Agenda item

Staff Survey 2019

To consider the report.

Minutes:

The Panel considered the report that detailed the results of the 2019 staff survey.

 

Members were informed that a temperature check survey was carried out biannually with the full survey running on alternative years.  In July 2019 a temperature check survey was conducted.  The questions asked were the same as those asked at the last temperature check survey in 2017 as the full survey questions had also remained static.

 

Staff members could undertake the survey online or on paper and there had been a 60.95% response rate compared to 52.38% for the full survey in 2018.   Page 26 of the agenda pack, paragraph 2.3 detailed the six statements employees were asked to rate between strongly agree to strongly disagree, they were:

 

·           My work gives me a sense of personal achievement

·           I am given opportunities for personal and professional development

·           My manager visibly demonstrates the CREATE values

·           The senior leadership team have a plan that I believe in

·           I feel proud to work for the council

·           The council provides a great service to our residents

 

Overall results were positive as shown in image 1 and table 1 on agenda pack page27.  Table 2 on page 28 showed a year on year comparison.  Whilst the full survey questions were greater in number, they had been grouped in the theme of the temperature check so that comparisons could be made.  In all cases, there had been a positive increase in percentage points.

 

Although overall the survey results were positive there were areas that required improvement with the lowest score remaining around leadership.  This has been a focus for 2019 with better visibility of the senior leadership team and further improving communication on the direction of the council including actions detailed in paragraph 3.2 that included:

 

·           Communicating messages from Corporate Leadership Team meetings

·           Continued work with Employee Ambassadors to engage with staff

·           All staff meetings, held on a bi-annual basis

 

Other areas that required improvement was personal development that, whilst much improved, scored within the amber range, that meant a focus on improving training and development opportunities for employees  and better utilisation of the apprenticeship levy, cross team working and opportunities for mentoring. 

 

Work was done at comparing the results with those of Optalis and Achieving for Children but the question sets and format were very different, so doing a direct comparison was not possible.

 

A number of future actions had been identified including a middle managers forum where those mid level employees had the chance to network and share ideas. The corporate leadership team were to be more visible starting with them facilitating all staff sessions from October onwards to review values and behaviours and look at general experience of working for the council.

 

Members were informed that the next  full survey was scheduled for July 2020.

Cllr Jones mentioned that the report showed that there had been a marked increase in staff voicing complaints about working location and office space and she felt that this should have improved as most office moves had been completed and how did we know it was the recent moves that caused concern.  Members were informed that although the survey was confidential they did know the service area that they came from and thus could tell that the concerns came from areas that had recently had to undergo a number of office moves and thus the results were expected this year.

 

Cllr Bateson asked if the mentors came from the same department and was informed that this was not always the case and mentoring from different areas provided useful insights into how to mange teams.

 

Cllr Hilton asked if the was any granularity between service areas and if there were differences between services.  The Panel was informed that at head of services areas there was granularity but across all services the themes were consistent. 

 

Cllr Del Campo raised concern about the results regarding the senior leadership team and was informed that there was now a new managing director in place with a new senior management restructure being implemented.

 

Cllr Coppinger mentioned that looking at comparative data throughout the years it was good to see a continues improvement. 

 

Cllr Baldwin mentioned that the report only showed percentages and not absolute numbers and although it was compulsory to answer every question on line this would not be the case with paper copies.

 

Resolved unanimously:  that the Employment Panel notes the report and:

 

·         Reviewed the results of the 2019 Staff Survey Temperature Check.

·         Noted the proposed next steps to address any areas for improvement.

Supporting documents: