March 2013

CONTENT

Topic Page

SECTION 1: TALENT STEWARDSHIP FRAMEWORK 1

Introduction 2

Key Concepts 3

IOP Goals and Vision 5

Higher Education Perspective 6

Talent Stewardship Alignment to IOP Goals 7

Purpose of the Talent Stewardship Guide 8

Benefits to Stakeholders 9

Principles of Talent Stewardship 10

Case for Change 14

Talent Stewardship Summary 15

SECTION 2: ADDENDUMS 16

Addendum A : Step-by-Step Processes 17

Addendum B : Frequently Asked Questions 19

Addendum C : Academic Roles 25

SECTION 3: CASE STUDY 33

Plan and Manage Talent Stewardship

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References 36

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SECTION 1

TALENT STEWARDSHIP FRAMEWORK

SECTION 1: TALENT STEWARDSHIP FRAMEWORK

INTRODUCTION

Talent Stewardship is a conscious, deliberate & planned approach

undertaken to attract, retain, diversify and develop people with the required

competency and capability to meet current and future organisational capacity

needs.

Conscious - talent stewardship is used as a strategic initiative to identify

capacity challenges to help UWC achieve its vision and mission.

Deliberate - strategically important positions are identified in advance and

earmarked for Talent Stewardship planning. People identified during their

Performance Development System (PDS) engagements with "more than

acceptable performance" could apply for these positions.

Planned approach - candidates are to be placed on an Accelerated

Development Programme (ADP) with detailed planned activities to meet the

competency and capability requirements of a specific role. Only once the

candidate has completed the ADP successfully, shall he/she be considered for

appointment into the available position or a next level position towards a target

post through the standard selection processes. A combination of development

opportunities and prospect of career progression will keep critical staff sufficiently

engaged and committed.

Note: The Talent Stewardship Programme supports the EE and People Plan of

UWC. It is in line with UWC policies and procedures, as well as relevant Labour

Legislation.

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KEY CONCEPTS Talent Group Individuals who have demonstrated evidence of academic/work performance at an exceptional level within their current role, thus indicating relevant potential and competencies to perform at a higher level of employment than their current position, and to provide leadership in the future.

Competence Is the generic knowledge, skill, trait, self – schema or motive of a person that is causally related to effective behaviour referenced to external performance criteria. (Rothwell & Kazanas, 1994)

Core Competence A unique ability acquired or developed that cannot be easily imitated. Core competencies provide a workplace with one or more differentiating profiles, within specific or general disciplines.

Capability Is a complex bundle of skills and accumulated knowledge (competency) that enables organisations (UWC) to coordinate activities and make use of their assets. (Day, 1994)

Capacity Specific ability of an entity (person or organisation) or resource, measured in quantity and level of quality, over an extended period.

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Performance Development System (PDS) A process to develop and evaluate the progress of UWC staff members in the achievement of the required performance standards and competencies for their jobs.

Personal Development Plan (PDP) A development plan focused on achieving the key performance areas of the current role of the staff member. (Part of the PDS). Can also be set to achieve a more than acceptable level of performance.

Accelerated Development Programme (ADP) A development initiative designed by the direct line manager - for Talent Group members to ensure attainment of objectives in an accelerated time period.

Ad hominem Promotions Is a process in which academic staff can apply to be promoted to a higher academic rank as a result of performance evident in their current role.

NB: A PDP is not equivalent to an ADP. An ADP is intended to accelerate development, whilst a PDP supports continuous growth and development.

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Figure 1 : IOP Goals and Vision

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IOP GOALS and VISION

HIGHER EDUCATION PERSPECTIVE Talent is a critical focus in the Higher Education (HE) sector due to: • An ever diminishing academic talent pool that is becoming a general trend. • An increase in strategic support and administrative capacity requirements to

deliver in this changing HE environment. The UWC Talent Stewardship context is clearly captured in Goal 4 of the Institutional Operating Plan (IOP 2010 -2014); and also supports the 2025 vision: To attract, retain, diversify and develop excellent talent to enable UWC to realise

its vision and achieve its strategic goals. This implies achieving fitness for purpose by positioning talent as the strategic differentiator and thus positioning UWC as a Talent Stewardship institution. Talent Stewardship, therefore, needs to address the future people capacity needs of UWC to assist and sustain the IOP strategies. Addressing the people capacity needs to achieve and sustain the IOP requires attracting, appointing and retaining talent for the next generation of leadership, namely: • A new academic generation. • The support and administrative capacity to support changing needs. The Talent Stewardship initiative will align with the transformational agenda within the institution and ensure purposeful attention to address social equity. This also implies that “new” individuals not currently in academic careers need to be motivated to develop an interest in such a career (Badat, 2009).

