Charles University places great emphasis on the development of its employees in accordance with one of the priorities of its strategic plan “The best people make the best university”. In order to provide them with a clear perspective for career development and regular feedback, the following materials were created: Framework Principles of Career Growth of Academics, Researchers, and Lecturers and a similar framework for other employees.

Career principles

The career principles (for academics, researchers, and lecturers), which establish the university-wide framework, describe the various job positions and career advancement opportunities. Special attention is also given to head employees, postdocs, and new staff members. Each employee creates their own Career Development Plan with their superior, which takes into account both their current job assignment and their career goals. This plan is continuously updated and evaluated.

Evaluation

Academics, researchers, and lecturers are evaluated every three years or every five years, and other staff members at least every two years. The evaluation includes not only for their research and teaching activities, but also for other activities, such as knowledge transfer, the popularization of science, membership in university bodies and boards, the mentoring of junior colleagues, education, or international mobility. The faculties and other units set their own specific criteria and evaluation forms to reflect the specific nature of their fields of study.

The following aspects are evaluated as a part of evaluating other employees (mostly support staff):

Meeting work-related goals,

Expertise according to their job position,

Soft skills and personal approach,

Language, ICT, and managerial skills (where relevant).

Supporting professional growth

The career system is designed to promote a transparent and fair process for career development and to motivate employees to grow and advance in their careers, for example, being appointed as an associate professor or full professor. The transparent system of career development and evaluation at Charles University contributes to providing employees with a clear perspective and motivation for achieving their career goals. Only with top-notch, motivated people who continue to develop themselves can Charles University be a successful educational and research institution.

Recruiting new employees

The university has adopted a new Competitive Hiring Process Code that takes into account the European standards of open, transparent, and merit-based recruitment. Under this new university legislation, academic positions must be advertised not only on the faculty’s website, but also on the web pages of the university and on international portals in English. The objective is to attract talent from other institutions, including those abroad.

Hence, the selection of new employees should better reflect the knowledge, skills, and experience of applicants. A university-wide application, which is now in the pilot phase at selected faculties, will improve the automation and digitalization of the process.