The lessons learnt through a critical investigation of professional development and career progression for professional services staff and its significance to Strategic HRM: A Case Study at Keele University

1. It’s the Keele difference.
The lessons learnt through a critical
investigation of professional development
and career progression for professional
services staff and its significance to Strategic
HRM: A Case Study at Keele University
Emma Holdham, Staff Development Advisor

2. What about Keele?
• Largest campus based University in Europe
(probably)
• Founded by experiment conducted in 1949
• Approximately 2000 staff, 900 of which are
professional services staff based across 3 Faculties,
within which there are 14 schools and 6 Directorates

3. Why?
• Personal area of interest
• Aligned to key questions within the institution
• Increasingly competitive HE environment

4. The best way forward

5. What did I ask?
• Role title and classification
• Current roles and previous roles
• Main factors for leaving previous roles
• Additional project work
• Focus of development e.g. present or future needs development
• Identification of development
• Flexibility in organisational policies regarding the support and
approval of personal and professional development
• The role of the line manager in your development and career
progression
• Professional membership
• Performance Appraisal

6. What did I learn?
• Professional Services staff? Non-academic? Support
staff?
• Learning and Development
- Mentoring and Coaching
- Leadership and Management Development
• Human Resource Policies and Guidelines
- Performance Appraisal
- Secondment Opportunities
• Additional Project Involvement

7. What would you do?
Activity:
On your tables consider and discuss the opportunities
you might put in place within your institution if faced
with similar findings?
Note: Be ready to share with the whole group in 10 minutes

8. What did I do / recommend?
• Professional Services staff? Non-academic? Support
staff?
• Learning and Development
- Mentoring and Coaching
- Leadership and Management Development
• Human Resource Policies and Guidelines
- Performance Appraisal
- Secondment Opportunities
• Additional Project Involvement

9. Thank you and questions
Emma Holdham
e.holdham@keele.ac.uk