Development Pathway For New Managers

Purpose  
The purpose of this pathway is to provide a clear development roadmap for all new managers and academic heads at University College Cork (UCC). It is designed to ensure managers and academic heads have the knowledge, skills, and support to succeed in their roles, foster a positive workplace culture, and contribute to the strategic goals of the university.  

This pathway provides a structured yet flexible framework to support new managers and academic heads at UCC. Through training, mentoring, and peer support, it seeks to build leadership capacity, enhance collaboration, and strengthen the university’s ability to achieve its mission.  

Eligibility and Scope  

This pathway applies to all newly appointed and current managers and heads (academic, research, technical, professional and administrative) who have responsibility for supervising staff or leading teams at UCC. It is intended that all managers and academic heads engage in relevant orientation and onboarding on appointment and further participate in core management/leadership development programmes within 12 months of employment and on an ongoing basis while in a people management or leadership position.  

Each new manager and academic head is expected to develop a Personal Development Plan (PDP) during the first three months in role, outlining goals, training needs, and to discuss progress with their relevant Line Manager at 6 and 12 months.     

People & Culture will provide clear and accessible information to enable managers to smoothly navigate through this pathway.  

Advice and guidance on suitable programmes, workshops and information sessions is available from Staff Wellbeing & Development.  

1. Orientation and Onboarding

• All Staff Orientation: Attendance at the ‘all Staff Orientation’ and President’s Information Café 

• Orientation for New Heads & Managers Programme: A 5-module programme encompassing the managers role in all aspects of the employee life cycle, People & Culture Policies and Procedures, held twice annually 

• Role-Specific Orientation: Meetings scheduled with representatives from People & Culture, Finance, and other relevant functional areas and to build awareness of how UCC works and enabling understanding of core processes, roles and responsibilities, and compliance obligations.  

2. Core Training Modules
   All new managers will complete a set of structured training engagements in their first 12 months:

• Senior Leadership Development Programmes: All academics at senior lecturer level & higher and professional & technical staff at grade 7 & higher (or equivalent) required to participate in the most relevant Senior Leadership Development Programme in first year of employment.  All managers at other levels are expected to engage with the leadership development programme appropriate to their level and experience which include the First Steps into Management, Continuing Steps into Management and the Successful Team Leader Programme. 

• People Management: Recruitment and selection committee training, introduction to the UCC performance management system, meeting with staff development and wellbeing and ongoing meetings and familiarisation of processes through engagement with the relevant HR Business Partner. 

• University specific knowledge including Compliance, Finance and Governance: Policies, legal obligations, equality, diversity and inclusion through the Managers Insights Hub. 

• Policy Briefings: Attendance at the regular policy briefing sessions organised by central functions including People & Culture 

• Specific Workshops: Effective communication, conflict resolution, and personal effectiveness skills training via the calendar of annual workshops arranged by People & Culture  

3. Mentoring Programme

• Each new manager will be paired with an experienced manager from another unit  

• Mentors provide guidance on navigating university systems, decision-making, and leadership challenges. 

• Meetings will be scheduled at least once per month/6 weeks during the first year. 

• Managers themselves encouraged to mentor more junior or less experienced staff further developing their own awareness and understanding of staff experiences of staff and in progressing their own leadership skills.  

4. Peer Networks & Networking

• New Managers Network: Quarterly facilitated sessions where new managers share experiences, challenges, and potential solutions. 

• Networking Events: Informal opportunities to connect with colleagues across the university.

5. Ongoing Development Opportunities & Communities of Practice

• Access to and progression through the UCC Leadership Development pathway. 

• Participation in targeted management topics via LEAD@UCC, strengthening leadership capability and consistency university wide. 

• Access to resources including the Teams Managers Toolkits folder via People & Culture  

• Participation on external training and development courses where relevant. 

• Participation in information sessions and workshops via the UCC Managers Insights Hub on UCC strategy, values and culture, continuous improvement and quality enhancement etc. 

• Encouragement to engage in continuous professional development (CPD) activities relevant to their role and area of specialism.  

6. Review and Feedback

• New managers will meet with their line manager at 6 and 12 months to review progress against development goals. 

This New Managers Development Pathway document will be reviewed by the People & Culture Department on an annual basis.  People & Culture will monitor completion rates, participant feedback, and impact on management capability to ensure continuous improvement. Feedback will also be gathered on the effectiveness of the pathway to ensure it remains responsive to needs.