Data-Driven Engagement: Using Metrics to Enhance the Employee Lifecycle Presented by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Office of the Director (OD), Office of Human Resources (OHR),

About NIH The National Institutes of Health (NIH), a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services , is the nation’s medical research agency—making important discoveries that improve health and save lives. NIH Mission: to seek fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems and the application of that knowledge to enhance health, lengthen life, and reduce the burdens of illness and disability. Organizational Structure: 27 different components called Institutes and Centers. Each has its own specific research agenda. The Office of the Director is the central office at NIH for its 27 Institutes and Centers, and includes a centralized Office of Human Resources (OHR). Size: ~20,000 full-time, federal employees Introduction to NIH – who we are and the organizational structure

About the Office of Human Resources, NIH

Presentation Overview Why Employee Surveys? NIH Surveys Approach NIH Climate Surveys The NIH Exit Survey Taking Action Based on NIH Survey Results SMARTHR Global Recruitment & Metrics

Why Use Surveys? Assess the effectiveness of NIH programs Develop new training, programs, and practices within the NIH Provide insight into employee opinions Create a happier and more productive workforce Fill the ‘gaps’ of quantitative data Understand organizational climate (Engagement/Employee surveys) “Health” of an organization Employee's shared perceptions of their work environment Save money through retention and productivity (Exit survey) Employee turnover costs anywhere from 50 to 200 percent of the average employee’s annual salary

NIH, OHR Climate and Employee Surveys The climate of an organization impacts behavior, processes, workforce's performance and productivity, and employee engagement and retention Organizational climate surveys can be used to Identify organizational strengths and weaknesses. Quantify attitudes and beliefs. Create a holistic picture of the organization. Highlight issues that may be inhibiting individual and organizational success. An organizational climate survey is like a weather report that quantifies attitudes and beliefs. The results can help to create a holistic picture of the organization and allow the company to leverage its strengths. The feedback also highlights issues that may be inhibiting individual and organizational success. Organizational climate surveys can be used to Give employees the opportunity to describe their desired culture. Establish a benchmark for evaluating changes in overall performance over time. Demonstrate that management cares about their employees by taking action based upon the feedback. Identify the causes of employee turnover and describe the impact of current programs and policies. Diagnose the current operating culture of an organization. Identify issues and subcultures. Validate the call for change. Support managers and HR leaders in designing correct interventions to drive change. Integrate different teams. Facilitate mergers and acquisitions, or strategic partnerships. Develop action planning for employee development and organizational change.

Climate Data at NIH NIH’s SAID Survey Team obtains climate data through the following recurring surveys: Employee Viewpoint Survey (OPM), Gov wide & yearly NIH OHR Climate Survey (NIH, OHR), bi-annual NIH Exit Survey, quarterly Currently developing a ‘Retention’/ ‘Pulse’ Survey (NIH, OHR), yearly

Ways to Look at Climate Data Compare organizations Similar organizations Sub-organization to whole Benchmarks in the industry Cross-cut the data by demographics E.g., levels, locations, job type, tenure, etc. Historic analyses Compare to previous year(s) Develop trend models Based on trends, forecast for the future Workforce planning and action planning <Merging with other data types to gain more context>

Results of Climate Survey data at NIH Based on climate survey data, NIH has implemented: Flexible work programs Flexible schedule and telework initiatives New recognition and reward programs Senior leadership site visits and increased visibility Best practice sharing across sub-components Better mentoring strategies Sharing of best practices – reaching out to divisions who were successful in certain areas and distributing these best practices across the organization; development of mentoring strategies Highest Increases from 2009 to 2011 I know OHR's senior leadership appreciates the work that I do to support OHR. (increased by 13% to 81%) I believe OHR's senior leadership has the skills necessary to guide OHR. (increased by 12% to 86%) OHR's senior leadership generates high levels of commitment and motivation to OHR overall. (increased by 12% to 77%) Work is distributed evenly and fairly in my home organization/branch. (increased by 10% to 75%) Considering everything, I am satisfied with my job. (increased by 10% to 88%) When compared to 2009 data, 78% of the questions in the 2011 NIH, OHR Climate Survey experienced an increase in the percentage of positive responses.