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Figure 2 : Alignment of the Talent Stewardship Programme to the IOP Goals

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TALENT STEWARDSHIP ALIGNMENT TO IOP GOALS

Recruitment

PURPOSE OF THE TALENT STEWARDSHIP GUIDE The Talent Stewardship Guide addresses the need for a documented body of knowledge and set of processes that represent generally recognised best practices in the implementation of Talent Stewardship. The target users for this document include: • Senior Management (Executive) and Academic Leadership (Deans,

Deputy Deans and Professors) • Departmental Chairs, Heads of Departments and Directors • All Staff and Participants of the Programme • Appointment Committees • Human Resources Practitioners • Administrative staff (assisting in the Talent Stewardship process) The document provides “how to” guidelines for Talent Stewardship resourcing and implementation which are intended to: • Provide (in a generic manner ) the actions and processes necessary to

achieve the Talent Stewardship strategy. • Capacitate leadership with Talent Stewardship practices and procedures. • Facilitate an approach to Talent Stewardship resourcing and

implementation.

The Talent Stewardship Guide contains elements that are: • Mandatory: Guidelines and Templates that are required for compliance. • Recommended: Generally accepted local and international best practice. • Optional: With reference to the inclusion of proven practical templates

and techniques. • Demanding of ‘reasoning’: considering specific requirements to achieve

success.

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BENEFITS TO STAKEHOLDERS Benefits to Senior Management • Provides generic actions and processes necessary to achieve the Talent

Stewardship strategy across all faculties and departments within the institution. • Highlights strategic opportunities as part of the IOP to integrate planned efforts

with the aim of meeting future institutional capacity requirements.

Benefits to Academic Leadership • Influences and prepares people planning in line with the specific strategic and

operational goals of the faculty to meet the IOP vision. • Facilitates an integrated Talent Stewardship implementation plan and approach

within the faculty.

Benefits to Departmental Chairs, HOD’s and Directors

• Develops talent within Departments in lieu of future people capacity requirements (by implementing an Accelerated Development Programme (ADP) for Talent Stewardship).

• Becomes a change agent (a coach and not only a manager) in establishing Talent Stewardship as a core competence within UWC.

Benefits to Participants of the Programme • Actions and processes necessary for an Accelerated Career Development Plan,

by enhancing the desired skill set of core capabilities and to compete equally with national and international talent.

Benefits to Appointment Committees • Provides good governance and an understanding of the role performed in the

selection and appointment of Talent Stewardship candidates. • Extends current accountabilities from “operational” selection and recruitment

of available positions to a “strategic” selection and recruitment of long-term talent required to meet IOP goals and enhance current and future competencies and capabilities within UWC.

Benefits to Human Resources Practitioners • Capacitates support for leadership in understanding the TS principles and

processes. • Encompasses guidelines as set out by the framework for PDS, PDP, ADP and all

other applicable HR practices.

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PRINCIPLES OF TALENT STEWARDSHIP 1. Talent Stewardship is a conscious, deliberate and planned approach undertaken

to attract, retain, diversify and develop people with the required competency and capability to meet current and future operational and strategic needs; aligned with the Institutional Operational Plans (including Employment Equity and Staff Development).

2. Talent Stewardship is to be managed within the University’s employment processes, strategic and operational affordability and budgetary parameters.

3. Talent Stewardship shall commence by focusing on addressing the vacant positions that arise through retirements over a 5 year period and results in a plan for filling or reviewing these positions proactively – special consideration is to be given to preparing talented individuals for these roles. Talent Stewardship is to expand its focus to also consider filling positions which may become available due to (a) Faculty and Department restructure and change; (b) new positions required to meet IOP and strategic requirements; and (c) resignations.

