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http://www.ex-bbc.net/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl >> News and Comment >> Personnel dept sold off http://www.ex-bbc.net/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1140209391 Message started by Forum Admin on Feb 17^th, 2006, 8:50pm

Title: Personnel dept sold off
Post by Forum Admin on Feb 17^th, 2006, 8:50pm

This is the text of a BBC announcement about the outsourcing of Personnel (otherwise known as "People" or "Human Resources") functions:

BBC appoints Capita for ten year HR outsourcing contract
16.02.2006

The BBC announced today that it has selected Capita as its preferred supplier for a ten-year HR Services Contract.

The deal means Capita will work closely with BBC People - the department responsible for the BBC's people strategy - to deliver many of the BBC's HR services across the corporation for the next ten years.

The service centre for the new arrangement will be located in Belfast, currently one of the Capita centres for BBC activity.

Around 260 jobs will be transferring to Capita and 100 new jobs will be created in Belfast.

The BBC expects to save in excess of £50m over the life of the contract.

Under the new contract Capita will deliver a full range of HR services to the BBC including recruitment; the administration of pay (excluding pensions); some aspects of staff development; occupational health and other services.

The contract with Capita is due to become operational from April 2006, subject to contract signature.

Stephen Dando, Director, BBC People, BBC, commented: "This deal marries both our expertise in human resources with the resource and expertise of a leading player in business process outsourcing.

"The value created from this deal is a significant step for us in ensuring the BBC is fit for the future and continues to invest in creating innovative programmes and services for our audiences.

"But this deal is about much more than that, it is about creating the right platform for BBC People to enhance its strategic and valued contribution to the BBC.

"We look forward to strengthening our relationship with Capita to deliver our HR vision over the next decade."

Rod Aldridge, Executive Chairman of the Capita Group Plc, said: "Capita is delighted to have been chosen to support the BBC in delivering their HR services to meet the current and future needs of the corporation.

"Capita's service transformation skills and breadth of HR services, combined with the expertise of BBC People, will enable us to deliver enhanced services alongside significant cost efficiencies.

"We look forward immensely to working with BBC People and extending our already strong relationship with the BBC."

Notes:

Capita is an existing strategic partner for the BBC and already provides a range of services including licence fee collection.

The contract is for a period of ten years with the option to break at year five.

The procurement process follows an internal BBC People review which proposed that a number of services should be outsourced.

The review team identified this as one of the measures to help put extra resources into programmes as part of the BBC's plans to transform the organisation into a simpler and more creative digital broadcaster.

About BBC People Division

BBC People was formed in 2001, bringing together for the first time the vast majority of the BBC's functional HR specialists.

The division supports the whole employment process. It supports around 25,500 BBC staff, and casually engaged individuals based within multiple UK locations and internationally, and deals with the significant 'churn' associated with new hires/leavers.

Around 260 BBC employees will be transferring to Capita.

Around 100 jobs will be created in Belfast.

Details of the BBC HR services for procurement:

Recruitment: full recruitment process including attracting and selecting candidates, offers, recruitment marketing (including events and work experience) and contract administration;

Remuneration: including pay administration and transaction, benefits administration (excluding pensions), pay and benefits enquiry management;

Development: specifically, 360 degree assessment and feedback, outplacement, training and development for broadcast engineering skills, technical services;

HR administration services: HR process administration, provision of HR information, guidance on HR processes and routing of other enquiries;

Relocation: management of relocation assignments;

Occupational health services: for example, sickness and absence management, risk management, case management, ergonomics advice, physiotherapy, health education and overseas travel;

Disability access services: provision of assessments and facilitation and other access support to disabled staff.

About Capita

The Capita Group Plc is one of the UK's leading providers of business process outsourcing and professional support services.

The group's service capabilities encompass administration and customer services, financial services, human resource services, ICT and software services, property services, advisory services, change management and business process re-engineering delivered to both public sector and private organisations.

