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UCL Ways of Working

We have developed the UCL Ways of Working. A behavioural framework that supports colleagues to be successful and happy at UCL through setting clear expectations about how we work

What are UCL Ways of Working?

The framework was built for and by professional services staff based across UCL – from faculties, departments, institutes and other academic units to VP offices and central services – in response to a widespread need for clear, consistent articulation of behaviours that support staff development and progression. 

Through conversations with representatives from professional services, and consultation with the wider UCL community, we developed a framework that sets out clear expectations about our nine ways of working within three central themes. 

  • Personal Excellence - which includes Integrity, Outstanding Service and Commitment – describes how staff show up at work and how they are expected to do their job
  • Working Together – which includes Innovative Practice, Vision and Ownership – describes how we work as supportive and collaborative teams
  • Achieving our Mission – which includes Communication, Collaboration and Shared Learning – describes how we deliver on what is important to UCL’s mission and goals

For each of these themes, colleagues can find a number of supporting indicators and steps to development that provide examples of typical behaviours that support or hinder the Ways of Working, as well as ideas for development.

Visit the UCL Ways of Working website

UCL Ways of Working now part of business as usual

The Ways of Working were launched in May 2019 and since then have been used by teams across UCL in all stages of the employee journey. They can be used to support appraisals and one-to-ones as well as in new staff inductions, and HR have adapted recruitment processes and templates to include the Ways of Working in job descriptions and person specifications. 

The Ways of Working are now the basis of four of the One UCL staff awards, with nominators asked to provide evidence about how the person they are nominating delivers their work in ways outlined by the framework. 

As part of the Career Pathways project that includes Career Frameworks, UCL Ways of Working, are now well established and embedded into the way we work at UCL. As such the project has been transitioned to business as usual and now sits in Human Resources in with Loleta Fahad continuing as Head of Career Pathways. 

The team will continue to promote the UCL Ways of Working and are currently working to ensure they are included in existing UCL training courses and leadership development programmes, as well as considering how they (alonside Career Frameworks) can further support our apprentice schemes.