Human Ressources strategy for researchers (HRS4R)

La Rochelle Université has engaged into the HRS4R process in order to work on our HR practices and to improve working conditions in research.

This strategy is aligned with the current research specialization around the smart urban coastal sustainability and with the dynamic of the EU-CONEXUS consortium.

The excellence of the research developed within a university depends first and foremost on the excellence of the people who carry out the research activities. Convinced of the importance of recruiting and retaining scientists of the highest stature, La Rochelle Université signed up to the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers in 2011, thereby affirming the importance of the quality of its recruitment. This approach is also consistent with its European development strategy, in particular with the EU-CONEXUS European alliance.

Today, the institution intends to go further in its efforts to improve the quality of its human resources policy (recruitment and working conditions) and is applying to the European Commission for the “HR Excellence in Research” label. This label is awarded to institutions committed to implementing the HRS4R strategy (Human Resources Strategy for Researchers). Based on the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers, the aim is to implement continuous improvement processes in order to :

• Promote the employment and career development of researchers;
• Enable researchers to carry out their work in an appropriate and stimulating environment.

This approach, which is being built up over the long term, supports the scientific specialization strategy focused on the challenges of sustainable development in coastal areas, a strategy pursued by the institution, which has set itself the goal of being identified at the highest national and international levels as a key player in this field. This recognition should make it possible to:

• Improve recruitment, working conditions and international mobility for researchers;
• Support the university’s ambition to increase the resources necessary for its development, in particular through its ability to raise European funds;
• Then attract and retain top-quality scientists.

All these elements are part of the values promoted by the EU-CONEXUS European alliance, in particular as part of the “Research For Science” project, for which it was a prizewinner in the Horizon Europe programme.

Implementing an HRS4R strategy is a long-term project that requires the broad involvement of the various stakeholders within the university. An organisation based on a steering committee and a coordination committee has therefore been set up to monitor the project.

The steering committee is the political driving force behind the labelling project and ensures that decisions are in line with the institution’s strategy. Its political members are the Vice-Presidents of Research, the Board of Directors, Equality and Quality of Life at Work, and the European University. Other members of this steering committee are the Director General of Services in charge of resources of the university, the Director of Relations and Human Resources, the human resources officer for research, the Director of Research, the institution’s scientific coordinator, the Director of the doctoral school and the head of the project engineering and agreements unit.

The coordinating committee is responsible for putting the project into operation. It is responsible for implementing the approach. The Director General of Services in charge of resources, the Director of Relations and Human Resources, the human resources officer for research, the Director of Research, the institution’s scientific coordinator and the head of the project engineering and agreements unit are involved in this committee.

Gap analysis

The implementation of the HRS4R strategy is part of a continuous improvement process based on the expectations set out in the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers. In order to assess its degree of maturity regarding to the constituent elements of these two documents, the institution is carrying out a gap analysis on the 40 points included in the Charter and the Code. This analysis is supported by a study of the processes and tools implemented, as well as reflections from the research community. In order to mobilise the scientific community, thematic workshops are being held. The aim of these workshops is to gather analyses and recommendations from the researchers, both in terms of gaps identified and actions to be taken to reduce these gaps. The results are discussed and validated by the steering committee. At the same time, particular attention is paid to the recruitment process, using the checklist provided by the European Commission. The results of the workshops, the gap analysis and the recruitment checklist are used to propose an action plan and an open, transparent and merit-based recruitment policy.

The action plan

The action plan is based on 4 headings, identical to those used in the gap analysis:

• Ethics and professionalism (8 actions) ;
• Recruitment and selection (7 actions) ;
• Working conditions and social security (8 actions) ;
• Training and professional development (8 actions).

The action plan has three macro-objectives:

• Raising researchers’ awareness of the principles of responsibility in research ;
• Professionalizing recruitment and integration of researchers;
• Promoting and supporting the professional development of researchers.

Each action is prioritised according to the perceived need to implement the action quickly and the school’s ability to carry it out at a given time.