Below are the final employee recommendations and analysis from Joey Keel and her Employee Satisfaction focus groups. The analysis can also be found here in PDF form.
These have lot of great information that will aid the Next Level Team in the design of the new structure. This will also serve as a baseline for future employee surveys to measure continuous improvements.
The Next Level Organization Team will incorporate as many of those recommendations as feasible into the new organization design.
Employee Recommendations
Career Advancement
- Institute ISO certification/APPA standards to positions if possible
- Create a formal and structured apprenticeship program
- Provide training/learning opportunities in the evening
- Improve hiring process to get quality employees
- Training (writing job descriptions, interviewing techniques, etc.)
- Reach out to various programs for recruitment (Dept of Vet Affairs, etc.)
- Before opening a position to the public, open to departmental personnel first and then FM employees
- Consider the applicants interest and dedication to working at the FM for OSU before hiring them
- Create a balance between degrees and expertise in hiring process (minimum requirement would be a bachelor’s degree and one year of experience or a high school diploma/GED and five years of experience as an example)
- Create a point of contact for career plan information (a person and place)
- Require supervisors to provide a hard copy of training information to all employees and allow employees to sign up for training opportunities to also track attendance
- Provide a formal and informal mentor program in all departments and utilize employees who demonstrate advancement potential in those mentor programs
- Have cross training between trades and provide a work order number to charge time
- Require supervisors to meet with employees one-on-one to discuss career goals
- Hold “all hands” meeting 1-4 times a year or send FM updates with useful information
- Encourage administrative leaders to spend face time with employees to demonstrate the employee is valued
- Provide periodic lateral or equal pay raises across the board instead of % increases for only those doing exceptional work
- Require all supervisors to complete supervisory academy
- Update job descriptions and review wages based on performance
Communication
- Include a contact person on work orders so employee can provide status updates
- Increase the number of computers available to FM employees (possibly use surplus computers
for example) and allow employee ID cards to swipe into computers for login
- Bypasses existing login process
- Easier and faster to get messages
- Looking at AIM
- More in-depth “all hands” meetings
- Hold team meetings prior to a job starting
- Create a resource coordinator (trained personnel) responsible for communicating across
departments and customers
- Involve the “unseen” departments such as Preventive Maintenance, Building Systems Group, Recycling, Supply, and Custodial in communications
- Create more opportunities to make personal contact with customers
- Could be part of a pre-meeting and includes the entire team
- Create a job walk with all parties involved in the project
- Require supervisors to be open to interaction with employees, other team members and customers to build trust and transparency
- Training
- One-on-one meetings
- Provide resources such as a checklist with all departments listed to Estimators and the Action Desk as to who does what and who needs to know about specific issues and/or a project so those departments have a point of reference
- Ensure all departments are contacted about upcoming projects
- Create a guide to services for customers and include service agreements
- Utilize the chain of command so supervisors rely on their direct reports to communicate with employees to reduce a duplication of a message
- Require training on using email effectively
- Have more job specific training available
Performance Reviews
- Require performance evaluations to be completed every six months (semi-annual) or more reviews if requested by the supervisor
- Provide more uniformity and standardization by providing definitions of the rating number or just use descriptive words (meeting requirements/not meeting requirement) instead of numbers; allow supervisor to define or hold department wide meeting to establish definitions for ratings
- Only rank employees on the job duties they are responsible to complete (maybe job descriptions are revised or supervisor is able to update the performance review) and have the employee core values (teamwork, service, attendance, etc.) separate from the job functions
- Have 360 degree evaluations (people who would come into contact with employee will provide an evaluation (up to 3 customers, 3 supervisor, and 3 coworkers))
- Schedule and plan for evaluations by giving the employee enough time (1 week to 1 month) to complete a self-evaluation at the same time the supervisor is filling out the evaluation of their employee. Then when complete, the employee, supervisor and next level above supervisor (approver) will come together for the performance review meeting/discussion. The employee will have the chance to respond before scores are marked on the evaluation.
- Include the career development plan (CDP), if available for position, with the evaluation so the employee can see what is necessary to grow and develop in position
- Have training available for employees and supervisor on evaluations. Employees would learn the goals of the evaluation and how to complete the self-evaluation among other pertinent topics. Supervisors would learn how to conduct an evaluation to enable uniformity across departments, how to complete a performance improvement plan, what career development plans are, and how to end the meeting on a positive note.
