In December 2017, the University Services Human Resources Office conducted an employee engagement training session for leaders. The training focused on action planning as a response to engagement survey results. Because University Services has a diverse group of staff who perform varying functions (Facilities, Police, Dining, Housing, Parking, U Market, Printing, Addressing and Mailing, Health and Safety, Capital Planning, and varying other personnel) the goal of the training was to provide broad guidance and resources to enable more effective planning of employee engagement initiatives. This included developing an employee engagement action planning template (attached).
Objectives and Program
The following is a list of course objectives that were covered:
- Identify actions to take based on results
- Interpret employee engagement results
- Recognize what to focus on in results
- Translate what to do when sharing results
- Explain to staff what steps can be taken
- Identify resources and provide templates
To further enhance the learning experience, the following items were included:
- Panel discussion, featuring 3-4 U Services leaders
- Group activities/table discussions
Outcomes
We received feedback that the panel discussions were insightful and helpful to leaders. Attendees learned what other units were doing to build employee engagement, such as weekly departmental communications, change management committees, and methods to increase open door management practices. These ideas helped when formulating plans for their own departments.
The training further provided helpful guidance on what to do–and what not to do–when sharing engagement survey results, what to focus on with survey data, what to do if your results are worse than anticipated, action planning principles, and why some leaders choose or not choose to take action with survey data results.
The unit-wide meetings highlighted University Services’ prioritization of employee engagement and placed clear emphasis on the importance of proactive planning. In addition, it provided valuable interaction and sharing opportunities for colleagues at the management level.