We adopted a new service and organization model for HR at the beginning of 2020.
The motive for this reform was our need to evaluate and clear up overlaps in HR management and to achieve consistent practices across HUS as a whole, thus improving employee satisfaction.
As part of this reform, we appointed an HR manager and an OSH (Occupational Safety and Health) manager for every HUS department and unit to support management and supervisors. We centralized all HR functions so that they now report to the Chief Human Resources Officer in the Joint Authority Administration.
The HR division offers sector-independent HR expertise and support for management and supervisors in the departments and units. We also aim to ensure that consistent practices are followed all across HUS. We aim for HR to
- be an expert, solution-oriented partner for management and supervisors
- be proactive and continuously improving
- produce relevant information and
- have clear HR processes and guidelines, supported by evolving HR systems.
Cooperation off to a good start
Cooperation between HR managers and OSH managers on the one hand and line management on the other has mainly got off to a good start. Duties and roles are being clarified, and discussions on roles and divisions of duties in profit areas and departments have begun. Supervisors feel that HUS-level guidelines are being promoted more, consistent practices are being developed, and HR is a source of both assistance and information.
We evaluated the HR reform by polling supervisors for their experiences and views. We circulated a survey among supervisors and received a response from 272 HUS supervisors. The overall satisfaction score for HR support received in their role as supervisor was 5.61, on a scale of 0 to 10.
As far as improvement goes, both managers and supervisors felt that there is work to be done in customer understanding and familiarity with operations. HR services and current HR matters must be actively communicated to personnel. It is seen as important to develop consistent HUS-level processes and guidelines and to put these into practice. Feedback in the supervisor survey raised the issue of improving the usability of the Harppi HR information system and correcting its flaws.
What was seen as positive is that HR and OSH matters have been rendered more relevant to actual operations and leadership. Having a dedicated HR manager and OSH manager is a good concept that clarifies these functions.
During the year under review, we provided all HR managers and OSH managers with ‘Effective HR’ partnership coaching and with training in employment legislation, negotiation procedures, occupational safety and health, and wellbeing at work. We began to hold regular supervisor briefings for departments and profit areas. At these supervisor briefings, the HR manager and OSH manager for that profit area review current HR practices.