University Human Resources (UHR) organized a P&S Lifecycle Mapping workshop in February 2024 to help guide its efforts to enhance the employee experience at the University of Iowa. The workshop was designed to capture the employee experience from their point of view and identify strategic touchpoints that influence how employees view our institution.

Twenty-three P&S employees participated, representing 16 organizations, 23 employment classifications, and nine pay levels. Participants explored and documented the experience of a P&S (Professional and Scientific) employee beginning at "Job Acceptance" through "Retirement/Exit," with a focus on onboarding, their first year at Iowa, professional development opportunities, and career growth.

Employees at the workshop said the ability to consider new job opportunities at Iowa and pride in "being a Hawkeye" were some of the highlights of their employment journey.

"For me to look for another position at the University of Iowa, I would be looking for a pay increase, new challenges in line with my values and goals, and a great team," one participant said.

In support of the University of Iowa Strategic Plan 2022-2027, UHR is working to improve the experience of all staff, including P&S, Merit, and SEIU, so they feel a connection to their work at Iowa and build a career here.

A workshop participant expressed gratitude for the opportunity to share their experience and connect with others across campus.

"It's very easy to get siloed and swayed when you're just in your department," they said, "and this was such a wonderful way to connect across units and share common experiences."

During the workshop, several themes emerged:

• Onboarding sets the tone for the employee experience. Onboarding conversations came up throughout the day in multiple phases of the lifecycle because onboarding shapes opinions and understanding of the organization. Workshop participants expressed a strong interest in an improved experience for onboarding and orientation, including opportunities for in-person engagement.
   
• Supervisor advocacy and support is key. Supervisor advocacy and support was highlighted as critical during each phase of the employee lifecycle and a pivotal factor in whether employees confidently build a career at Iowa or exit early.
   
• Employees lack awareness of existing resources and benefits. Participants acknowledged the existence of valuable resources and benefits for new and existing employees but found them difficult to locate and utilize.

Four recommendations were drafted based on feedback and discussions held during the workshop:

1. Increase transparency and fairness, particularly during the hiring process and when employees are looking to advance in their careers.
    
2. Minimize uncertainty during transitions, such as knowledge transfer tools and process documentation, timely retirement information, and clear job descriptions.
    
3. Facilitate career navigation by providing information about career pathways at the time of hire, normalizing internal mobility, clarifying terminology around pay, and streamlining the internal job application process.
    
4. Enable relationship building by encouraging connections between supervisors, their team, and the university.

Next steps in the P&S Lifecycle Mapping project include prioritizing the recommended actions; identifying quick wins; aligning with existing strategic initiatives; and developing an action plan.