NIH Exit Survey Objectives Understand the organizational conditions that cause employees to leave Determine where improvements can be made to retain employees Add a ‘human’ aspect to turnover data Understanding the ‘why’ behind the numbers To end the employee relationship on a positive note Make considerations for succession planning What positions/ organizational components are the most difficult to retain and why

NIH Exit Survey Design Initial questions were determined using a pilot group. Questions were developed by I/O Psychologists Revised yearly using a structured modification process. 23 standard questions (asked of all respondents); Additional questions based on reasons for separation 3 open-ended questions; Additional open text fields Responses collected using online survey tool Results are provided to components/NIH using a custom automated tool, developed by HR SAID, called SMARTHR Quarterly and Annual reports Organization specific and NIH-wide reports Pilot group was convened to determine initial survey questions, format, and distribution methods The survey goes through a yearly modification/review process where customer feedback is gathered via survey and focus group, in addition to a thorough review by the SAID Survey Team and SAID leadership.

NIH Exit Survey: Types of Survey Questions Demographic Questions IC, Series, Grade, Pay Plan, Tenure Gender, Race, Disability Reasons for separation Follow-up questions are based on the reason(s) selected for separation Respondents are asked to select top 3 reasons for separating Overall impression of NIH Training needs fulfilled Work skills fully utilized Recommend NIH as a good place of employment Information about employee’s new job Type of Job Better pay? Better benefits? Demographics look at the organization, the level of the employee (sr/jr), how long they have been at NIH, and the type of position/job they are working in (May need to explain series/grade/pay plan/tenure)

NIH Analysis of Exit Survey Data Compare organizations Similar organizations Sub-organization to whole Cross-cut the data by demographics E.g., levels, locations, job type, tenure, etc. Use in conjunction with Climate and Engagement Survey Data Link exit survey data to employee survey results to determine how employee engagement is impacting turnover Use in conjunction with other HR data Tie opinion data with other data to obtain greater context NIH Exit Survey customers are all able to view the NIH-wide findings in addition to their individual IC/organization

NIH Analysis of Exit Survey Data (cont.) Historic analyses Compare to previous year(s) Look for trends in open-ended questions Open-text can provide additional context and more in-depth Information Develop trend models Based on trends, forecast for the future Workforce planning and action planning Previous survey data can be displayed using drop-down features in SMARTHR

NIH Use of Exit Survey Data Development of retention strategies Why are people leaving? What would have helped retain them? Workforce Planning Where are current gaps? What are high turnover vs. stable areas? Insight into underlying issues Are there trends for why people are leaving? Opens communication channels Departing employees can voice their opinions and input in a confidential manner.

NIH Outcomes Using Exit Survey Data Integration of Exit Survey results with workforce data Exploring reasons for separation trends Expansion in workplace flexibilities Flexible work schedules and telework initiatives New employee recognition and reward programs Increased leadership face time The OD All Hands Meeting Best practice sharing across NIH ICs and sub-components Better mentoring strategies New onboarding process SMARTHR development In order to make better use of the survey data and facilitate action planning for our customers, the SAID Survey Team is working on building an Action Planning module into our survey reporting tool This module will look at data at the IC-level and provide recommendations based on survey findings for the quarter/fiscal year. Recommendations will be based on best practices in the industry, along with identified best practices across NIH. NIH was identified as the #1 ideal employer in “Universum’s America’s Ideal employers 2012” in the field of natural sciences, and for the third year in a row, was the only federal employer to make AARPs “Best employers For Workers Over 50”. We think the Exit Survey is an important tool in achieving these distinctions.

SMARTHR Overview Self Monitoring Analytics Reporting Tool for Human Resources (SMARTHR) Purpose: Increase efficiency in the use of resources Automate and streamline specialized reporting Bridge reporting gaps by connecting disparate data sources (HR and non-HR) Transform data into HR information Provide direct access and monitoring of HR information by NIH users Features: Mobile Friendly (smart-phones and tablets) Web-based with Single Sign-On authentication Drill down and exporting capabilities Security based on role, module, and business area

SMARTHR Data Universe NIH Data Sources HHS/OPM Data Sources Other Data Sources

Blackberry Bold or newer models SMARTHR Mobility Blackberry Bold or newer models iPad 1 and 2 iPhone 4 and 4s models 19

