September 2017

Dear HR Community:

It has been an eventful month for the Ufirst Project and the HR community at large. The years of hard work that have gone into research, stakeholder input, analysis, and planning is coming to life as we shift our focus to activating the teams, processes, and technology that will drive the new HR organization, now called UVA Human Resources. The University, too, marked a momentous day this month when it announced our new president, James Ryan.

There is no doubt that change is truly upon us.

Thinking about the dedication and hard work that has gotten us to this point, and the remaining work that will complete the HR transformation, I’m struck by the extensive collaboration and partnership that has made it all possible. In this month’s “Preparing for Change” tip, we focus on collaboration because it has been a foundation of our success to date, and will be essential as we move forward. Examples of collaboration abound, from the engagement of SMR’s in the early phase of the project, to the first round of Preview and Feedback sessions that have just concluded, to the hiring and onboarding of our new HR leadership team. These individual instances combine for major impact. And while collaboration can be challenging and complex, we do it for the simple fact that many minds, voices, and hands are always stronger than one.

As we accelerate on our path toward transformation, I thank you for the thoughtful approach to collaboration that you have taken, and ask that you continue to prioritize the gathering of insights, opinions, and expertise from across our many stakeholder groups. Much of our progress can be attributed to collaboration, and most certainly, it is the key to our ultimate success.
Sincerely yours, 
Kelley Stuck
Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer
University of Virginia 
Future-State Updates
Explore
Wave 2 Updates
Wave 2 has officially begun! After the close of the application period on September 15, the Talent Transition team is working hard to review 689 applications. Next steps of the process include:
  • September 20-29: Scheduling of interviews
  • September 25 - October 13: Interviews
  • October 16- 20: Review and decide offers
  • October 23 - November 1: Socialize offers with key stakeholders and make verbal offers
  • November 2: Send offer letters to candidates
  • By November 8: Candidates accept offer
Prepare
Preparing for Change
We all know change can be challenging. Each month, the Ufirst project team will provide resources, tools, and tips to support you.

The Importance of Collaboration
Collaboration is the art of bringing people together to leverage their skills talents and knowledge to achieve a common purpose.

Inside and outside of work today, it's hard to find examples where anything of value gets done without collaboration. Collaborating creates synergy - resulting in a combined effort with greater results than those achieved by individuals. It breaks down barriers, increases mutual respect and recognition, and helps overcome issues of poor communication.

Good collaboration is all about reciprocity, mutual openness, idea sharing, accountability, and commitment. Collaboration leads to more efficient use of time and resources and the easy exchange of ideas and talent. Things get done quicker and ideas are built upon. There is less duplication of effort and people are more likely to be committed.
 
Adapted from Korn-Ferry Leadership Architect, FYI For Your Improvement, Competencies Development Guide.
Engage
A New Look for the Ufirst Website
Last week, the Ufirst project team launched a new version of the Ufirst website. The website is now customer-facing to support project communications broadening to a larger audience than HR professionals. Leadership, faculty, staff, and team members will now have easy access to information about the new HR at UVA in a simplified format. Content focused on the Ufirst project and information created for HR and Payroll professionals will be available in HR and Payroll specific areas of the website.

  Icons made by Freepik from flaticon.com 
Project Priorities
Workday Preview and Feedback Sessions
The Ufirst project is nearing an important milestone – the completion of a key Workday prototype and the first iteration of the new HR processes. Feedback on the process and technology at this stage is critical to ensuring a successful go-live in July 2018.

The project team hosted Preview and Feedback Sessions over the last three weeks to gather this input. The feedback gathered from these sessions is vital as the team configures the technology and fine-tunes the processes to meet the needs of users across the University.

Thank you to everyone who participated!
Upcoming Opportunities for Feedback
  • Online customer demos on Ufirst website – by end of September

  • Interactive Preview & Feedback Sessions (small group, hands on Workday, feedback sessions) – beginning in October

  • A second round of HR Community Preview & Feedback sessions – January 2018

  • Look for details in upcoming Future First newsletters
Service Improvements Launch Schedule
The UVA Human Resources transition will occur in phases over several months and is designed to minimize disruption to current operations and allow HR professionals, as well as the faculty, staff, and team members they support, to acclimate to these changes.

