Transcript Human Capital Employee Survey

Survey Results - Career Development
National Organization of Professional
Hispanic NRCS Employees
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Frank B. Clearfield
Social Sciences Team Leader
East National Technology Support Center
Greensboro, NC
August 6, 2009
Presentation Outline
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
Design and methodology
Background characteristics
Findings
What this survey tells us
Recommendations
I. Design &
Methodology
Survey Methodology
Web survey; opened February 23, 2009 and
closed April 17, 2009
 Organization sent e-mails/hyperlink to about
115 members, and 66 NOPHNRCSE
responded for a 57% return rate
 Also, placed survey’s hyperlink on
organization’s web site
 Approximately 95 responded to the survey

Survey Design

Some questions were the same as previous
surveys for comparison purposes




Human Capital Survey
Asian American/Pacific Islander Career Development
Survey
Black/African American Career Development Survey
Native American/Alaskan Native Career Development
Survey
References and Comparison



1999 NRCS Employees Survey, (N=749)
2005 NRCS Human Capital Survey (N=7,754)
National Financial Center, various years
Likert Scale
Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
1
2
3
4
Strongly
Disagree
5
A Likert scale is based on ordinal numbers;
one number is relatively higher/lower than
the next
The lower the mean/average, the more
positive the total response
How important is it to have a mentor help
me with career development?
45
45
40
Mean = 1.92
38
83% positive
Percent
35
30
25
20
15
10
7
8
5
0
2
Very Important
Important
Neither imp nor Unimportant
unimp
Very
Unimportant
How satisfied are you with the opportunity to
get a better job in NRCS?
35
33
Mean = 2.69
30
24
Percent
25
48% positive
24
20
15
15
10
5
5
0
Very Satisfied
Satisfied
Neither Sat
nor
Dissatisfied
Dissatisfied
Very
Dissatisfied
II. Background
Characteristics
Are you currently a member of the
NOPHNRCSE Organization?
80
79
N=84
70
Percent
60
50
40
30
16
20
6
10
0
Yes
No
Don't Know
Regional Breakdown
40
37
35
N = 84
31
30
27
Percent
25
20
15
10
5
5
0
Central
East
West
NHQ (DC or
Beltsville)
Percent
Work Location*
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
52 54
20 17
18
17
11
10
state office area office
NRCS
field office Other offices
Current Survey
*NRCS employee data is from NFC (May, 2004)
N = 85
Supervisory Status
70
60
70
60
N = 85
Percent
50
40
30
20
17
20
10
6 6
0
zero
1 to 2
3 to 4
3
6
5 to 6
Human Capital Survey, 2005
2 4
3 5
7 to 10
11 or
more
Current Survey
Grade*
Percent
80
73
60
40
20
N = 85
50
40
13
8
14
0
GS 1-8
GS 9-12
NRCS
GS 13-15
Current Survey
*NRCS employee data as of 9/30/05
2
0
SES
Ethnicity/Race*
100
Percent
80
N = 86
60
40
20
0
A/PI
NA/AN
NRCS
AA/Black
Hisp
White
Current Survey
*NRCS employee data is from NFC, 2003
Gender
70
67
N = 86
63
60
Percent
50
40
33
37
30
20
10
0
Male
NFC, 2006
Female
Current Survey
Percent
Years with Federal Government*
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
N = 86
32
35
27
22
22
28
20
15
5 yrs or less
6 to 15
NRCS
16 to 25
26 or more
Current Survey
*NRCS employee data is from ICAMS and NFC (May, 2004)
How long before you plan on retiring?
70
62
60
52
50
40
30
20
24
20
19
12
10
9
12
0
5 yrs or less
6-8 yrs
Human Capital Survey, 2005
9-11 yrs
12 or greater
Current Survey
III. Findings
Career Goals
Number of job levels you want to advance:
Human
Capital, 2005
%
20
Current
Survey
%
16
Ambitious (1-3
levels)
61
46
Super-Ambitious (>4)
19
38
Contented
What leadership position would you be
interested in attaining in the short term?







