Bold Resolve: Shaping the Future of Work at UHN
UHN PEOPLE & CULTURE STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN
OUR PURPOSE
Transforming lives and communities through excellence in care, discovery and learning
VALUES
Safety, Compassion, Teamwork, Integrity, Stewardship
ABOVE ALL ELSE, OUR PRIMARY VALUE
The needs of patients come first
OUR VISION A Healthier World
MESSAGE FROM LEADERSHIP
Under our previous strategic action plan (2020-2024), the People & Culture (P&C) team took important steps to modernize the P&C structure and function, and to establish the foundation for a purpose-built, employee focused experience. The goal has been, and continues to be, to make UHN a great place to work, which ultimately produces better patient outcomes.
• Development and implementation of a new purpose-built UHN Leadership program (Leading@UHN).
• A focus on developing a stronger culture of respect, civility, and safety, with expanded mental health training and workplace violence prevention programs
• Momentum toward modern Human Resource Information and Workforce Management Systems, readying us for a digital future
Each step forward has contributed to the facilitation of transformative people experiences for all members of TeamUHN, positioning us as the career destination of choice for healthcare, research and education professionals across Canada and around the world.
The new People & Culture Strategic Action Plan will continue this momentum through the reintroduction of an enterprise-wide engagement survey process, increasingly robust talent and succession planning, accelerated digital enablement, completion of the West Park integration, and simplifying people processes - freeing up time, energy, and focus for what matters most: the needs of our patients and families. We will transform the experience of TeamUHN, enabling them to create a Healthier World by investing in our greatest strength: our people.
With pride in what we’ve built - and Bold Resolve for what’s next,
Mark Spencer Executive Vice President, People & Culture
Dr. Kevin Smith President & CEO
Pam Warren Chair, Human Resources Committee of the Board
PEOPLE & CULTURE OVERVIEW
Over the past five years, People & Culture at UHN has transformed from a primarily transactional function to a function more strategically focused on maximizing our talent and optimizing the work experience of TeamUHN.
Our goal for the next five years is to strengthen UHN’s position as the Career Destination of Choice for Healthcare, Research, and Education Professionals across Canada.
PURPOSE:
Cultivate an inclusive, respectful and supportive environment that empowers top talent to deliver excellence in care, research, and learning, taking bold action to create a Healthier World.
Our purpose will be accomplished by focusing on the People & Culture Strategic Action Plan Pillars, which are aligned with UHN’s Corporate Strategy:
Transformative Experiences
Creating an inclusive, supportive environment where every TeamUHN member feels empowered to thrive and belong. People Experience
Solutions Beyond Boundaries
Working as trusted advisors to co-create solutions, drive innovation, and advance UHN’s mission through people. Strategic Partnering
Alignment for Impact
Leveraging smart, connected technologies to simplify work, strengthen insights, and make UHN future-ready. Digital Enablement
PEOPLE EXPERIENCE
TeamUHN members deserve an empowering and engaging experience that fosters inclusivity, wellbeing, clarity, and a sense of belonging. By creating a seamless, supportive environment, we enable individuals to reach their full potential, and position UHN as a premier workplace that consistently achieves exceptional outcomes – with patient needs being our top priority.
ANTICIPATED OUTCOMES:
A positive employee experience drives retention, performance, and innovation. By fostering a uniquely valuable experience, UHN can attract and retain top talent while empowering individuals to deliver exceptional outcomes in healthcare, research, and education.
COMMITMENTS:
• Support and strengthen a culture of respect, civility, professionalism, and safety so that every interaction reinforces compassion and accountability — enabling every TeamUHN member to focus on care and innovation without fear, and positioning UHN as a leader in psychological and physical safety.
• Enhance effectiveness of performance enhancement and measurement so that clear goals and performance feedback fuels growth, excellence, and pride in work—driving both personal mastery and world-class results.
• Strengthen a system-wide approach to well-being by leveraging insight-driven strategies and responsive People & Culture supports so that every TeamUHN member feels valued, recognized, equipped, and cared for — positioning UHN as a global leader in workforce wellness and an exemplar of a seamless, human-centred employee experience.
STRATEGIC PARTNERING
People & Culture will serve as proactive advisors, drawing on deep organizational insight and advanced expertise to tackle systemic challenges and deliver innovative, tailored solutions for UHN. Strategic partnership is founded on a shared aspiration to improve the care experience for patients and families, accelerate the translation of discovery into practice, and champion excellence in learning and scholarship across UHN.
