1. Employee Engagement Survey

2. Survey
Surveys were ed on June 4, (some paper surveys were used for those who have no computer access)
Closed on June 28, 2012
1,053 surveys were completed
Response rate = 40.5%

3. Survey demographics

4. Things to know about the survey
Gallup examined more than one million employee interviews.
Data were analyzed to find the questions that were most meaningful in explaining motivations on the job.
The 12 questions are what emerged from these findings.
For more detail, you can refer to the book The Elements of Great Managing.

5. Q12 Engagement Questions Strongly agree and agree responses (4 + 5)
Percentage of respondents

6. Things to know about the survey
This is a baseline for us.
Based on years of study, Gallup says: company leaders don’t have as much influence on workers as do front-line managers.
It’s about the experience your team is having.

7. I know what is expected of me at work.

8. I know what is expected of me at work.
Gallup’s research shows that many great workplaces have defined the right outcomes; they set goals for their team members or work with them to set their own goals.
They do not just define the job but define success on the job.
For team members to be aware of their expectations, they should have a way to rank, rate, or count as many of the desired outcomes as possible.
Also, these measures of performance should fit with what the rest of the organization is saying and doing.

9. I have the materials and equipment I need to do my work.
1 = strongly disagree
5 = strongly agree

10. I have the materials and equipment I need to do my work.
Based on Gallup’s extensive research, great managers find out what people need in the way of materials and equipment. The responsibility for this is on the team members; and make sure team members know how to get the right to certain materials and equipment.
A great way for team members to increase their responsiveness to this question is to determine what “materials and equipment” means to them. Sometimes they are referring to accessibility of information, rather than specifically to materials and equipment.

11. I have the opportunity to do what I do best.

12. I have the opportunity to do what I do best.
For this item, it is important to keep each team member’s talents in mind, to build relationships, and to help others identify their unique talents.
It is vital that every individual understand his or her strengths and weaknesses.
A good way of promoting this is to discuss what each person believes are his or her knowledge and innate talents. Writing strengths down often helps.

13. My supervisor, or someone at work, seems to care.
1 = strongly disagree
5 = strongly agree

14. My supervisor, or someone at work, seems to care.
Remember, people leave managers, not companies.
A productive workplace is one in which people feel safe – safe enough to experiment, to challenge, to share information, to support each other and where the team members are prepared to give the manager and the organization the “benefit of the doubt.”
None of this can happen if team members do not feel cared about. Relationships are the glue that holds great workplaces together.

15. In the last seven days, I have received recognition.
1 = strongly disagree
5 = strongly agree

16. In the last seven days, I have received recognition.
Workplaces that excelled in this question relied on forms of recognition that are specific, predictable, frequent and instantaneous. They are known to promote a recognition-rich environment, with praise coming from every direction, and with everyone knowing how others like to be recognized.
Many wonder how often people should be praised, but a good rule of thumb is about once a week. If this seems too often, consider why frequent praise is so important. Whenever a person does something, there are consequences. Those consequences will affect whether team members engage in that behavior again.
We know that to get the results or consequences we want frequent praise can encourage the behavior that produces it.

17. I have someone at work who encourages my development.
1 = strongly disagree
5 = strongly agree

18. I have someone at work who encourages my development.
In this case, “development” does not mean getting people promoted. It does not mean each team member gets what he or she wants. It means helping individuals find roles that fit their natural strengths; their unique combinations of skills, knowledge and talent.
Previous Gallup findings have concluded that workgroups that receive high scores on this particular item do not try to put in what was left out, but rather, try to draw out what was left in; they provide constant feedback; and they find creative developmental opportunities for each other.

19. At work, my opinions seem to count.
1 = strongly disagree
5 = strongly agree

20. At work, my opinions seem to count.
Team members who give high scores on this item feel they have access to channels of communication across different levels or divisions of the organization, and their managers work to maintain those channels.
Groups do not function very well when the team members in them feel insignificant or irrelevant.
Managers ask team members for their opinions and include their ideas in the decision-making process whenever possible. This means everyone should have a chance to express his or her ideas.

