Date published: 9 November, 0001
Date last updated: 16 January, 2024
Culture and leadership, Health and Wellbeing, Workforce

The expectations of line managers in relation to people management

Introduction

The Future for NHS HR and OD report published in November 2021 set out a vision for how the people profession will develop and work differently over the coming decade. Within the roadmap for action, a national priority is “to create a clear view on the expectations of line managers in the service in relation to people management and the implications for the provision of people services (by 2023)”.

The expectations framework aims to enable leaders and managers to embed Our Leadership Way and the NHS People Promise with the ultimate goal of addressing the challenges set out in The NHS Long Term  Workforce Plan.

The framework has been developed with the support and engagement of:

  • expert reference groups;
  • 370 line managers and HR and OD colleagues across the NHS;
  • NHS England, including the Messenger Review Implementation Team, and the NHS Leadership Academy;
  • CIPD and Staff Partnership

This expectations framework:

  • follows the employee lifecycle;
  • contains video clips to facilitate learning;
  • supports additional e-learning booklets titled: “How to manage teams, How to manage people”;
  • signposts to some other resources available.

Foreword

Dear colleague

We’re delighted to launch this framework on the expectations of NHS line managers in relation to people management.

This work is a key element of The future of NHS human resources  and organisational development report published in November 2021, which outlines the ten-year strategy for the NHS people profession.

The report contains a recommendation to create a clear view on the expectations of line managers in the service in relation to people management and the implications for provision of people services.

We know from our own experience, and from what you have told us, that the role of the line manager is vital to how we feel at work, and to delivering patient services. They give direction, help clarify individual and team objectives, and are instrumental in ensuring colleagues feel valued, supported, and cared for at work.

Outstanding patient care relies on Trusts, hospitals and teams being managed well, and on individuals feeling supported by their manager so that they can contribute their best work. We can probably all think of examples of outstanding managers and the impact they had on our experience at work. Equally, where managers may have had a less than positive impact. Afterall, staff leave managers.

We anticipate that this framework will:

  • explain the role of the manager in relation to people management;
  • contribute to the provision of safe and effective care for all our patients across the NHS;
  • contribute to fostering an inclusive and positive culture in the NHS;
  • contribute to improving the health, wellbeing, and morale of people;
  • contribute to a reduction in sickness absence and turnover rates, and an improvement in attendance, supporting retention of the workforce;
  • enable managers to support their colleagues, and to seek support from HR & OD colleagues for the more complex interventions;
  • Practical guidance through short videos filmed across the regions.

Setting out a clear roadmap to improving how people are managed in the NHS will have a ripple effect on recruiting, retaining and sustaining our people, and helping us become a true employer of choice for our current and future workforce. We would encourage you to read the framework and consider how you and your teams can use it to make our NHS one we all want to work in, and stay in, in service of staff, patients and local communities.

Finally, a wealth of experience has gone into developing what we hope is a comprehensive, innovative and inclusive resource, including extensive engagement with our Task and Finish Group, our six

expert reference groups and significant engagement with the people profession, line managers, staff side colleagues and staff. Thank you to everyone who contributed.

Best wishes,

Thomas Simons
Chief HR and OD Officer, Workforce, Training and Education Directorate NHS England.

Tanya Carter
Chief People Officer, East London NHS Foundation Trust.

Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI)

What managers need to know and understand

What managers need to do

  • Create an inclusive team environment and champion the principles of EDI.
  • Consider policy, process and equality legislation when making decisions that affect people.
  • Coach team members to develop their awareness and understanding of EDI and the impact of bias and discrimination.
  • Attend staff network groups and/or engage in reverse mentoring to learn about the lived experience of colleagues.

Key behaviour expectations of managers

  • Challenge unacceptable behaviour.
  • Be a role model and advocate for EDI practices and embracing difference.
  • Be mindful of unconscious bias when making decisions that affect people (i.e. during recruitment or employee relations processes).
  • Work collaboratively and inclusively with staff networks in your organisation.
  • Be aware of your own biases and address these.