4. Talent Stewardship focuses on developing internal talent to compete equally with national and international talent. However, should the suitable candidate for an available position not be found internally, external candidates can be considered to be placed within the Talent Group, based on competence and potential.

5. Talent Stewardship is to follow a phased roll-out approach per Faculty and Department.

PRINCIPLES FOR TARGETED ROLES 6. Talent Stewardship applies to the Academic, as well as the management levels

of the Support and Administrative staff.

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7. Completing a formal PDS is a requirement to be included in the talent

group of the Talent Stewardship Programme (more than acceptable

performance is a key indicator).

PROCESS PRINCIPLES

8. All individuals in the Talent Group shall be considered via application only.

Talented staff, indicating more than acceptable performance within PDS,

should be encouraged to apply.

9. All current approved policies and procedures regarding Appointments and

Promotions apply during the Talent Stewardship process (e.g.

advertisement, interview, probation, governance structures, etc.).

10. Applicants who are unsuccessful shall be provided with feedback from

their HOD, as informed by the relevant appointment committee.

It is the HOD’s prerogative to consider these applicants for further development actions:

• Personal Development Plan (PDP) – designed to achieve all KPAs in the current role as well as developmental goals.

• “Stretch” PDP – development designed for continuous improvement.

Note: An ADP is intended to accelerate development, whilst a PDP

supports steady development.

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11. Talent Group members should be permanent employees. If currently not permanent, the employee should be converted from contract to permanent within one year (excluding special funded members, e.g. Donor Funds). The aim is to ensure retention of talented staff after one year.

12. Once a candidate has been selected to join the Talent Group, the post for

which he/she is developed may be reserved – for a planned period - provided the individual meets the ADP requirements . The final decision could be: • candidate appointed in the earmarked position, following normal

appointment processes or motivating for an exception to be made; or • candidate not meeting expectation, but due to “circumstances” the

relevant committees could approve an extension; or • candidate does not meet expectations and exits the ADP.

13. A probation period applies within the ADP.

• When an individual who is currently on probation gets accepted for the ADP, the existing probation period may be replaced with that of the ADP probation requirements.

• Talent Group members who are successful upon application for the intended role, are required to do probation for the assumed new role (as per current policies and procedures), unless the relevant Appointment Committees accept that there is context to waiver this probation period.

• The probation period must be agreed to accommodate the achievement for a relevant qualification and/or years of experience.

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SUPPORT PROCESSES

14. Guidelines for dedicated Talent Stewardship interventions can be found within the Faculties and Departments, as well as advice from the HR Department.

15. Unique reasoning and flexibility is required to optimise the retention of

talent appointments. These include: • budget reasoning; • whether a post should be advertised or a candidate can be

appointed by the relevant Appointment Committees, based on a competency based interview and contextual circumstances; or

• a candidate may be on a PDP before being evaluated for the Talent Group.

16. Line Managers are considered the Coaches and are responsible for

continuous review and guidance within the ADP, as well as generic PDS processes (the source of talent identification).

17. Mentors should be appointed, where appropriate, to ensure specific development needs are met. Mentors are responsible for conducting quarterly progress feedback sessions.

18. The customised ADP interventions are to be designed by the HOD with assistance from the Dean, Mentor and HR Department.

ADDITIONAL PRINCIPLES THAT APPLY TO THE DENTISTRY FACULTY 19. All Joint Appointments within the Dentistry Faculty fall within the

scope of the Talent Stewardship Process.

20. Talent Stewardship is focussed on the established academic post-rank of the individual and not a medical/dentist rank (PGWC title).

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CASE FOR CHANGE To plan the progression of individuals to meet the: • People Planning needs for key future and vacant positions; and • competency requirements as planned for new roles and current people

development needs. The needs of individuals are equally considered relative to potential and preferences to ensure the capacity to deliver and sustain UWC strategies.

Figure 3 : Aligned Culture

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TALENT STEWARDSHIP SUMMARY TALENT STEWARDSHIP is the integration of different initiatives into a coherent framework of activities. There are certain crucial components; and a useful model for defining Talent Stewardship is to think of it in these key words:

Ethos – embedding values and behaviour, known as a “talent mindset”,

to support the view that everyone needs to optimise their

development.

