Ripping upjob descriptions

and replacing withgeneric job profiles

Cohort 4: ASPIRE Business Partnering Programme

Ripping up job descriptions and replacing with genericrole profiles - how far can we go and what can beachieved in Local Government?

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Report Authors:

Andrea Porter-Bent: Birmingham City CouncilPatricia Kinsella: Warwickshire County CouncilLakhbir Mahal: Sandwell Metropolitan Borough CouncilNatasha Meadows: Warwickshire County Council Surjit Nagra: Slough Borough Council

August 2016

The authors would like to thank theinterviewees who gave up their time tocontribute towards this project report -without their involvement we would havebeen unable to provide a further dimension tothis study.

We would also like to thank our fellowcolleagues on Cohort 4 with whom we havebeen able to ‘bounce’ a number of ideas andwhose knowledge and experience have alsoassisted this work.

We are also grateful to our respectiveemployers for allowing us this opportunity toembark on this programme of study andfurther develop ourselves both personally andprofessionally.

Finally, we would like to thank Colin Williamsfor his sponsorship, guidance and supportparticularly when we soon realised researchand insight in this area is far less developedthan we anticipated! Although, this initiallywas a challenge, it is also became a driver so ithoped some of our work may become aplatform for fellow HR practitioners todevelop further or even reflect on within theirown organisations.

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Acknowledgements

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Page

1.0 Executive Summary 5

2.0 Background and Introduction 6

3.0 Job Descriptions and Role Profiles - Spot the difference 8

4.0 Assumptions 10

5.0 Research Methodology 11

6.0 Research Analysis 12

7.0 The Role Flexibility Model 15

8.0 The Business Case for Change 17

9.0 Considerations for the Implementation of Generic Role Profiles 19

10.0 Lessons Learnt 22

Appendices

1 Research Survey

2 Infographic highlighting collated Survey Results

3 Summary of Case Studies

4 Example of Derbyshire County Council’s Job and Person Profile for a HR Consultant (used for recruitment purposes only)

5 Example of Derbyshire County Council’s Role Profile for the HR Job Family

References

Contents

1.1 As part of the Aspire Business PartnerProgramme, Cohort 4 run in partnershipwith West Midlands Employers (WME), theChartered Institute of Personnel andDevelopment (CIPD) and the LocalGovernment Association (LGA), the reportauthors questioned the purpose andappropriateness of job descriptions in thepublic sector. The title of the project that thisreport addresses is:

Ripping up job descriptions and replacingwith generic role profiles – how far canwe go and what can be achieved in LocalGovernment?

1.2 The report considered the effectiveness ofthe current format/s of job descriptions inthe public sector for the 21st centuryworkforce. This in turn draws attention tothe prevailing operating models in thepublic sector which are delivering servicesin a very different format from the past.The focus for the need for change centreson the following:

the continuing financial pressure placedon local authorities

the principle of seeking to do ‘more withless’

the increasing role of local authorities tobe ‘commissioning’/‘entrepreneurial’organisations in the way services areprovided to achieve the above

the impact of changing demographicsparticularly an ageing workforce and theincrease in health issues such as mentalhealth in communities

central government agendas andinitiatives including the aim for allschools to achieve academy status by2020, further reductions in budgets,localism etc.

1.3 One debate gathering momentum is howorganisations can create ‘agile’ or ‘flexible’workforces which are equipped to deal withthe above pressures. This reports look atone of the ways that we can achieve this bymoving away from very traditional detailedjob descriptions (which outline tasks toperform roles) to generic role profiles.

1.4 The principle aim of this project is to explorewhether job descriptions are ‘outdated’ andno longer fit for purpose in the context of amodern local authority environment. If, thatis the case, then do generic role profilespresent a credible alternative and to whatextent can they enhance the workingpractices within local government. Ourresearch anticipated that the responsesfrom local authorities and other public andprivate sector organisations would identifycommonalities to help inform our guidingprinciples. These guiding principles in turnwill assist those local authoritiesconsidering introducing generic roleprofiles as a direct replacement of jobdescriptions.

1.5 Parallels from this exercise can be drawn tothe appraisal debate that has been ongoingfor several years which focuses on thechanging needs of the workforce. For thefirst time in history we have 4 generationsworking side by side, namely:‘traditionalist’, 'boomers’ ‘generation x’ and‘generation y’ also known as ‘millennial’.The generations are not only working invery different ways presenting challengesto how they work effectively together; butalso, the way they see the world is differenti.e. the way they grew up communicating.For example each generation will expect tobe communicated with in a different way:

traditionalist – write to me

boomers – call me

generation x – email me

generation y / millennial – text me

1.6 The relevance is how later generationsreceive and interpret informationparticularly a detailed task list reflecting awide range of duties and responsibilities(job descriptions) versus a more easilyabsorbed overview of job content (genericrole profiles). There is no right or wronganswer but simply a recognition thatchanges in technology also mean that thecurrent generation of young people areactually different from the previousgeneration.

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1.0 Executive Summary

2.1 Local Government where change is theonly constant

2.1.1 It has been widely acknowledged that thepublic sector generally, and local authoritiesin particular, are under unprecedentedpressure to respond to the dual challengesof austerity and service transformation(CIPD, 2012). This has resulted in moreinnovative ways of responding togovernment funding reductions anddemand pressures on service provisionwhich includes implementing alternativeservice delivery models (ADMs). ADMsinclude shared services, jointcommissioning, shared managementarrangements, outsourcing, joint venturesand the establishment of tradingcompanies, trusts and mutual. These do notrepresent quick solutions and criticalrequirements are strong managerial andpolitical leadership and scrutinyunderpinned by robust contract andgovernance arrangements, effective duediligence and thorough planning to ensuretheir success.

2.1.2 Indeed change is the only constant forcingsome local authorities to reshape and scaleback to increasingly focus on providing areduced set of statutory core services. Ablend of demand management and ADMswill require local authorities to engagemore with their citizens and communities tounderstand what is of most need and value.This also highlights the importance oforganisational agility and flexibility torespond faster and in more different waysto changing circumstances. On this basis,the challenges for local government aretwofold: can existing staff in a shrinkingorganisation be trained and supported tofulfil a broader range of roles acrossorganisational boundaries (Dickinson,2013) and do recruitment practices need tobe reviewed to ensure new staff achieve theright balance between generic andtechnical skills (Needham & Mangan, 2014).

2.2 Job Evaluation (JE) and the Equal PayChallenge

2.2.1 It is difficult to consider the use andpotential replacement of job descriptionswithout reference to the wider contextualfactors within local government where jobevaluation has been used to address payinequalities.

