Alliance4Life proved that HR Excellence in Research Award leads to faster and more sustainable development of HR systems
Article written by Eliška Handlířová
Alliance4Life, a bottom-up initiative uniting progressive life science institutions from Central and Eastern Europe, was established six years ago to bridge the innovation gap through modernizing governance and research management practices. The “HR and Mobility” focus group has concentrated on creating systematic and sustainable changes in HR management. Representatives from twelve partner institutions spent the past six years analysing the current situation, learning from one another, and planning and implementing advanced career systems and HR policies within their organizations. Recently, A4L released a final analysis detailing the evolution of HR systems in research organizations, highlighting its potential applicability across research institutes.
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Process Diagram: Six Years of Systematic Work on Improving HR Systems of A4L Members
Systematic Approach to HR Management
A long-term, systematic approach is essential to advance in such a delicate area as HR management and institutional culture. The focus group leveraged results from the previous Alliance4Life project, which included robust data collection, analysis, and identification of barriers and enablers at institutional, national, and EU levels. The analysis concluded:
- No internationally recognized HR management and career system models are universally applicable across CEE countries.
- Modern career progression systems reflecting current research realities are often absent, leading to significant inbreeding issues.
- This situation hinders institutional change, recruitment of international talents, and the influx of new ideas necessary for innovation.
Monitoring and Development in HR
Under the leadership of Eliška Handlířová from CEITEC MU, the HR and Mobility focus group monitored following eight HR areas across all institutions over three years and systematically worked on their development.
- Implementation of the HR Excellence in Research Award
- Career development systems and career tracks
- Mobility and internships
- Strengthening group leaders and managers
- Recruitment quality and quantity
- Internationalization and recruitment of foreign talent
- Welcome services and integration support
- Diversity, equal opportunities, and women in science
- Scientific culture and institutional culture as HR tools
The A4L Actions project (2021-2024) focused on empowering each organization to advance independently of external factors (such as funding or national legislation), driving real change at the institutional level.
Achievements and Insights
At the project's outset, each partner conducted a self-assessment in the nine HR areas, categorizing their level as “advanced,” “basic,” or “no system in place.” Advanced partners shared their complex systems to inspire and guide others. “What was crucial for successful sharing of best practices is that our institutions have comparable situations and experiences. We are from similar environments and share similar challenges,” said Tomaž Marš, vice-dean of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana and FG HR member.
Following the initial review, members identified 2-3 priority areas for development within their HR frameworks, outlining specific actions, success indicators, deadlines, and responsibilities for implementation. The HR Excellence in Research Award (HRS4R) inspired the work of the FG HR, particularly with the structure of the action plan.
With this approach, A4L members took their portion of responsibility and focused on internal factors they can improve to bring positive quality change in the area of HR in research.
„It’s always easier to identify obstacles (e.g. national legislation) than to identify (and to agree on) what is feasible. Change management is difficult in any organization - even when there are only a few obstacles.“ Karen Vandevelde, Director Personnel and Organisation of the University of Antwerp and external consultant to the A4L in the area of HR management.
Impact of Systematic HR Approaches
In 2024, six years after the initial discussion about barriers and enablers of HR advances in CEE research organisations and two years after formulation of the action plans to enhance HR systems of member organisations, the A4L published the results of a final analysis on the impact of systematic approaches in HR management.
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“All partners have improved their HR systems,” reported focus group chair Eliška Handlířová. “We have noticed that institutions holding the HR Excellence in Research Award demonstrated higher advancements, moving from “basic” to “advanced” in an average of 2.7 HR areas, compared to 1.3 areas for other members. We think that this can be attributed to the fact that these institutions have implemented not only the A4L HR action plan but also a more robust HRS4R action plan with a well-designed implementation and evaluation system in place. This indicates the significant impact of the HR Award on HR systems in research organizations.” adds Handlířová. Additionally, there was a substantial decrease in institutes without any system in place, from 31 areas in 2021 to only 12 in 2024.
Advocacy for HR Excellence
Alliance4Life advocates for every institution to commit to developing the HR Excellence in Research Award process. Institutions with this award have shown systematic and sustainable progress. “Well-functioning HR leadership and management are crucial in research organizations as they ensure optimal talent utilization and foster a productive, innovative environment,” said Nada Čikeš, professor at the University of Zagreb and co-chair of the FG HR and Mobility.
Ongoing Commitment to HR Excellence
Alliance4Life HR experts recognize that HR management is an ongoing endeavor. “Building a high-quality HR system is an iterative process requiring more than just keeping pace with trends. It is crucial to evaluate the effectiveness of newly implemented initiatives,” said Eliška Handlířová. “We urge institutions to commit to ongoing leadership training for their leaders, which has a significant spillover effect on other HR areas,” she concluded.
Importance of HR Professionals in Science
The report underlines the critical role of HR professionals who are well-versed in the specifics of academia and research. These experts are invaluable allies to both management and researchers, fostering an open, transparent, supportive, and merit-based work environment. Effective HR professionals help bridge the gap between administrative leadership and scientific staff, ensuring that policies and practices are tailored to the unique needs of research institutions. Their expertise is essential in developing career progression systems, implementing diversity and inclusion initiatives, and maintaining a culture that promotes innovation and collaboration.
Final Conclusions and Recommendations:
- We are pleased to announce that our institutions across the EEC countries have achieved notable advancements in various HR areas. We aspire to set exemplary standards at the national level and seek the support of A4L in continuing our progress in these areas.
- We advocate for each institution to dedicate itself to the development of the HR Excellence in Research Award process. It is evident that institutions holding this award have approached their initiatives in a systematic and sustainable manner.
- We urge all institutions to commit to ongoing leadership training for their leaders (heads of departments, principal investigators, etc.). Such actions have a significant spillover effect to other areas of the HR management in research.
- Our experiences underscore the importance of implementing a comprehensive HR strategy that aligns with the overall goals of the institution. This strategy should encompass the entire spectrum of the employee and career lifecycle in academia and research—from recruitment and onboarding to career development, working conditions, and transition processes. However, given the constraints on resources, particularly personnel, it is prudent to adopt a phased approach to policy development and actively engage with change management principles. Introducing new policies gradually facilitates a cultural shift within the institution, which requires understanding and acceptance from all stakeholders.
- In connection with the above points, our institutions emphasize the critical role of HR professionals who are well-versed in the specifics of academia and research. These experts are invaluable allies to both management and researchers in fostering an open, transparent, supportive, and merit-based work environment.
- For those affiliated with comprehensive and often fragmented universities, we recommend influencing HR advancements across the entire university to promote integration.
- A4L organizations recognize that HR management is an ongoing endeavour. Building a high-quality HR system is an iterative process, not only to keep pace with emerging trends and challenges but also to maintain and evaluate the effectiveness of newly implemented initiatives. Activities initiated under the A4L ACTIONS project will continue and will be even deepened during the implementation of the subsequent A4L BRIDGE project.
The full report is freely available on the Alliance4Life website HERE.
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