Issue - meetings

This report sets out the Council’s draft HR Strategy for 2018 – 2023, which outlines our plans within HR, Learning & Development, Recruitment and Payroll to recruit, develop and retain staff, and to support them to work in ways to deliver council services in an effective 21^st century council.  The Executive is asked to approve the proposed Strategy.

Recommendation

That the Executive approves the proposed HR strategy 2018-2023.

57.1  The Leader introduced the HR Strategy for 2018 – 2023, which outlined the Council’s approach to recruit, develop and retain staff, and to support them to work in ways to deliver council services in an effective 21^st century council.

57.2  As well as drawing on the ambitions of the new Corporate Strategy, the HR Strategy directly addressed areas for development that had been identified in the recent Investors in People report and the LGA planning peer review.

57.3  The Leader thanked the Value for Money & Customer Service Overview and Scrutiny Committee for their contributions to the HR Strategy and commended the new Strategy to the Executive.

57.4  The Executive RESOLVED that the HR strategy 2018-2023 be approved.

[Reason: to support the recruitment, development and retention of the Council’s workforce.]

A new draft HR Strategy for 2018 – 2023 detailing the outline of our plans within HR, Learning & Development, Recruitment and Payroll.

Recommendation

It is recommended that the Value for Money and Customer Service O&S Committee considers the HR Strategy and passes any comments or observations to the Executive.

Katy Meakin, HR Manager, introduced the new HR Strategy to the Committee. She explained that the Strategy had been developed to align with the Corporate Strategy and had been formulated using strong workforce profile data.

The Committee thanked officers for producing a clear and accessible Strategy. It was suggested that the Strategy could be enhanced by the inclusion of a forecast as to how the workforce might change as a result of technological advances, for example, more remote working.

A Member noted that there was a large proportion of younger staff joining and leaving Waverley within two years and was concerned that this was due to low morale. Other Members however suggested that the level of turnover could be attributed to staff, particularly in areas such as planning, gaining experience at Waverley and then moving on to positions in London councils or the private sector.

The Committee was also pleased to note that the issue of talent management was addressed in the Strategy as it felt that it was important to show that there was career development within the organisation. Members also highlighted that different levels of staff within the organisation would have different career aspirations and suggested that this be taken into account in the Strategy.

The Committee also felt that a statement should also be included in the Strategy in relation to equality and diversity. Officers responded that the Council was part of the ‘two ticks’ scheme and agreed to make reference to this in the Strategy.