Contact: Chris Locke, 330 6038, e-mail: chris.locke@hants .gov.uk
Jane Page, ext 6862, e-mail: [email protected]

1 Summary

This report:

a) outlines an overall strategy of `growing our own' staff for the future which builds on existing practice in departments, and

b) proposes three council-wide schemes under this approach:

· a graduate development scheme (30 places for existing staff on a one year development programme) ;

· a fast track future leaders scheme (10 places for existing managers on a 2 year programme); and

· a work experience scheme (60 places on various short term schemes).

The business case is made around ensuring our future supply of skilled staff, savings on external recruitment and learning costs, better retention and return on staff investment and better productivity. The proposed schemes would cost under £200k and would be run by a full time Grow our Own schemes co-ordinator and part time administrator based in the HR department, in partnership with managers in departments. The success of the schemes would be expected to impact on indicators such as recruitment costs, workforce diversity, long term vacancies and retention rates.

1.1 This supports aims Aim 6 - developing councillors and staff and Aim 5 - improving services of the Corporate Strategy. `Growing our own' can be an effective and efficient method of resourcing the Council's staff needs, and helps ensure improvements to services through staff having the appropriate skills, knowledge and attitudes to deliver.

More specifically, the proposals are expected to

· maximise the potential and corporate capability of graduates we employ either on occupational training schemes or in other jobs

· ensure a continued supply of high calibre and well experienced managers for future leadership roles

· widen the appeal and accessibility of our jobs to a more diverse range of potential recruits

· support the development of our image as an employer and the principles Investors in People.

2 Hampshire Own Grown - a strategic approach to Growing our Own skilled staff for the future

2.1 The authority is increasingly adopting a `grow our own' strategy, initially because of recruitment difficulties but now also recognising that a) it represents a cost effective way of ensuring a continued supply of staff with the skills, knowledge and attitudes we need for the future, and b) that it makes good business sense to develop and make best use of our people's potential. The chart below sets out an overall approach to `growing our own'. The approach falls into three main streams each covering a number of activities or objectives.

· Resourcing

· Development schemes

· Learning at work

2.2 This report deals with proposals to integrate and extend work already taking place on three of the activities under the above headings: work experience, graduate development and fast track future leaders development. Other topics will be further developed in the future, supported by the HR Department.

3 Business case

The business benefits of developing our own staff to make use of their potential and enable them to take on increasing responsibilities are already acknowledged in many departments and include:

· Savings on external recruitment (c £2,500 per recruit) and reduced drop in productivity due to `learning curve' costs

· More effective performance due to internally developed and focussed knowledge and expertise, including better fit with culture and values

· Better return on the investment already made on internal staff

· Reduced impact of recruitment difficulties - whether due to skill shortages, market pay factors or SE region costs pressures

· Improved recruitment and retention through an enhanced reputation as a good developer of people

· Improved recruitment through broader appeal as an employer to a more diverse pool of potential recruits

· Increased diversity in senior level posts

· Reduced risks from loss of expertise due to retirements and turnover, by more systematic knowledge transfer and succession planning

· Improved `agility' to respond to the changes and challenges of the future

· Meeting aspects of the corporate strategy such as developing employment opportunities for local people including young people, older people and minority or under-represented groups.

We now have the opportunity to build on work already underway and extend the approaches across the county council to achieve a more flexible and integrated programme, in particular with schemes for graduate development, development of future leaders, and work experience.

4 Graduate Development Scheme

5 A Fast Track Future Leaders Programme

6 Work Experience

7 Conclusions

Taken together these proposals provide opportunities at all levels of the organisation and are an efficient way forward to lay a good foundation for Grow our Own development schemes.

The effectiveness of the schemes would be assessed on the basis on indicators such as:

· Retention rate for scheme participants

· Promotion rate for scheme participants

· Improved workforce diversity indicators, including for the overall workforce and the top 5% of earners

· Reduced external recruitment costs

· Reduced number of long term vacant posts

· Reduced turnover amongst young people and those with under 3 years service.

8 Legal implications

8.1 None

9 Financial implications

6.1 The total cost of these proposals is £193,350 pa.

10 Personnel implications

10.1 The above financial implications include 1.5 fte staff to develop and run the schemes.

11 Impact assessment

11.1 An initial equalities impact assessment shows that the schemes are intended in part to increase diversity in our workforce, but that equal and fair access in practice will need to be considered when designing the selection criteria

12 Crime prevention issues

12.1 None

13 Views of the Local County Councillor

10.1 None

Recommendations

Approval is sought for:

· A Graduate Development Scheme

· A Fast Track Future Leaders Programme

· A Work Experience Programme

· The approval of an allocation from the contingency sum in the current year's budget sufficient to meet the part year cost of introducing the schemes in 2005/06

the above three schemes will:

_ Maximise the potential and corporate capability of graduates already employed by the county council ( £28,350 pa for 30 places)

_ Provide fast track development of potential senior managers as leaders for the future (£143,100 pa for 10 places)

_ Develop links with schools, colleges and potential recruits through work experience programmes (£21,900 pa for 60 places)

The next steps, after initial support for the proposals and subject to final funding approval, would be to discuss the recommendations in more depth with relevant staff in departments to ensure key local considerations are built in, and then to recruit the Grow our Own Schemes Co-ordinator and administrator to start the development work. With investment of under £200k in 2005/06 initial work setting up the above schemes could be completed and the schemes underway by Autumn 2005. Recommendation

Section 100 D - Local Government Act 1972 - background documents

The following documents discuss facts or matters on which this report, or an important part of it, is based and have been relied upon to a material extent in the preparation of this report.

None.