SMARTHR Platform User Interface powered by Microsoft .NET Framework 4.0 Mobile Interface powered by HTML5 and JavaScript Reporting Capability powered by Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 Database Engine Reporting Services (SSRS) Analysis Services (SSAS) Integration Services (SSIS) Security powered by Site-Minder (NIH Single Sign-On) Integration powered by Web-Services Emerging technologies meeting NIH enterprise architecture standards may be included in the future

SMARTHR Demo

SMARTHR Future Additional survey reports (Helpdesk and Training) Additional dashboards (Compensation and other pay elements) Organization Health Reports Action Planning Predictive and scenario modeling

Global Recruitment & Metrics

Using metrics to drive business improvements Agenda Leveraging metrics data to improve your organization’s recruitment and hiring strategies Using metrics to drive business improvements Applying metrics data to assess individual and organizational performance

2012 Recruitment Requirements Targeted Recruitment Goal: Fill recruitment requirements identified by customers Requirements collected in annual survey Focus on critical shortfall occupations Identify key professional societies and marketing strategies Deploy outreach strategies: Conference presentations Public lectures Research journal articles 2012 Recruitment Requirements 601 Health Science/HSAs 245 401 Biologists 234 602 Medical Officers 176 610 Nurse 143 2210 IT Specialists 120 301 Admin & Program Spec 116 343 Program/Mgmt Analyst 93

Metrics Drive Recruitment Strategies and Tools Annual recruitment requirements drive the recruitment process for the entire year Influences outreach efforts Allows OHR to decide to use a global or individual customer recruitment strategy Determines the development of the HR Classification and Recruitment Documents System (CARDS) tools Provides insight into needed customer specific recruitment strategies

Metrics Drive Recruitment Efficiencies Vacancy Announcement and Certificate Report Monitoring all of HR’s announcements allows lists of announcements with certificate information to be created Sharing certificates allows positions to be rapidly filled, saves money and resources

Metrics Drive Business Improvements Key Performance Indicator Report is a snap shot of our performance in achieving the OPM’s 80 day hiring goal Analyzing each step of our hiring process helps us quickly focus on areas in need of improvement

Metrics Drive Individual Performance Assessment Our Workload Analysis allows management to track completion of important HR tasks. Tracking this data: Allows a clear and transparent way to measure the value of an employee’s contributions and reduces employee “burnout” Creates a sense of fairness in the performance evaluation process

Metrics Drive Individual Performance Assessment II The Age of Actions Report allows leadership to track the percentage of actions meeting OPM’s 80 day hiring goal, and also to also drill down to individual actions Allows leadership to identify individuals not meeting 80 day goal, and also those individuals making data entry errors that might need further training

Metrics Drive Organizational Performance Assessment Metrics allow workload tracking and assessment across different branches to ensure even distribution of resources.

Contact Information Kevin P. Murphy Director, Systems Analytics Info Division (SAID), OHR Lillian Thomas SAID Survey Team Lead, OHR thomaslm@mail.nih.gov Luis Unda SAID Analytics Technical Lead undal@mail.nih.gov Cheryl Wild Chief, CSD Global Recruitment and Metrics wildc@od.nih.gov

Questions?

References Attridge, M. (2009). Employee Work Engagement: Best Practices For Employers. Research Works: Partnership for Workplace Mental Health, 1, 1-11. Harter, J.K., & Blacksmith, N. (2010). Employee engagement and the psychology of joining, staying in, and leaving organizations. Oxford handbook of positive psychology and work.Oxford library of psychology., (pp. 121-130). New York, NY, US: Oxford University Press, xxiv. Jones, J.R., Ni, J., &Wilson, D.C. (2009). Comparative effects of race/ethnicity and employee engagement on withdrawal behavior. Journal of Managerial Issues, 21(2), 195-215.

References (Cont.) Kahn, W. A. (1990). Psychological Conditions of Personal Engagement and Disengagement at Work. Academy of Management Journal, 33, 692-724. Maslach, C., Schaufeli, W. B., & Leiter, M. P. (2001). Job Burnout. Annual Review of Psychology, 52, 397-422. Obadara, O.E. (2008, December). The Influence of Organizational Climate and Culture on Workers’ Job Satisfaction and Commitment, Journal of Research in National Development, 6(2). Roberts, D. R., & Davenport, T. O. (2002). Job Engagement: Why It’s Important and How To Improve It. Wiley Periodicals, Inc, 21-29.