This transition begins this fall and will progress gradually until people, processes, and work are in place to support the new organization. Improvements you'll see include:

HR Solution Center
  • New ways to communicate with HR like web chat and text messaging
  • Central point of contact for all HR-related inquiries – experts in Benefits, Leave, and Payroll
  • Ability to complete basic HR tasks through an online portal

IMPACT - Total Rewards
  • New electronic process for retirees during Open Enrollment
  • Improved communications during Open Enrollment
  • Partner with the HR Solution Center to support benefits, compensation, and leave administration

Employee Relations
  • An Employee Relations consultant dedicated to each school / unit
  • Increased availability of trend data to inform and determine where to deploy new policies and provide better training UVA faculty, staff, and team members

Learn more about the timeline and details .
Meet the University of Virginia HR Leadership Team
Meet John Kosky,
Assistant Vice President for IMPACT and Decision Support
Q: What are you most excited to start working on in your new position?
A: The opportunity to be part of a major HR transformation of this magnitude and to provide leadership and vision in designing and implementing tools, services, and resources that will make us all great decision-makers. UVA is on the cutting edge within higher education, and that is my comfort zone.

Q: What song would be your personal anthem/theme song?
A: “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” from Monty Python’s Life of Brian – it is sort of how I approach life. Let’s be positive, have a great sense of humor, and not take ourselves too seriously. Enjoy life!

Q: What are you usually doing on the weekend or during time off?
A: I have many hobbies that occupy my time ranging from reading to trekking, but largely most of my down time outside of Fall semester is spent traveling. My wife and I (and our 2 Doberman children) believe in working hard and playing hard, so when the time allows, we are on the road and experiencing all the world has to offer. Our most recent trips were Iceland and Peru, with Antarctica, Nepal, and South Africa the next to come. Fall semester is all about the college football season and we travel to most or all of the games to root on our UGA Bulldogs!

Q: What is your proudest achievement?
A: Being the first in my immediate family to graduate college while serving in the military. I’m a first generation citizen on my father’s side and from Native American roots on my mother’s side, so being able to accomplish many life goals, mostly unattainable to my family, have been my proudest moments.

Q: What is something that would surprise us about you?
A: We own and operate a small 400-acre farm in the North Georgia mountains, with chicken, cattle, pigs, etc. This is our little sanctuary and we escape there often. Second, I am a major culinary nerd / foodie / wine freak so I love to great very creative in the kitchen cooking using various techniques like sous vide, spherification, complex baking, etc.
Meet another leader from the University of Virginia HR organization next month!
HR Community Circle
Next meeting: Tuesday, October 17, 8:30 - 10:30 a.m. at Leonard Sandridge Auditorium, McKim Hall, Room 1001

Have a suggestion for a meeting topic? Email the HRCC Planning Committee to share your thoughts
Top Questions This Month
What happens to positions that open up (due to VRP, someone taking a Business Partner position, etc.)?
If the position is an individual contributor position, the next eligible person identified by the hiring proxy managers will be offered the position. If no eligible candidates are available, the position will be posted internally/externally.

If the position is a supervisor or above position, the future-state manager has the opportunity to review all applicants, consult with the hiring proxy manager and/or request interviews to make the hiring decision with approval from the CHRO. If no eligible candidates are available, the position will be posted externally.

What are the next steps for individuals who choose not to apply for Wave 2 positions?
After wave 2 application window closes, the Talent Transition team will identify individuals who did not apply for wave 2 but applied for a future-state position in an earlier wave and attended 1:1 coaching. The team will reach out to these individuals to initiate career support services.

Have more questions? Check out the Ufirst FAQs
Can't find what you need? Email the Ufirst project team
Stay Connected

Please share this newsletter with your colleagues.
Have a suggestion for the newsletter? Let us know.