Employee experience - our strategic priority
UCEA's Employee experience (EX) work with members began in 2022, providing thought leadership on EX and focussing on the ‘moments that matter’ that can impact individuals, specific groups and teams, as well as the workforce as a whole. In addition, communicating the value of total reward through a clearly defined employee value proposition (EVP).
Our current strategic plan, Facilitating transformational change, Enhancing the employee experience 2024-2027 leads with Strategic priority 1: 'Supporting employer aspirations to enhance the EX'.
UCEA is taking forward work under our EX Five-Pillar programme of work, providing EX thought leadership, sharing and improving employment practices in the sector, and supporting our members as employers of choice.
Our UCEA’s EX Five-Pillar programme of work are:
- Working with the sector to promote good employment practice, supporting employer reward strategies and promoting the development of total reward and the employee value proposition, both at individual HEI and sector level.
- Helping HEIs to foster a whole workforce approach to employee voice.
- Promoting inclusion and sharing the steps HEIs can take to reduce the gender, ethnicity and disability pay gaps.
- Working with sector partners to promote good employment practice in the areas of learning and development, safety at work, and physical and mental health and wellbeing.
- Supporting employers in their transformation and organisational change agendas, helping them to build flexibility into their workforce models to meet the business needs.
In 2024, It is all about the experience – surely? not only provided another excellent EX blog, but outlined the importance of developing sector EX, together. Professor Ken Sloan, Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive Officer at Harper Adams University and UCEA Board member is our lead for EX strategic priority and development.
The EX section in the members’ area of the website is regularly updated to accommodate resources to support UCEA members in providing solutions to address contemporary EX challenges, bringing together expertise from the sector and beyond, and shining a light on good practice.
The website hosts resources, including the following key publications and materials:
- 'Employee experience in higher education - a guide'. UCEA's guide drills down into the EX background, concepts, themes and frameworks. This also provides models, case studies, signposting for extra information, and so much more.
- 'Total Reward and Employee Value Proposition in a ‘perma-crisis’ era', provides practical guidance, case studies, support, and tools to enable members to better define, evaluate, improve, and deliver the total reward package and the employee value proposition.
- 'Benefits of Working in HE' report (2023), which is publicly available, provides an overview of the benefits that are offered by our member institutions and includes how these benefits compare.
- Our Benefits of Working in HE infographics which are also publicly available, show these benefits in visual format.
- Annual analysis of gender pay gaps and intersectional pay gaps, including action planning being undertaken by HEIs to reduce the gap. Case studies in all the above areas, both from within the sector and other sectors.
Any questions?
If you have any questions or would like to add to our case studies please contact Roshan Israni, Deputy Chief Executive, Simon Sumner, Deputy Head of Employment Policy & Advice or Andy Fryer, Head of Communications and Membership.