- Payroll department will send a copy of the employee’s performance review to the employee
- Include attendance and leave section for evaluating employees on the time they are at work and on the job (considering the absence is not medical related with a doctor’s certification)
- Allow a curve on the final score for raises to help with supervisors who are too strict or lenient on their employee’s evaluation
- Create a work order number so time can be billed for the performance review meeting
- If the employee has more than one supervisor, have up to three supervisors present at the performance review meeting
- Use past years evaluations to look back at the previous year and see changes to job description and performance
- Provide explanation of raise criteria so the employee knows how much is a cost of living raise and merit raise
- If no raise is given in a year, give other incentives such as offering to send an employee to continuing education classes/training, coupons or a pizza party for example
Recognition
- Recognize teamwork when departments work together to complete a project
- Start a new Facilities Management Advisory Council with representatives from each department that would hold regular meetings with upper management to discuss ideas and issues without repercussions
- Provide information on how to advance in an employee’s career such as a sheet with information so an employee knows what it would take to reach the maximum of the hiring range and provide regular pay increases each year to employees who demonstrate accomplishing defined expectations
- Send out a regular FM newsletter, mass email and/or bulletin boards that include recognition
for the following to build communication cross the FM:
- Projects
- Specified kudos
- Birthdays, anniversaries
- Use OSU’s buying power to get perks for employees (coupons, etc.)
- Provide recognition or incentives such as a jacket, t-shirt and/or pins for good safety records
- Allow employees to choose whether they would like to receive compensatory time or overtime pay for more than 40 hours worked in a workweek
- Reward employees for good attendance (attended 160 work days for example) with an extra day of leave, work schedule flexibility, extended lunch or a gift card
- Increase FMs budget
- Nominate an employee of the month in each department who would then be eligible for Facilities Management employee of the year
- Have a lead person for up to 5 employees to provide more recognition opportunities to employees for good work
- Hold recognition events annually
- Create a foundation account for recognition efforts
- Require leadership and supervisor training on topics such as recognition and team building (ropes course) among other topics
- Recognize employees for community service
- Create an area that employees could nap off the clock for those on standby for example
- Provide a mediation service to resolve employee disputes
- Hold supervisors accountable to hold their employees accountable for poor performance, attendance and conduct
- Recognize those who fulfill standby responsibilities
Training
- Require employees (all types-students, temps, fulltime, supervisors) to participate in training opportunities on the same standards for new ideas, equipment, etc. where specific goals need to be achieved such as obtaining a certification within a timeframe
- Establish a formal and consistent apprenticeship/mentor program
- Improve safety training, offer training more frequently on topics determined by department head, and offer at times employees can attend (for example Safety Data Sheet training)
- Develop formal training plans for employees as determined by their department head and provide that information to employees and require those employees to achieve a standard (through a test or proof of proficiency for example) before advancement
- Provide additional training to supervisors on topics such as feedback, motivation, human resources (writing job descriptions), etc.
- Require supervisors to announce training opportunities to their employees so they know the value of training, what classes are available, etc.
- Have resources (equipment for example) to allow employees to pass certifications such as a CDL, etc.
