pre- and post-training data (N = 218) demonstrated statistically significant improvements across all measures, including a 27% increase in knowledge of referral processes and a 22% increase in confidence initiating wellbeing conversations.

By reframing mental health training as a preventative staff wellbeing intervention, the programme reduces emotional strain, strengthens safeguarding consistency, and builds institutional resilience. It demonstrates how HR-led innovation can deliver
measurable improvements in staff capability, organisational performance, and sustainable student support at scale.

One Aston Thrive: Employee Experience Platform

Human Resources and Organisational Development Department

One Aston Thrive is Aston University’s unified digital platform that brings together appreciation tools, financial benefits, wellbeing resources, and community content in one accessible, mobile‑friendly place. Launched in October 2025 to replace a previously fragmented experience, it ensures that colleagues across all roles, including those without regular computer access, can easily find support and information when they need it.

A targeted adoption plan, regular communication and strong senior sponsorship, including active involvement from the Vice‑Chancellor, enabled the platform to exceed its early goals, achieving over 80% activation within four months. Automated daily HRIS updates ensure new starters receive timely access, improving onboarding and reducing manual processing.

Engagement has been strong and meaningful. In the first four months, colleagues sent nearly 400 e‑cards, accessed wellbeing resources consistently, and made extensive use of financial benefits. SmartSpending and high‑value schemes generated more than £10k in colleague savings, while salary sacrifice benefits delivered £136.9k in employee savings. In addition, the University realised over £59k in employer NI savings, highlighting the platform’s value for both colleagues and the institution.

Analytics guide evidence‑based improvements, ensuring the platform evolves in line with colleague needs.

Designed around the principles of inclusivity, transparency, and trust, and supported by mobile accessibility, robust data governance, and an opt‑out mechanism, One Aston Thrive strengthens a culture of appreciation, wellbeing, community belonging, and improved access to benefits. It now stands as a flagship element of Aston University’s Great Place to Work ambition and serves as a scalable model for the wider sector.

GOHIO – Getting Our House in Order, a digital transformational journey

Helen Seed and Steve Widdowson and HR cross department effort

GOHIO (Getting Our House in Order) was an 18-month transformation project that has fundamentally improved how the HR department stores, manages and accesses information. Historically, different HR teams developed their own filing systems, creating inconsistency, duplication and difficulties in finding the most up to date guidance or templates. New starters frequently reported challenges locating information, impacting efficiency and confidence.

With the university transitioning to Microsoft Teams and SharePoint, HR seized the opportunity to redesign its entire approach. GOHIO delivered a single, intuitive HR platform— a one stop space where all colleagues can access information and guidance they need to perform their job. The project established clear principles of practice, improved governance, strengthened information security and created dedicated team spaces for sensitive materials. It also uses the Teams chat to connect the whole department, building a sense of community and embedding new ways of working.

GOHIO has created a modern, sustainable platform that supports onboarding, enhances compliance and positions HR as a leader in digital transformation across the university.

Transforming Temporary Workforce Management at Roehampton

HR Systems and and HR Operations Teams

When notified that a critical system for managing temporary workers was being decommissioned, an HR led project team seized the opportunity to deliver meaningful, organisation wide improvement. Working to a fixed and immovable deadline, and alongside demanding business as usual workloads, the team undertook a comprehensive end to end review of how temporary workers are engaged, managed, and paid.

The project showcased the team at its very best: proactively identifying long standing issues, designing practical solutions, and working collaboratively with internal stakeholders and peer universities to benchmark and adopt best practice.

The outcome is a significantly improved, more responsive payment system underpinned by a robust, data driven approach to temporary workforce management. This has reduced risk, improved accuracy and transparency, and delivered a markedly better experience for temporary staff—through timely, reliable pay—as well as for university staff who administer the process, by simplifying workflows and increasing confidence in the data. Together, these improvements lay strong foundations for sustainable workforce planning and long term operational efficiency.

HR and Payroll Transformation Programme

HR & Payroll Transformation Project Team

This programme demonstrates how a human centred approach to digital transformation can reshape the colleague experience and strengthen organisational capability. Designed in response to a fragmented and manual HR and Payroll landscape, the project replaced multiple legacy systems with a single, integrated platform covering core HR, Payroll, Recruitment, Absence, Learning, Talent, Helpdesk and Case Management processes.

What made the programme distinctive was the emphasis on behaviour change, engagement and confidence building rather than technology alone. A dedicated project identity, a University wide network of more than 100 change champions, and clear two way communication ensured colleagues understood the change, felt supported and could influence how the model took shape. High quality, mobile enabled training resources provided step by step guidance at any time, helping users quickly adapt to new digital ways of working.

The impact was immediate and sustained: rapid adoption, growing confidence, and a marked shift from manual, local processes to consistent self service transactions. HR capacity is now increasingly focused on higher value activity, supported by real time people data and strengthened governance.

Overall, the programme has delivered not just a system, but a cultural shift - building transparency, capability and a more empowering experience for colleagues across the University.

University Review: People-centred change

University Review Project Team

The University Review Project was an institution wide transformation designed to secure Edinburgh Napier University’s long-term financial sustainability during a period of sector wide financial challenge and reduced student recruitment. The programme reprofiled our academic areas and reconfigured professional services to remove duplication, strengthen alignment with academic priorities, and ensure the University was positioned for future stability and growth.

The People Team played a pivotal leadership role, transforming a potentially high impact cost reduction exercise into a values driven, people centred programme. Initial modelling identified over 70 roles at risk; however, through strategic workforce planning, constructive union engagement and an innovative voluntary redundancy approach, more than 50 colleagues exited voluntarily, significantly reducing compulsory redundancy and safeguarding dignity and wellbeing.

