By establishing a definition and assessment of workforce sustainability, organizations can begin to name, study, and investigate structures and factors that contribute to a work culture that both protects and optimizes the productivity and contribution of the workforce.
Workforce sustainability is based on the core premise that the workforce is a primary source of value creation, innovation, and long-term business success. It prioritizes understanding what the workforce needs now to ensure that it can perform now and meet future needs to perform. A sustainable workforce is vital for the longevity of an industry susceptible to internal and external factors such as public health crises and economic downturns. When considering the future of housing and residence life, it is necessary to have structures in place to create a work culture that protects and optimizes the productivity and contribution of the workforce now and for the long term.
Definition
A sustainable workforce exists to the extent to which the work environment supports, by practice (policy and procedure), healthy, well, and engaged members of the workforce who are highly skilled, competent, and able to perform successfully. Achieving this requires a community rooted in mission and values alignment that is safe, secure, inclusive, equitable, and fair. Additionally, it requires the implementation of pedagogies, strategies, training, and personal development that enables members of the workforce to perform well over the span of their careers. This workforce includes all those who are involved, directly or indirectly, in the processes of college and university housing and residence life including, but not limited to:
- Students
- Undergraduate
- Graduate
- Professional Staff
- Entry-level
- Mid-level
- Senior-level
- Functional Areas
- Academic initiatives
- Business operations
- Facilities management
- Residence life/residence education
- Corporate partners
- Fiscal resources and control
- Conference services
- Dining services
- Diversity, equity, and inclusion
- Human resources
- Marketing
- Occupancy management/assignments
- Student behavior/conduct
- Collaborative partners (e.g., chaplain, faculty in residence, advisor, etc.