What is required of HR and OD to support this

  • Be ambassadors, advocates and allies of EDI activities.
  • Provide an EDI strategy/development plan informed by data and best practices.
  • Develop and maintain EDI policies.
  • Provide EDI training.
  • Advise managers on how to create diverse and inclusive teams.
  • Advise managers on how to manage issues relating to diversity.
  • Produce and interpret EDI data to create insights and reports such as, WRES, WDES, and gender pay gap.

Recruiting

What managers need to know and understand

  • Your organisation’s approach to recruitment, including the recruitment policy and procedure and your role within it (including principles of safe recruitment and selection).
  • Key legal requirements when recruiting, such as, right to work, equality and data protection.
  • Awareness of how to avoid discrimination and unconscious bias within recruitment processes.
  • See the resources section for more information.

What managers need to do

  • Review the need for the post and consider whether it is required and/or how the work could be done differently.
  • Set in advance and adhere to the timelines for recruitment, including longlisting, short- listing and offer.
  • Provide an accurate and up- to-date job description and role profile (ensure it’s been job evaluated).
  • Create suitable, value based interview questions and identify any other appropriate selection methods (eg in-tray or psychometric tests).
  • Keep candidates informed at all stages of the process.
  • Involve independent recruitment champions from diverse backgrounds to be part of shortlisting process and interview panels.
  • Consider any reasonable adjustments required for the interview and doing the job if successful.

Key behaviour expectations of managers

  • Act fairly, ethically and responsibly and in-line with legislation.
  • Follow policies, processes and best practice when making decisions that impact on people.
  • Handle personal data and information in a confidential and professional manner and in line with general data protection regulation (GDPR) requirements.
  • Demonstrate mutual respect, personal integrity and uphold the values of the NHS.

What is required of HR and OD to support this

  • Provide innovative support and advice on how to fill vacancies, and attract unrepresentative groups.
  • Provide practical and easy to follow recruitment processes.
  • Advise on recruitment and selection approaches in accordance with policies, procedures and best practice.
  • Ensure all job descriptions are appropriately graded and avoid unconscious bias language.
  • Provide robust, relevant recruitment technology systems and data (i.e. applicant tracking).
  • Design and oversee fair, inclusive and objective recruitment and selection methods that align with inclusive organisational culture and legal requirements.
  • Ensure there is no unconscious bias in recruitment processes, and that all interview panels are balanced and inclusive.
  • Provide recruitment training for all managers.

Inducting and onboarding

What managers need to know and understand

  • Your organisation’s approach to induction and onboarding of new team members, including relevant policies and procedures (e.g. statutory and mandatory training, flexible working, ID and security).
  • The consequences of poor induction processes as they could result in new starters choosing to leave and causing damage to the organisations reputation.
  • The purpose and process for probationary reviews.
  • A guide to safety net conversations to prevent issues coming to light at the end of the probationary period is in development. For more information about the new “National Induction for Health and Social Care” please email messengerimplentation@nhs.net.
  • See the resources section for more information.

What managers need to do

  • Provide an onboarding plan for the new team member (i.e. corporate and local induction, core skills and mandatory training, risk and workstation assessments). For additional guidance on plans and checklists based on best practice, email messengerimplentation@nhs.net.
  • Ensure colleagues have been introduced to the team and key colleagues.
  • Ensure that new team members have access to technology and are provided with ID and security access.
  • Ensure that the start date on the Electronic Staff Record (ESR) is updated so that HR and Information Technology (IT) processes are activated.
  • Set clear objectives and behaviour expectations (in-line with the organisation’s values and the job descriptions) and check regularly with the new team member to ensure that these are understood.
  • Discuss with the new team member if they would like a mentor/buddy. For additional guidance on best practice examples of buddying programmes email messengerimplentation@nhs.net.
  • Consider any reasonable adjustments required.

Key behaviour expectations of managers

  • Build relationships with new team members and ensure that they are welcomed and integrated into the team.
  • Support new team members to network and build relationships with their colleagues and team, to help them feel supported, included and respected.
  • Provide holistic well-being support from day one. For additional guidance email messengerimplentation@nhs.net
  • Demonstrate mutual respect, personal integrity and uphold the values of the NHS.

