Human Resources

Management Trainees Policy

Context

An important element of our HR Strategy, in support of the University's Strategy on sustainability, is to develop leadership and management capacity throughout the organisation. 

Certain roles in the administrative structure of the University present an opportunity to recruit and develop staff who have the aptitude, potential and the desire to become future managers within the Higher Education or other employment sector.

The successful development of such staff requires University managers to provide successful candidates with a structured training plan which involves management and/or professional development in the area for which they are employed i.e. general management, Finance, HR, Estates Management etc, while at the same time they are fulfilling a clearly defined role within a department. The procedure for appointing Management Trainees is set out later in this on this page.

Trainees will be appointed to an established position and over the period of their development programme will be expected to undertake all the work for that position. They will receive ‘on the job' training and their review process will include the setting of work objectives against which their progress can be monitored.

In line with our HR Strategy to develop management capacity, the Durham Agreement for Modernising Pay and Pay Structures, which was approved by University Council in July 2006, established the principle that based on business needs some roles within Grade 6 in the new grading structure should be designated as Management Trainee roles, making Grade 6 in effect the entry and training grade for Management Trainees.  The Agreement also established that on successful completion of a 3 year training period these roles would be reviewed using the normal grading review procedures and the Higher Education Role Analysis (HERA) methodology to determine progression to Grade 7.

The number of roles identified as being suitable for Management Trainees, as against other general administrative or technical roles, is expected to be limited and therefore Grade 6 will continue to be used in the normal way for other administrative and support staff positions across the University.

Management Trainee roles

Recruitment to Management Trainee roles is open to all. A rigorous and structured recruitment process will be followed to identify and appoint those individuals who display the attributes and generic competencies required to achieve their expected potential through the acquisition of a core set of transferable skills and competencies of a professional standing.

The attributes and competencies for Management Trainee roles at Durham are set out below.  It is a feature of Management roles that these skills are transferable.

  • A high degree of initiative, resourcefulness, flexibility and a self-motivating approach to achieve both business objectives and personal success in order to succeed as a senior manager
  • Conceptual and innovative thinking informing an analytical approach to complex problems and ability to identify, through comprehension of the ‘bigger picture', practical options and solutions
  • The ability to communicate clearly and effectively through oral and presentational skills as well as excellent writing skills and an aptitude for producing complex reports
  • Potential to develop a successful career as a professional or HE manager and leader.
  • Empathy for and understanding of HE Sector issues.
  • The ability to acquire the requisite professional and technical skills to succeed as a manager.
  • Takes personal responsibility for own development and has a commitment to study towards further academic and or professional qualifications
  • Motivates and encourages others to achieve targets and works towards common goals
  • Can personally make a difference by the application of intellectual ability, and a willingness to take on new and novel tasks. Has the ability and foresight to adapt, thus ensuring that objectives and targets are achieved.
  • Good team working skills and the ability to work effectively with staff at different levels of the organisation

The normal expectation is that individuals appointed to Management Trainee roles will have a first degree, which provides a platform to demonstrate their intellectual ability and the potential to progress as a senior manager, although it is recognised that in some specialist roles other forms of professional qualification allied with relevant experience and a successful record of career progression could provide a similar indication.

Following on from this some competencies for Management Trainee roles are set out in a suggested Person Specification.It is recommended that these competencies, and others, are considered by managers as a guide when constructing the person specification for a Management Trainee vacancy.

It is important to note that all role specifications for Management Trainees will include the content, duties and responsibilities of the role.   Management Trainees will demonstrate progress by actually doing the job and fulfilling these tasks at the same time undertaking their development programme. 

Identifying Suitable Opportunities

Approval for Management Trainee positions will follow the normal process via Heads of Division following the submission of a justifiable business case from Heads of Department. Furthermore to ensure consistency across the University and to maximise development opportunities, the Treasurer & Acting Registrar will provide final approval prior to proceeding to recruitment.

This will allow for a consistent approach towards future development and training as well as ensure compliance with employment legislation.

HR will be available to provide advice and assistance to departments throughout the process; from identifying a business case through to facilitating a competency based assessment centre.

The Head of the department where the vacancy occurs is responsible for constructing the business case, which should include:

  • The role the trainee will be fulfilling in the department
  • Why a trainee role is being proposed, e.g.
  • - Demonstrating need to recruit staff with aptitude, attitude, potential and desire to progress and succeed as a Senior HE Manager;
  • - Strengthen team expertise and / or specialist knowledge;
  • - Allows other member(s) of team to experience different work through role rotation;
  • - Succession planning;
  • - Identified need for new managers to progress in these areas given the strategic requirements of the University; and/or
  • - Opportunity arises through restructuring.
  • How the trainee role fits with the department's strategy and objectives.
  • An outline development plan including examples of typical on the job training.
  • Identification of appropriate additional qualifications which the trainee would be required to obtain as part of the development plan.
  • Clear objectives and expectationsof the position, as well as identifying any immediate tasks and responsibilities.
  • Identification of effective supervision and / or management in place to develop the Management Trainee, in line with the development plan, to meet the expectations required for career progression.

It is expected that those appointed will be encouraged and supported by their managers to attend and participate fully in appropriate development courses, such as those provided by AUA, Leadership and Management Programme for Administrators, and professional bodies.  In some cases it may be appropriate for the trainee to undertake further academic or professional qualifications during the period of their training and development programme.   

For the purposes of budget forecasting and pay estimating, roles designated as Management Trainees will be established as Grade 7 as this is the expected grade at the end of the training period.  The difference between actual pay (Grade 6) and budget (Grade 7) will be used to help off-set the costs of the training and development activities during the training period.

Recruitment

All posts will be advertised in open competition and be available to internal and external applicants.  A structured programme involving an assessment centre approach will be used to identify candidates who display the required potential. Typically an assessment centre approach will have some of the following activities:

  • Series of team interviews
  • Individual and / or group problem solving exercises
  • Pre-prepared report and / or presentation
  • Time limited presentation on a particular topic or problem

A formal interview completes the process.

Progression

Appointment will be made on an appropriate point of the Grade 6 pay scale and will be subject to a training and development programme for a three year period.

Salary progression within the grade will be by annual increments.

The normal expectation is that at the end of the training period the Trainee will have completed their identified training plan and will have progressed within their role such that they can clearly demonstrate that they are undertaking the full responsibilities and work of a Grade 7 position.

On successful completion of the three-year training period, the role holder should submit a grading review using the normal grading review procedure including the Higher Education Role Analysis (HERA) methodology to determine progression to Grade 7.

Review Process

Regular reviews of progress will be undertaken by the Trainee's manager, and an annual report will be submitted via the Head of Department to the Head of Division for approval.  These reviews will focus on the extent to which the trainee is progressing in the role, review progress within the agreed training and development programme, and monitor progress towards and achievement of agreed objectives.

The probation period for management trainee roles willl normally be one year. The review process will ensure that the probationary requirements have been met, and will also satisfy the requirements of the Annual Staff Review Scheme while the trainee is undergoing the period of training; this includes monitoring progress against objectives for undertaking work at a higher level as the Trainee becomes more familiar with their role in the department. To avoid duplication Trainees will have one review meeting that encompasses the Management Trainee review requirements and also covers all aspects of the Annual Staff Review.