Naturally, job evaluation brings into sharperfocus job content and the process isgenerally recognised to be the most robustmethod of achieving grading structureswhich a) satisfy the principle of ‘equal payfor work of equal value’ and b) are both fairand transparent.

2.2.2 Job descriptions and person specificationscan be a useful starting point for jobholderscompleting questionnaires and can providesupplementary information for evaluationthey generally have been created forrecruitment purposes or employmentcontracts so are unlikely to providesufficient relevant information especially inrelation to the ‘effort factors’ if using the NJCJE Scheme. They may distort the operationof the Scheme because they are rarely in acommon format and are produced overmany years. Older job descriptions areunlikely to reflect changes to jobs whichhave taken place in the intervening period.

2.2.3 Up to date job descriptions and personspecifications can provide a satisfactorybasis for matching jobs to previouslyevaluated roles, as long as there is somemeans of supplementing the information inrelation to factors where there isinsufficient information through jobinformation questionnaires completed byjobholders and agreed by line managers.

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2.0 Background and Introduction

The perceived disadvantage is the time andresource taken to complete them, but thisshould be outweighed by the reduction inrisk associated with not having consistentaccurate information.

2.2.4 Pay and grading outcomes can have anegative impact on morale, motivation,employee relations potentially resulting inemployees threatening to perform onlythose tasks which are included within theirjob description. It is reported that whilstrole profiles emphasise the similaritiesbetween jobs; job descriptions focus on thedifferences and these inadvertentlypromote inflexibility and demarcation(Dennis, 2005). Therefore, whilst jobevaluation remains an important defenceagainst equal value claims, the process alsopresents opportunities for employers toredefine the way work is described from aseries of detailed tasks (job description) tofocusing on the required skills, behavioursand outcomes or deliverables of the role(role profile).

2.2.5 Role profiles are defined as an extended jobor set of jobs that have similarcharacteristics and arguably these provideemployees with a transparent career pathso that they can clearly see what additionalskills they need to progress in differentroles (Armstrong et al, 2003). In theory,employers can benefit from greaterflexibility allowing them to switchemployees to roles with similarcharacteristics.

2.3 Organisational Culture and Agility

2.3.1 HR professionals are under increasingpressure to demonstrate how they addvalue and contribute positively toorganisational value. It is argued thatpeople management is not the soleresponsibility of HR managers and that inorder to ensure a successful peoplemanagement strategy; peoplemanagement and development must beaccepted as a pivotal part of all managers’roles at all levels in an organisation(Farnham & Horton, 1999). The Employers’Organisation for Local Government (EO)(2003) identified several peoplemanagement and development activitiesthat should be aligned to the people

strategy and these include: performancemanagement; learning and development;pay and reward management; employeerelations including relations with tradeunions and employee resourcing. The aboveare broad and generic areas that would bepart of most of local authority functions.However, although each local authoritymay include some or more of the abovewithin their HR agenda; individualpreferences and/or local circumstancesmay determine what forms part of theirorganisational development programme.

2.3.2 Middle managers and team leadersarguably have the most influence on thedaily lives of staff and on organisationalculture and levels of engagement (Purcell &Hutchinson, 2007). Creating flexibility andagility within the workforce to enable staffto change the way they work and involvingthem in the change process is just one waythis can be achieved (McCann, 2011) butdelivering services differently also calls intoquestion the delivery of HR support and rolethe function can expect to play. Whilstdevolving some power to local communitiesmay seem counterintuitive against abackground of uncertainty and jobinsecurity, it will also present opportunitiesfor those employees who are willing andsupported to make a greater contributionwithin their workplace. In some cases thisrequires a fundamental shift in culture andtraditional hierarchical structures if localauthorities expect to attract and retain thebest talent.

2.3.3 There are also need to be increasingrecognition that generic skills are becomingas valued as professional skills with ‘softskills’ (communication, organisation,caring) also sought after with employeesless likely to stay in one sector or servicearea for life requiring them to possessportable and transferable skills which canbe applied in different settings (Needhamand Mangan, 2014).

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3.1 Job analysis is the process used to identifyand determine the detail about a particularjob’s duties and requirements. This resultsin two outputs: a job description and a roleor person specification. The job descriptionand person specification are used to informthe recruitment, selection and inductionprocess and also objective setting andperformance management in the employeelifecycle.

3.2 Figure 1 (below) details the evolution of jobanalysis from information (Hawkes, 2014).

3.3 It is argued that employees are beingdefined by the work they do as opposed tothe position they hold and rigid functionalresponsibilities and hierarchies are beingreplaced by shifting responsibilities inflatter organisations. Employees are nolonger tied to a specific job description in acertain part of the organisation but insteadthey have different and changing functionsbased on their job activities (Bridges, 1994).

3.4 Further, the use of a competency basedapproach may result in new and moreflexible approaches to organising work andemployers may seeks to take advantage ofa more flexible workforce by selectingpeople with the skills required forsuccessful performance (Lawler, 1994).

3.5 Job descriptions should focus on the workthat someone needs to achieve rather thanthe skills and experience and increasinglyperson specifications are based on a set ofcompetencies which are needed for thesuccessful performance of the job. The CIPD(2016) define a job description as “a broad,general, and written statement of a specificjob, based on the findings of a job analysis.It generally includes duties, purpose,responsibilities, scope, and workingconditions of a job along with the job’s title,and the name or designation of the personto whom the employee reports.”

3.6 The person specification is a description ofthe qualifications, skills, experience,knowledge and other attributes (selectioncriteria) which a candidate must possess toperform the job duties. The personspecification should be derived from the jobdescription and forms the foundation forthe recruitment process. Our researchindicates that there is no standarddefinition for a generic role profile althoughthere are some common principles whichhelp to demonstrate how role profiles aredifferent to job descriptions:

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3.0 Job Descriptions and Role Profiles -Spot the difference

Figure 1

rather than each individual job having aspecific detailed job description andperson specification there is anacknowledgement that jobs with similardeliverables can be grouped into clustersusually referred to as job families.Common job family groupings includeHR, IT, Legal, Business Support andAdministration, Engineering andTechnical, Service Management;

each job family is organised into levelswhich relate to the type of workundertaken within that job family;

there will be a role profile for each levelwhich details the purpose of the role,competencies required and usually keyresult areas or outcomes of the role. Thisis in contrast to detailed task informationthat is found in traditional jobdescriptions;

role profiles reflect a more strategic viewof job analysis within an organisation.

