The HRS4R process at Örebro University

In March 2005, the European Commission issued a recommendation on the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers. The aim of the Charter & Code is to help create the world's most competitive knowledge-based economy through European research activities.

The Charter & Code are a set of general principles and requirements which specify the roles, responsibilities and entitlements of researchers, as well as of employers and/or funders of researchers. They also outline principles and requirements that should be followed by employers and/or funders when appointing or recruiting researchers. 

Örebro University is using the Human Resources Strategy for Researchers (HRS4R), a tool that is provided by the Commission for the implementation of the Charter & Code. 

The work at ORU started in 2017 and is continuously an important part in our quality assurance work. Here is a timeline of our process. 

Timeline for the process of HRS4R

ORU activities

Example of HRS4R activities that have been carried out the past years and new ones included in the 2024-2027 action plan. 

Information activities and courses have been developed regarding:

  • Contractual and legal obligations
  • GDPR
  • Data storage
  • Open Data

Activities regarding recruitment 

  • Continual improvements in the recruitment process following the review conducted by the ORU Internal Auditors.
  • New guidelines regarding employment as a professor, senior lecturer and assistant professor have been drawn up by the three faculties.
  • Information on the recruitment process, aimed at candidates, has been clarified and highlights the concept of Open, Transparent and Merit-based Recruitment (OTM-R).

Career advice and mobility

Co-authorship 

Information on ORU web

  • Increased amount of information (webpages and documents) in English on ORU web.
  • Further development of the Research Support web portal 

Increased knowledge of the Swedish language for international staff

  • Courses made available in collaboration with Örebro municipality.

Planned activities for 2024-2027 include:

  • Continuation of translation of necessary documents and webpages into English and assessment of ways to automate the process.
  • More wide-ranging introduction of mentorship programmes.
  • Introduction and implementation of Academic Citizenship.
  • Further assistance with helping researchers handle research data and ethical reviews.
  • Further development of career development and career advice activities, including careers outside of academia.
  • Help developed for onboarding new externally funded research projects.
  • Further activities with gender mainstreaming and anti-discrimination.
  • Implementation of an updated recruitment process using requirements’ profiles that are more wide ranging and take greater account of candidates’ personal qualities