On Monday, July 12, 2021, we received the prestigious HR Award. It is awarded by the European Commission to research institutions and is a sign of an international and transparent working environment that is in line with global science trends (HRS4R).
Like any other institution wishing to obtain HR Award certification, we first subscribed to the principles enshrined in the "European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for Recruitment". It is a set of guidelines and requirements that specify the responsibilities and rights of researchers and their employers.
Two years of work followed, of which one year of intensive preparation between submitting the application and sending the documents - GAP analysis and Action Plan - to the European Commission. For example, we organized a meeting for whole ICS, where we introduced the topic of the HR Award to all employees, along with which we also presented a questionnaire survey and undertook other activities, which you can read about on the HR Award at ICS page.
What Does Getting an HR Award for ICS Mean?
"The HR Award certification, which is awarded to research institutions in Europe, is now considered an international standard in the field of quality management and development of staff in science and research. Receiving the award thus means for ICS a clear confirmation that the path we have chosen and the goals we have defined in the field of HR are reasonable and meaningful even for objective evaluators who do not know the ICS environment. It's a big responsibility. And the most important thing, ie the implementation of all plans, is yet to come," says Adéla Jelínková, HR Award coordinator for ICS.
The common European goal is to introduce the concept of strategic management of employees in the scientific environment and also the use of modern practices of HR principles in the development of researchers. All this is to bring to institutions (such as ICS):
- Increasing prestige and attractiveness for job seekers
- Improving the quality of employee care
- International recognition or benefits in obtaining funding from grants
