2016 Duck River EMC Employee Survey August, 2016 NRECA MARKET RESEARCH SERVICES

Survey Objectives Determine… overall employee satisfaction key drivers of satisfaction interdepartmental satisfaction levels district satisfaction levels employee perceptions of key issues NRECA MARKET RESEARCH SERVICES

Methodology Online survey sent to 133 employees Paper surveys for 36 employees without email Three reminders sent to increase participation 77% of employees completed the survey Analyzed two tenure groups Short tenure = Under 7 years with DREMC Long tenure = Over 7 years with DREMC NRECA MARKET RESEARCH SERVICES

Overall Satisfaction

Overall Satisfaction is Good Majority of employees are satisfied Only one-tenth are dissatisfied Shorter tenured employees are more satisfied than longer tenured Overall Mean = 4.01 Shorter Tenure = 4.19 Longer Tenure = 3.92 NRECA MARKET RESEARCH SERVICES

Key Drivers of Satisfaction Valued Employee – 0.27 Had opportunities at work to learn and grow in the last year I enjoy coming to work My work is valued by the Cooperative My work is rewarding My opinion seems to count at work I feel like a valued member of my team I have input into the decision-making process Management listens to my ideas Management respects me and treats me well I see an opportunity for advancement/ promotion here Pride in Job and Co-op – 0.27 I am proud to work for Duck River EMC I am motivated to work together with other employees and departments to achieve the strategic plan The mission and purpose of DREMC makes me feel my job is important I would like to continue working at Duck River EMC until I reach retirement I think DREMC’s plans for the future are going in the right direction Work Responsibilities – 0.20 My work responsibilities are realistic My work responsibilities are well defined NRECA MARKET RESEARCH SERVICES

Valued Employee Low ratings on most, 8 of 10 have means below 4.0 Perceptions of value and empowerment impact satisfaction Large differences between tenure groups Shorter tenure – good agreement with seven of ten statements Longer tenure – good agreement with only one statement Agreement is strong for… My work is rewarding (4.12) I enjoy coming to work (4.01) Biggest opportunities for improvement are… I see an opportunity for advancement/promotion here (3.15) I have input into the decision-making process (3.17) NRECA MARKET RESEARCH SERVICES

Valued Employee - continued Remainder of statements would benefit from improvement I have had opportunities at work to learn and grow in the last year (3.86) Management respects me and treats me well (3.81) My work is valued by this Cooperative (3.81) I feel like a valued member of my team/work group (3.72) Management listens to my ideas (3.51) My opinion seems to count at work (3.36) NRECA MARKET RESEARCH SERVICES

Pride in Job and Co-op Four of five statements rated positively I would like to continue working for DREMC until I retirement (4.50) I am proud to work for Duck River EMC (4.39) I'm motivated to work with other employees/departments to achieve strategic plan (4.23) The mission and purpose of the co-op makes me feel my job is important (3.98) Low rating indicates opportunity Plans for the future are going in the right direction (3.48) Smaller differences between tenures Keep up the good work NRECA MARKET RESEARCH SERVICES

Work Responsibilities Big differences between tenure groups Shorter tenure employees agree with both statements Longer tenure employees’ ratings indicate opportunity My work responsibilities are well defined All Employees – mean rating = 3.98 Shorter tenure – mean rating = 4.24 Longer tenure – mean rating = 3.88 My work responsibilities are realistic All Employees – mean rating = 3.85 Shorter tenure – mean rating = 4.22 Longer tenure – mean rating = 3.70 Employees identify equitable treatment as an issue NRECA MARKET RESEARCH SERVICES

Strengths and Weaknesses

Indicators of Engagement Overall Strengths Mean ratings close to or above 4.0 for 18 of 41 statements Four highest rated statements are: I would like to continue working at Duck River EMC until I reach retirement (4.50) I represent my cooperative even when I am off the job (4.46) My job is important to the overall success of my cooperative (4.45) I am proud to work for Duck River EMC (4.39) Receive positive ratings from both tenure groups Indicators of Engagement NRECA MARKET RESEARCH SERVICES

