Workforce Strategy 2024-26
Purpose
To develop the culture, skills, processes and management capability to support a productive, engaged and high performing workforce so together we achieve our ambition to Build a Fairer Newham.
Introduction
The workforce strategy outlines activities for the next three years and builds on the foundations now in place, whilst playing a central role in supporting the Building a Fairer Newham Plan and its priorities.
Our workforce is key to our success, so providing the right ‘tools’ for the job, being clear on purpose, being fit for purpose, clear on our performance and contribution, working collaboratively, with support and appreciation is the benchmark we are setting ourselves. The five identified ‘people’ priorities reflect the feedback from consultation undertaken with our colleagues through colleague conferences, surveys, leadership events, stakeholders (including residents, partners and members) as well as the identified organisational needs.
Our colleagues are essential to the delivery of Council priorities, we want as part of our plan to develop our talented workforce through effective succession with teams working together to best develop and utilise skills that will ensure we achieve our vision and provide a great place to work.
Our overall aims
- Continue to work towards being a more diverse and inclusive employer, reflecting our community in the employee profile
- Support recruitment and retention challenges in key skills areas
- Be more effective at workforce planning, and the delivery of people analytics
- Take our talent management and workforce planning forward with a clear action plan we have developed understanding our current position
- Have strong employee engagement throughout the Council
- Continue to improve the mental and physical health and wellbeing of the workforce
- Grow managers’ confidence to become effective people managers
- Provide learning opportunities for the future including having a digitally-enabled workforce
- Continue to develop an open and fair culture
- Continue to review our policies and procedures to ensure they are fit for purpose
- Reward and recognition. An effective strategy and competitive package to attract and retain
- Prioritise the physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing of our employees by promoting a healthy workplace environment, and offering access to resources that support overall wellbeing.
- Build a workforce that is adaptable and resilient to change by encouraging a growth mind-set, fostering innovation and creativity, and providing the support needed for employees to navigate challenges and uncertainties effectively.
- Foster a culture of continuous learning and development by providing training opportunities, mentoring programmes, and career development resources.
- Encourage feedback from employees and create opportunities for two-way communication to build trust and engagement.
- Invest in developing strong leaders who can inspire, motivate, and support their teams, providing access to leadership development, coaching, and mentorship opportunities to cultivate effective leaders at all levels of the organisation.
London Borough of Newham Workforce Strategy 2024-26 - April 2024 (PDF)
