UVU’s People and Culture Division wins leadership development award | News, Sports, Jobs

Utah Valley University has garnered numerous awards over the years and has now been recognized for their diversity leadership training.

The American Association of State Colleges and Universities announced July 24 that the People & Culture Division at UVU would receive its 2023 Excellence & Innovation Award for Leadership Development and Diversity at the association’s annual conference on Nov. 4.

People & Culture will receive the national award in recognition of its Leadership Competency Experience program which teaches hiring committees how to effectively hire new supervisors and provides ongoing leadership training for all the individuals involved.

“It is truly gratifying to have a large organization like AASCU honor the work that we have done,” Marilyn Meyer, vice president of People & Culture at UVU, said in a press release. “This program reinforces our core values of exceptional care, exceptional accountability, and exceptional results. We want all our employees to have the best experience possible while working at the university.”

UVU leaders determined the program was necessary after research showed that employees were leaving because of the need for improved communication with supervisors. After detailed research, planning and strategizing, the committee came up with a streamlined process based on hiring the right people, communicating clear expectations during onboarding, providing leadership resources through training and allowing two-way communication.

Since its inception in 2021, UVU leaders who have received the certification training have seen an average positive increase of 10% in their supervisor reviews. They have also seen a 17% decrease in employees leaving because of conflicts with supervisors.

“The team of people who put this program together are exceptional,” Meyer said. “This program has helped to solve a problem faced by organizations across the world. We hope our program might be a model for other institutions to help solve some of the problems they face.”

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