A positive Employee Experience is one of the most important elements of People First. Happy, motivated staff who enjoy coming to work and feel valued by the University are what we should always aim for. To achieve this, we need to engage with our people and become a true listening organisation. In June 2018 we established a Staff Forum which represents all of our employees and provides the opportunity for our people to share their views and ideas on the various ‘touchpoints’ that matter to our staff and make a difference to their experience working at Queen’s.

By listening to what our people have to say, we will co-create solutions to help shape and design a more positive Employee Experience which meets both the needs of the employees and the University. One of the first big agenda points arising from the forum is to review our staff appraisal system. Following the meeting with the Vice Chancellor in October 2018, Staff Forum members consulted with colleagues from across all areas of the University to gather their feedback on the appraisal system. This was shared with the Vice Chancellor and together with suggestions from senior leaders, we are now working on a review of the appraisal system. A steering group has been established, chaired by Professor Richard English, and a new approach will be announced by the end of 2019.

We all appreciate a little recognition when we do a great job, so our new STAR scheme has been created to recognise and reward exceptional performance and contribution to the University. There are two elements to being one of our STAR Scheme, whereby managers can reward someone in their team who demonstrates exceptional performance on a sustained basis throughout the year; and Recognition awards, which are available to Managers to recognise exceptional performance and contribution in line with our values, ICARE, on an ad hoc basis at any time. Over 500 STAR Recognition Awards have been issued since the launch in September 2018 and Performance Awards delivered a well-deserved year-end boost for some outstanding staff in December’s payroll. Well done to all and let’s keep recognising the great work of all our Queen’s STARs.

We want everyone who works here to feel comfortable within the workplace and Queen's is committed to creating an environment free from any form of harassment. To support this, we have established a network of Anti-Harassment Advisors on Campus who can provide confidential information to staff on issues relating to bullying, harassment and discrimination. Any member of staff who is experiencing harassment can contact an Anti-Harassment Advisor to seek advice, support or to talk to them about what they are experiencing in strict confidence and help them decide what steps to take next. You can view details of our Anti-Harassment Advisors.

When designing the People First, it was clear that some of the core functions of our HR service needed a fresh approach. The first step in this was the created of the new HR Hub, which we are delighted to have launched in January 2019. We have consolidated and streamlined processes for advice and administrative support on core HR policies and procedures, bringing it all together in one central Hub. The Hub is now the main point of contact for all staff and managers, providing first line advice and guidance on all HR matters. By centralising expertise and resources, this new service will be quicker, smoother and unified for all staff, wherever they are and whatever their role in the University. Our HR Business Partners will continue to provide high level and critical support to our senior management teams.