Culture – needs to reflect agreed work values and behaviours in the

day-to-day work. Leadership Culture has to be formally aligned to

Talent Stewardship and foster a desire to help others develop.

Focus – knowing which roles are critical and making sure that the right

people are in these roles and performing optimally.

Positioning – starting at the top of the organisation and cascading

throughout the leadership levels to ensure ownership.

Structure – creating competence, processes and system with defined

accountabilities to support Talent Stewardship.

System – facilitating a long-term and holistic approach to generate

change and transformation.

(Ashton & Morton, 2005)

Integration of talent – processes to enable the systemic success as

opposed to only “pocket” achievements.

Leadership Strategy and formalising leadership networking – a key

success factor to support Talent Stewardship.

(Deloitte, 2011)

The outcome of the Talent Stewardship project is envisaged to be:

A. A formal, integrated and structured talent process with timelines, to

develop individuals who are ready to be selected for roles when

needed; and

B. An enhanced focus on talent with opportunities for the development of

pre-identified competencies.

This ensures the capacity exists to deliver capabilities.

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DRAFT DOCUMENT

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SECTION 2: ADDENDUMS

- Addendum A: Step-by-Step Processes - Addendum B: Frequently Asked Questions - Addendum C: Academic Roles

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ADDENDUM A

STEP-BY-STEP PROCESSES

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ADDENDUM B

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What makes Talent Stewardship different from current promotions and recruitment approaches?

Talent Stewardship is a strategic initiative to plan in advance for future competency and capability requirements to meet UWC vision and IOP strategic goals by identifying Talent Stewardship positions within Departments. Candidates with a "more than acceptable" Performance Development System (PDS) performance record could apply. If successful, the Talent Stewardship candidate enters an Accelerated Development Programme (ADP) to ensure readiness for the position once the position becomes available. Promotions and operational recruitment addresses mainly shorter-term operational needs. The Personal Development Plan (PDP) applies to all other staff not in a Talent Stewardship Group.

How is Talent Stewardship going to commence within UWC?

Talent Stewardship commences by focusing on addressing the retirement figures (obtained by drawing reports from the UWC database) over the next 5 years and plan in advance the various means of filling these positions in future. Thereafter, Talent Stewardship expands its focus to also consider filling of positions which might have become available due to (a) resignations; (b) faculty and department restructure and change; and (c) new positions required to meet IOP and strategic requirements.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does Talent Stewardship apply to all positions?

Talent Stewardship applies to all Academic roles, as well as the Management roles of Support and Administration.

Can a Talent Stewardship position be filled at the same level?

Yes, if it provides a development opportunity for an individual.

How does Talent Stewardship link to the IOP?

Talents Stewardship forms part of Goal 4 (Excellent Talent - to attract, retain, diversify and develop excellent talent to enable UWC to realise its vision and achieve its strategic goals) within the IOP. For this reason, it becomes one of the key enablers to achieve the IOP strategic goals. Talent Stewardship, therefore, provides an opportunity for Departments/ Faculties and the Executive to engage in a formalised approach and process to achieve the Talent Stewardship Strategy across the institution. It also highlights strategic opportunities as part of the institution’s operating cycle to integrate planned efforts to meet operational requirements of the IOP. The Dean and Executive Forum provides for this opportunity.

Can potential candidates be nominated for the Talent Stewardship Pool? All individuals in the talent group are considered via application. Staff should be encouraged to apply – a pre-PDP process can be set up.

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Do we have resources to implement Talent Stewardship?

The Talent Stewardship project is supported by the Academic Sponsor, DVC Academic. Whilst, the Support and Administration management’s Sponsor is the Institutional Planning Executive, with the project owner being the Executive Director: Human Resources, all of whom ensure the project caters for the unique needs of UWC. The Change Leader and HR Practitioners have been part of the development process of Talent Stewardship and can facilitate and support Talent Stewardship implementation within each Department/Faculty. A Steering Committee was appointed to assist the project team with the development of the Talent Stewardship approach and processes. On completion of the implementation, the university’s leadership takes responsibility for achievement of their TS goals.

