Executive Summary

2002 UNMC Employee Satisfaction Survey

In 2002, the satisfaction and commitment of faculty and staff was established as a "Critical Success Factor" in the UNMC strategic plan. The 2002 Employee Satisfaction Survey was developed to gather "base line" information concerning employee perspectives about working at UNMC and to identify areas where improvement is needed. The survey assessed employee perceptions in five major categories, which have been demonstrated as drivers of employee satisfaction and commitment.

Methodology

The survey instrument used a 5-point Likert scale, with 1 the lowest and 5 the highest (1 = strongly disagree; 2 = disagree; 3 = somewhat agree; 4 = agree; 5 = strongly agree) and a combination of two questions which produced an overall retention rate. The 28 individual questions were similar to those in satisfaction and retention surveys used nationwide, such as Gallup and Great Places to Work Institute. Great Places to Work Institute surveys are used to determine the annual Fortune 500 "100 Best Companies to Work For" and will be used by the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce to determine "Premier Employers" in the Omaha area.

The survey was distributed on October 31, 2002 and employees were given until November 21st to respond. The survey was sent to 3400 regular full-time and part-time employees; it was sent electronically to 3000 and in paper form to an additional 400, who did not have Lotus Notes' e-mail addresses.

1422 employees or 41.8% of those surveyed responded. Of those respondents, 947 (66.66%) identified themselves as female, 452 (31.79%) as male, and 23 individuals chose not to specify a gender.

Analysis of Responses to the 2002 Survey

The following is a breakdown of the survey responses by major categories. The items are listed with the highest ranked first. A brief analysis follows each categorical ranking.

Organizational Commitment and Credibility

 

I like my job. 4.2
My job is a good fit for my skills and talents. 4.2
I am aware of UNMC's vision, mission and goals. 4.1
I would recommend UNMC to patients or students. 4.1
I would recommend UNMC to prospective employees. 4.0
I am not actively seeking employment elsewhere. 4.0
I think that UNMC is following its vision and mission. 3.9
I plan to be working here three years from now. 3.9
I feel that I have employment stability. 3.6

 

The nine items in this area ranked from a "high" of 4.2 (employees like their jobs and perceive that their jobs fit their skills and talents) to a "low" of 3.6 ("I feel that I have employment stability"). The high rankings were evident for awareness of the UNMC vision, mission, and goals, for recommending UNMC to patients, students and prospective employees, and for not actively seeking employment elsewhere. Next in ranking were the perception that UNMC is following its vision and mission and the employees' belief that they plan to be working at UNMC in three years. The lowest ranking of 3.6 for "I feel I have employment stability" may have been influenced by budget cuts resulting from a second session of the legislature.

Supervisory/Managerial Competence

My supervisor treats me with respect. 4.1
I know what is expected of me and how my performance will be evaluated. 4.0
My manager supports learning new skills. 4.0
UNMC keeps employees informed about key issues. 3.8
My supervisors are strong trustworthy leaders. 3.6
I receive appropriate feedback on how I am performing my job. 3.6
UNMC holds individuals accountable for their productivity. 3.2

 

Supervisors were ranked high for treating employees with respect, letting employees know what is expected of them, and supporting the learning of new skills. Supervisors received adequate ratings as strong, trustworthy leaders and giving appropriate feedback. An area of concern is how UNMC holds individuals accountable for their productivity, according to the perceptions of this survey.
 

Workplace Relationships

I like and trust the people with whom I work. 3.8
I have a mentor who is interested in me professionally. 2.9

Employees like and trust the people with whom they work. The lack of a mentor who is interested in the employee professionally is an area of concern; the 2.9 rating for this item was the lowest for the entire survey.

Work Environment

I feel safe at my worksite. 4.1
I feel safe on the campus. 4.0
UNMC is concerned for the welfare and safety of students and employees. 3.9
Homeland security issues do not affect my sense of security on campus. 3.7
I am given the equipment and resources I need to perform my job. 3.7
My ideas are appreciated and seem to count. 3.6
At UNMC there is recognition for the importance of my personal and family life. 3.5
UNMC is interested in what people think about their jobs. 3.2

 

Safety at the worksite and on campus received high rankings; the responses regarding concern for welfare and safety and homeland security were next in ranking. Areas of moderate concern are the recognition of the importance of personal/family life and UNMC interest in what people think of their jobs.

Rewards and Opportunities

Compared to other organizations in the area, the benefits package is competitive. 3.7
I receive adequate recognition and rewards for a job well done. 3.4

 

The item on the competitiveness of the benefits package received an adequate rating while the item on "recognition and rewards of a job well done" (3.4) shows room for improvement.

Comparative Responses

By using an electronic response system for the 2002 Employee Satisfaction Survey, it was possible to do comparisons of the responses to the entire survey from multiple internal groupings. A comparison shows no significant differences in responses between the groups listed below:

  • Minority employees vs. non-minority employees
  • Male employees vs. female employees
  • Academic-Administrative employees vs. all other respondents to this survey
  • Managerial-Professional employees vs. all other respondents to this survey
  • Office-Service employees vs. all other respondents to this survey
     

Strategies for Improvement

The following strategies are under consideration:

  • Focus groups

Focus groups addressing areas of concern identified statistically in the survey to gain a better understanding of employees' needs and perceptions. This will facilitate more effective interventions and problem-solving.

  •  Mentoring

Identification of both formal and informal mentoring needs and opportunities at UNMC. Improvement and expansion of the current mentoring program.

  • Management communication and leadership skills

Programs to improve or enhance management communication skills and leadership style, specifically in the areas of performance feedback, and techniques for improving employee accountability for productivity. These efforts would include skills in providing performance evaluations, "in-the-moment coaching," and reward and recognition.

  • Improvement of general communication with employees about their jobs and perceptions of UNMC as an employer.

Continue such efforts as the employee "Roundtables," "Forums," and others "two-way" feedback vehicles.