UHCL Support Staff Association (SSA) and Professional and Administrative Staff Association (PASA) In consultation with Dr. Lisa M. Penney RAs: Lisa Sublett, Dena Rhodes, Allison Martir, & Tunji Oki 1

Background In the Summer of 2012, members of the University System Staff Executive Council (USSEC) voted to conduct a staff morale survey on each of the UH System Campuses with the following objectives: 1. Examine staff attitudes regarding their jobs. 2. Identify aspects of the work environment that drive staff attitudes. 3. Examine potential consequences of staff attitudes. 257 staff at UHCL attempted the online survey, and 227 staff (88%) completed the entire survey. Results of the UHCL Staff Morale Survey are presented on the following slides. The slides show the percent (%) of staff scoring 3.0 or above for each job attitude, which indicates high levels of agreement or a high standing on each. 2

Results 1: Overall Staff Attitudes 3 The results of the “overall staff attitudes” demonstrate that UHCL employees are satisfied with their job (88% satisfied), committed to UHCL (74%), and engaged at work (74%).

Results 1: Attitudes with Facets of the Job Staff attitudes toward specific aspects of their jobs (pay and promotion satisfaction) were less positive. Satisfaction with pay (25%) and satisfaction with promotions (35%) were the lowest and thus of most concern. Employees were fairly satisfied with communication (70%) and benefits (77%). 4

Work Conditions: Fairness 5 Staff rated the perceived fairness of various aspects of their work experience. UHCL staff members reported lower levels of fairness of rewards and procedures and higher levels of being treated fairly (i.e., with dignity & respect).

Work Conditions: Communication Quality 6 Staff also rated the quality of communication received from 4 sources in terms of its timeliness, accuracy, and usefulness. Ratings of communication quality were lowest when considering the timeliness of information received from each source. To a great extent To a small extent

Work Conditions: Division Support We also asked staff to indicate the extent to which their division is supportive. Staff rated 6 items on an agreement scale of 1 (Strongly Disagree) to 5 (Strongly Agree). Example items were “My Division values my contribution to its wellbeing.” and “My Division takes pride in my accomplishments at work.” The chart below shows the percent (%) of staff from each division scoring 3 or above indicating high levels of division support. 7

Work Conditions: Job Insecurity We also assessed employees’ perceptions of uncertainty about changes that may impact their jobs. A primary strength of UHCL was that both perceptions of job insecurity were moderately low. 8

Why are Staff Attitudes Important? Staff attitudes are important because they are related to important performance-related outcomes that impact UHCL’s success. Specifically, staff who are satisfied with their pay and promotion opportunities AND staff who believe that rewards and procedures are administered fairly are: More engaged in their work. More committed to UHCL. Less likely to turn over. Staff attitudes were lowest and thus of greatest concern with regard to satisfaction with pay and promotions. Therefore, additional analyses were conducted to identify the most important drivers of those attitudes. In addition, turnover intentions were relatively high (37.4%). Thus, we conducted analyses to discern the drivers of turnover intent as well. 9

Identifying Drivers of Staff Attitudes We regressed the attitude variables onto the work context variables to determine which work context variables account for the most unique variance in staff attitudes and turnover intent. 10 Reward Fairness Procedure Fairness Obstacles to Performance Division Support Communication Quality Job Insecurity 10 Pay Satisfaction Promotion Satisfaction Turnover Intent

Results 3: Identifying Drivers Five aspects of the work context emerged as primary drivers of staff attitudes and turnover intent. 11 Reward Fairness Obstacles Division Support Communication Quality Job Insecurity 11 Pay Satisfaction Promotion Satisfaction Turnover Intent Procedure Fairness Obstacles to Performance

Results Summary In general, UHCL staff are very satisfied with their jobs and UHCL but are less satisfied with pay and promotion opportunities and report low levels of support from their division. These attitudes are important because they are related to important performance-related outcomes including engagement, commitment, and turnover intentions. In particular, low staff satisfaction with pay and promotions and staff intentions to turn over appear to be driven by: The level of support and quality of communication that staff receive. Staff perceptions that rewards (e.g., pay & promotions) may not always reflect their contributions and efforts. 12

Results Summary Together, these results suggest that the primary issue affecting staff morale is one of feeling underappreciated. The primary mechanisms through which the University demonstrates appreciation (i.e., pay and promotions) are frequently constrained by forces largely outside the control of supervisors and upper administration. Thus, we suggest that supervisors and upper administration focus on factors that are within their control, namely the quality and nature of communication to staff. 13

Recommendations for Managers (All Levels) Be open and candid in all communications with staff, particularly with information that pertains to: Raises and promotion opportunities Potential changes that could affect jobs, the University, or employment practices Performance expectations should be communicated to staff in clear, unambiguous terms. Provide staff with accurate performance feedback year-round so that they know where they stand. 14

Recommendations for Managers (All Levels) Communicate important information that affects staff to them in a clear and timely manner in order to: Reduce perceptions of unfairness due to inadequate or inaccurate information. Reduce uncertainty about potential changes to jobs or other employment practices. Monitor the organizational climate and issues faced by staff working in Professional roles (User Support Specialist, Counselor, Academic Advisor, etc) as they reported the highest turnover intentions. 15

Recommendations for Managers (All Levels) Demonstrate concern for staff well-being and appreciation for their contributions to the University community by: Utilizing all formal and informal mechanisms to acknowledge staff efforts. Providing verbal praise or saying “thank you” Developing your own informal rewards system (e.g., Staff of the Month) Acknowledging the obstacles that staff face in their jobs, and when possible take action to remove obstacles and provide assistance and other resources (equipment, tools) needed by staff. 16