And the Employee Engagement Survey Says …

The County’s biennial employee engagement survey results are out, and they show areas where the County is doing well and areas for improvement.

The results went before the Board of Supervisors on Feb. 28. The survey was conducted in September 2022 by an independent consultant, CPS HR Consulting, and will serve as a benchmark for future surveys, which will guide our efforts around employee engagement now and in the years to come.

More than 6,600 employees answered the questionnaire, and the overall results show 37% were “fully engaged,” 47% “somewhat engaged” and 16% “not engaged.”

The two highest scoring questions included employees who said they had a least one person at work who they could rely on for guidance and support, and that they knew what was expected of them on the job. Both those questions ranked above 89%. Survey analysis also showed that the County’s Diversity & Inclusion efforts scored well and positively influenced employee engagement.

Among the lowest scoring questions, only 45.1% felt they knew enough about the work of other County departments to make a decision to move to another department. While slightly higher, only 50% agreed that “it is safe to challenge the way things are done” and 59% agreed that “ideas from employees are valued,” suggesting that employee involvement is essential to engagement. There are also opportunities to improve in the area of training and development that will help employees succeed in their careers.

Each Department received their engagement results and will be working with employees to address key areas for improvement.

Employees will have many chances to give their input on the survey results. The first Countywide opportunity will come at our D&I Executive Council Townhall Session on Ethics & Engagement, scheduled for March 29 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.  The consultant will explain the survey results and ask for suggestions and input on how to improve engagement. Additionally, each department will determine methodologies for soliciting feedback on improving operational performance. This feedback will be incorporated into action plans to make improvements at both the County-wide and departmental levels.