ID269 Keele Talent Exchange

The Idea

Create a structured mobility programme open to all Professional Services and technical staff that enables employees to gain experience across different areas of the University through job swaps, secondments, project placements, job shadowing and temporary assignments. 

Unlike traditional graduate or leadership schemes, the Talent Exchange would be open to staff at all grades, recognising that career development and broadening experience should be available throughout an employee's career. 

Staff would retain their substantive posts while developing skills and knowledge in other functions. The programme would support career development, improve collaboration, broaden institutional understanding, break down organisational silos and strengthen succession planning.

A flagship feature would be voluntary year-long job swaps, providing sufficient time for staff to work a full cycle of activity, develop meaningful expertise in another area while ensuring departments benefit from a genuine exchange of knowledge, ideas and experience.  

Why This Idea Should Be Considered

Many Professional Services staff develop extensive expertise within a single area of the University but can find progression difficult because they lack experience outside their department. With relatively few opportunities available internally, particularly at higher grades, talented employees can feel they need to move to another university to gain the breadth of experience required for promotion, even when they would prefer to continue their careers at Keele. 
 
A university-wide mobility programme would enable staff to broaden their skills, build networks and develop a better understanding of how different parts of the institution operate. This would increase job variety, improve staff engagement and create career development opportunities without requiring employees to leave the organisation. 

The University would benefit from having more staff who understand the wider institutional landscape rather than a single function or department. Staff with experience and networks across multiple areas are more likely to collaborate effectively, solve problems quickly and identify opportunities for improvement. The programme would help break down organisational silos and build stronger relationships across departments. Over time, this would contribute to a more adaptable and resilient workforce with a broader understanding of the University and greater capacity to respond to change.  

The University invests significant time and resources in developing its people; this programme would help ensure that expertise is shared across Keele rather than being confined to individual departments or lost when staff leave to progress elsewhere. This programme, open to all, would signal Keele’s commitment to all its staff and their development. 

A potential concern is that moving staff between departments could temporarily reduce specialist expertise in some teams. However, this would be a voluntary programme introduced gradually, supported by structured handovers and reciprocal job swaps so that knowledge is shared rather than lost. Over time, the University would gain a more adaptable, resilient workforce that is better equipped to respond to organisational change and future challenges. 

Another concern might be managers being reluctant to release high performing staff. Ultimately, though these staff are likely to leave Keele if they are not given opportunities to develop and progress. This would result in periods of vacant posts and potential upskilling of a new postholder rather that a more structured handover of a job swap and the benefits of previous institutional knowledge.  

The programme could also reduce recruitment costs by increasing the number of vacancies filled internally while retaining valuable institutional knowledge that might otherwise be lost when staff leave. It would help create a pipeline of future leaders with genuine cross-University experience, strengthening succession planning and organisational resilience. 

How We Would Implement This Idea

Keele could establish a Talent Exchange programme open to all Professional Services staff, with opportunities advertised through a central portal. These could include: 

• Year-long job swaps between departments 
• Short-term placements 
• Project assignments 
• Secondments 
• Job shadowing opportunities 
• Cross-functional projects and working groups 

Staff would apply through a simple process and retain their substantive role while undertaking development opportunities elsewhere in the University. Participation could form part of annual development and career conversations. 

The programme should remain voluntary and offer opportunities of different lengths, allowing both specialists and those seeking broader experience to participate. To minimise disruption, it could begin with a small pilot supported by clear induction, handover and knowledge-transfer processes. 

Success would depend on strong senior leadership sponsorship and a clear commitment to internal mobility as an institutional priority. One of the biggest barriers to successful implementation is that talented employees can be viewed as a departmental resource rather than a University resource. Without senior leadership support, managers may be reluctant to release high-performing staff for development opportunities, despite the wider institutional benefits. 

To address this, supporting staff development and cross-University mobility should form part of management expectations and objectives. Departments that actively develop, share and attract talent should be recognised and celebrated. The programme should be designed so that managers benefit not only from releasing staff but also from welcoming colleagues from other areas who bring new skills, knowledge and perspectives into their teams. This would help create a culture where developing people for the benefit of the whole University is valued and rewarded. 

All opportunities should be advertised transparently, with participation monitored across grades and departments to ensure fair access. 

What Success Would Look Like

Success would mean more staff progressing into new roles at Keele because they have gained broader experience across the institution rather than needing to leave the University to develop their careers. Retention would improve as employees can see clear pathways for growth and progression within Keele. 

Staff would have a stronger understanding of how different departments operate, leading to better collaboration, more effective decision-making and improved service delivery. Employees would benefit from increased job satisfaction through greater variety and development opportunities. 

Managers would have access to a wider pool of experienced internal candidates, improving succession planning and reducing reliance on external recruitment. More vacancies would be filled internally, retaining valuable institutional knowledge and reducing recruitment costs. The university would be seen as somewhere to develop and progress your career. 

The University would see increased internal mobility, improved retention and a stronger pipeline of future leaders. Over time, Keele would develop a more connected, resilient and adaptable Professional Services workforce, with employees who understand both their own area and the wider University ecosystem. This would strengthen collaboration across the institution and create a culture where career progression is achievable without leaving Keele.