New staff policy

Q: The most important messages in HR policy

Gitte Storgaard Klausen: Some of the most important themes for me in the new HR policy are trust, well-being and development. I attach great importance to a good working environment, and this is only possible if there is a focus on trust and well-being, both mental and physical, as well as orderliness and respect, which the policy also boards. Co-operation between colleagues and managers and employees only works best if there is a focus on these topics. Finally, career and competence development is an important signal. It is motivating that there is room for professional and personal development and that SDU prioritises strengthening employees' toolbox so that we can best support the core task.

Steffen Korsgaard:
It's good that the personnel policy is based on the idea of employees as SDU's most important asset and reinforces that a good and inclusive working environment is crucial. It's also good that the formal freedom of research is mentioned. I think SDU and SDU's management have been good at safeguarding this.

Simon Jebsen:
First and foremost, the HR policy marks a shift from a rule-based to a value-based approach. It's a conscious choice that provides greater flexibility, but also shifts responsibility out into the organisation. Secondly, employees are clearly positioned as a strategic resource in relation to the core task and SDU's development. Thirdly, there is an emphasis on trust, local management space and cross-organisational collaboration - i.e. an expectation that quality and well-being are created in practice close to the academic environments. 

Q: What do I miss in the personnel policy?

Gitte Storgaard Klausen:
In general, I think the HR policy contains important values and is well described. If there had been concrete examples of how the values can be put into practice, it might have strengthened the policy further.

Steffen Korsgaard:
There are many good intentions and principles, but I don't think the HR policy really gets to grips with the major structural problems the entire sector is struggling with. The many short-term appointments, vulnerable and precarious conditions of employment for far too many of the highly specialised researchers and the very specific challenges (not least for the practical freedom of research) that the strong focus on external funding brings. But perhaps this is also a bit much to expect from a personnel policy. I also miss a slightly more explicit focus on administrative colleagues. If you're not very clear, policies and initiatives at universities often end up focusing primarily on academic staff. But there are a lot of administrative colleagues who are absolutely crucial to our overall work.

Simon Jebsen:
My main problem is that the policy is strong on intentions but weak on commitment.

Firstly, there are no clear mechanisms for follow-up. If the values are not put into practice, it's unclear what the consequences are.

Secondly, management responsibility is underdescribed. When taking a values-based approach, management practices become even more important - but less regulated. This increases the risk of very different practices across the organisation.

Thirdly, I wish the policy more clearly addressed the situations where it will be tested: reorganisations, cost-cutting and changes in task portfolios.

Finally, I miss a real, joint discussion at SDU about what we mean by "high quality". The policy links well-being, professionalism and quality, but without a common understanding, the concept risks becoming either diffuse or instrumental. This weakens the policy as a management tool.

Q: How can the HR policy come to life in practice?

Gitte Storgaard Klausen:
It's important that managers take the lead and show employees how the values can be put into practice. In addition, I think it's a good idea to integrate the policy into performance and development reviews, onboarding of new employees and finally be a permanent part of the work environment.

Steffen Korsgaard:
Yes, that's the good question. With my gender equality hat on, I wish we were even better at talking about how we can jointly create an even better workplace for all the good colleagues at SAMF, the new Business School faculty and SDU. Perhaps the new personnel policy can contribute to this.

Simon Jebsen:
The HR material sent to managers at SDU is very clear: the policy must be translated locally in dialogue and practice . That's right - but also where the biggest risk lies. For me, there are three crucial conditions: Firstly, the translation must take place at department level and in the local management spaces. This is where the policy has a concrete impact in terms of work organisation, priorities and collaboration. Secondly, this local translation must be systematically linked back to the liaison committees. If the State Education Grant and Loan Scheme in Denmark is not actively involved, we will lose both the collective learning and the necessary employee influence. This would directly contradict the intention of dialogue and shared responsibility. Thirdly, SDU should work much more with appreciative exchange of experience across the organisation. There are already many environments and leaders who are very successful in translating values into practice. Today, this knowledge is too localised. If we are serious about a value-based policy, we must also systematically share and discuss what actually works. Without this link between local practice, shared reflection and institutional learning, there is a real risk of policy fragmentation.

Q: Concrete examples of where HR policy should make a difference

Gitte Storgaard Klausen:
At the Department of Business & Management, I already experience that many of the values the policy is based on are a natural part of everyday life. We have a culture characterised by trust and mutual respect across staff groups, which makes collaboration both easier and meaningful. As we are about to establish the new Business School, I hope that we can maintain and continue these values. At the same time, it gives me great peace of mind to know that should challenges arise, we have a personnel policy that we can rely on.

Steffen Korsgaard:
It's great that the personnel policy emphasises that everyone should have opportunities to develop. We can use this as a reference in the Equality Committee if we feel that improvements are needed around the Faculty.

Simon Jebsen:
HR policies should be recognisable in situations where employees experience the most uncertainty. In connection with reorganisations, it should ensure real and timely involvement - not just information. For budget adjustments and possible redundancies, it should ensure transparency and a clear basis for decision-making. In relation to changes in tasks, including the use of AI, it should support responsible handling of competence development and transition. If the HR policy is not visible in these situations, it loses credibility. In other words, if the values cannot be recognised in the ongoing change processes at SDU, there is a real risk that the policy will be reduced to a document of principle without practical significance. The value-based approach makes sense in a complex organisation like SDU. But it also shifts the responsibility for quality and practice closer to the local environments. Therefore, the crucial test will not be the formulation of the values - but our ability to create common understanding, ensure real involvement and learn systematically across the organisation.