What is required of HR and OD to support this

  • Provide policy, process and best practice guidance on induction and onboarding to managers.
  • Signpost new starters to policies and key contacts relating to employment, benefits and well-being.
  • Provide ID/security cards, name badges and SMART cards.
  • Provide statutory and mandatory training for new starters.
  • Introduce new colleagues to HR systems (e.g. ESR self- service; rostering).
  • Provide necessary training for mentoring, coaching and buddying. For best practice on buddying email messengerimplentation@nhs.net.

Employee health and wellbeing

What managers need to know and understand

  • The different factors that can affect our health and wellbeing, and why supporting staff health and wellbeing is important to individuals and to the organisation.
  • How to hold safe and effective wellbeing conversations, in which colleagues feel able to talk about how they are and explore any reasonable adjustments or support needed.
  • Know the health and wellbeing support offering available in your organisation, your role in this, and where to signpost your team for support.
  • Recognise the impact of the work environment on employees’ health
  • and wellbeing, as well as the impact of health and wellbeing on employees’ performance.
  • The impact of health and wellbeing on an employee their performance, engagement and motivation.

What managers need to do

  • Hold regular health and wellbeing conversations with their colleagues, offering a safe space to explore the employee’s wellbeing and identify and areas where support is needed.
  • Signpost and promote the range of health and wellbeing support options available in your organisation.
  • Ensure your team plan their leave regularly and proportionately.
  • Ensure all your team have undertaken a workstation assessment if they regularly work at a desk.
  • Facilitate and undertake regular team meetings and one-to-ones.
  • Ensure that there is a formal annual conversation about health and health and wellbeing which is recorded.
  • Signpost and promote the range of health and wellbeing support options available in your organisation.
  • Ensure your team plan their leave regularly and proportionately.
  • Ensure all your team have undertaken a workstation assessment if they regularly work at a desk.
  • Promote a culture in which colleagues feel able to talk about their health and wellbeing and seek support if needed.
  • Encourage the exploration of reasonable adjustments to enable team members to work effectively.
  • Be proactive in exploring employee concerns and addressing any health and wellbeing issues.

Key behaviour expectations of managers

  • Foster a culture of trust and confidence to enable people to feel safe to speak openly about health and health and wellbeing.
  • Promote the benefits of health and wellbeing and the need for self-care (including the importance of appropriate time off).
  • Encourage people to ask for help and share concerns.
  • Get to know team members as individuals.
  • Demonstrate kindness, compassion and fairness in your approach.
  • Role model the behaviours being asked of colleagues and regularly promote the importance of looking after your health and wellbeing.
  • Demonstrate mutual respect, personal integrity and uphold the values of the NHS.

What is required of HR and OD to support this

  • Develop a health and wellbeing strategy to provide holistic support for your workforce, and consider introducing health checks, debt counselling, food banks, exercise clubs etc.
  • Provide Occupational Health and employee health and wellbeing services and advice.
  • Build line manager capability and confidence to manage health and wellbeing issues.
  • Identify and monitor health and health and wellbeing data and qualitative information to provide health and wellbeing solutions.
  • Deliver evidence based health and wellbeing training to upskill line managers in being able to support their teams.
  • Establish a network of Health and Wellbeing Champions across the organisation to promote and encourage the importance of health and wellbeing and signpost to relevant resources.
  • Engage with staff networks and listen to ‘lived experiences’ to inform change.

Flexible working

What managers need to know and understand

  • Be aware that employees have a legal right to request flexible working from the first day of their appointment.
  • The benefits that flexible working brings to individuals, teams and the organisation.
  • Aware of the policies and different flexible working options in your organisation, including remote working.
  • How to balance the needs of the individual with those of patients, colleagues and the service.

What managers need to do

  • Encourage and advocate flexible ways of working to benefit individuals, teams and services.
  • Respond to requests for flexible working promptly and in-line with the organisation’s policies and procedures.
  • Signpost your team to flexible working resources available within the organisation.
  • Consider whether additional support is required, which could include a referral to ‘access to work’, or occupational health.

Key behaviour expectations of managers

  • Demonstrate behaviours which encourage colleagues to feel safe and confident to talk to you about flexible working.
  • Act responsibly and compassionately and in-line with legislation when making decisions that impact people.
  • Consider any flexible working requests in a confidential, non-judgmental and inclusive manner avoiding unconscious bias.

