Best HR Team: Private Sector


WINNER Royal College of Nursing


hen David C o o p e r joined the Royal College of Nursing as director of human resources in 2007, he found


an organisation that was failing. There was an unhealthy culture of inertia that stifled good management and HR had lost its way at the not-for-profit. A new CEO with new ideas, Peter Carter,


appointed Cooper to the executive board – the first time HR had ever had a seat here – and the HR team began to reposition itself in order to deliver an action plan designed to tackle the big issues. It may be not for profit, but as a non-publicly funded organisation, the RCN feels the pressures common to all private sector bodies. The first calls Cooper made were to the


full-time convenors and local GMB union representatives dealing with RCN staff. He wanted to re-establish the right of managers to take decisions without having to consult everyone in advance on every detail, and to


12 HR Excellence Awards July 2011


re-contract the RCN relationship with the union. This relationship was reinvented, so that it now takes one month to agree pay awards instead of 11 months. Best-practice HR policies and procedures are now reviewed and developed 20 times a year, compared to virtually no change previously. According to staff member and GMB


branch chair, Liz Longstaff: “The RCN, predominantly driven by the HR function there, has made significant strides in creating a positive culture of engagement. There is greater trust and integrity and there is now shared responsibility for action. Staff at the RCN themselves have been the drivers of change there.” The HR team has taken a transparent and


straight-talking approach to communication. Previously, not all managers were managing or leading by example, including some very senior ones. This was often a result of a personal lack of skill or confidence, or seeing their role as representing, rather than managing, their employees. HR has repositioned itself within the


organisation, restoring confidence in HR with management so as to become a genuine


business partner driving fit-for-purpose learning and development. Now it is the HR function that holds the organisation to account for the impact of decisions and behaviour, challenging employees to think differently and understand how their practice may damage the RCN. The HR team led a controversial debate to


review the necessity of the traditional nursing qualification as a specification of regional officer roles: a criterion that had become sacrosanct within the organisation. This role now extends beyond the profession, providing a career pathway for existing staff and widening the pool of candidates. The HR team provides metrics to the


directorates and has evidence of clear links between its operational performance, staff satisfaction and adding value to the business. Membership figures are up, absence reduced by 25% and internal staff satisfaction with career opportunities is up 7%. HR Excellence judges were impressed with


how commercially focused the association had become. “It was a failing organisation and has transformed itself. It had a problem and dealt with it extremely well.”


hrmagazine.co.uk


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40