Editor’s Note:During the past year, UNMC employees have participated in two separate surveys: UNMC Community Partnership’s 55-question written survey on cultural competency issues and Human Resources’ 29-question electronic survey on workplace perceptions. Today, UNMC will report the findings of the Community Partnership survey. Tuesday, it will report on the Human Resources’ survey.
UNMC is an organization that is poised to embrace cultural competency, according to last year’s campus survey, which examined factors that influence or pose barriers to an employees’ success.
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Between January and June of 2002, UNMC’s Community Partnership team gathered employees to complete a lengthy questionnaire. The confidential, 55-question survey covered employee background characteristics; general climate on campus; organizational climate; employee sense of achievement; management and supervision; types of interactions that are experienced, valued and appreciated by employees; and issues of equality and fairness.
A total of 2,455 questionnaires were completed for an overall response rate of 75 percent, which Valda Ford, director of Community and Multicultural Affairs, called “astonishing.”
“Overall, the survey said UNMC is a place that supports its employees, provides opportunities for advancement and has some mechanism in place to ensure success,” Ford said. “We need to work to further enhance these mechanisms, particularly in enabling entry level employees to move up in the organization.”
The survey is in accord with UNMC’s 2001-2004 strategic plan goal of creating a culturally competent organization. UNMC’s vision, Ford said, is to be a place that “respects individuals for their cultures, contributions and points of view” as well as fostering an environment where “all people feel good about being here.”
In the survey, 54 percent of respondents said they were getting informal feedback about their job performance. Still, Ford said, too many respondents (20 percent) did not believe they were getting informal feedback until the formal review process.
Most employees are comfortable talking with supervisors on a variety of topics, but those who aren’t (7 percent) fear a lack of confidentiality, fear that information may be used against them or worry that they would be perceived as less worthy or capable.
One surprising area, Ford said, was the question – UNMC is good at what it does. Although 48 percent agreed with the statement, another 44 percent disagreed, but gave no strong reasons why. Ford said additional follow-up would be needed to determine whether employees understood the question.
The majority of employees surveyed said they were able to succeed at UNMC and had access to mentors through formal and informal processes. “Those who had access to mentors were very positive,” Ford said.
The survey also uncovered concerns about the cost of UNMC’s day care center and that the university needs to recognize that employees without an M.D. or Ph.D. also contribute to the success of the organization.
The survey results will be available soon on the Community Partnership Web site, Ford said. Based on the results, a series of recommendations will be developed. Focus groups – selected through a random sampling process — and cultural competency educational opportunities also are planned to address immediate concerns.
Meanwhile, the Foundations for Success program, a collaborative training program that was the brainchild of the Cultural Competency Executive Committee, developed by UNMC’s Community Partnership, Human Resources and Continuing Education, will continue, Ford said. The program helps non-managerial employees hone their personal and career development skills.
In-depth surveys will be done every five to seven years, Ford said, although annual assessments will be made to determine progress on areas marked for improvement