What is required of HR and OD to support this

  • Ensure that there is a flexible working policy (including an appeal process) which is up to date and in line with the legislation and best practice.
  • Provide training to managers on applying the flexible working policy consistently.
  • Promote the flexible working policy and benefits of flexible working for both the organisation and the employee.
  • Advise on different flexible working approaches.
  • Review data on the uptake of flexible working to ensure equity.

Employee engagement and experience

What managers need to know and understand

  • Recognise the impact of employee engagement on clinical outcomes
  • How your organisation seeks feedback from and listens to employees and their representatives. See NHS Culture and Leadership Programme
  • Know the mechanisms for staff engagement, i.e. the staff survey, employee forums, advocates such as, freedom to speak up guardians, networks and unions
  • How to motivate and engage employees and how this can have a positive impact on patient care.
  • The value of a positive culture, the principles of a Just and Learning Culture, and the impact this has on the working environment.
  • See the resources section for more information.

What managers need to do

  • Create a safe space for colleagues to share their feedback and experience without feeling judged.
  • Encourage and support their team to complete the National Staff Survey and the National Quarterly Pulse Survey.
  • Review local and organisational Staff Survey results with a particular focus on the engagement score, and agree actions for improvement.
  • Work together with your team to agree an action plan to create positive change.
  • Acknowledge and respond promptly to ideas and concerns shared by your team.
  • Actively recognise and celebrate individual and team successes.

Key behaviour expectations of managers

  • Inclusive leadership style to involve people in decision making of the teams’ ideas and concerns.
  • Recognise the importance and value different perspectives and contributions.
  • Value and respect everyone, irrespective of their role or seniority.
  • Lead by example and challenge unacceptable behaviour.
  • Demonstrate mutual respect, personal integrity and uphold the values of the NHS.

What is required of HR and OD to support this

  • Embrace the National Staff Survey and National Quarterly Pulse Surveys and actively promote them in the organisation.
  • Provide tailored reports to departments on their Staff Survey results, analysing the findings.
  • Facilitate shared learning between departments and managers whose results vary significantly.
  • Work with stakeholders to consider creating an Employee Value Proposition for the organisation.
  • Maintain and uphold the organisational culture and vision by delivering specific training packages and developing appropriate policies.

Developing employees

What managers need to know and understand

  • The statutory and mandatory training requirements for your team.
  • Where to access information on learning and development opportunities in your organisation.
  • Knowledge of career pathway opportunities within the organisation and the wider NHS. How to undertake meaningful career conversations.
  • How to nurture and develop diverse talent.
  • How to use a coaching style to develop colleagues.

What managers need to do

  • Ensure that your team are up to date on statutory and mandatory training.
  • Carry out annual career conversations with direct reports and support them with their continued professional development and career plans.
  • Identify and implement a range of options to support employee development, i.e. ‘on the job’ learning such as, stretch projects, shadowing and learning from others, as well as formal training.
  • Have a debrief with colleagues who have attended a development programme to see what they have learned, and how it can be applied to their role.

Key behaviour expectations of managers

  • Coach and mentor individuals and teams to develop their skills and capabilities to be their best at work.
  • Value diversity, different perspectives and contributions.
  • Genuine interest in employees’ career aspirations to support them to develop and progress.
  • Encourage and support underrepresented groups to access career development opportunities to reach their full potential.

What is required of HR and OD to support this

  • Provide a broad range of learning and development opportunities.
  • Support managers with learning needs analysis and guidance on development approaches.
  • Support the organisation to provide fair and equitable learning and development provision, HR and OD included.
  • Analyse access and take up of learning and development opportunities.
  • Promote and encourage career-long learning to build organisational capability.
  • Promote a learning culture and environment that supports continued professional development.

Enabling employee and team performance

What managers need to know and understand

  • The appraisal and performance management process in your organisation and your role within it.
  • The purpose and benefits of effective performance management.
  • How to set SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-bound) objectives.
  • How to support individuals and teams.
  • How to use coaching skills to develop others.
  • A variety of learning styles to bring out the best in people.
  • See the resources section for more information.