3.7 As commented above, a job description hastraditionally been expected to outline theduties and responsibilities of a role. All toooften this has become a 2-3 page ‘to do list’of role expectations rather than a brieferoutline of what the job involves and, it’s notuncommon, to see 6 page job descriptionsand longer. We believe this type of task listonly serves to limit the initiative and scopeof the post holder. If not carefully managedit can lead to a closed mind set and a ‘it’snot in my job description’ attitude whichcan undermine progress with multi-skilling,cross-training, team work and any otherinitiative designed to generally offer greaterstaff flexibility/agility within anorganisation. To illustrate the pointAppendix 6 has a generic profile for the HRjob family from one of our case studyorganisations (Derbyshire County Council)and Appendix 5 has the Job and PersonProfile for a HR Consultant used forrecruitment purposes also from DerbyshireCounty Council.

3.8 Furthermore, the job evaluation schemesused within the public sector, and theprevailing unionised environment, almostseem to demand detailed job descriptions.In some cases, bureaucratic gradingstructures are used to bring order and tominimise the prospect of multiple regradingrequests by capturing as many duties andresponsibilities as possible and defining jobdemarcations and boundaries. For example,only an electrician is allowed to change alight bulb. The office clerk, who changesthem at home all the time, is not allowed toand neither is the carpenter and certainlynot the manager. This closed mind setimpedes any attempt to encourage aparticipative and co-operative workplacewhere all employees at all levels look at theoverall work that has to be accomplishedinstead of focusing on the very narrowconfines of their job descriptions.

3.9 There is a distinct move away from thenarrow and restrictive view of individualjobs to a broader perspective that looks atoverall work that needs to be accomplished.That work may be done by an individual,but it might also be done by a team, anoutside contractor, a series of individuals ona rotational basis, or in any number of otherways (Bridges, 1994).

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4.1 A number of assumptions have been madeby the project group informed by ourknowledge and experience of using jobdescriptions and generic role profiles.However, our assumptions obviously arejust that and have limitations and,therefore, these will later be ‘tested’ andreviewed against the emerging evidencegained through our research of otheremployers to identify and assess anyvariances.

4.2 The assumptions are that:

a) job descriptions are outdated and nolonger fit for purpose in a modern localauthority;

b) there will be a clear purpose, aim andbenefit to supporting the introductionof generic role profiles;

c) there is visible senior managementleadership and buy-in with a clear rolefor HR;

d) organisational context, culture andemployee relations are significantfactors in determining the successfulintroduction of generic role profiles.The introduction of generic role profileswill be more successful if it isunderpinned by a wider strategy ofemployee development and not simplyconfined to addressing pay andgrading issues;

e) it is easier and quicker to introducegeneric role profiles within a smallerlocal authority or within one area of alocal authority before widerimplementation;

f) generic role profiles can be groupedinto job families and therefore willreplace the previous much highernumber of job descriptions;

g) generic role profiles provide increasedflexibility and agility to management tomove staff in response to businessdemand but this is dependent on anumber of organisational specificfactors.

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4.0 Assumptions

5.1 In seeking responses collated from aresearch survey supported by exploratorysemi-structured interviews, we sought tomake an original contribution to whetherjob descriptions can be replaced by acredible alternative namely generic roleprofiles and if so the extent to whichprogress can be made in terms of theirfuture application.

5.2 We gathered data to support the abovefirstly by seeking responses from HRpractitioners in local authorities within theWME network via the completion of aresearch survey (Appendix 1) and in total50 responses were received. Although, itwas preferable to interview theseindividuals, the authors believed that due tothe geographic spread of these localauthorities and time constraints, it wasmore realistic and productive to requestthat respondents respond to the survey andthen follow-up by telephone as necessaryin the event of any queries.

5.3 Semi-structured interviews were conductedwith senior managers from localgovernment, other public and private sectororganisations and a total of 50 responseswere analysed for this report which formedpart of our case studies (Appendix 4). Thesewere used to elicit additional informationfrom a practitioner perspective on theimplementation of generic role profiles orsimilar as a mechanism to compare andcontrast views sought from other localauthorities.

The interviews were, therefore, largelybased on the questions used for theresearch survey and generally succeeded inthe aim of providing the authors with agreater understanding of theimplementation process, strategicconsiderations, organisational context andculture, reflections and learning points. It isrecognised that there is a degree of politicalsensitivity particularly when discussingresearch with other local authorities and itsemployees who are in senior positions. Thiswas largely addressed by the authors beingtactful, exercising discretion whenrecording responses and also by seekingapproval from the case study organisationsin publishing this material (Appendix 3).

5.4 A literature review was also undertaken asa secondary data source to reviewacademic and specialist articles with a viewto gaining a wider and more thoroughknowledge and understanding of thesubject matter and to also add rigour to theresearch.

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5.0 Research Methodology

6.1 Research findings obtained from responsesto the survey questionnaire have beenpresented and collated below. The surveywas completed by 49 Local Authorities anda response from the West Midlands FireService totalling 50 respondents. Themajority of respondents were DistrictCouncils (20 i.e. 41%) and Metropolitan (11i.e. 22%).

Response by Council Type

6.2 The rising awareness of using genericprofiles is slowly raising its head with 17%of Councils using Generic role profiles (GRP)corporately and 35% using GRP’s targetedat specific functional and occupationalgroups. However there is little evidence thatJDs can be ripped up with 48% still relyingon these soley for recruitment purposeswith little attention considered for flexibilityand agility within the role.

Use of Job Descriptions versus Generic Role Profiles

6.3 Only 21 organisations responded to thisquestion, which may indicate that the nonrespondents were not sure why theirorganisations had not considered the use ofGRP’s. However out of the 21 responsesreceived here, it was found that 11%rejected GRP’s on operational grounds, with59% of local authorities, stating that theirorganisation was not yet ready for this, witha view that this is not a priority andtherefore had not been considered.

Reasons organisations have not proceededwith GRPs

6.4 In terms of the main drivers for introducingGRP’s the analysis was identified from only35 respondents who answered thisparticular question. 30% responded toSingle Status/Job evaluation yet 46% said itwas to develop greater staff flexibility andagility.

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6.0 Research Analysis

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Worcester City Council was also abenchmark for all local authorities bycreating a rational structure for the wholeworkforce designed to build more flexibilityinto the workforce at the same time asmanaging equal pay risk resulting in aproposed reduction from 160 plus rolesdown to 14 Generic Role Profiles fromJanuary 2017.

Drivers for Generic Role Profiles

6.5 Significantly, organisational contextualissues were cited as the main barriers to theimplementation of generic role profileswithin local authorities. Culture was statedto be the biggest barrier by 29% ofrespondents and combined with staffengagement, fear of change and tradeunion resistance this accounted for overthree quarters of all reasons cited aspreventing implementation.’

Barriers to Implementation

Generic role profiles will represent an essentialelement in reshaping local governmentworkforce

6.6 To underline the point above, 47% of therespondents agree about the positiveimpact that organisational culture can haveon the implementation of generic roleprofiles. For example, West Midlands FireService increased staff flexibility across theirsupport services by stating they becameless reliant on their job descriptions andmore in tune with the expectations of theteam and their manager.

