Harvard 2008 Staff Survey: Preliminary Response Plan for SEAS
Scores at-a-Glance
Top 3 Engagement Drivers
2006 Survey
Response rate: 46%
Engagement Score: 63%
2008 Survey
Response rate: 53%
Engagement Score: 67%
1.
2.
3.
1.
2.
3.
Performance Review (50%, +31, -31)
Local Leadership (26%, +21, -7)
Resources and Processes (60%, +19, -28)
Career Opportunities (56%, +23, -29)
Local Leadership (30%, +25, -11)
Performance Management (66%, +15, -30)
Short-Term Response Plan (0-6 months)
Steps to protect/sustain engagement (a)
The importance of communications was the message that we received most often when we
presented the survey results to SEAS staff. With this in mind we plan to perform these action
items:
Local Leadership
1. Increase our reliance on the SEAS Intranet which went live earlier this year. Examples
of information that we plan to include are the arrivals and departures of employees and
the introduction of new policies and procedures. We also plan to use the intranet as an
archive for news and information about the school and our employees.
2. Work with our new Dean, who will assume her position in July, and all our local leaders
to introduce a variety of communication forums such as Town Hall and small group
meetings to maximize the visibility of all our local leaders.
3. Increase the opportunities for voluntary get-togethers for employees such as brown bag
lunch lectures and book clubs.
4. We plan to share this plan with our employees.
Career Opportunities
1. We plan to increase the number of in-house training opportunities not only focused on
skills development, but also targeted on increasing career development coaching.
2. We also intend to increase day-to-day communication of the programs we currently
have in place by enhancing our use of the new SEAS Intranet.
Performance Management
1. In January, we rolled out a new Performance Development Program (PDP) which is
focused on encouraging feedback from supervisors to employees as well as identifying
development needs.
2. It will be our goal to evaluate the success of this program using focus groups after the
first pilot cycle is completed in June and make appropriate changes to be more
responsive to employee needs.
Suggested University-level actions to protect/sustain engagement (b)
1. Consider expanding the Harvard Heroes program to include all schools.
2. Conduct open sessions where schools that have been successful increasing
engagement scores can showcase the Best Practices they implemented.
Medium-Term Plan (6-36 months)
Engagement Issue/Opportunity (d)
Priorities (c)
Local
Leadership
Current
favorable: 30%
Potential impact
on engagement:
+25, -11
On July 1, 2009 a SEAS will have a
new Dean.
Earlier this year the SEAS Intranet
went live. It features information and
links to a broad range of subjects that
touch on HR.
Communication is the number one
action recommended by our
employees.
Possible
Response
Survey results will be
shared with our new
Dean.
To the extent possible,
we will expand our use
the Intranet as a tool to
communicate with our
staff.
Develop a long-term
goal of making regular
communications an
important part of every
local leader’s job.
Create a curriculum for
in-house courses that
focuses on the training
needs of our employees.
Career
opportunities
Current
favorable: 56%
Potential impact
on engagement:
+23, -29
Skills and career development training
may be viewed as random rather than
focused.
Employees may not always be aware
of the training available.
Continuously promote
the availability of
programs throughout the
University.
Performance
feedback
Current
favorable: 66%
Potential impact
on engagement:
+16, -13
New PDP process was initiated in
January.
Performance Development Process
may only be recognized as a
technique to evaluate performance
without any significant reference to it
also being a development tool.
Seek feedback from all
staff of ways to improve.
Review comments made
by supervisors and
employees to identify
training needs and
performance
deficiencies.
Evaluate the possibility
of creating a schoolwide recognition
program.
There is currently no formal
recognition program within SEAS.