Strong governance underpinned the programme’s success. A weekly cross university project forum ensured transparency, consistent decision making and real-time learning, while a dedicated senior leadership group strengthened alignment and ownership across the institution. To support leaders and colleagues, the People Team developed a bespoke change leadership programme, building capability in communication, consultation and wellbeing during challenging transitions.

The project achieved its savings target while maintaining trust, protecting culture and minimising employee relations issues. Recognised by the University Leadership Team as a blueprint for future change, it has strengthened leadership capability and established a repeatable model for people centred transformation.

Transforming Lives Together: Creating a great place to work

People and Organisational Development

Over the past 18 months, Manchester Metropolitan University’s People and Organisational Development Directorate has delivered a comprehensive transformation programme that has reshaped the colleague experience and embedded lasting cultural change. Anchored in the Great Place to Work and Inclusive & Diverse Culture strategies, the work spans every stage of the employee lifecycle—from attraction and development to wellbeing, ways of working and inclusion.

A sector leading Employee Value Proposition, Transforming Lives Together, has strengthened the University’s employer identity and contributed to year-on-year increases in senior academic appointments and a rise in candidates citing the institution’s reputation and values as reasons for joining. 

New benefits, fairer recognition schemes and modernised systems, including McrMet Plus and Oracle, have enhanced transparency and user experience. 

Leadership development, inclusive recruitment, distributed education leadership and a revitalised engagement model have driven measurable improvements in internal progression, trust and organisational resilience.

The University now has higher-than-sector representation and disclosure rates, reduced pay gaps, award-winning networks and two consecutive Outstanding Workplace awards.

Together, these initiatives demonstrate a holistic, innovative and data driven approach that other institutions can readily adopt to create meaningful, sustainable change.

Salford’s People Transformation

University of Salford HR Team

The HR team at the University of Salford has delivered a far reaching programme of work that has significantly strengthened the organisation’s culture, colleague experience and operational effectiveness. Guided by a clear People Plan, the team focused on technological enablement, wellbeing, inclusion, and performance - supported by a commitment to core HR excellence. This has resulted in major achievements including becoming the first UK university to secure Living Pension Accreditation, gaining membership of the Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter, reaccreditation from Stonewall and the Race Equality Charter, and winning a national CIPD award for People Analytics.

Key initiatives include implementing a new HR and Payroll system; launching a comprehensive Wellbeing Commitment; improving pay structures for lower graded colleagues; TUPE transferring catering staff to enhance job security and conditions; and delivering an annual colleague engagement survey that informs leadership decision making.

The team’s work has also influenced organisational sustainability, talent retention, academic workload transparency, and inclusive policy development.

Collectively, these achievements showcase an HR team that is innovative, data driven, values led and deeply committed to improving the working lives of colleagues while supporting the University’s long term strategic success.

Scott Parkes

Scott is nominated as an HR Star for delivering one of the most impactful and sensitive pension communication programmes undertaken within Coventry University Group. During a period of significant organisational change, more than 800 employees were required to leave the Teachers’ Pension Scheme and make time critical decisions about their future pension arrangements. Scott designed and delivered the entire communications approach himself, providing clarity, reassurance and expert guidance during an emotionally charged period.

His work included 12 well attended seminars and more than 250 individual guidance meetings, all delivered in house. His ability to explain complex pension concepts in a clear, accessible and empathetic way transformed employee understanding and reduced uncertainty. Trade unions, senior leaders and staff praised the transparency and quality of his communication, noting that employees felt fully supported and well informed throughout the process.Scott’s contribution ensured the organisational changes proceeded smoothly, with no pension related challenges—a rare achievement in the higher education sector. His work has left a lasting legacy, reshaping how the organisation communicates about pensions and building long term confidence among employees. Scott exemplifies the highest standards of HR professionalism and specialist expertise.

Angela Carter

Angela is an exceptional HR professional whose technical expertise, compassionate leadership and remarkable resilience make her a true HR Star. She has led complex, sector leading pension changes with clarity, care and integrity, earning widespread trust across the university. Her ability to navigate complexity with calm professionalism is deeply valued.

Beyond her professional achievements, Angela has undertaken significant charity challenges, including completing a 50 mile walk in 24 hours in memory of her husband. She has also supported charities that have cared for her son during major health issues. She approaches these commitments with humility, strength and determination, which are qualities that also define her work.

Angela embodies our institutional values and consistently lives our behaviours: she listens, supports, respects, builds trust and approaches challenges with optimism and ambition. She is a colleague others turn to for advice, clarity and encouragement, contributing to a positive, high performing and people centred HR culture.

Angela delivers exceptional work with warmth and professionalism. She shapes not only what we achieve, but how we work together. She is, in every sense, a true HR Star.

Layla Hemingway

Layla stands out not only for what she delivers, but for how she delivers it; rooted in empowerment, authenticity and a genuine commitment to helping people thrive.

She embraced a career pivot shortly after joining the University of Hull, stepping into leadership of our Talent and Engagement agenda after nearly two decades in HR operations. She has quickly become an influential and trusted voice in the organisational development space, consistently delivering high quality work with energy and purpose.

Layla brings a calm, steady presence to complex challenges, ensuring colleagues feel heard, respected and supported. She is collaborative, instinctively building trust with academic, professional service and trade union colleagues. Her openness, curiosity and ability to connect people enables navigation of sensitive issues with confidence and care.

She combines strategic thinking with a focus on practical, people-centred solutions. Known for asking thoughtful questions, grounding decisions in lived experience, Layla brings clarity where there is ambiguity. Her communication style, transparent and inclusive, helps colleagues understand difficult topics.

Layla leads with integrity, optimism and our institutional values. She uplifts others, builds capability and strengthens confidence across the University.

She is an HR Star because she brings people with her every step of the way.