Generic role profiles must be set within aconducive organisational culture to have realimpact

6.7 Finally, the survey sought to identify whygeneric role profiles were introduced andwhat measures were used to see if thesewere actually achieved. It is noted that only27 respondents replied and whilst therewas a mixed range of responses, jobevaluation was the key reason. Also, whilstseeking a more flexible staff resource wascited it was less clear how this was beingmeasured.

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Objectives and how they were measured

6.8 The survey results show only one localauthority stating that agility was the keymeasure to introducing GRP’s but this hasnot been truly achieved due to it beingrecently implemented. Two otherauthorities have introduced GRP’s inresponse to workforce reduction andflexible deployment across pockets of theorganisation. Another possible reason whyagility may not have been achieved is that‘agility’ may have different meanings todifferent local authorities.

6.9 One further observation is whilst jobevaluation is being used to addressperceived pay anomalies; financialpressures on local authorities are increasingthe need to look more creatively at how theintroduction of generic role profiles can beused to influence and have an impact onoperational and activities. Quite correctlylocal authorities must be able to justify theirpay policy particularly in response to anyclaim of pay inequalities. There will alwaysbe a need for job evaluation or anequivalent but it appears that JE hasbecome the starting point for everythingrather than a supporting process. Whilst nodoubt this is a challenge for HR, it alsopresents an opportunity to introduce realagility across the organisation to keep pacewith less staffing resources and the same ora greater demand for services.

6.10 Summary of research

In order for generic role profiles to beeffective

Organisations should determine a newstructure

Clearly routing and implementing of robustlateral processes to underpin the structure

Introducing role flexibility in line with lateralmove processes to increase workforcedevelopment, which will be invaluable inidentifying levels of work rather than focusingon detailed tasks

Identifying clear values and behaviours whichare key drivers through PDR/Appraisalprocesses

Through restructuring and redundancyprocesses manage staff who do not meet theneeds going forward but give clarity to thosestaff who have ‘bought into’ the futureexpectations and understand the skill setshortages

7.1 Research from the survey seems to indicatehow the definition of agility caries fromcouncil to council. Agility pre-supposes thestretching or expansion of the boundariesof the job, in order for the wider flexibility totake place across jobs. Only 16% ofrespondents introduced generic roleprofiles corporately with the main driverbeing to support the job evaluation process.However, there seems to be little tangibleevidence of these respondents seeking toimplement agile working across servicefunctions by moving employees in responseto business demand or looking to expandroles to address service pressures.

7.2 There is patchy evidence that some localauthorities have grasped the opportunity tomove away from job descriptions andintroduce generic role profiles. However,what is less clear is how they have sought touse generic role profiles as a basis orplatform for implementing organisationalagility and flexibility. The model belowseeks to illustrate one such concept byhighlighting the broad ‘generic’ roles withina typical local authority and howorganisational agility and flexibility can beachieved.

Figure 2 below shows the ‘Role FlexibilityModel.’

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7.0 The Role Flexibility Model

7.3 This model can be adapted to differentsized organisations but the conceptremains the same i.e. the widest degree offlexibility will generally be at the top andbottom representing roles of a similarnature. Whilst there does appear to be nostandard definition of a generic role profile;there are common principles where jobswith similar deliverables can be groupedinto clusters. Directors for example can flexwith the organisation and assume a greaterresponsibility for a broader range ofservices in response to business activity.The same concept will generally apply toadministrators whose broad responsibilitieswill generally remain the same whicheverdepartment or function they work within.Similarly, project managers may berequired to start up and managesignificantly different sized projects tobolster capability and support demandsacross the organisation but the essence oftheir role will generally remain the same.

7.4 In the centre of the model there is anincreased awareness where professionalspecialists could be required to expand andretract according to the internal andexternal focus of the organisation butoutside of the general confines of their jobdescription. For example, like otherprofessional services, Human Resourcesstaff are continually juggling numerousresponsibilities such as workforce strategy,employee relations, policy development,organisation development which are broadareas in themselves but also distinctspecialisms. These roles can be capturedwithin one generic role profile with theexpectation that HR staff across thecompass are enabled with these specialistareas to be part of the holistic role of HR.

7.5 For example, in response to service orbusiness demands, a HR Policy practitionercan be moved into an operational EmployeeRelations role and vice versa. Solicitors havekey negotiating and advocacy skills whichcan be used in other areas of the councilsuch as commissioning, procurement orwithin HR during consultation andnegotiating exercises with trade unions.Indeed, it is recognised that role agility islike a transparent layer over a generic roleprofile and an element of specialist skillswhich can be ‘tuned up or tuned down’ asbusiness demands fluctuate (CIPD, 2015).

7.6 The golden rings in the middle of the modelrepresent the ‘golden thread’ that willunderpin the design of the generic roleprofiles and the values, behaviours andmind set which should be ‘in synch’ with theculture of the organisation. Placing thecitizen first, delivering excellent servicesand working beyond contractualexpectations is no longer a desirable butbecoming the norm. The challenge now isfor local authorities to transform roles byimplementing generic role profiles inresponse to the changing needs oftomorrow.

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8.1 Our research, coupled with our professionalexperience, leads us to the conclusion thatthere are clear business benefits associatedwith using generic role profiles as a tool forlocal authorities to achieve increasedflexibility and agility.

“Some staff like the comfort blanket of aformal JD but they are not appropriatefor the VUCA world of challenge, changeand raising the bar re expectations in arole.” (HR Professional - District Council)

8.2 It is widely acknowledged that localgovernment needs its workforce to work ina different way. People need to be resilientto change and flexible in their approach towork. To enable this change the focus needsto move from the “how” to the “what”. Weneed less of the “to do list” approach to andmore of an outcome focussed approach.Organisations create confusion foremployees when they push a flexibilityagenda but continue to use very taskspecific language incorporated within rigidjob descriptions. GRPs have most impactwhen they incorporate the organisation’scompetency and behaviour expectations.

“Generic role profiles are moreappropriate in the current environment,allowing a faster response to changingdemand and in managing theexpectations of employees and what isrequired of them.” (Service Manager HR -Metropolitan District Council)

8.3 Having access to the right skills at the righttime may sound obvious but can be difficultto achieve. If people are working to rigid jobdescriptions then their focus can be narrowand there can be a reluctance to take ondifferent tasks or move to different serviceareas. There is also a disconnect betweenhow councils are expecting people to workdifferently yet they retain prescriptive jobdescriptions. Changing the way that jobsare described sets out the council’s intentand provides a lever to facilitate culturechange.

