Human Resources

Division of Finance and Administration

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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.

General HR information

VCU HR website: Provides information about VCU HR programs for a general population, including new and prospective employees

Inside HR: An internal VCU HR website that provides a general overview of VCU-specific guidelines, processes and tools

HR professionals: Dedicated HR contacts assigned to specific schools and units for consultation and guidance

Staff employee groups: Provides an overview of the types of staff employees at VCU

Working@VCU: Great Place Policies: HR policies that govern University and Academic Professional employees

Employment, compensation and recognition

Employment guidelines: Resources for posting positions, recruiting, interviewing, and hiring new employees

Diversity and inclusion toolkit:  Resources for increasing understanding of DEI compliance, cultural awareness, respect for differences, and coaching for positive change.

Compensation program: Provides information about program administration, job titles, and market based salary ranges

Compensation program roles and responsibilities: Outlines scope and expectations for managers, VCU HR, HR Professionals, and executive management for implementing the staff compensation program. 

Job families: Includes market-based salary ranges for all staff jobs. VCU’s job family structure includes 18 staff job families. 

Job summary tool: Organized by job family, the job summary tool provides general job descriptions for each base and senior-level staff job, along with the ability to conduct a side-by-side comparison of jobs. Pay ranges, FLSA exemption status and ORP eligibility are also provided.

Incentives for University & Academic Professionals (UAP): Describes a set of flexible incentive options to attract, retain and motivate high-performing employees. 

Non-base pay incentives for Classified employees: Provides exceptional recruitment and retention options for Classified employees

Recognition and awards: Resources include how to recognize employee achievements in monetary and non-monetary ways

Managing employees

Employee onboarding checklist: Provides resources for managers on how to onboard new employees; includes a checklist for activities prior to hire, on the first day, during the first week, and first 30 days, 60 days, and 90 days

Flexible work arrangements: This website provides the benefits for managers and employees, options for FWAs, and instructions on developing an FWA plan.

Outside Employment:

Managers and employees may review the Outside Employment presentation for a description of the process VCU HR used to identify this possible point of confusion and provide further clarification to support employees and managers in understanding HR and University guidance on this subject. More information is also available in the Great Place policy, COI policy or on the flexible work arrangements page.

As stated in the Great Place policy:

Requests for flexible work arrangements will be handled on a case-by-case basis and are granted at the university’s sole discretion. VCU employees shall be available during their scheduled VCU working hours unless they are on an approved absence. Whether working remotely or on campus, employees shall use their VCU working time to perform the duties of the VCU position for which they were hired.  

As stated in the COI policy FAQs:

Q: As a VCU staff member, may I pursue employment outside of VCU while working full-time at VCU?

A: VCU encourages employees to develop successful, fulfilling careers. Staff employees may pursue outside employment opportunities, but such endeavors may only be pursued after the working commitment to VCU has been fulfilled. To avoid a conflict of commitment, VCU employees must be available during their scheduled VCU working hours unless they are on an approved absence. Whether working remotely or on campus, employees must use their VCU working time to perform the duties of the VCU position for which they were hired. Employees with questions about whether employment outside of VCU poses a conflict should consult with their supervisor.

Staff may have employment outside of VCU as long as the following conditions are met: 

  • They use their VCU working time to perform the duties of the VCU position for which they were hired;
  • Their VCU work takes precedence over any other outside work, and such endeavors may only be pursued after the working commitment to VCU has been fulfilled;
  • They may not work a position outside of VCU that negatively impacts the performance of their VCU job;
  • They may not use university resources to perform their outside work, and must comply with VCU’s Computer and Network Resources Use | VCU Policy;
  • Any work for an outside employer must not conflict with scheduled VCU work hours; and
  • The employee’s work does not violate VCU's Conflict of Interest policy.

Q:  As a manager, if I have concern that an employee is conducting outside employment during VCU work hours, how should I proceed?  

A:  Managers should contact their HR Professional or the Office of Integrity and Compliance to discuss the situation and determine appropriate next steps for addressing the issue.

Performance management guidelines: Provides assistance for engaging employees in all aspects of performance management including performance planning/SMART goal setting, ongoing feedback and coaching, amending goals, and the annual review

Progressive discipline: Provides an overview on progressive discipline, a process that generally includes a series of increasingly severe employment actions that address employee performance or conduct, typically beginning with counseling and potentially leading to further disciplinary actions, up to and including dismissal.

Career development

Career development: Resources include information about goal setting and career development planning, which is a collaborative process between employees and managers and helps employees focus on areas of growth and development

Career paths: Each VCU job family has career path frameworks available for job titles within that career family. Career paths provide a menu of options for career development that managers can recommend to their employees.

Manager Development: Are you a manager looking to develop your skills and strengthen your ability to lead others and lead change? Establish foundational knowledge of HR and personnel policies, procedures and practices by registering for the following series of short courses:

Go to the course catalog to browse and sign up for additional leadership development courses.

All managers, particularly those that are new to their position, are invited to register for Manager Orientation.

Organizational effectiveness

Organizational effectiveness (OE): The VCU HR OE team offers customized plans and approaches to assist teams, individuals and leaders across the university in succeeding in different ways, including improved organizational culture, streamlining, DEI strategies and more

Coaching: Provides information about certified SWAM leadership coaching services available to managers (departmental funding) 

Leave

RealTime: Provides resources for using VCU RealTime, the university’s time keeping and leave tracking software

Leave: Provides an overview of all Leave types for which different employee classes are eligible

Family & Medical Leave Act (FMLA): Policy provides information about eligibility, benefits, and employee/departmental responsibilities for usage

Workers compensation: Resource provides instructions for initiating a claim and investigating an accident

Separating employees

Off-boarding/separating employees: Provides information about separating staff, as well as links to required separation checklists and exit surveys

Learning opportunities for leaders

View this sample of learning resources for managers and leaders at VCU: 

The Leadership Career Community exists to inspire those with responsibility for others to bring out the best in individuals and teams by aligning the interests and strengths of leaders to accomplish the University’s strategic priorities.

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