STC’s
ASTC or DSTC
DC
AC, area specialist, RC
Technical specialists at
various levels
SAO, Budget, HR
National Level positions
(Chief, SES, Deputy
Chief, etc.)
N = 76
4%
8%
26%
9%
18%
7%
4%
Activities to reach your career goal (three
choices)
N = 95








NRCS “detail” outside your state
Leadership development program
On-the-Job Training
Formal training
Serve as “acting” supervisor
NRCS “detail” within your state
Going to grad school to earn degree
International assignment
46%
39%
28%
28%
21%
19%
19%
17%
Obstacles to Career
Advancement
Number of times you applied for a job
in NRCS and not been chosen?
40
35
39
34
37
34
30
25
23 24
21
20
15
13
16
15
10
18
9
6 6 6
5
0
zero
1 to 3
4 to 6
API/NAAN
Black
7 to 10
Hispanic
> 10
Identify the biggest obstacles that hinder you
from achieving career goals (three responses)








Immobility due to dual careers w/ spouse
No opportunity to serve on an NRCS “detail”
outside state
Leadership program unavailable
Work/family balance
Other (most were in list of responses)
No opportunity to return to school to earn
graduate degree
I have no obstacles that hinder me
Immobility due to personal situation (elderly
parents, etc.)
N = 94
21%
19%
17%
17%
17%
16%
14%
14%
When asked an open-ended question on how the
agency could overcome obstacles, respondents
made several observations:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Offer more educational opportunities (e.g.,
reimburse employees for college courses)
More opportunities for details and acting
positions
Selection process needs to provide feedback
to unsuccessful job applicants, more
interviews, greater number of in-house
selections, less favoritism
If moving is required, agency should purchase
house
How the agency can overcome obstacles?
(cont…)
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Continue to raise awareness regarding
discrimination
Offer more opportunities for formal and
OJT training
Offer a variety of leadership development
programs for different grade levels
Assist spouses find jobs in relocation
Acknowledge two career families;
support telecommuting, as appropriate
Mobility
Number of times moved by the Federal
Government because of a job change
35
35
33
30
Percent
25
N = 91
28
25
22 23
20
15
10 11
10
8
5
5
0
zero
1-2 times
3-4 times
2005, Human Capital Survey
5-6 times
7 or more
Current Survey
How mobile are you?
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
38
Mean:
30
29
26
18
2005 – 3.3
Current – 2.3
21
16
12
8
3
Very
Mobile
Mobile
Neither Immobile Very
Mobile
Immobile
nor Imm
2005, Human Capital Survey
Survey
Extent of agreement with following:
2005, HC Current
Survey
Survey
Promotion-in-place should be
rule
2.8
2.7
No change to “moving to get
promoted”
3.4
3.0
Leadership and
Mentoring
What is your status regarding participation in
Leadership and Mentoring Programs:
70
70
63
60
Percent
50
40
30
20
10
6
10
14 16
13
2
0
Currently
Part
Completed
in NRCS
10
2
Completed
Never
Don't Know
in dif org Participated
Leadership Dev Pgm
Mentoring Pgm
Would you be interested in participating in
Leadership and Mentoring Programs:
60
57
50
47
40
30
23
20
17
13
10
8 9
7
7
5 6
3
0
Already
Part
Not
In next yr
Interested
Leadership Dev Pgm
In next 2
yrs
In next 3
yrs
From 4-7
yrs
Mentoring Pgm
How important is the following:





Mean
1.92
Mentor help me with career development
Having a Mentoring Program sponsored by 2.14
the NOPHNRCSE
Mentor help me at my current position
2.39
Mentor that reflects my ethnicity/race
2.86
Mentor that reflects my gender
3.05
Working
Environment
Extent of agreement with the following
statements about promotions and performance



Performance appraisal is fair reflection of
my performance
In most recent appraisal, I understood how
to be rated at different performance level
My supervisor helps me overcome
constraints that hinder from work goals
Mean
2.31
2.34
2.51
Extent of agreement with the following
statements about job skills & improvement