- Require employees to attend basic computer training, etiquette, customer service and other applicable training programs including AiM and StarRes for example and provide quick reference guides/sheets as part of the training
- Conduct more cross training opportunities for unique positions (positions where only one employee does a certain job and has no backup) or rotate positions to alleviate complacency and strengthen the continuity of the department
- Obtain employee input and feedback for training improvements through a training evaluation
- Provide information that a central location is available to allow employees to check out a laptop computer
- Have a mobile computer lab at the FM for training purposes
- Require formal training on new equipment or procedures before the equipment/procedures can be used
- Require supervisors to support employee development by investing in the employee and providing the time to attend training and continuing education without work interruptions
- Provide basic literacy training
- Create an accountability method to ensure supervisors are providing training opportunities to their employees
- Provide additional computers as a resource for employees
Recommendation Analysis
High Importance - Easy to Implement
| Focus Group | Number | Proposed Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Career Advancement | A14 | Update job descriptions and review wages |
| A7 | Provide formal and informal mentor program in all departments | |
| A4 | Improve hiring process | |
| A3 | Provide training/learning opportunities in the evening | |
| Communications | C4 | Hold team meetings prior to a job starting |
| C1 | Include a contact person on work orders | |
| Performance Evaluation | P2 | Uniform and standardized system |
| P5 | Schedule and plan ahead for evals | |
| P3 | Evaluate on job employee is doing & separate core values | |
| P11 | Establish WO# to bill time | |
| P9 | Include attendance and leave on eval | |
| Recognition | R14 | Require leadership training |
| R8 | Reward employees for good attendance | |
| R15 | Recognize employees for community service | |
| R10 | Nominate employee of the month and they are eligible for employee of the yr | |
| Training | T1 | Employees required to attend training |
| T5 | Provide supervisor training | |
| T13 | Formal training required on new equipment before it is used | |
| T6 | Require supervisors to make training announcements | |
| T7 | Resources available for employees to obtain certifications |
High Importance - Hard to Implement
| Focus Group | Number | Proposed Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Career Advancement | A2 | Create a formal and structured apprenticeship program |
| A12 | Provide periodic lateral or equal pay increases for those doing exceptional work | |
| Communications | C10 | Create a guide to services and service agreements |
| C2 | Increase # of computers available and use ID's to swipe and log in | |
| C9 | Ensure all departments are contacted about upcoming projects | |
| C13 | Have more job specific training available | |
| C8 | Provide resources (checklist) to Estimators and Action Desk | |
| Performance Evaluation | P7 | Training for all |
| P4 | 360 degree eval | |
| Recognition | R19 | Recognize those who fulfill standby responsibilities |
| R17 | Provide mediation services | |
| R18 | Hold supervisor accountable to hold employees accountable | |
| Training | T4 | Develop training plans for employees |
| T2 | Apprenticeship/mentor program | |
| T16 | Create accountability to ensure supervisors are providing training to employees | |
| T14 | Require supervisors to support training and continuing education |
Low Importance - Hard to Implement
| Focus Group | Number | Proposed Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Career Advancement | A1 | Institute ISO certification/APPA standards for positions |
| Communications | C12 | Require training on using email |
| C5 | Create a resource coordinator | |
| Performance Evaluation | P1 | Semi-annual evals |
| P12 | Up to 3 supv present at eval | |
| P6 | Include CDP | |
| P15 | Provide incentives in no raise yrs | |
| P10 | Curve score for raises | |
| Recognition | R2 | New FM Advisory Council |
| R6 | Provide recognition or incentives for safety | |
| R9 | Increase FM budget | |
| R7 | Employee choice to receive comp time or overtime payment | |
| R16 | Create an area for naps (standby) | |
| R13 | Create a foundation account for recognition efforts | |
| R11 | Lead person for up to 5 employees | |
| Training | T9 | Cross training and rotations |
| T17 | Provide additional computers | |
| T11 | Central location for computer check out (make this public info) | |
| T12 | Mobile computer lab | |
| T15 | Basic literacy training |
Low Importance - Easy to Implement
| Focus Group | Number | Proposed Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Career Advancement | A5 | Create a point of contact for career plan info |
| A11 | Encourage administrative leaders to spend face time with employees | |
| A6 | Require supervisors to provide a hard copy of training info to employees & allow employees to sign up | |
| A13 | Require all supervisors to complete supervisory academy | |
| A9 | Require supervisors to meet with employees one-on-one to discuss career goals | |
| A8 | Have cross training between trades and WO # to charge time | |
| A10 | Hold "all hands" meeting 1-4 times a year or provide updates with useful info | |
| Communications | C6 | Create more opportunities to make personal contact with customers |
| C7 | Require supervisors to be open to interaction | |
| C11 | Utilize chain of command so messages to employees are not duplicated | |
| C3 | More in-depth "all hands" meeting | |
| Performance Evaluation | P13 | Use past eval to show changes from prior yr |
| P14 | Explain raise program | |
| P8 | Payroll dept send out evals | |
| Recognition | R4 | Send out FM newsletter |
| R3 | Provide info on how to advance in a career | |
| R1 | Recognize team work | |
| R5 | Obtain perks from vendors (coupons, etc.) | |
| R12 | Hold recognition events annually | |
| Training | T8 | Required training (computer, AiM, customer service) |
| T10 | Training evaluation | |
| T3 | Improve safety training |