What managers need to do

  • Set individual objectives with employees, agree outcomes and identify support required to achieve these.
  • Identify employees’ aspirations and ensure they have a personal development plan, which is regularly reviewed.
  • Have regular one-to-ones to check in, provide feedback, and discuss their wellbeing.
  • Address poor or under-performance in a proactive and supportive way with the aim of facilitating improvement.
  • Facilitate and lead regular team meetings to keep your team up to date on organisation information, set team objectives and encourage collaboration between colleagues and teams.

Key behaviour expectations of managers

  • Act fairly, ethically and responsibly, and in-line with legislation, policies and process when managing individual or collective performance.
  • Build a sense of team spirit and purpose by clearly defining a vision and strategy.
  • Contribute to creating a culture of trust and encouragement.
  • Encourage knowledge sharing and joint working.
  • Seek to understand and listen to different perspectives and views.
  • Coach and mentor team members to improve their skills and capabilities, to share best practice and to build confidence.

What is required of HR and OD to support this

  • Provide an easy to follow appraisal process.
  • Maintain a system for the recording of appraisals.
  • Provide leadership and management training.
  • Provide guidance on different approaches to performance improvement and management, and how they impact on organisational culture.
  • Use data to assess current skills and capability at an organisational level and drive improvements.

Supporting attendance

What managers need to know and understand

  • The policies and processes in your organisation for managing leave and absence as well as supporting attendance.
  • Have an awareness of disabilities and long-term health conditions of members of your team and commit
    to making reasonable adjustments as necessary.
  • Ensure you meet with colleagues regularly as part of supporting their return to work, and understand the importance of time to recuperate.
  • See the resources section for more information.

What managers need to do

  • Focus on supporting people to attend work.
  • Support colleagues and ensure they receive regular communication and updates, and where required refer them to Occupational Health.
  • Ensure that absences are logged and reported promptly to the relevant system or team.
  • Manage processes, such as, conducting return to work meetings promptly, ensure that any necessary support is put in place and take additional action where required.
  • Notify HR or Payroll where relevant and direct employees to appropriate support.

Key behaviour expectations of managers

  • Work hard to get to know your colleagues well, so that you are better placed to understand the root cause for poor attendance.
  • Demonstrate compassion, kindness and fairness in your approach, considering the individual circumstances.
  • Act ethically, responsibly and in line with legislation when making decisions that impact on people.

What is required of HR and OD to support this

  • Ensure that your organisation has simple and easy to follow absence and attendance policies and processes.
  • Provide and analyse sickness data, trends and reports.
  • Provide support and advice on absence management.
  • Signpost to occupational health and wellbeing services (both within and outside of the organisation).

Managing employee concerns and complaints

What managers need to know and understand

  • The people policies in your organisation, so that you can deal effectively with issues when they arise, such as, grievances, and performance concerns, bullying and harassment, performance/ capability, whistleblowing and your role and responsibilities within them.
  • Their level of ability and authority to act, when managing difficult situations, referring to their manager as appropriate.
  • Awareness that there are legal requirements when dealing with formal complaints and concerns etc.
  • When to approach HR and OD for advice and expertise.
  • See the resources section for more information.

What managers need to do

  • Promptly address concerns over performance or conduct and have ‘nip in the bud’ conversations to avoid unnecessary escalation, providing clarity on future expectation.
  • Seek to understand the experiences of others in all discussions, adopt listening skills and have supportive, effective and successful discussions wherever possible.
  • Respond promptly to complaints raised by your team, ensuring that they are kept informed.
  • Undertake evidence-based investigations in line with the organisations processes and good practice.
  • Adhere to procedural timelines where formal procedures have been instigated.
  • Direct members of your team to available support (i.e. a trade union representative if a member, HR, counselling services).

Key behaviour expectations of managers

  • Apply the principles of just culture, dealing with matters at the earliest and most appropriate level.
  • Act ethically, responsibly and in line with legislation when making decisions that impact on people.
  • Handle personal data and information in a professional and confidential manner.
  • Give feedback after concerns have been raised.
  • Demonstrate mutual respect, personal integrity and uphold the values of the NHS.

