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 Today reports the findings of the Human Resources’ survey. On Monday, it reported the findings of the Community Partnership survey.
The majority of UNMC employees participating in an online survey last fall said they liked their job, were aware of the university’s vision and mission and would recommend UNMC to prospective employees, patients and students.
Those are among the results obtained by UNMC Human Resources from last fall’s 29-question, electronic employee satisfaction survey.
The confidential survey was developed to gather base line information concerning employee perspectives about working at UNMC and to identify areas that need improvement. The questions for the 2002 survey were based on identified employee retention and satisfaction factors, similar to those used by Gallup Organization and Fortune magazine.
Of 3,400 regular full- and part-time employees, 1,422 responded. Results for UNMC’s workforce as a whole were determined and compared to sub group results (sub-groups such as women only, minority only, or faculty only).
“This data is absolutely invaluable in supporting our efforts to retain talented employees at all levels within the organization” said John Russell, executive director of Human Resources at UNMC. “We’re pleased that there weren’t marked differences between subgroups.”
In October, UNMC retained Career Design, Inc., a company that develops research-based survey instruments for employers, to assist with the 2002 employee satisfaction survey. UNMC Chancellor Harold M. Maurer, M.D., has emphasized creating a culture that builds employee loyalty and satisfaction within UNMC’s 2002-2005 Strategic Plan.
The survey allowed employees to rank their responses using a five-point scale with one being the lowest and five the highest. The following questions scored the highest:
- 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
- My supervisor treats me with respect, 4.1
- I feel safe at my worksite, 4.1
Russell said focus groups would be developed to glean additional information on areas that received lower scores. One area for improvement, Russell said, relates to perceptions about on-the-job mentoring. Additional information is needed, he said, as the survey did not specify whether employees perceived “mentoring” as formal or informal relationships.
The following responses were identified as areas to improve upon:
- I receive adequate recognition and rewards for a job well done, 3.4
- UNMC is interested in what employees think about their job, 3.2
- UNMC holds individuals accountable for their productivity, 3.2
- I have a mentor who is interested in me professionally, 2.9
The survey is particularly important in light of funding concerns for higher education, Russell said. “If we build on our strengths successfully and retain talented people then this will pay for itself many times over,” he said.