Colin Shipp, Director of HR
Colin Shipp, Director of HR, wrote to all staff earlier today, Friday 19 January. You can see the full text of his email below.
I am writing with news of a new Digital HR programme, and I am asking you to help ensure we meet the needs of our University by filling out a short survey.
Digital HR, building a digital solution which automates our processes to ensure consistency of experience for staff, sits under one of the focus areas of the People Strategy – ‘Getting the Basics Right’. The Vice-Chancellor and University Executive Team (UET) understand that investment in our people and your experience as a member of staff is key to the University's continued success. This is a significant project and part of the University’s wider Capital Programme, which encompasses several work areas to transform our University.
What the programme will deliver
This programme will take a holistic approach. It will review all HR processes impacting both candidates and employees and how we support those processes in HR, and determine the system capabilities that are needed. To do this the programme is structured around three key delivery areas:
1. Candidate experience
Focused on streamlining and simplifying the recruitment processes for all involved, whilst providing a tailored and transparent process to attract and engage candidates.
2. Employee experience
Focused on aligning our processes and systems to attract and retain staff, and make Sussex a great place to work.
3. Data and analytics
Focused on enhancing data access at various levels of the organisation, providing clear, consistent, and insightful information to enable more informed decision-making.
How you can help shape the programme
Part of our early work is to build an understanding of our colleagues' needs and identify potential areas for improvement across our processes. This will help inform what capabilities our new, end-to-end digital HR system needs.
So, we would like you to participate in this short survey. The survey is open until 31 January and will only take a few minutes to complete. By taking the survey, you will be helping us to identify – and prioritise – the changes we need to make.
Keeping you informed
We will shortly publish an updated programme webpage with information and progress. We will also provide project updates through the monthly Transforming Sussex newsletter, and you will also receive news and information through the Staff Hub, the ‘This Week at Sussex’ email newsletter, and your School or Division HR Business Partners and leadership teams.
If you want to ask a question about Digital HR at any time, please email the team at: digitalHR@sussex.ac.uk.