Jantine Schuit, Vice-Rector Magnificus: ‘It is important to recognize each other’s achievements and reward them’

With Recognition & Rewards we want to create a working environment in which all employees feel recognized and valued and continue to develop themselves

A scientist who is a good researcher but excels in education and is innovative in this domain can in the future be appointed as a professor. Similar appointments are possible for scientists who excel in leadership or impact. Team spirit and personal leadership are things we find important for all our staff. We want to enable internal mobility for support staff.”

Collaborating as a team to achieve a result

One important aspect of Recognition & Rewards is collaborating as a team. Team science, collaboration among scientists, also across disciplines, is a case in point. Jantine: “Research has always mainly been an individual process. But if you look at a problem from different angles, more diverse insights present themselves. In complex issues, this broad perspective leads to better input. It also generates new ideas for researchers’ own disciplines. I believe in this way of collaborating and I am convinced that it leads to more impact. The support staff also play an important role in these teams. We aim to assess individual performance in connection with the team effort. Recognizing and benefiting from each other’s strong points will lead to a more optimal approach for complex issues. The transition we are making will provide great benefits. Thanks to multidisciplinary and integral collaborations, we will achieve more and better results. This will increase Tilburg University’s social relevance.”

Research has always mainly been an individual process. But if you look at a problem from different angles, more diverse insights present themselves. In complex issues, this broad perspective leads to better input

Consistent with strategy and context

“We join forces with the other Dutch universities, all of whom are aware of the importance of change,” Jantine continues. “Via ENGAGE.EU, we are also collaborating in an international context in the field of talent development. Recognition & Rewards fits in our strategy for 2022-2027 and is grounded in our core values of Connected, Curious, Caring and Courageous. ‘Use (y)our Talents’ is the overarching vision of talent development in which Recognition & Rewards and Connected Leading, our vision of leadership, come together, because continued development requires personal leadership. Supervisors are a vital link to stimulate and facilitate collaboration within teams.”

Attention for concerns

The national program of Recognition & Rewards was developed in response to needs felt by scientists. The vision for Tilburg University was realized in consultation with employees. “I am aware of the fact that a group of employees is worried about this change,” Jantine explains. “For instance, they are worried that they will need to excel in all five domains. Or that we are moving away from measuring academic achievement via an impact factor or h-index. And that we lose sight of the importance of excellent research, jeopardizing our international position and ranking. Despite these objections and concerns, we have consciously decided in favor of this culture change. We will obviously bear in mind the career prospects of individual employees, and we trust that Recognition & Rewards will lead to better results, precisely because it offers scientists opportunities to excel in a certain domain. This can obviously also be the research domain.

Input by employees is and will continue to be an essential precondition for the success of the program

A broader approach to recognition and rewards will enhance our attractiveness as an employer and responds to social developments, the need to contribute to society and to innovate in education, but also to shortages in the labor market. Moreover, this change is an ongoing process whereby plans as well as their practical implementation will be reflected on by our employees. Working groups have been started up within the Schools and we will enter into a dialogue tailored to the various groups. Input by employees is and will continue to be an essential precondition for the success of the program.”

Vice-Rector Magnificus with a broad perspective

Implementing Recognition & Rewards

“Over the past period, the steering committee has done a good job in identifying spearheads that will become part of the university's strategy. The emphasis will be on developing clear criteria, on talent management and development, and on coaching supervisors. The Executive Board has established these criteria in consultation with the Deans. Together we develop clear frameworks and principles for the supervisors within the Schools to work with, for example, about the relationships between the domains. In the context of Use (y)our Talents, attention will be given to the talent management and development of all our employees and the coaching of supervisors to help them implement the talent development vision. We will also provide guidance to promotion and recruiting committees: the role, remit, and composition of these committees will be aligned with Recognition & Rewards. In principle, this is something we do together, but there is some latitude for the Schools to apply targeted accents of their own. At the moment, the Schools are setting up their own pilots; it is a School-tailored approach.”

Diversification of career paths

Fine examples of these initiatives have emerged. Jantine: “Divisions and Schools are initiating change. The Department of Human Resources Studies (TSB) is experimenting with emphasizing one or two domains. The entire Department is doing training sessions to identify employees’ talents, a so-called strong points course. The results will provide input for the Performance & Talent Development interviews.

All Tilburg University employees are more in control of their own career and are given more room to shape it in their own way

The Marketing & Communication Division emphasizes talent development: the teams are attending Connected Leading sessions to learn a common vocabulary and optimally deploy each team member’s talents. At a university-wide level, we are investing in further professionalization and education quality and innovation. The working title of the platform to be set up to support these plans is ‘Teaching Academy’. These examples have one thing in common: all Tilburg University employees are more in control of their own career and are given more room to shape it in their own way.”

The ambitions are big, but each employee can make small beginnings. By recognizing and appreciating others for their qualities and talents

Jantine concludes: “With a system and culture change like this one, the input and commitment of all employees is essential. In the coming five years, we will work hard to realize that change, while continuing the dialogue. The ambitions are big, but each employee can make small beginnings. By recognizing and appreciating others for their qualities and talents.”