[Press Release] : City to conduct an employee survey

[pr-l at news.gocolumbiamo.com]

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
Contact: Bill Watkins, City Manager - (573) 874-6338 or Tony St.
Romaine, Assistant City Manager - (573) 874-7214

City to conduct an employee survey 

COLUMBIA, MO (April 28, 2006) -- During the next few days, city
employees will be asked to complete a survey aimed at gathering their
perceptions of the work environment. The survey will cover issues such
as job satisfaction, personal work experiences, organizational culture,
pay, benefits, leadership and working conditions.

This is the first time in memory that an employee survey is being
conducted. It is an extension of the city's increased emphasis on
improving communications, including with employees.

The city hired Evergreen Solutions, LLC, from Tallahassee, Fla., to
work with city employees through a series of focus groups to explore
areas of interest and concern to city employees and to develop a survey
instrument that will provide accurate and valid data to city leaders and
employees.

Earlier this week a trial group of city employees responded to a draft
survey in order to provide additional input about the length of the
survey, clarity of questions and possible additional questions.
Revisions were made and the finalized survey will be distributed to all
permanent city employees on Friday, April 28. 

In order to assure that employees know that they can answer honestly
without being recognized, Bill Watkins, city manager, has made it clear
that under no circumstances should anyone from the city be able to trace
a survey back to a specific city employee.

Evergreen Solutions is scheduled to complete the analysis of the data
by the end of May 2006 and to prepare reports for use by the city. The
survey results will be posted on the city's Web site and made
available to employees.

City leaders plan to use the results to assist in the Fiscal Year 2007
budget process. The survey results also will be a discussion topic at
the annual Council Retreat in June and will be used in long-term
strategy planning.

While it is unlikely that all concerns can be addressed immediately,
"it is important that we establish a baseline against which
progress can be measured," said Watkins, who indicated that the city
plans to conduct a similar survey in two years to see how well needed
changes have been addressed.

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