ANTICIPATED OUTCOMES:
By anticipating challenges and providing expert, systemic solutions, P&C enhances organizational performance and strengthens strategic alignment, enabling leaders and teams to achieve transformative outcomes.
COMMITMENTS:
• Strengthen leadership competencies and integrated talent management programs to foster deeper, more robust relationships between leaders and staff, and cultivate the next generation of global healthcare leaders who shape the future of care, research, and education, at UHN and beyond.
• Transform internal growth into a competitive advantage, supporting professional development and career development pathways so that every member sees a future at UHN - ensuring that UHN is the benchmark for employee retention in healthcare.
• Advance an adaptive People & Culture approach that aligns differentiated, portfolio-specific solutions with deep operational and clinical insight — ensuring equity, optimizing impact, and enabling systemlevel performance that sets a new global standard for workforce excellence.
• Provide change management, organizational design, and organization development support so that transformation happens with people, not to them - cementing UHN’s position as a world leader in human-centred change.
DIGITAL ENABLEMENT
People & Culture will leverage advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence, a contemporary Human Resources Information System and a fit for purpose Workforce Management system to streamline people processes, enhance data reliability, and create a tech-forward employee experience that positions UHN as a digitally-enabled, future-ready organization.
ANTICIPATED OUTCOMES:
Digital technology is reshaping Human Resource management practices. By embracing innovation and staying ahead of the curve, UHN can modernize its processes, drive efficiency, and deliver a cutting-edge employee experience while ensuring its technology infrastructure meets future demands. Doing so, will help UHN operate as a high-tech organization, making it easier for our workforce to navigate complexity, enable bold action, and improve the quality and experience of care for patients and their families.
COMMITMENTS:
• Modernize and integrate P&C technology so that data flows effortlessly across systems - turning complexity into clarity and making UHN’s digital infrastructure a model for global health systems.
• Embed people-centred digital decisions and seamless, scalable processes that enhance trust, enable effortless collaboration, and position UHN as a leader in operational excellence across the health system.
• Continue exploring artificial intelligence and automation within People & Culture so that predictive insights replace reactive administration - propelling UHN to the forefront of intelligent workforce management globally.
• Harness the full power of insight-rich, real-time data to fuel organizational learning, foresight, and agility — enabling People & Culture at UHN to lead through evidence, innovate with confidence, and outperform as a continuously evolving learning organization.
ENABLERS
People & Culture is integral to bringing UHN’s Foundational Commitments to life. By shaping the systems, culture, and experiences that enable TeamUHN to thrive, P&C drives accountability, inclusivity, and sustainability across the organization—ensuring that how we work reflects the same excellence and compassion we bring to patient care.
Living UHN Values & the Patient and Staff Declaration of Values
People & Culture fosters a values-based workplace where every TeamUHN member is empowered and accountable to live UHN’s shared principles of safety, integrity, compassion, teamwork, and stewardship. Through leadership development, culture-building initiatives, and recognition programs, P&C embeds these values into daily practice - reinforcing UHN’s commitment to quality, safety, and patient-centered care.
Respect & Uphold Indigenous Rights
People & Culture advances reconciliation by building respectful, collaborative relationships with Indigenous staff, patients, and communities. People & Culture partners with Indigenous leaders to create pathways for learning, recruitment, and retention that privilege Indigenous ways of knowing, being, and doing. By weaving cultural safety and humility into all people practices, P&C contributes to equitable access, belonging, and improved health outcomes for Indigenous peoples.
Commitment to Inclusive and Sustainable Health Impact
People & Culture champions equity, inclusion, and belonging as core drivers of organizational and systemwide health. Through workforce diversity strategies, accessible employment practices, and inclusive leadership, P&C creates a workplace where all voices are valued. People & Culture also advances UHN’s environmental and social commitments by integrating sustainability and ESG leadership into people strategies—linking workforce well-being, community impact, and planetary health for a more resilient future.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
We extend our deepest thanks to all members of TeamUHN who contributed to the development of the People & Culture Strategic Action Plan. Your insights, feedback, and commitment have shaped a bold and actionable roadmap—one that reflects the lived experience of our people and the ambition of our organization. This plan is not the work of a single team—it is a shared vision, and its success will be powered by continued collaboration across every corner of UHN. We also gratefully acknowledge the guidance and support of the Human Resources Committee of the Board, whose leadership has been instrumental in bringing this vision to life. As we move from planning to execution, we look forward to continuing this journey—together.