Mean
1.96
I am comfortable with the skills I have to
perform my job
I am given a real opportunity to improve my 2.33
skills in NRCS
Supervisors work well with employees of
2.68
different backgrounds
How satisfied are you with the following:


Involvement in decisions that affect your
work
Opportunity to get a better job in NRCS
Mean
2.52
2.69
Agreement or disagreement with the following:


Mean
Employees in NRCS sometimes make
comments regarding race, national origin,
gender, age, disabilities, religion, marital
2.93
status or sexual orientation that might be
considered offensive or inappropriate
NRCS provides adequate programs to
promote cultural understanding, and
2.5
appreciation for differences, including
differences between races and gender
(1) Comments about race, gender… are Offensive
(2) NRCS provides adequate Programs to…
60
Comments: 39% agreement
51
50
Programs: 62% agreement
40
29
30
28
21
20
10
27
10 11
11
7 6
0
Strongly
Agree
Agree
Neutral
Comments
Disagree
Programs
Strongly
Disagree
IV. What the survey
says…
The survey says….



Respondents are a highly mobile, young, higher graded,
Hispanics, and generally an ambitious group. 40% can
be classified as super-ambitious
Top preferred activities to reach career goals are
“details” outside the state, Leadership Development
Program, and training (both OJT & formal)
¼ have applied for jobs over 7 times and not been
chosen


Over 3/4’s unsuccessfully applied for jobs in NRCS
Top agency obstacles are: low opportunity to serve on
out-of-state details, unavailability of leadership program,
and lack of formal educational opportunities
The survey says….
Respondents have high positive attitudes
toward mobility than other groups
 If offered, well over half the respondents
would participate in a LDP and a
Mentoring program during the next 2 years


High support for NOPHNRCSE sponsorship
of a mentoring program with career
development as its goal
The survey says….



Mediocre support for the performance appraisal
system, the supervisor’s help in overcoming
career obstacles, and whether supervisors work
well with people of diverse backgrounds
Respondents are comfortable with their own
skills, but some don’t feel they are given an
opportunity to improve them
Medium satisfaction with involvement in work
decisions and opportunities for a better job
The survey says….
Discrimination seems to be felt, witnessed
or perceived by half the respondents on a
personal level
 Respondents give the Department/Agency
an above average score in its efforts to
address cultural understanding and
diversity

V. Recommendations
Recommendations
1.
2.
3.
Career development programs should be
offered at national AND state levels
The agency needs to provide adequate
resources for LDP at different grade levels
The agency should provide appropriate
resources for mentoring programs at the state
level
a. NOPHNRCSE should help coordinate mentorship
programs by matching mentors with employees from
their organization (including retirees)
Recommendations
4.
5.
6.
The agency should establish and
formalize employee CAREER
development plans in addition to IDPs
The agency should devote adequate
resources for OJT and formal training
NRCS should support “details,” “acting
assignments,” and shadowing
a)
These opportunities should be open to lower
grades as well as higher grades
Recommendations
7.
8.
9.
10.
The agency should devote resources for tuition
reimbursement and graduate studies program
The agency should set up a formal feedback
mechanism to unsuccessful job applicants
Agency should provide training to employees
on the best way to construct and package a
job application
The Department/Agency should continue to
provide training and awareness programs that
promote cultural understanding and diversity
Access Results


The results are listed at the following web
site: ftp://ftpfc.sc.egov.usda.gov/ENTSC/sst/
Results will be listed on the NOPHNRCSE’s
web site through the above hyperlink
1.
2.
3.
Executive Summary
This PowerPoint
Percentile responses for each question and “means”
Next Steps



Summarize the results of all four
employee group surveys
Meet with the President’s of the
employee groups to refine the
recommendations
Employee group presidents meet with
Chief and Human Resources to request
appropriate resources
Questions or Comments
Contact Frank Clearfield, Social Sciences
Team Leader, Greensboro, NC


[email protected]
336-370-3336