Retain and Attract World-Class Talent
We will retain, attract and develop top talent to work skillfully and collaboratively with each other and our students and partners, ensuring that our employees experience a sense of belonging, feel valued for their contributions and can flourish. We will modernize and align our human resources, finance and hiring functions to optimize efficiencies and reward talent in a way that improves the work experience for faculty and staff. We will offer relevant professional development opportunities to help employees thrive.
Related Themes
| 2025 Strategic Plan | Build Belonging and Promote Equity | Widen the Circle of Impact |
Strengthen Culture as We Embrace Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retain and Attract World-Class Talent | Priority | Priority | Priority |
See how the Themes and Priorities of the 2025 Strategic Plan interweave.
Measuring Progress
Success Metrics
- Establish talent management practices that help accomplish key business objectives, ensuring that the university has the leadership and bench strength to achieve its mission and long-term strategic growth strategies. Measure progress by tracking employee retention, analyzing exit information, and monitoring employee development and growth.
- Increase employee sense of belonging as measured through the Employee Pulse Survey, employee retention, and campus climate surveys.
- Offer relevant professional development that helps employees flourish and increases employees’ technical and professional acumen, measured through evaluation of content offered, internal promotions and employee satisfaction.
- Through a proactive talent acquisition model, establish St. Thomas as an employer of choice as measured by the number of highly qualified applicants for open positions.
- Establish structure for a rewards program to incent, engage and recognize employee success.
- Increase efficiencies in operations by creating, implementing, and integrating human resource and data systems, measured by improved user-experiences.
Progress Update, February 2022
The St. Thomas 2025 Strategic Plan debuted in February 2021. We continually track and report on our progress; here are key developments from the past year, as of February 2024:
Despite several headwinds impacting employee morale, we continue to make progress toward increasing employee sense of belonging and improving retention. We completed a Total Rewards Survey and realigned the focus of our benefits. We have leveraged this survey to draft an Employee Value Proposition. We have also completed a deep dive analysis into exit survey data for faculty departures, kicked-off a compensation redesign project and pay equity analysis, and established an HR DEI strategy. We continue to make progress toward modernizing and aligning our outdated human resources systems. Our new service center model is in place and has proven successful.
Key Leaders
- Kathy Arnold, Chief Human Resources Officer
Success Metrics
Success Metrics
- Establish talent management practices that help accomplish key business objectives, ensuring that the university has the leadership and bench strength to achieve its mission and long-term strategic growth strategies. Measure progress by tracking employee retention, analyzing exit information, and monitoring employee development and growth.
- Increase employee sense of belonging as measured through the Employee Pulse Survey, employee retention, and campus climate surveys.
- Offer relevant professional development that helps employees flourish and increases employees’ technical and professional acumen, measured through evaluation of content offered, internal promotions and employee satisfaction.
- Through a proactive talent acquisition model, establish St. Thomas as an employer of choice as measured by the number of highly qualified applicants for open positions.
- Establish structure for a rewards program to incent, engage and recognize employee success.
- Increase efficiencies in operations by creating, implementing, and integrating human resource and data systems, measured by improved user-experiences.
Progress Update
Progress Update, February 2022
The St. Thomas 2025 Strategic Plan debuted in February 2021. We continually track and report on our progress; here are key developments from the past year, as of February 2024:
Despite several headwinds impacting employee morale, we continue to make progress toward increasing employee sense of belonging and improving retention. We completed a Total Rewards Survey and realigned the focus of our benefits. We have leveraged this survey to draft an Employee Value Proposition. We have also completed a deep dive analysis into exit survey data for faculty departures, kicked-off a compensation redesign project and pay equity analysis, and established an HR DEI strategy. We continue to make progress toward modernizing and aligning our outdated human resources systems. Our new service center model is in place and has proven successful.
Key Leaders
Key Leaders
- Kathy Arnold, Chief Human Resources Officer