21. The mission and purpose of my company makes me feel my job is important.
1 = strongly disagree
5 = strongly agree

22. The mission and purpose of my company makes me feel my job is important.
This question measures a key source of motivation for team members – the idea that their organization represents values that they themselves share.
Effective workplaces cultivate that feeling, including providing constant clarification of the overall mission of the organization, as well as the ways in which each individual team member contributes to the achievement of the mission.
As human beings, we like to feel as though we belong. Individual achievement is great, but we are likely to stay committed longer if we feel we are part of something bigger than ourselves.

23. My associates or fellow employees are committed to quality work.
1 = strongly disagree
5 = strongly agree

24. My associates or fellow employees are committed to quality work.
Workgroups that score well on this question tend to be good at providing clear quality standards and keeping those standards at the forefront of team members’ minds. Thus, team members are capable of accurately evaluating their own performance, as well as that of their teammates.
Clear communication of standards enhances accountability and builds trust among coworkers.
We also know that not everyone will see “quality” in the same way if everyone’s concept of the word is different. To remedy this, having a clear definition helps. The best place to start is with customers, both internal and external.

25. I have a best friend at work.
1 = strongly disagree
5 = strongly agree

26. I have a best friend at work.
I have a best friend at work is really a proxy for trust. We are interested only in whether there is a person at work whom you would consider a best friend “at work.”
Think about people whom you would consider best friends. People with whom you share values, you can trust and who are watching out for you.
You are going to feel more confident in making decisions, taking risks and being more productive because you don’t have to spend a lot of time watching your back.
Chances are, you are going to feel like there is more open communication within your team.

27. In the last six months, someone at work talked to me about my progress.
1 = strongly disagree
5 = strongly agree

28. In the last six months, someone at work talked to me about my progress.
One of Gallup’s most consistent research findings has been that feedback improves performance.
High-scoring groups establish structured feedback processes for their team members, which include clearly defined goals and achievement levels, and then meeting regularly with each team member to track his or her progress toward those goals.
We realize that we all need feedback to know how far we have come. We need signs to track our progress.

29. This last year, I had opportunities at work to learn and grow.
1 = strongly disagree
5 = strongly agree

30. This last year, I had opportunities at work to learn and grow.
Engaged team members need to feel that their job contributes in some way to their professional or personal development. Great workplaces are those in which team members are provided with educational opportunities that address their development. This may include formal classes or simply finding new experiences for them to take on.
Each team member will define “opportunities” differently. For some team members, this may mean training classes and seminars; for others, this means promotions and increased responsibilities; and for others, this might mean working on special projects or assignments.

31. Practice of Adaptive Leadership: Tools and Tactics for Changing Your Organization and the World
What makes some organizations more adaptive than others – the authors have identified five key characteristics and created a simple survey tool to capture employee ratings.
These characteristics were referenced by Terry Orr as well as Ronald A. Heifetz, Marty Linsky & Alexander Grashow.
Nassau BOCES used the information with the cabinet and leadership institute and through the employee survey.

32. Elephants in the room
1= very low
10 = very high

33. Shared responsibility
To what extent do people in your organization, especially those in senior management, act from the perspective of and for the betterment of the whole organization, as opposed to worrying about and protecting their individual groups or silos?

34. Independent judgment 1= very low 10 = very high
To what extent are people in your organization valued for their own judgment rather than their capacity to divine the boss's preferences? And when someone takes a reasonable risk in service of the mission and it doesn't work out, to what extent is that seen as a learning opportunity rather than a personal failure?

35. Leadership
To what extent do people know where they stand in the organization and their potential for growth and advancement? Do they have an agreed upon plan for how they are going to reach their potential? And to what extent are senior managers expected to identify and mentor their successors?

36. Institutionalized reflection
1= very low
10 = very high
Does the organization carve out time for individual and collective reflection and learning from experience? To what extent does the organization allocate time, space and other resources to get diverse perspectives on how work could be done better?

37. How Adaptive is Your Organization?

38. Years worked at Nassau BOCES

39. What Department?