Continuous Staff Development on a Shoestring Improving Job Performance and Job Satisfaction Through Skills Upgrade

Training Vs. Skills Upgrade Solve training issues first. Once training issues are solved, begin skills upgrade. Your goal should be: every employee leaves this job with more skills than they had when they came. The Girl’s Guide to Being a Boss (Without Being a Bitch)- Caitlin Friedman and Kimberly Yorio

Why Skills Upgrade Improves Staff Satisfaction Employees want to know and understand more. When promotion criteria include certain skills and employees have been given the opportunity to learn these skills, promotion decisions are viewed as fair. When some skills upgrades are offered, employees clamor for more.

How Can I Offer Skills Upgrade on a Shoestring? Staff skills inventory. Skills sharing and coaching Job shadowing Shared government services Committee work

Learning Opportunities  The supervisor respects the skills of employees and encourages reciprocal learning opportunities.

What Does Your Staff Need and Want Ask them. Annual staff interviews. Survey Monkey

Staff Satisfaction Survey I know what is expected of me at work. I have the equipment and materials I need. I have the opportunity to do what I do best each day. Someone at work cares about me as a person. In the last seven days, I have received praise for doing good work. Someone at work encourages my development. The mission of the organization makes me feel my job is important. My fellow employees are committed to doing quality work. At work my opinion seems to count. In the last six months, someone has talked to me about my progress. In the last year, I have had the opportunity at work to learn and grow.

Annual Staff Interviews, 2006 Is there anything you need to help you do your work in 2006 that you don’t have? Prompt-equipment, supplies, training. Is there anything your department needs to do your work in 2006 that you don’t have? Is there anything the library staff as a whole needs to do its work in 2006 that it doesn’t have? What goals should Willingboro Public Library have for 2006 in staff relations? What goals should Willingboro Public Library have for 2006 in customer service? Do you have any concerns about library policy, procedures, or services that you would like to communicate with the administration?

2007 If you could change one rule at Willingboro Public Library for staff and one rule for the public, what would they be? What is one thing management could do to increase your job satisfaction? What is one thing management could do to improve communication with staff?

2008 What skill or ability do you have that the library could make better use of? What skill would you like to learn or upgrade in 2008? If we are able to implement job shadowing in 2008, which staff member would you like to work with? What is one library service we already offer that needs to be improved? What is the biggest challenge Willingboro Public Library faces in 2008?

Skills Staff Believed We Could Make Better Use Of Decorating Presentations Computer troubleshooting MS Office applications People skills Customer service Project management Training Accounting Organization Art Writing Yoga Local history Displays Mentoring

Skills Staff Wanted to Learn or Upgrade Powerpoint Publisher Word Excel Time management Readers advisory Web 2.0 Scanning Cataloging Keyboarding Materials processing Customer service Internet CAMPS Reading comprehension HTML

2009 What skill would you like to learn or upgrade in 2009? What skill would you like to teach a co-worker or group of co-workers in 2009? Who would you like to job shadow in 2009, both inside and outside the library? What should be changed from job shadowing in 2008? What is one persistent library problem that needs to be solved? Do you have any suggestions for saving the library money in 2009?

Skills Staff Wanted to Teach Basic excel Keyboarding Photoshop Intermediate excel Chair yoga Word Report writing Text messaging Principles of design Online price comparison Sketching Counting money Book repair Copy machine troubleshooting Verbal communication

2010 What motivates you? How do you like to be praised and rewarded? How do you like to be supervised? What library or staff issues do you think the administrations should pay more attention to in 2010? What have you experienced at WPL that has surprised or confused you? What do you like to read? Would you be interested in doing a book display in 2010? What would you like the authority to do that you don’t have now? Where do you see yourself going in your career at WPL? What do you need to succeed?

Developing a Skills Inventory World languages inventory. Computer applications. Job related skills- principles of design, publicizing programs with mass text messaging, counting money, chair yoga. Resumes and job applications.

Skills Sharing and Coaching Coaching- Use this especially for skills best taught one on one; for skills employees are embarrassed to admit they haven’t mastered; to judge an employee’s presentation skills. Skills sharing- Non-librarians will often need help with presentation skills, but not always.

Job Shadowing What do they do in Technical Services? Match up requests. Allow them freedom to schedule. Write a brief report. Shadowing with another library. Shadowing with other government agencies.

Shared Government Services Joint staff development day with other public libraries. Skills inventory and sharing with other government agencies. Workshop swap with other librarians.

Committee Work All members are equal All ideas are equal in brainstorming All votes are equal in prioritizing Leadership shown in committee work is a promotional criterion

Who Am I? Christine M. Hill, Assistant Director Willingboro Public Library 220 Willingboro Parkway Willingboro NJ Talk to me about continuous staff development at your library via Square2.