Conceptual aspects of developing university personnel potential

The article analyses the experience of managing university personnel potential using the example of the largest university in the region, Ural Federal University (UrFU) in the context of innovative changes in the management. The main task of the article is to study the current state of professional development of academic, teaching and administrative staff of the university; find ways of improving qualitative and quantitative performance indicators of university human potential. In order to achieve the stated goal the article presents a review of relevant managerial approaches to developing university personnel potential based on the analysis of modern talent management concepts, expert discourse, best practices of national and foreign universities. Particular attention is paid to experience of conducting organizational and functional changes in UrFU personnel management as well as results of sociological research on university lecturers' motivation towards professional development and their satisfaction with their work. Having conducted the analysis of university activities on personnel professional development authors come to the conclusion on decentralization and fragmentary character of this function from the point of view of organizational design. Personnel development function is implemented by several structural units and frequently these efforts are not coordinated. This demonstrates absence of systematic approach to solving the task of upgrading university personnel potential. Nevertheless there have been positive changes at the UrFU, including personnel management system. At present personnel potential management falls under supervision of the first vice rector: restructuring of personnel management system organization has begun. Another positive change is the formation of an annual monitoring of staff satisfaction with UrFU activities. At the same time methods involved in this poll do not let us obtain information required for formulating targeted managerial solutions for the set of events aimed at improving university human resource quality.. Therefore we need to develop new monitoring instruments that would fulfill the above mentioned tasks. As one of the examples of a possible approach to evaluating development motivation level and satisfaction among teaching and academic staff of the university the article presents the results of pilot research of academic staff state in the context of undergoing innovation changes. Summing up theoretical approaches to solving the problem of upgrading university staff potential allows for stating that talent pool management concept fits the current task best. The article looks into the best practices of developing employees with high professional and personal potential at two major foreign universities and one leading Russian university. On the basis of theory and practice synthesis authors formulate a set of practical recommendations aimed at upgrading university staff potential efficacy management; the need for creating Coordination council on developing university staff potential is explained; designing the concept of Personnel Development Center aimed at entering a new level of talent pool management at the university. The article also identifies aspects requiring particular attention for searching managerial solutions in the field of university personnel potential development policy.