With more than 25,000 employees at more than 240 offices across the UK, Ireland and India, Capita is quoted on the London Stock Exchange (CPI.L), and is a constituent of the FTSE100 with revenues for 2004 of £1,285m.

Capita employs more than 2,500 HR professionals and provides complete end-to-end managed HR solutions as well as standalone services. HR capability spans HR administration, payroll, recruitment, outplacement, benefits, training, pensions administration, occupational health services and consultancy.

Capita has been a service delivery partner of the BBC's since 1998, administering the BBC Information Service since then and administering the TV Licensing service since 2002.

Capita has secured a number of awards including Best BPO Services Provider 2004. Further information on The Capita Group Plc can be found at: www.capita.co.uk.

Title: Re: Personnel dept sold off
Post by Forum Admin on Feb 22^nd, 2006, 11:42am

This is taken from Ariel, w/c February 20 2006:

STUNNED AND ANGRY HR STAFF SAY MOVE TO BELFAST IS NOT AN OPTION
BBC chooses Capita to run outsourced services and says deal will save £50m
by Sally Hillier

Roadshows are being held this week at BBC centres across the UK as managers hope to explain more about the HR outsourcing deal with Capita, which will see a large chunk of work relocated to Northern Ireland. Many of those affected say they will not go, and that they feel betrayed by the decision, having believed originally that any move would not be far away. Although they will not be forced to relocate, they face an uncertain future.

The contract with Capita, expected to save the BBC in excess of £50m over ten years, takes effect on April 1 when 260 posts – 190 in London, the remainder in the nations and regions – will be transferred.

Of the outsourced jobs, 100 will be based in Belfast. The move to a purpose built service centre in the city will be phased over two years, with the BBC Northern Ireland’s own HR team the first to move this autumn.

Last week’s announcement caught many off-guard. ‘There was a stunned silence [at White City] followed by laughs of disbelief,’ Ariel has been told. ‘It really was one of those ‘you cannot be serious’ moments. We all knew relocation was a possibility but were thinking of Milton Keynes or Maidenhead – not another country.’

The reaction in Glasgow was similar with one HR specialist saying neither she nor her colleagues were likely to accept a move to Belfast.

Rob Tinley, HR services manager in London, said he was trying to consider the situation from both a professional and personal viewpoint. ‘What is happening to us is not uncommon in the HR world and for some, joining a core provider will be a good opportunity to develop their career and gain experience. But Belfast wasn’t on anyone’s radar, and many of my colleagues are angry and upset.’

Another HR manager, who did not wish to be named, said: ‘People expect mass resignations before the [Belfast] move, and comments have been made about how lightly the senior team seems to value its operational staff, many of whom have considerable loyalty to the group.’

Capita says it is keen to retain BBC talent and will try to find alternative work, at equivalent grade and salary levels, for those who do not wish to go to Northern Ireland.

‘The company has centres across the UK, many close to BBC sites, and a good track record of redeployment,’ explains Stephen Davies, head of programme for BBC people. ‘We are optimistic, but where it proves impossible to match someone to another job, BBC redundancy terms will be
honoured.’

However, Bectu official Luke Crawley, who met the BBC and Capita on Monday, says this isn’t good enough. ‘Forcing people into a different job is unacceptable. They should have the right to work on a BBC contract. We have been against outsourcing from the start, and believe
it is a false economy.’

Under the deal, people will transfer to the company on their existing terms and conditions. For current members of the BBC pension scheme, or those eligible to join, Capita will provide a ‘broadly comparable’ pension arrangement.

Some details are still to be confirmed. For example, senior HR advisors and recruitment consultants do not know where they will be based, and further discussions are to take place around the proposals for broadcast engineering training and technical services, which are not due to transfer to Capita until July 1.

Highlighting the financial benefits of outsourcing, Stephen Davies says: ‘A specialist provider can offer economies of scale, and savings will come from the use of technology, and simplification and streamlining of operations.’

