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DATE: |
February 28, 2023 |
22 |
SUBJECT
Title
EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT SURVEY ENTERPRISE REPORT (DISTRICTS: ALL)
Body
OVERVIEW
On March 1, 2022 (03), the Board of Supervisors (Board) directed the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), at the conclusion of the biennial employee engagement survey, to provide an enterprise report with accountability objectives, opportunities for systemic improvements, timeline for recommended changes and budget implications, if any.
Today’s action requests the Board receive the San Diego County Employee Engagement Survey Results. The employee engagement survey was conducted in September 2022 by an independent consultant, CPS HR Consulting (CPS HR). This consultant focuses on helping public-sector organizations measure and improve engagement and conduct research to advance the state of knowledge about employee engagement, particularly in the public sector. High employee engagement not only enhances the individual employee experience but also leads to better decision-making and improved individual and organizational performance.
A total of 6,608 County of San Diego employees completed the engagement survey. This reflects a participation rate of 51% among those who received the survey, which is a 29% increase from the County’s last engagement survey conducted in 2018. The overall results of the survey indicated that 37% of County employees identified as “fully engaged,” with 47% “somewhat engaged” and 16% “not engaged.” The consultant has met with each County Group to review the overall survey results and discuss what is working for County employees and where improvements can be made.
The highest key driver and organizational trend of employee engagement was the category of Diversity and Inclusion. Employees overwhelmingly indicated that, “I feel like I belong working here” and that the County “values diversity, equity, and inclusion.” This is an area where the County wants to, at minimum, maintain the level of engagement and continue to create a culture where employees feel like they belong.
Training and development, along with opportunities to move to other departments, were identified as areas where the County has opportunity for improvement. In particular, “Training and development activities I have completed in the past 12 months have helped to improve my performance” and “I feel that there are opportunities to move to different departments within the County” were areas identified County-wide as opportunities for improvement. In collaboration with County departments, an action plan to improve employee access to career-enhancing training opportunities and identifying strategies to increase awareness of job opportunities in other departments within the County is being developed.
The County will be actively soliciting feedback from employees to contribute to accountability objectives. One of these efforts is a listening session that will take place in March 2023. All employees will be invited to review the County’s engagement report, and CPS HR will help guide them in understanding the results and invite suggestions for ways to improve. While surveys tell us how a question was answered, it is useful to have the ability to assess the reasons behind responses. This outreach allows us to do just that. The goal is to determine action items that can be implemented County-wide to improve our engagement scores ahead of the 2024 survey. CPS HR will also support department leaders to act on their department’s results, helping them to develop an action plan to incorporate into their Operational Plan goals to improve engagement.
RECOMMENDATION(S)
CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER
Receive the San Diego County Employee Engagement Survey Results
EQUITY IMPACT STATEMENT
Equity is essential in our efforts to support an engaged workforce. Today’s recommendation provides employee engagement results and analysis that will assist the County of San Diego in retaining a skilled, adaptable, and diverse workforce for County departments, which enables the County to provide equitable services to all constituents of this County.
SUSTAINABILITY IMPACT STATEMENT
Through our partnership with CPS HR, the County’s employee engagement efforts support the Sustainability Goal of engaging the community. Transparently sharing results and developing strategies through outreach at all levels of the organization will ensure that our community of employees can participate in decisions that impact their engagement at work and their ability to serve the public.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact associated with this action. There will be no change in net General Fund cost and no additional staff years.
BUSINESS IMPACT STATEMENT
N/A
Details
ADVISORY BOARD STATEMENT
N/A
BACKGROUND
On January 11, 2022, the Board of Supervisors received a reimagined General Management System and Strategic Plan that put employee investment and satisfaction at the forefront, recognizing that a sense of belonging for employees is a key Core Value. Creating an engaging and rewarding workplace is a priority of the Board and County leadership. With the remote and hybrid working environment, it is more important than ever to ensure employees feel valued and connected to the County’s culture. A team of County employees has been put in place to identify engagement strategies that prioritize employee input and internal and external engagement best practices. One additional step being taken to facilitate a culture of open dialogue, feedback, teamwork, fairness, recognition, and professional growth for employees, is contracting with an external employee engagement expert to survey County staff to understand the climate of the workforce and set ongoing benchmarks and standards. Current engagement activities and opportunities will be cross referenced with the engagement survey results to build an internal engagement strategy.
The engagement survey was conducted in September 2022 by CPS HR.
The results analysis by CPS HR identifies the key drivers of engagement and provides action plan suggestions to either maintain or improve the engagement scores. The question categories “Diversity and Inclusion,” “The County’s Vision,” “Culture,” and “Training and Development” had the strongest influence on the overall County employee engagement score. These are, therefore, the key workplace drivers of engagement County-wide, and will be the focus of the suggested action plans.
CPS HR is also engaging with Groups and departments to assist in the analysis of results specific to departments. Action plan suggestions have been provided to Group and departmental leadership. These action plans point to specific survey questions that CPS HR believes will improve engagement scores for each department. By explaining the question, providing thought starters, and engaging employees at all levels of the organization, departments will better understand how to target efforts to improve engagement. Consultations will continue with CPS HR to determine how best to approach outreach and feedback from staff at the department level. These efforts will allow staff to analyze and determine opportunities for systemic improvements.
Future surveys will be conducted biennially in 2024, 2026, 2028, and 2030 and will allow for ongoing analysis and revised action to ensure that we continue to strengthen our culture of excellence.
LINKAGE TO THE COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO STRATEGIC PLAN
The requested action supports the County of San Diego’s 2023-2028 Strategic Plan objectives of Empower Workforce and Empower Innovation by investing in the County workforce and implementing best practices.
Respectfully submitted,
HELEN N. ROBBINS-MEYER
Chief Administrative Officer
ATTACHMENT(S)
Att 1. County of San Diego 2022 Employee Engagement Survey Report