“.....In other words, millennials want amanagement style and corporate culturethat is markedly different from anythingthat has gone before.” (PWC, 2011)

8.4 The way in which jobs are described andpresented is a clear indicator aboutorganisational culture and will act as apromoter or barrier to attracting the rightskills into local government. Feedback fromrecent graduates has illustrated that theyare not looking for a prescriptive descriptionof what tasks they are expected tocomplete. They are motivated by knowingwhat result is wanted then being able towork out the best way of delivering thatresult.

“There is a clear structure of careerprogression and particularly withinprofessions we are more often than notable to fill roles from in-house - growingour own talent.” (Senior HR Officer -County Council) 17

8.0 The Business Case for Change

8.5 As local authorities reduce in size,traditional hierarchical structures will needto become flatter to improve adaptability tothe changing operational context. Onedownside of this is that this flatness limitsvertical career progression. Theorganisational challenge will be to createcareer pathways for people and a sense ofprogression for employees. This is done wellwhen organisations encourage people toconsider lateral career development. GRPscan contribute to this by describing in moregeneral terms the outputs, competenciesand behaviours needed at different levels ofthe organisation. This information isavailable for all employees to see andenables them to plan their careerdevelopment.

“The ability to place people underredeployment and address the ability fordepartments to assist each other inaddressing displaced staff was speededup.” (Senior HR Business Partner -Metropolitan District Council)

8.6 The inclusion of competencies in roleprofiles enables a more flexible approach toredeployment and prevents staff beingpigeonholed into certain types of work. Ourresearch demonstrates that GRPs havesupported the redeployment of workersdisplaced as a result of organisationalchange. GRPs speed up the job matchingprocess across an organisation therebyimproving workforce productivity andreducing exit costs.

“On the whole, I would use them again -subject to some fine tuning - if only toavoid the seemingly endless round of jobevaluations that happen here.” (Head ofHR - Borough Council)

8.7 GRPs simplify and reduce the amount oftime taken for job evaluation. Onerespondent to our survey had used GRPs ina previous organisation where in 10 yearsthey had been required to evaluate twojobs. The time saved by both HR andmanagers can be focussed on more valueadded activities.

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9.1 What is clear is that generic role profiles ontheir own are not a silver bullet. For the bestresults they need to be part of a suite ofother cultural change levers. Learning fromorganisations that have implemented GRPs,the following is a compiled checklist ofpoints that can be considered for futureimplementations.

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9.0 Considerations for the Implementationof Generic Role Profiles

9.2.1 Look to the Future

It is challenging to future proof anythingthese days but start with a future stateanalysis for your organisation. Look aheadand identify the requirements in terms ofstrategy, culture, workforce skills andorganisational structure.

9.2.2 Keep Focussed on Flexibility

With the future in mind be clear about yourobjective for generic role profiles:

What do you want to achieve in relationto role flexibility?

How generic do you want to go? Forexample, you could keep a job family foreach function - HR, Finance, Legal or youcould pool these together into aProfessional Advisory job family.

What will flexibility “look” like? And howyou will measure it? Return on Effort(ROE) or Return on Investment (ROI)?

How will GRPs provide the contractualframework between employee andemployer?

This will give you a reference framework.Keep checking back against this frameworkas the work progresses. Does what you aredesigning meet your objectives?

9.2.3 Be Context Savvy

Be conscious of the prevailing EmployeeRelations (ER) environment. A change likethis will be much easier to implement whenyou have a stable ER context with supportor at least engagement from trade unions.Our case studies illustrate that moresuccessful implementations have involvedthe trade unions at very early thinkingstages and included colleagues as part ofworking groups. Consider external supportif this is completely new to you. There areexternal resources you can access tosupport the development of a GRPapproach. The LGA and WME are goodplaces to start. Learn from case studies inthis report and share knowledge acrossyour professional networks. There are alsoprivate sector consultancies that cansupport you.

9.2.4 Engage Stakeholders Early

Use a stakeholder map to identify thestakeholders and plan engagement andparticipation around them. Assign clearowners for each stakeholder and regularlyreview this map and the design andimplementation progresses as they willchange. Smaller organisations will be ableto engage more directly with managers andemployees whereas this may not be sopracticable in larger local authorities.Create business champions who becomethe custodians of the process rather thanHR.

9.2.5 Think about the Practicalities

Consider how GRPs will sit with otherpeople processes. How will they be linkedinto performance management, careerplanning, talent management for example.Some organisations still use a shorter morejob specific profile for advertising jobsduring recruitment. This can work well butyou need to be clear about the purpose ofeach document. In order to formaliseflexibility expectations into yourorganisation the generic role profile needsto be the contractual framework foremployees. How will job evaluation supportthe pay scheme associated with GRPs? Willthere be any impact on current pay levels?

9.2.6 Include Values and Behaviours

Incorporating values and behaviours aswell as role outcomes into the GRPs willincrease the contribution that GRPs willmake to culture change. Language is animportant consideration. Ensure thelanguage you use to describe theexpectations reflects the culture you wantto create and breaks with traditionalapproaches to describing jobs. Usingformalised job evaluation languageconflicts with the culture of flexibility youwill be trying to create.

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9.2.7 Consider Implementation Approach

How will you introduce GRPs? The size ofthe organisation is relevant here. Broadlythere are three approaches:

a) Use ongoing restructures to introducethe change incrementally - thechallenge here will be how to buildmomentum and you will not have aplanned schedule or timeline for fullimplementation. This limits the impactat an organisational level and benefitsmay be difficult to identify and slow tocome through;

b) Planned incremental approach - thisenables you to pilot areas and makeimprovements without underminingthe whole approach. You can start withthe easiest first and build momentum.The implementation schedule needstight management to prevent a drift intimescales;

c) Planned big bang approach - allchanges would take effect at the sametime which does not allow for pilotingand could be riskier in a larger council.

9.2.8 Evaluate and Celebrate Success

Engage stakeholders in a review of theimplementation and check the ROE/ROI.Ensuring the organisation understands the“why” of GRPs will be the key to long termsuccess. Use storytelling to demonstratewhere GRPs have added value. For example,managers and HR will spend less time ongrading jobs and, therefore, more time onmeeting customer requirements,redeployment successes, career planning.Keep this on peoples’ radar!

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Finally we end our report by focusing on the 3most prevalent lessons learnt during the project.However, we would like to acknowledge thatthroughout this programme we were learning’ notonly from the tutors, but the rest of the colleagueson the programme and through our project viathe connections made with a variety oforganisations.

In terms of the project specifically, the first lessonlearnt is that we cannot “rip up job descriptions’ asthere is no real credible alternative as generic jobprofiles, where used, are not replacing jobdescriptions. The latter is particularly so forrecruitment purposes, where organisationscontinue to use or develop new job descriptionsfor selecting suitable candidates. However, wheregeneric job profiles are being used we found thatthey are complimenting job descriptions. Thisleads us to observe the potential for confusion inorganisations which use both job descriptions androle profiles unless the purpose of each is clear. Inorder to embed flexibility and agility into theculture of the organisation then it is the GRP thatneeds to be the primary contractual frameworkbetween employee and employer.

The second lesson learnt is that where generic jobprofiles are being used there is evidence that thejob’s boundaries can be expanded. By their naturethe generic role profiles are written in the stylewhere the jobs accountabilities are outlined andnot the tasks to be performed. This then supportsthe flexibility/agility agenda whereby employeescan be asked to undertaken areas of work whichfall into ‘accountability’. For example whereorganisations have generic role profiles foradministration staff they are able to move staffacross the organisation into various service areaswhere the demand for support is required.Employees are no longer “tied down” to one areaas is the case with task based job descriptions.This moves the organisational mindset forward asemployees move from having “specific jobs” tocomplete to having a “role to play” in theorganisation’s success. There is a need to bemindful of how job evaluation supports thisprocess and the potential impact on pay.

The third lesson learnt refers to the business casecommencing at paragraph 8.0, and the key toarticulating the WHY of looking at introducinggeneric role profiles. The focus of design of roleprofiles should on achieving flexibility/agility byintegrating values and behaviours to shift theculture/mind-sets of employees and written in alanguage that reflects the flexible and adaptablebehaviours an organisation requires of itsemployees to bring success for the future.

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10.0 Lessons Learnt

Research Survey Ripping up job descriptions and replacing with genericrole profiles - how far can we go and what can beachieved in Local Government?

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Appendix 1 Blank Research Survey

Aspire delegate name

Date survey completed

Organisation completing survey

Organisation representative name and position title

Introduction

● Explain why we are conducting the survey

● How the information will be used

● How long the survey will take

1. Tell me how the generic role profiles work in your organisation?

2. What does generic profile mean to you?

3. When was this introduced?

4. What was your driver?

5. What were the challenges/barriers to implementation? What was the cost to the organisation?(Finance, comms etc)

6. What was the process they went through? (Key stages)

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7. How long did it take?

8. Who were the stakeholders?

9. What were you measures of success?

10. How has the change impacted on how you assess candidates

11. What is the size of your organisation?

12. What was the impact on your grading structure?

13. Have you any plans to review this?

14. Where did you get your ideas from?

15. What impact has it had on recruitment? E.g. attracting quality candidates, new culture,absenteeism, change of leadership, link with JE?

16. What would you do differently?

17. What is the organisational make up?

Further notes

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Appendix 2 Infographic highlightingcollated Survey Results

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Case Study 1: Kent County Council

Kent County Council is one of the largest localauthorities in England in terms of populationserved and the largest local authority of its types.The council is responsible for public services suchas education, transport, strategic planning,emergency services, social services, public safetyand waste disposal.

Colin Miller, Strategy and Commissioning Managerat Kent County Council concluded that jobdescriptions cannot be ripped up. At Kent themain driver to review the Job Descriptions was thejob evaluation process. It was felt that the jobevaluation process was complicated and nottransparent for both managers and staff. Theresponse to this was to produce generic jobdescriptors, which outlined the skills, knowledgeand experience which were required in aparticular level. The levels included the types ofresponsibility that a post holder would requireand these are all stated in a generic way. 20 levelswere produced, with 14 levels representing theorganisation and the remaining 6 which appliedto Head of Service and above.

The above has introduced a commonunderstanding of roles within particular levels,and managers now use this to benchmark theirjobs. This has been particularly effective wheremanagers have produced new roles and inrestructures exercises.

However, it is acknowledged by Kent that youcannot get away with producing job descriptionsfor recruitment purposes. They have furtheracknowledged that once a job description iswritten it is out of date as roles evolve, not onlywith time but with the staff member thatperforms the role. Therefore, this has led toputting in place an effective performancemanagement system which focuses managers tohave discussions with staff about the rolechanging. This discussion then takes away theneed to have a detailed job description as the roleevolves over time. For recruitment it is used toinform potential candidates as to the nature of therole and its requirements and is not referred to ona daily basis. In restructure exercises bothmanagers and staff use the levels to inform thechanges that are required.

Appendix 3 Summary of CaseStudies

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Case Study 2 Derbyshire

Derbyshire is a large County Council with circa35,000 employees (including schools). The Councilbegan implementing Role Profiles (organised intoJob Families) in 2010 with the support of aConsultancy firm. The key objective was tosimplify the process of successfully implementingjob evaluation/single status. They found thatsome existing job titles were misleading andwhilst single status evidenced that many jobswere of a similar size across the organisation itwas difficult to see this because of the number ofdifferent job titles. Due to the significant size andcomplexity of the organisation they took a stagedapproach to the roll out; concluding the majorityof the implementation by 2014. This processstreamlined the evaluation of roles into 17 JobFamilies and replaced thousands of out of date JobDescriptions.

The implementation was challenging and initiallyservice managers requested 60 Job Families thatwere eventually negotiated down to 17. Theproject team selected areas of the organisationthat would have a quick impact to buildmomentum and they shared successes withemployees to develop confidence and support forthe project. Engagement with managers was key.Significant engagement with senior managerswas undertaken as well as regular meetings withservice managers. Each Job Family was assignedan operational lead from the service that wasresponsible for agreeing the role profiles withintheir Job Family. They also managed thecommunication of the Job Family to their servicearea and keep the role profiles up to date.

All jobs (covered by single status) are nowadvertised and graded using a Job & PersonProfile. This is similar to a Job Description & PersonSpecification but focuses on outcomes and results.It is used only during recruitment to informapplicants about a vacancy. The purpose of thedocument is to communicate simply what the jobis and what kind of knowledge, skills andexperience a candidate may need and provides upto date, relevant recruitment criteria to helpcandidates and managers make the rightrecruitment choice. Managers are then requiredto explain the Role Profiles at interview stage andonce a successful candidate is appointed, theobjectives agreed between the employee andtheir manager will relate to the Role Profile.

The implementation was successful with RoleProfiles well embedded and understood byemployees. As the key catalyst for this project wassingle status there was a limited review at thestart of the project in relation to what otherbusiness benefits there could be as a result of theimplementation and how this could be measured.Anecdotally it is felt that the movement ofemployees is more fluid with different serviceareas checking the resourcing requirementselsewhere in the organisation at times ofrestructure to support the redeployment of staff.Derbyshire may consider integrating their valuesand behaviours in to Role Profiles in future as atool to enable further cultural shift in therequirement for employees to be more agile.

