While viewed as generally positive, a Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) employee satisfaction survey conducted in 2013 found some key “growth areas” for improvement, human resources manager Gerry Parker told directors last week.
The least positive rating in the survey was in response to the statement, “Everyone at the SCRD does their share of the work,” to which 45 per cent of respondents either disagreed or strongly disagreed.
Other statements that received high disagreement ratings were: “I believe that all the divisions in the SCRD work together to achieve a common goal” (43 per cent), “There is a spirit of we’re all in this together within the SCRD” (40 per cent), “Hard work is usually rewarded at the SCRD” (39 per cent) and “The SCRD’s image is that of a high quality organization” (36 per cent).
“So we’ve got some work to do is the message,” Parker said at the Oct. 23 corporate and administrative services committee meeting. “The nice thing is, we know what our staff are telling us and we know where we can focus our results.”
Parker said the survey had an excellent response rate with just over 80 per cent of staff participating. He also noted that 90 per cent of respondents said they would recommend the SCRD as a place to work, while 85 per cent felt good about their continued employment with the SCRD.
“When asked to rate their overall employment with the SCRD, the most telling indicator is that only two per cent rated it as poor,” he said in his report. “Ninety-eight per cent satisfaction with overall employment is exceptional.”
The statement that received the most positive response was, “My manager holds me accountable for the work that I do,” to which 89 per cent said they agreed or strongly agreed. It was followed by, “I like the kind of work I do” (88 per cent), “I know what is expected of me in my job” (87 per cent), “The people I work with cooperate to get the work done” (87 per cent), “My training meets my needs for my current job” (80 per cent), “I find my work challenging” (79 per cent) and “My working conditions are good” (77 per cent).
Parker said the SCRD’s most effective response to the survey results will involve leading from the strengths identified by staff, linking efforts to the SCRD strategic plan, measuring progress and celebrating successes, with communication and employee engagement deemed vital components.
“The opportunity we have is to take the survey results and focus our attention on the lowest rated areas as those offer the greatest possibility for increase and visible improvement,” he said.
With the survey establishing a baseline against which future progress can be measured, Parker said a draft follow-up survey is expected to be ready for review next spring.
In his conclusion, he said the 36 per cent disagreement rate with the statement, “The SCRD’s image is that of a high quality organization,” can improve by focusing on “strategy, communication, results and development.”
Regarding the SCRD’s image, Roberts Creek director Donna Shugar said, “I think that’s one of the pitfalls of local government, or any kind of government. You’re a target.”
The survey was conducted in June 2013 and 143 employees took part. While there has been some turnover in staff since then, Parker, who was hired as manager of human resources in August, said the results are still valid.