What is required of HR and OD to support this

  • Provide practical policies, processes and ‘how to’ guides.
  • Provide training and support on how to deal with conflict and how to deal with difficult conversations fairly.
  • Provide guidance and advice on specific cases and identifying any trends.
  • Promote a coaching and resolution-focused culture and a restorative culture.
  • Educate managers on different resolution techniques to resolve workplace conflict.
  • Communicate the different ways employee voices can be heard and support managers to use this to positively impact on and the way people work.
  • Signpost employees and managers to freedom to speak up guardians.

Managing exits

What managers need to know and understand

  • The process in your organisation for managing employees who are leaving your team.
  • The exit interview process to understand the employee’s experience of working in your organisation.
  • Which HR and Payroll forms need completing to avoid over or underpayment of wages.

What managers need to do

  • Complete HR and Payroll forms promptly to prevent any overpayment.
  • Undertake an exit interview, or ask another manager if appropriate, to understand the employee’s experience of working in your organisation.
  • Communicate and inform other colleagues that someone is leaving, and what happens next.
  • Consider skills gaps and risks of someone leaving.
  • Have a conversation with the leaver to ensure handover notes are provided.
  • Try to manage leavers annual leave, so that they take as much as possible before their departure date.

Key behaviour expectations of managers

  • Support your colleague by showing kindness to them, respect their decision, and wish them well for the future.
  • Lead by example and remain calm, i.e. do not panic when key colleague leaves.
  • Use opportunity to reflect and innovate, i.e. should services be redesigned?
  • Be mindful that the colleague may have mixed emotions about leaving. Include them in planning any leaving event.

What is required of HR and OD to support this

  • Develop an exit interview process.
  • Provide guidance and advice on leavers processes.
  • Monitor leaver data to identify trends that may indicate that a team or manager needs additional support.
  • Take action where trends become evident.

Enabling change and transformation

What managers need to know and understand

  • The change and quality improvement processes and practices used in the organisation and the role within them.
  • The significance of communication and engagement in successful change.
  • Be mindful that people experience change differently.
  • The change process and its impact on individuals and their performance (eg The Change Curve).
  • The available support which can be offered to colleagues who are subject to organisational change.
  • See the resources section for more information.

What managers need to do

  • Explain clearly why change is happening and its benefits and provide regular updates.
  • Engage and involve team members in change activities to gain their input and buy-in.
  • Ensure that enough time is set aside for engagement.
  • Ensure an equality impact assessment is undertaken for change activity.
  • Plan the implementation of change carefully, considering how different groups will be affected.
  • Consider and respond to all feedback in a timely fashion.

Key behaviour expectations of managers

  • Seek opportunities to test new ways of doing things to make improvements.
  • Be supportive and understanding of your team during change and transition.
  • Seek and listen to concerns and different perspectives.
  • Demonstrate compassion and fairness in your approach.
  • Be aware of your own response to change and how this can influence others.
  • Be mindful that some colleagues may not cope well with change, and may need additional support, such as, signposting to health and wellbeing resources.

What is required of HR and OD to support this

  • Ensure that there is a robust change management policy and process in place.
  • Provide training on change and transformation.
  • Give expert advice on change and transformation, (i.e.
    how to assess the need for change and identify the right approach).
  • Identify, engage and mobilise stakeholders in change and transformation.
  • Support the delivery of activity and events related to change and transformation.
  • Ensure that quality improvement colleagues are involved in change where necessary.

Workforce planning and rostering

What managers need to know and understand

  • The principles and the importance of workforce planning and your role within this (i.e. current workforce analysis, determining future needs, identifying gaps and action planning).
  • Relevant rostering and work allocation processes and policies in your organisation, including Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to ensure good workforce productivity.
  • The importance and benefits of succession planning.
  • The principles and the benefits of flexible working and flexible rostering.
  • Be aware of team members’ intentions to leave or retire in the future (if possible) and the use of stay interviews.
  • Be aware of the labour market and its constraints and opportunities.