Further information and templates can be foundhere on the Derbyshire County Council website.

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Case Study 3: Birmingham City Council

Birmingham City Council was the largest Council inEurope, employing in excess of 36,000 employeesas at 2011 but due to continuing diminishingbudgets the workforce has now reduced to16,638 (excluding schools) as of May 2016.

The Council’s Business Plan 2015+ outlines thefuture direction of the council and the budgetposition. The Council needs to make considerablesavings across a number of areas. In 2015/16 itneeded to make savings of £112.9m, with afurther £253.3m required in 2017/18.

Back Office Services and Council Support Servicesin general were an area where additionalefficiencies and savings were found.

“BCC’s vision is to have high quality supportServices, which are focused on businessrequirements and provided by staff whose talentsare recognised and their skills developed andnurtured. The staff will be utilised to the besteffect for the business, and we aim to provideopportunities for career development.”

As it stands the organisation is going throughmultiple redesigns at every level, it is likely to leadto greater inconsistency in terms of available skillsand capacity of business support resources. It isalso apparent that the current demand forProfessional Support Services (PSS) supportexceeds the available capacity. To be clear, thetypes of activities covered by PSS are, alltransactional administration support such asprocessing, administering processes, data entry,typing, photocopying, diary management etc. Inaddition to this it includes secretarial support,personal assistant support, and executive support.

The review process identified the needs for PSSsupport across the directorates, aligning capacitywhere possible and seeks direction on prioritieswhere necessary. Officers all have new generic jobdescriptions which are part of the Administrationjob family reflecting their roles in a City wideservice which promotes greater job opportunities.

This supports agile movement across theorganisation as well as through grades to supporttalent management and succession planning forcritical posts.

Staff remain aligned to directorates withapproximately 1400 staff across BCC in rolesidentified as Business Support: c 500 staff inPeople Directorate, c 90 staff in Place Directorate, c150 staff in Economy Directorate.

● Standard, generic job descriptions have beenproduced to capture Team leader, Adminsupport and Admin assistant roles

● Proactive development of career paths andqualifications for staff

● Standardisation of common processes toensure they are LEAN

● Better utilisation of technology

● Potential opportunities for staff to move withinthe PSS model according to business need

All PSS staff from 1st April 2014:

● Have a generic job description specific to theirgrade

● There will no longer be a separate Secretary orPersonnel Assistant

● May be asked to support a priority businessneed within your directorate

● If their service ceases or diminishes, they maybe moved to another area where there is acontinuing business need

● In the future they may have the opportunity tomove

● They can contribute to a continual processreview of administrative tasks

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Benefits realised are around the following keyareas:

● Reduced resources from standardisation ofsupport arrangements

● More flexible deployment of staff to reflectbusiness needs including response topeaks/dips in activity

● Streamlined processes for key generic tasks

● Significant reductions in recruitment &selection costs

● Reduction in expenditure on agency staff costs

● Working towards more opportunities for staffto move around the organisation and developnew skills which also creates resilience in PSS

● A model which can flex to support the servicereviews and other service delivery changeswhich mitigate against redundancy risk

● Enabling an apprenticeship programme

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Case Study 4: Sunderland City Council

Sunderland City Council employs in the region of8,000 employees (directly and in subsidiarycompanies) and generic role profiles wereintroduced as part of the job family modellingapproach in response to their pay and gradingreview. The Council were assisted by consultantsfrom Ways HR and the process started in spring2013 and was fully implemented on 1 June 2016resulting in around 80 to 90 role profiles within 8job families.

There is recognition and acceptance that jobdescriptions can quickly become outdated and itwas anticipated that the introduction of roleprofiles can help provide added flexibility to movestaff in response to business demand within theirrespective family groups. When Sunderlandpublished the job family architecture (as Ways HRdefines it) it questioned traditional thinking aboutthe relative values of individual roles andresponsibilities. The Council went through achallenging period following scepticism fromaround 15% of the affected staff about theperceived changes and benefits that could berealised following the introduction of role profiles.However, the Council remains hopeful in themedium term when reviewing the organisationdesign structures and the service levelsunderpinning them; the new job familiesarchitecture can be used in a much more holisticway thereby avoiding the need to have to rewriterole profiles. Jobs will be defined in a muchbroader way.

There a number of key learning points andobservations as a result of this large scaleexercise. Sunderland like other local authoritiesare recruiting less than they were but haveretained job descriptions and personspecifications for recruitment and inductionprocesses simply because role profiles haveinsufficient detail to highlight what the jobinvolves. There needs to be considerable changein the sensitivities around job demarcations andpay relativities before staff are prepared to fullyembrace the flexibilities. Sunderland had theoption to introduce job competencies but chosenot to due to resource issues at the time and alsoto enable a clearer focus on the implementation ofrole profiles.

On reflection not much would be done differently.The pay and grading review would still need tointroduce job family modelling or something verysimilar and this approach was faster thantraditional job evaluation. Realising the potentialbenefits of generic role profiles needs to take intoaccount the prevailing employee relationsenvironment balanced against the potentialadvantages that generic role profiles can bring.

It’s too early to say whether role profiles havemade a positive difference but this may wellfollow when there is organisational structurechange. Job families were introduced withoutchanging the structure of the organisation and, totake full advantage, there has to be lessdemarcation in the way roles are defined and howstaff react to this at Sunderland.

Further information and details of the job familymodelling and role profiles can be found here onthe Sunderland City Council website.

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Purpose of this role:

To provide a professional HR advisory service to employees and managers.

Key relationships:

Employees within Economy, Transport and Communities Managers Colleagues in HR Service ElectedMembers

Line managed by: Senior HR Consultant

Key result areas include:

1. Assisting in the development, implementation and promotion of HR policy, procedures and goodpractice through analysis of comprehensive workforce metrics and collaborative working with keystakeholders.

2. Providing professional operational advice to managers on the full range of management issueswithin the field of expertise.

3. Researching and maintaining a thorough knowledge of current issues and initiatives within theprofession and public sector.

4. Project managing Council wide and service specific projects and related initiatives. Leading on themanagement of individual casework ensuring good practice and legislative requirements are met.

5. Working flexibly across the functions to ensure effective delivery of the agreed work programmeand meet changing service requirements.

6. Working closely with services to ensure effective workforce planning.

7. Ensuring activities comply with required legislation where applicable.

Appendix 4 Example of Derbyshire CountyCouncil’s Job and Person Profile for a HRConsultant (used for recruitment purposes only)

Job Title: HR Consultant Ref: DCC/16/1364

Department: Economy, Transport & Communities

Section: Human Resources

Job Family: Human Resources Job Grade: 11

JOB PROFILE

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Job Title: HR Consultant

Ref: DCC/16/1364

Job Family: Human Resources

Job Grade: 11

Department: Economy, Transport & Communities

PERSON PROFILE

Essential Desirable Evidence

Experience Experience ofinterpreting andadvising on a range ofemployment conditionsand related information.

