Palacký University has been awarded the European Commission’s prestigious HR Award concerning the quality of human resource policies in science and research. The certificate acknowledges that UP guarantees European standards in employee care to scholars and researchers and supports their career development and transparency of staff selection procedures. The award raises the profile of the university abroad and increases its prestige.
The benefits of the HR Award for Palacký University include an advantage when applying for domestic and international grants, a connection to a European network of research organizations, and promotion of the image of an attractive employer for foreign scholars and researchers. The University pursued the prestigious award for several years. “I am very pleased that we have managed to accomplish this demanding process. The acknowledgement from the European Commission is a great success for us because it proves we are able to successfully compete with foreign research and scientific organisations and offer suitable conditions to foreign scholars as regards their work and career development. Of course, it is also a committent for us, as we intend to continue improving the working conditions at Palacký University,” stated Martin Procházka, Rector of Palacký University Olomouc.
In order to to eligible for the award, the University was required to meet a variety of strict conditions. “The HR Award certificate is granted by the European Commission to research institutions who implement HRS4S (The Human Resources Strategy for Researchers). This strategy follows a set of forty principles set by the European Charter for Researchers and a Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers. Our university committed to following these principles in 2020. We pledged to create high-quality working conditions, support career development, and ensure transparency of staff selection procedures,” explained Milena Kysučanová, head of the UP Personnel Management Office.
The University was required, among other things, to elaborate an internal analysis comparing the actual conditions to the principles of the Charter and the Code. In addition, it had to design an action plan including a procedure ensuring fulfilment of the principles set in the two documents in practice. The gap analysis also comprised a questionnaire survey for UP employees.
HR Award (HR Excellence in Research Award)
The HR Award, granted to research organisations in Europe, is already considered an international benchmark regarding quality-ensuring principles in management and development of human resources in science and research. A common European goal is to introduce the concept of strategic HR management and utilisation of modern HR practices in the scientific environment, and to closely follow modern principles for development of human resources in the field of research. For more information, see the UP website.