Stephen Dando, director of BBC People, adds: ‘This deal is about enhancing the contribution that BBC people can make to the BBC in the future. Outsourcing our HR functions enables the division to put more of its energy and focus into the change agenda.’

Asked what he thinks the decision will do for morale in HR, he says: ‘We know this is a big ask, and that people will be anxious. There will be a lot of communication about our plans in the days and weeks ahead.’

The outsourced departments:

* Recruitment: Looks after the whole recruitment process including the placing of adverts, offers, marketing, job fairs and work experience. Relocated to Belfast

* Administration services: Provides information and guidance, and routes inquiries. Relocated to Belfast

* Remuneration: Looks after pay administration and transaction and benefits admin (excluding pensions). Relocated to Belfast

* Development: Deals with 360 degree assessment and feedback and outplacement. To move to Capita site in Westminster

* Broadcast engineering skills: Training and technical support services. Stay in current locations for time being

* Relocation: Manages relocation assignments. The current Cardiff office will move in a year’s time to Swindon

* Occupational health services: Provides sickness and absence management, advice and physio. To be located in Capita centres near BBC
sites

* Disability access services: Provides access support for disabled employees. To be located in capita centres near BBC sites

Title: Re: Personnel dept sold off
Post by Forum Admin on Feb 24^th, 2006, 8:04am

This is taken from The Guardian:

Capita's £100m deal with BBC sparks industrial action threat
by Terry Macalister and Owen Gibson
Friday February 24, 2006

A decision by the BBC to outsource most of its human resources (HR) functions to the support services firm Capita could start a new trend, according to the chairman, Rod Aldridge. The move, which involves about 250 jobs, has gone down "like a lead balloon" with the staff and has triggered talk of industrial action.

Mr Aldridge said the deal would give Capita revenues of £100m over 10 years and add to existing contracts such as the one to collect the licence fee for the BBC. "This is the largest contract of its kind that has been let and we believe HR is going to become the next big area for the future [of outsourcing]," he said.

His comments came as Capita, best known for collecting the London congestion charge, announced a 19% rise in annual profits of £177.2m and said it had already booked 100% of its budgeted revenues for 2006.

So far in this financial year, the outsourcing specialist has won £360m worth of new deals, including the BBC one, and a £120m contract over seven years to operate call centres for Dixons.

Mr Aldridge said he was particularly excited about the BBC deal under which HR functions including payroll and occupational health as well as recruitment would be undertaken by Capita.

The HR department at the BBC was among the worst hit by director general Mark Thompson's cost-cutting plans and the decision to hand the contract to Capita is said to have further damaged morale.

The move is part of a wider drive to slash almost 4,000 jobs from the payroll and half of the 1,000 jobs under the BBC People banner, which includes training, development and administration as well as HR, have been axed.

A further 260 will be outsourced to Capita, with about 100 of those positions moved to Belfast. The broadcasting union Bectu is concerned that Capita has told staff that if they were unwilling to move to Northern Ireland they could be shifted on to non-BBC projects.

In previous BBC outsourcing agreements, staff have been given guarantees over pay and pensions, in addition to a commitment that they will be allowed to continue to work solely on BBC projects if they so desire.

Union officials held a "brief" meeting with Capita this week and expect an answer to their demands later today. If Capita refuses to provide guarantees, a ballot for industrial action will follow.

A BBC spokesman said that the corporation should be judged on its previous record, pointing to the smooth outsourcing of its technology arm and the sell-off of BBC Broadcast, now Red Bee Media.

"We wouldn't be doing it if we didn't think it was in the best interest of licence fee payers and the BBC. While it's been very difficult and painful for staff we've gone to extreme lengths to ensure that they are looked after." The decision remained subject to contract.

Capita claims its takeover of the BBC's TV licensing arm has been successful in cutting evasion. Its takeover of the BBC information service, which handles more than 1m unsolicited calls from the public every year, has been hit by controversy.

Staff and unions around the Glasgow office claim to have been subject to intimidation from management after speaking out against new rules. These have been introduced in an effort to limit the duration of some calls to the helplines.