How will performance for Talent Stewardship be determined?

The Performance Development System (PDS) is a major dependency and has to be completed formally for all current staff who may want to apply to be included into the talent group (more than acceptable performance is a key indicator). The appropriate selection committees makes the final decision.

Where can I find the Key Performance Areas (KPAs) and competencies for my role to review acceptable performance agreements?

• The Academic Roles (AR) document is the outcome of institutional

engagement and serves as a guideline - See Addendum C. • For Support and Admin Management refer to individual role clarities.

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How does Talent Stewardship integrate / relate to all the other UWC Human Resources policies and procedures?

All current governance structures apply during the Talent Stewardship process, e.g. appointments and promotions, policies and procedures, advertisement, selection, recruitment, probation, etc.. Exceptions can be motivated for.

How will selection and appointment of Talent Stewardship candidates be done?

The application to be included in the Talent Group, should be submitted to the relevant Appointment Committee - current recruitment and selection procedures apply.

What will happen if a candidate is unsuccessful in his/her application to enter the Talent Stewardship Programme?

Applicants who are unsuccessful shall be provided with feedback from their HOD, as per the relevant Appointment Committee feedback. It is the prerogative of the HOD to consider these applicants for either: • a ‘Stretch’ PDP - development designed for continuous improvement • PDP - designed to achieve all KPAs in the current role .

Does Talent Stewardship consider contract staff? Talent Group members should be permanent employees. Contract employees can be selected for Talent Stewardship, but should be converted from contract to permanent within one year (excluding special funded members) of entering the Talent Stewardship Programme. Talent Stewardship, however, is NOT an opportunity to convert contract positions into permanent positions. The normal conversion processes apply.

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Have we thought about the financial implications of Talent Stewardship?

Guidelines for dedicated Talent Stewardship interventions can be provided to the Faculties by the Human Resources Department for budgeting purposes. An impact assessment is essential and is to be conducted to confirm the departmental people plan structure to assist in forecasting budgetary requirements.

What special support efforts are in place to ensure the

success of Talent Stewardship? Line Managers are considered Coaches and are to provide guidance to the Accelerated Development Programme (ADP) member. Mentors are to be appointed where appropriate to ensure specific development needs. A coaching and mentoring guideline is in place. Quarterly meetings are to be conducted by the coach or mentor with the TS group.

Are Line Managers (Coaches) incentivised for their coaching

role? The intention of the Talent Stewardship project is to provide support to enhance current role requirements. As staff development (inclusive of coaching) is a key competency of all leaders within the institution – formalised support, rather than incentives, may be provided to line managers to address staff development requirements.

What happens when a candidate no longer wants to be part of the Talent Stewardship Programme and wants to withdraw?

The Talent Group member needs to consult with their Coach and Mentor before withdrawing from the ADP; when this has taken place, the prerogative still remains with the talent group member to withdraw. HR needs to be provided with a report from the Coach regarding the withdrawal.

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ADDENDUM C

ACADEMIC ROLES

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DRAFT DOCUMENT

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SECTION 3: CASE STUDY

PLAN AND MANAGE TALENT STEWARDSHIP

- Talent Stewardship – a five year view - Plan and Budget for Talent Stewardship

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REFERENCES Ashton, C., & Morton, L. (2005). Managing Talent for Competitive Advantage. Strategic HR Review, 4(5), 28-31. Day, G.S. (1994, October). The capabilities of market-driven organisations. Journal of Marketing, 58, 37–51. Rothwell, W.J., & Kazanas, H.C. (1994). Improving on-the-job training. South Africa: John Wiley & Sons. Tosti, D.T., & Jackson, S.F. (1994, April). Organizational Alignment: How it Works and Why it Matters. Training Magazine, 58-64.

Unpublished: Badat, S. (2009). Developing the next Generation of Academics - Final Draft working paper –HESA. Deloitte working paper (2011). Leadership by design: architecture to build leadership in organizations.

UWC Documents: Institutional Operating Plan (IOP) 2010 – 2014 Performance Development System (PDS)

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NOTES

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