In 2017, the University of Žilina (hereinafter referred to as “UNIZA”) officially subscribed to the principles of The European Charter for Researchers and The Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers, with the incentive of obtaining the HR Excellence in Research Award. By accepting these principles, the University of Žilina is obliged to strive for favourable working conditions, professional development and an ethical recruitment process of researchers.

The European Commission shall grant this Award, together with the HR Excellence in Research logo, to the research institutions implementing the human resource strategy. So far, the “HR Excellence in Research” Award has been granted to more than 700 European institutions..

Human Resources Strategy for Researchers (HRS4R)
 

Independent assessors recognised UNIZA’s diligence in aligning its HR practices with the principles of the Charter and Code, awarding us the prestigious "HR EXCELLENT IN RESEARCH" Award. Since 29 April 2025, we have been allowed to use the mark

This award reflects our efforts to continuously improve our personnel policy in accordance with the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers, in particular our commitment to pursue fair and transparent recruitment and evaluation procedures.

Our university became one of the European universities that are dedicated to supporting and developing the careers of their researchers. https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/hrexcellenceaward/hr-excellence/dashboard

Ahead of us lies a period of two years to achieve the goals we have set ourselves in the Action Plan.

The Human Resources Strategy for Researchers serves as a tool for better implementation of the principles found in the Charter & Code. This Strategy offers a detailed process that enables organisations to include the principles found in those documents in the HR day-to-day operations, which improves the conditions for their development and management.

During the HRS4R implementation, the institutions undergo a structured process, which includes the self-assessment of internal policies and procedures concerning HR, the development of an action plan addressing any shortcomings or areas for improvement and a subsequent external assessment of progress. This assessment is conducted by an impartial group of professionals from the European Commission. If the institution fulfils all requirements, it is presented with the "HR Excellence in Research” logo, which can be later used to emphasize the institution’s commitment to establishing fair and transparent recruitment and assessment procedures for researchers.

1. Preparing the basis for an inspiring and supportive environment for researchers and changes in the working culture.
2. Joining the true Pan-European network of researchers and research organisations.
3. Showing the respect and care for our researchers.
4. Proving our interest in the support and development of researchers’ careers.
5. Increasing the University's reputation and its appeal for future employees.
6. Gaining international appeal, recognition and inclusion among HR Award-winning institutions.

The first step is the subscription to the Charter & Code principles and sending the notification to the European Commission regarding the start of the Strategy implementation process.

Sending of the notification marks the start of a one-year period, during which UNIZA prepares the Action Plan of HRS4R implementation.

During the initial phase, the University shall work on three documents, subsequently submitted for the approval of the European Commission. The above-mentioned documents are:

1. Comparative Analysis (GAP analysis. Here, UNIZA compares the current state with 40 Charter & Code principles, divided into 4 areas (ethical and professional perspective, recruitment of new employees, working conditions and social security, education and training).
2. So-called „OTMR checklist“ – a verification list following the fulfilment of principles regarding open, transparent and merit-oriented recruitment.
3. Action Plan – here, UNIZA proposes specific steps to address the shortcomings identified by the comparative analysis. The action plan must include specific tasks and the relevant responsible persons, a time frame for tasks’ completion and a description of outputs for each task.

The importance lies not only within the documents but also within the process, by which they were created. The University needs to set up a steering committee responsible for the strategic regulation and monitoring of the whole process, as well as a working group, responsible for the process implementation.
The involvement of all stakeholder groups (academic and non-academic staff, researchers at all career stages, etc.) is also crucial.
The Gap Analysis, together with the OTM-R checklist and the Action Plan shall be uploaded directly into the online form.

The submitted documents are assessed by a group of external experts. The results of the assessment should be available to UNIZA within the first two months after the online submission. The assessment may result in three different ways:

• Accepted without objections: The institution enters the implementation phase of the action plan. Once the plan is accepted, the institution may also use the HRS4R logo in its advertising.
• Accepted pending minor modifications: In this case, the submitted documents contain minor shortcomings, that can be addressed by the institution.
• Declined: Should the assessors find major shortcomings, not only in the overall content of the documents but also within the process of their preparation (e.g. absence of stakeholders), the assessment shall be declined. In such a case, the institution has to implement the entire Strategy preparation process again.

Should the University of Žilina acquire the HRS4R Award, it will gradually implement the measures set out in the action plan.

Two years after obtaining the Award, UNIZA shall assess the fulfilment of the plan, along with the possible need for its revision.

After another three years, external assessors shall visit UNIZA to evaluate the implementation of the Strategy directly on-site and decide whether the Award will be retained.

And yet, the Strategy implementation is not over – the assessment process is repeated every three years.

As can be seen, the Human Resources Strategy is not a one-time activity, but the beginning of a long-term process, that shall one day result in a more favourable and attractive working environment that enables researchers to achieve their full professional development and conduct cutting-edge research.

Person responsible for the content of the current subpage: Ing. Veronika Kunová / +421 41 513 5115 / veronika.kunova@uniza.sk