Experience ofresearching, analysingand diagnosingproblems and issues andpresenting solutions/recommendations

Experience of managingindividual casework.

Experience of and abilityto manage, motivateand develop a team.

Experience of workingflexibly across a range ofservice settings andsubject areas.

All experience will beevidenced by applicationform and interview.

Skills and knowledge Detailed knowledge ofHR policies, processesand procedures.

The ability to manageprojects and workindependently to deliverwork programmeswithin agreedtimescales.

Knowledge ofppropriate legislation,codes or practice.

An understanding of theservice and anawareness of theenvironment withinwhich it operates.

All skills and knowledgewill be evidenced byapplication form andinterview.

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Personal Effectiveness The ability to guide,coach and influenceeffectively at all levels ofthe organisation.

The ability to buildpositive relationshipswith stakeholders acrossthe Service/Council.

All personaleffectiveness will beevidenced by applicationform and interview.

Qualifications Graduate CIPD orequivalent relevantqualification, plusrelevant post qualifyingexperience

Application form andcertification at interview.

ROLE PROFILE

Job Family: Human Resources Code: HRS11 Grade: 11

Level Purpose:

To provide a professional HR/Health and Safety/Learning and Development advisory service toemployees and managers. Or to develop and implement HR initiatives, policies and practices, supportingsenior consultants.

Overall: Job holders at this level are likely to be CIPD or equivalent qualified.

They manage team caseloads; contribute to project teams and policy development; advise and coachoperational management; liaise effectively with colleagues in other parts of HR services: manage andsupervise teamwork. Jobs are likely to require a combination of applied and theoretical knowledge,though with an emphasis on practical applied knowledge. Forward planning could be for months ahead,though job holders will contribute to longer-term development.

This level requires the knowledge and experience to resolve complex issues; proactively anticipateproblems and recommend solutions. Job holders may manage large numbers of staff. Therefore the focusis on influencing and successfully managing others to achieve service efficiency and effectiveness.

People Management

Supervise, organise, advise and motivate a team, specifically undertaking: management of performance,discipline and grievance, training and development support, absence management.

Equality and Diversity

Actively support the authority's Equality and Diversity policy. Health and Safety Ensure own compliancewith authority's Health & Safety policy/procedures and that of any resources you have responsibility for.

Risk Management

Identify opportunities and risks associated with the service and escalate/report to management.

Representative Accountabilities & Responsibilities:

● Supervision or management of a defined team providing clear organisation, direction and development.

● Assist in the development, implementation and promotion of HR/H&S/L&D policy, procedures andgood practice through analysis of comprehensive workforce metrics and collaborative working withkey stakeholders.

● Provide professional operational advice to managers on the full range of management issues withinthe field of expertise.

● Research and maintain a thorough knowledge of current issues and initiatives within the professionand public sector.

● Where appropriate carry out identification of learning and development needs across the Authority inconsultation with senior managers and departmental colleagues.

● Project manage Authority wide and service specific projects and related initiatives.

● Lead on the management of individual casework ensuring good practice and legislative requirementsare met.

● Work flexibly across the functions to ensure effective delivery of the agreed work programme andmeet changing service requirements.

● Work closely with directorates to ensure effective workforce planning.

● Ensure activities comply with required legislation where applicable.

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Appendix 5 Example of Derbyshire CountyCouncil’s Role Profile for the HR Job Family

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Typical Knowledge, Skills & Experience:

● Relevant professional qualification, or relevant degree or equivalent, with post qualifying experience inan advisory role.

● A demonstrable understanding of the service, the relationship between the components andprocesses within it, and an awareness of the service environments within which it operates.

● Experience of the identification of needs and issues and the sourcing of solutions to ensure qualityprovision.

● The ability to guide, coach and influence effectively at all levels of the organisation.

● Experience of and ability to manage, motivate and develop a team.

● The ability to build positive relationships with stakeholders across the Directorate/Authority.

● Detailed knowledge of the Authority’s policies, processes and procedures.

● Experience of working flexibly across a range of service settings and subject areas.

● The ability to manage projects and work independently to deliver work programmes within agreedtimescales.

● Financial experience or training sufficient to manage budgets where appropriate.

● Extensive knowledge and experience of contributing to the development of policies, procedures andpractices.

● Experience of interpreting and advising on a range of employment conditions and related information.

● Experience of researching, analysing and diagnosing problems and issues and presentingsolutions/recommendations.

● Knowledge of appropriate legislation, codes or practice etc.ICT skills.Knowledge and promotion of the value of a diverse workforce.

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● Armstrong, M, Cummins, A, Hastings, S &Wood, W (2003) Job Evaluation: a Guide toAchieving Equal Pay: Kogan Page

● Bridges, W (1994) JobShift: How to Prosper in aWorkplace without Jobs: Addison-Wesley

● CIPD (2012) ‘Leading Cultural Change:Employee Engagement & Public ServiceTransformation’, London: Chartered Institute ofPersonnel & Development

● CIPD (2015) ‘Changing HR operating models’,London: Chartered Institute of Personnel &Development

● CIPD (2016) ‘Recruitment: an overview’,London: Chartered Institute of Personnel &Development

● Dennis, S (2005) ‘Rejecting pay hierarchy:broadbanding at Britannia’, Industrial RelationsServices (IRS) Employment Review 828, July

● Dickinson, H (2013) ‘The 21st Century PublicServant Needs New Skills’, The Guardian, 30April 2013

● Employers’ Organisation for Local Government(2005) ‘Strategic People Management’, London:Employers’ Organisation

● Farnham & Horton, S (eds.) (1999) PublicManagement in Britain, London: Macmillan

● Hawkes, CL (2014) ‘Competency Based VersusTask Based Job Descriptions: University ofTennessee

● Lawler, E (1994) ‘From job-based tocompetency-based organizations’, Journal ofOrganizational Behavior

● McCann, K (2011) ‘Best practice in localgovernment HR’, The Guardian, 2 March 2011

● Needham, C & Mangan, C, (2014) ‘The 21stCentury Public Servant’, University ofBirmingham

● PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) (2011)‘Millenials at Work - Reshaping the Workforce’,www.pwc.com

● Purcell, J & Hutchinson, S (2007) ‘ChangeAgenda: Rewarding Work: The vital role of linemanagers’, London: Chartered Institute ofPersonnel & Development

● Stanford, N (2010) ‘Organisation Culture;Getting it right’, The Economist in conjunctionwith Profile Books Ltd

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