What managers need to do

  • Regularly review staffing levels and foresee gaps in your establishment where possible.
  • Identify hard to fill roles or future needs of the service, working with key partners within the multi-disciplinary team.
  • Work with your HR/OD team to develop longer-term and sustainable workforce plans and talent management.
  • Provide rosters at least 6 weeks in advance and deploy safe staffing level guidance.
  • Roster according to budgetary constraints whilst ensuring safe staffing levels are maintained.
  • Use internal staff rostering and workforce systems (e.g. ESR).
  • Ensure that any contractual changes are completed in line with policy and within the required timeframes.
  • Ensure that leavers forms are completed in time for payroll to avoid overpayments.
  • Design workforce models in the context of new emerging roles and the required skill mix.

Key behaviour expectations of managers

  • Communicate clearly staffing needs and requirements to all key stakeholders.
  • Carefully consider financial, operational and safety implications.
  • Involve staff in the development of rosters and where possible encourage self-rostering.
  • Demonstrate mutual respect, personal integrity and uphold the values of the NHS.

What is required of HR and OD to support this

  • Drive and support workforce planning with an understanding of current workforce analysis to inform future needs, identify gaps and action plan.
  • Ensure workforce planning processes are in place and aligned with other people management, such as, talent management, recruitment and organisational strategy.
  • Provide workforce data, metrics and deployment systems.
  • Support managers in the development of new roles, including those resulting from evolving healthcare demands and complex pathway.

Managing data and using technology

What managers need to know and understand

  • The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) principles and uphold these.
  • Be aware of governance and revalidation requirements in your organisation and your role within them.
  • The relevant NHS digital technologies available in your organisation.
  • The latest digital developments.

What managers need to do

  • Encourage the use of NHS digital technologies and approaches to help your team work more collaboratively and efficiently.
  • Champion and enforce process standards, especially where digital applications are deployed to ensure the stability of decision making.
  • Report breaches in GDPR.
  • Be mindful that not all colleagues will be computer competent and may require additional training and support.

Key behaviour expectations of managers

  • Draw on different data sources when making decisions that affect people.
  • Identify any sources of bias or inaccuracies in people data or reporting.
  • Have a mindset that is curious and open to new innovative ideas and ways of working.

What is required of HR and OD to support this

  • Identify where technology can improve people management and experiences.
  • Ensure adequate digital training and ongoing support is provided in your organisation.
  • Promote a culture of evidence-based practice.
  • Develop a library of workforce reports to support evidence- based decision making.

Being self-aware and developing yourself

What managers need to know and understand

  • Their role sets the tone for the team, and their behaviours will be mimicked by colleagues.
  • Recognise and have an awareness of own strengths and areas for development.
  • The importance of leading by example in terms of self-development.
  • See the resources section for more information.

What managers need to do

  • Supporting people to attend work.
  • Regularly request feedback to learn and develop. This could be via a 360 degree appraisal.
  • Be open to acting on feedback received.
  • Demonstrate a proactive approach to developing your professional knowledge, skills and experience.

Key behaviour expectations of managers

  • Take time to reflect on your behaviour and your impact on others.
  • Treat people with kindness and respect and deal with issues calmly.
  • Be committed to your own professional and personal development.

What is required of HR and OD to support this

  • Provide guidance and support for developing managers.
  • Promote coaching, mentoring, and work shadowing.
  • Provide a mechanism for managers to receive feedback, such as, 360 degree appraisal.
  • Promote peer-to-peer feedback and access to learning networks.

Resources

Equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI)

Recruiting

Inducting and onboarding

Employee health and wellbeing

Employee engagement and experience

Enabling employee and team performance

Supporting attendance

Managing employee concerns and complaints

Enabling change and transformation

Being self-aware and developing yourself

Future of NHS HR and OD report

NHS People Plan

Our NHS People Promise

Our leadership way

Messenger Review Implementation

NHS People Profession Map

Healthcare leadership model

Culture and Leadership Programme

Just and learning culture

Diversity in health and care partners programme

Civility and respect toolkit

Overhauling recruitment

Look after your team’s health and wellbeing guide

People performance management toolkit

Positive action programmes

Leadership programmes

Scope for growth

How are you feeling? NHS toolkit

Do OD

Publications reference: PRN00772

Date published: 9 November, 0001
Date last updated: 16 January, 2024