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Manager Toolkit
Managers at VCU are leaders in the culture of care and appreciation. The VCU Employee and Manager Profiles provide guidance on how managers and their teams can bring our culture to life. VCU HR supports managers by providing tools and resources to support managers as they lead in our shared culture.
While managers are guiding and supporting others, they are also engaged in their own career development. The toolkit is organized so that managers can easily find ways to nurture their own learning and development in addition to accessing the tools and information necessary to excel in management responsibilities.
Grow In My Career
- Review the Working@VCU Policy Overview: Career Development eLearning
- Learn about the career path for your job
- Build your career development plan
- Participate in career communities
- Access the HR Course Catalog for learning options
Focus on Well-being
- Review VCU HR's work/life webpage for up-to-date resources and announcements
- Learn about all of the well-being resources available on RamStrong
- Participate in HR sponsored wellness programs that touch on all 8 dimensions of well-being
- Boost resilience for you and your team
- Leverage VCU Employee Health for an array of services, including yearly wellness screenings, work-related safety and injuries, and personal health concerns
Explore Resources for New Managers
- Discover guidance and resources for new managers
- Sign up for Manager Orientation
- Complete required trainings:
- Participate in the Leadership career community
- Become acquainted with VCU's culture of care and appreciation
Develop my Management and Leadership Skills
- Access the HR Course Catalog to search for management and leadership learning and skill development opportunities
- Learn about how to hire a VCU-vetted leadership coach
- Explore other formal educational opportunities such as MBA programs, the Grace E. Harris Leadership Institute, the Institute for Transformative Leadership, or Continuing and Professional Education
Orient and Onboard New Employees
- Ensure your new team members attend VCU HR Orientations
- Understand and manage the probationary process for first year employees
- Learn about flexible work arrangement options and procedures
Develop and Engage My Team
- Encourage your team to register for trainings opportunities in the HR Course Catalog
- Consider an engagement with Organizational Effectiveness Consulting
- Encourage participation in career communities and community service
Recognize and Appreciate My Team
- Build a culture of care & appreciation with your team
- Learn about formal and informal ways to recognize and appreciate your colleagues
- Attend an Appreciation at Work session to better understand the languages of appreciation for yourself and your colleagues
Support Career Development and Pathing
- Complete the foundational, required eLearnings:
- Understand the positions reporting to you using the job summary tool
- Review career paths for your direct reports
- Encourage team members to clarify career goals and development by utilizing VCU HR's career coaching service
Understand Performance Management
- Dip your feet into performance management with these short videos
- Ready for more detail? Try these eLearnings:
- Become skilled at performance management at VCU by reading an overview, diving into the performance planning process, understanding requirements for first year (probationary) employees and exploring the steps for transfer employees
- Get detailed information on performance management steps, including:
- Learn about the progressive discipline process
- Access tools to assist with performance management such as the SMART goal library and tips and tools for ongoing feedback
Learn About Employment Practices and Employee Types
- Review the Working@VCU Policy Overview: Employment eLearning
Understand Compensation
- Review the Working@VCU Policy Overview: Compensation eLearning
- Read about compensation strategy and practices at VCU
- Access the job summary tool to review descriptions of staff job series and their market pay ranges
Manage Employee Leave
- Read an overview of how employee leave works at VCU
- Explore more with the comprehensive VCU Leave Guide
Contact Us
For questions or more information, contact Penny McFarline at mcfarlinep@vcu.edu.
To provide comments or suggestions on how to enhance the manager toolkit, submit our feedback form.