Strengths Among Shorter Tenured Employees Six statements with strongest agreement: My job is important to the overall success of my cooperative (4.59) I represent my cooperative even when I am off the job (4.58) My work is rewarding (4.54) My supervisor is very committed to our cooperative (4.51) I am willing to give some of my own time to improve my skills/job knowledge (4.51) I enjoy coming to work (4.49) Areas with the highest overall ratings are related to… My Job – average rating of 4.28 Our Mission and Strategic Plan – average rating of 4.18 NRECA MARKET RESEARCH SERVICES

Strengths Among Longer Tenured Employees Four statements with strongest agreement: I would like to continue working at Duck River EMC until I reach retirement (4.59) I represent my cooperative even when I am off the job (4.47) My work is rewarding (4.54) I am proud to work for Duck River EMC (4.45) My job is important to the overall success of my cooperative (4.40) Areas with the highest overall ratings are related to… Our Mission and Strategic Plan – average rating of 3.97 My Job – average rating of 3.95 NRECA MARKET RESEARCH SERVICES

Opportunities for Improvement Mean ratings close to or below 3.5 for 10 of 41 statements Lowest rated statements are: There is a great deal of cooperation/teamwork among departments here (3.08) I see an opportunity for advancement/promotion here (3.15) I have input into the decision-making process (3.17) I regularly receive recognition/praise for good work (3.21) Management has a positive working relationship with employees (3.22) Low ratings from both tenure groups, very low for longer tenure NRECA MARKET RESEARCH SERVICES

Opportunities – Shorter Tenured Employees Generally have higher levels of satisfaction compared to longer tenure employees Only three statement close to or below 3.50 Employees are kept informed of cooperative goals/objectives (3.43) I regularly receive recognition/praise for good work (3.49) I have input into the decision-making process (3.51) Areas with the lowest overall ratings are related to… Cooperative Management, Culture, and Communication – average rating of 3.88 Recognition, Development, & Opportunity – average rating of 4.04 NRECA MARKET RESEARCH SERVICES

Opportunities – Longer Tenured Employees See Notes Opportunities – Longer Tenured Employees A number of opportunities for improvement exist Ten statement below 3.50, two under 3.0 There is a great deal of cooperation/teamwork among departments (2.92) I see an opportunity for advancement/promotion here (2.99) I regularly receive recognition/praise for good work (3.08) I have input into the decision-making process (3.08) Areas with the lowest overall ratings are related to… Cooperative Management, Culture, and Communication – average rating of 3.47 Recognition, Development, & Opportunity – average rating of 3.61 NRECA MARKET RESEARCH SERVICES

Pay and Benefits Satisfaction Satisfaction with Pay is low 72% somewhat or completely satisfied Mean rating of 3.85 = opportunity to improve Shorter tenure = more satisfied Satisfaction with Benefits is very low 59% somewhat or completely satisfied Mean rating of 3.54 = opportunity to improve Long tenure = more satisfied Insurance/Benefits identified as an issue by employees NRECA MARKET RESEARCH SERVICES

Improvements Are Noticed, More To Do Fifty-nine percent of employees have seen improvements Tool & Technology Upgrades – 40% Safety Focus – 36% Employee Engagement – 32% Health / Medical Clinics – 30% Forty-five percent identified issues, most often… Equitable treatment of employees – 29% Communication issues – 17% Insurance/Benefits – 15% Poor employee interactions/morale – 12% Too much change – 12% NRECA MARKET RESEARCH SERVICES

Next Steps NRECA MARKET RESEARCH SERVICES

Where to Focus Satisfaction is good Foundation of an engaged workforce is present Key drivers identify areas of greatest impact Opportunities to learn and grow Employees want to feel valued Listen to employee feedback and input Empower employees where it makes sense Build unity, cooperation Make sure everyone knows and understands the plan Understand and address opinion gaps between tenures Benefits and insurance are a concern NRECA MARKET RESEARCH SERVICES

Market Research Manager 712-477-2617 Mike.Sassman@nreca.coop Questions? Mike Sassman Market Research Manager 712-477-2617 Mike.Sassman@nreca.coop NRECA MARKET RESEARCH SERVICES