University of Bradford modernises HR services boosting employee satisfaction with ServiceNow

University of Bradford employees are key to its international reputation for excellence
Awarded a Royal Charter in 1966, University of Bradford is globally renowned for its expertise and studies in peace and conflict. The university's two main campuses are home to more than 8,000 undergraduate and 2,000 postgraduate students, requiring an abundance of staff coordination to keep the educational experience exceptional.

With ServiceNow, the university improves access to HR services through a contemporary self-service portal
University of Bradford relied on manual, transactional processes to manage the simplest to the most complex HR queries. There was no prioritisation or reporting, giving the department little flexibility or visibility into its day-to-day activities.

The institution’s HR department recognised that it needed to modernise and transform to not only continue building the university’s reputation as an employer, but also to free up senior staff time to focus on higher value activities.

To fulfil its vision, the university deployed ServiceNow IT Service Management with custom applications to create an HR knowledge portal for employee self-service; applications that provide easy access to HR resources; streamlined workflows to support a new, multi-tiered service model; and data visibility providing a holistic view of HR.

ServiceNow provides university employees with easy, mobile access to HR resources around-the-clock
Using ServiceNow, University of Bradford built a self-service portal that allows staff to access HR-related documentation on a computer or smart mobile device. The knowledge base is constantly updated to help ensure employees have 24/7 access to HR advice and information—including policies, procedures, process maps, frequently asked questions, and guidance documents.

University of Bradford also created electronic request forms for enquiries ranging from vacancy requisitions to flexible working requests. All forms are customised with validation parameters to help ensure that each submission is fully completed. This allows staff to monitor the progress of their requests, helping improve visibility and user satisfaction.

Automated HR workflows drives staff efficiency and prioritisation
Additionally, the university has streamlined workflows for a multi-tiered service model. HR staff at all levels don’t have to assume responsibility for administrative tasks; enquiries are now triaged within one working day, so timely issues are prioritised and assigned to relevant people. If dedicated HR advisors are unable to answer a question, then it can be escalated to a specific advisor, HR specialist, or business partner using ServiceNow.

ServiceNow delivers complete visibility into HR services, as well as issue resolution and performance
HR now has a complete, holistic overview of all enquiries. It can see which areas of the business are interacting with the department and examine how it is faring against service level agreements. The department can generate reports in a few clicks, providing HR with visibility into how quickly problems are handled as well as the department’s overall performance.

Self-service model powered by ServiceNow drives employee satisfaction and lets HR redirect strategic resources across the business
Data from the first full month revealed that 45% of the 1,976 enquiries received were successfully handled through the university’s new self-service portal. In addition, the university has experienced high levels of employee satisfaction, with 87% of users stating that they’re either satisfied or very satisfied with the new system.

“ServiceNow has facilitated a new model where employees can complete their own transactions and find answers to a wide range of questions,” explains Joanne. “As a result, we now have the ability to redirect strategic HR resources to other areas within the business.” 

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