TDH Survey
Results
Introduction
The following areas were Identified by UT survey staff as key
findings from TDH survey data. UT staff reported that these areas
of strengths and concerns were selected based on analyses which
included assessing trends in TDH data and comparing TDH to other
statewide benchmarks. The statewide benchmarks utilized included:
- the statewide average of all responses,
- the average score for agencies of comparable size, and
- the average score for all Health & Human Services
agencies.
AREAS OF STRENGTH
Customer Service
Survey data reveal that customer service is a principal focus
for employees at TDH. Our agency exceeds statewide benchmarks in
many aspects of customer service. Employees believe the
organization works well with the public, that we know who our
customers are and that commitment to customer service is an
integral part of our culture.
Quality & Continuous Improvement
When compared to many statewide benchmarks, TDH survey results
suggest that the organizational culture values quality service and
supports employee efforts aimed at continuously improving
services. Respondents report that they perceive the quality of
services delivered by the organization as very high and having few
errors, and employees report that over the past two years the
organization continues to improve the quality of service it
delivers to customers. Additionally, employees at TDH are more
likely than employees of many other state organizations to report
that creativity and innovation in work are encouraged, and that
the status quo can be challenged. These findings suggest that
.,continuous improvement" is not lip service at TDH.
Employee Development
Sixty-one percent (61 %) of employees at TDH responding to the
survey believe that training is made available to them in personal
growth and development. TDH exceeds statewide benchmarks in this
area. Survey respondents from TDH also report that they have
access to information about job opportunities, conferences,
workshops and training. And, on average, TDH employees are more
satisfied with continuing education and training than other state
employees. Overall, the data suggest that employees recognize the
organization's commitment to their personal and professional
development.
Physical Environment
TDH employees report many favorable perceptions when asked
about physical aspects of the workplace. For instance, TDH
received high scores, as compared to many other state benchmarks,
when employees were asked about the adequacy of computer resources
and work surroundings.
Benefits Package
The benefits package appears to be viewed favorably by TDH
respondents, with most respondents reporting that they are
satisfied with it's comparability. TDH employees have a good
understanding of the benefits package, especially their health and
disability plans, and they report that changes in the package have
been adequately explained to them. UT staff report that data
analyses suggest that the greater an employee's understanding of
the benefits package, the more satisfied they are with their
benefits. Therefore, it is likely that our benefit education
efforts have assisted us to maximize the full potential of the
benefit package in recruiting and retaining our work force.
Job Satisfaction
TDH survey respondents report relatively high levels of job
satisfaction. When compared with state benchmarks, TDH scored high
in areas that address the pace and enjoyment of work and the
ability to balance home and work life. Also, possibly contributing
to job satisfaction is a shared sense of pride that exists among
TDH respondents. TDH received an average score of 3.17 for the
survey question, "Employee feel a sense of pride when they
tell people that they work for this organization" as compared
to the statewide average of 3.01.
AREAS OF CONCERN
Non-Competitive Salaries
The survey question which received the lowest average score for
TDH was, "Salaries are competitive with similar jobs in the
community." Seventy-five percent (75%) of respondents
reported that they disagreed or strongly disagreed with this
question, resulting in an average score of 1.98, which is lower
than the statewide average of 2.21. Satisfaction among TDH
employees with the overall compensation package has decreased
since 1994, a trend that is also reflected statewide.
Supervisory Feedback
Several survey questions directly address the issue of feedback
in the organization and TDH scores reveal that this is an area of
employee concern. Results for survey questions that ask if work
groups and employees are given adequate and accurate feedback
about their performance fell below statewide benchmarks. Less than
35 percent (35%) of respondents reported favorably to the
question, "Work groups receive adequate feedback that helps
improve their performance." Similarly, the data also suggest
that employees expect more feedback on their individual work
performance. Approximately 42 percent (42%) of employees responded
negatively to the question, "Employees are given accurate
feedback about their performance." These data suggest that
employees have concerns about the frequency and quality of the
feedback that they receive from their supervisors.
Alternative Work Schedules
Survey data suggest that opportunities for working alternative
schedules at TDH are limited. TDH received an average score of
2.97 for the survey question, "Alternative work schedules
(flex-time, compressed workweek and job sharing) are offered to
employees." This compares to a statewide average of 3.29.
Although TDH's 1996-97 survey data show improvement in this area,
the organization falls below other statewide benchmarks. In
addition, this survey question received the highest standard
deviation of all Primary Questions (#1-65), signaling a high
degree of internal disagreement about the topic. This may suggest
that informal policies dictate work schedules and/or that
opportunities are not equally available to all employees.
Internal Communication
The survey addresses many aspects of internal communication
including information flow throughout the organization, the
timeliness and applicability of information sharing and the
atmosphere in which people in the organization communicate. TDH
survey results suggest that employees have many concerns
encompassing all aspects of internal communication. Scores for the
survey questions, "Computerized information is easily shared
among divisions in this organization," "The right
information gets to the right people at the right time," and
"Information and knowledge are openly shared in this
organization," fall below other statewide benchmarks.
Knowledge of the "Whole"
TDH survey results reveal employees are accustomed to working
within their own individual work teams and may have a limited
understanding of the work and activities conducted in other parts
of the organization. The data suggest that tapping resources that
exist in the organization beyond an employee's own work team is
rare. For example, TDH fell below statewide benchmarks for the
following survey questions, "Employees know how their work
impacts other employees in the organization," and "We routinely use people from different parts of the organization to
solve problems." These data suggest that opportunities may be
missed.
Increasing Bureaucracy
TDH respondents on average were more likely to report that they
must go through channels to get their work done than respondents
from other state agencies. Other data also suggest that employees
have growing concerns that organizational resources are being used
to a greater extent than before to support bureaucratic practices.
For example, when employees were asked to assess how the
organization has changed during the last two years, one of the few
areas in which employees responded that the organization was
performing worse was in the area of bureaucratic practices. TDH
data establish that employees perceive that paperwork is
increasingly not in balance with other job responsibilities and
that the level of bureaucracy is growing.
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1996-97 Survey
Facts
- 51 agencies of Texas government
participated in the 1996-97 Survey
- 72,203 surveys were distributed to
state employees and 30,318 were returned
- the survey assesses many aspects of
the workplace from the viewpoint of employees
- survey results are used as a part
of TDH's strategic planning process
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