2015
Public Sector Employee Engagement –
A Case Study of Clackamas County
Tiffany Hicks - EMPA Capstone - 2015
Clackamas County
9/6/2015
DEDICATION
This capstone project is dedicated to my incredible husband, Mitch Hicks. Without your
support, sacrifice, love, patience and encouragement I could never have achieved my
academic goals. You have believed in me and always inspire me to be my best personally
and professionally. Thank you for committing to the journey that is our life together.
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TABLE of CONTENTS
Dedication……………………………………………………………………..………..1
Introduction……………………………………………………………………………..3
Definition of Employee Engagement….……………………………………..………4
Literature……………………………………………………………………..………5-7
Background on Featured Engagement Programming at Clackamas County 8-16
2015 Employee Engagement Survey Methodology……………………….….17-20
Survey Analysis……………………………………………………………………21-31
Conclusion and Recommendations……………………………………………..32-35
Acknowledgements…………………………………………………………………...36
References…………………………………………………………………………37-38
Appendices:





Original Survey: Appendix A
Survey Analysis General: Appendix B
Survey Analysis Red Soils Employees: Appendix C
Survey Analysis Offsite Employees: Appendix D
Clackamas County Board of County Commissioners –
2012 Resolution Valuing Diversity: Appendix E
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Introduction
Clackamas County (County) leadership has dedicated significant resources to offer professional and
personal employee support programs with the intent of creating a culture of employee engagement,
commitment to public service and an environment where employees are supportive of each other. The
County has demonstrated this commitment by offering diverse employee programs related to: morale
enrichment and networking activities, awards and recognition, employee wellness and professional
development. County leadership recognizes the value of these investments because it is believed to
increase performance and decrease costly workforce turn-over. It is especially important to justify the
investment as stewards of taxpayer dollars with ethical transparency and public accountability. Until now
there has been no comprehensive documentation to measure the effectiveness of these efforts at the
County. The purpose of this capstone is to memorialize, measure and justify the investment as stewards of
tax payer dollars. The overall question posed is, “Are current programs achieving a culture of employee
engagement at Clackamas County?” The capstone will include the following elements: (1) background
information on existing programs (2) an original employee survey with findings and (3) an overall
conclusion with recommendations.
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Definition of Employee Engagement
For the purpose of this study it is important to have a consistent understanding of what “employee
engagement” is. Kevin Kruse, a frequent contributor to Forbes magazine, defines it as “…the emotional
commitment the employee has to the organization and its goals.” It truly speaks to the employee who is not
just willing, but naturally inclined to go above and beyond to further the goals and mission of an
organization. The concept is commonly referred to as discretionary effort. It promotes an employee’s and
the employer’s mutual commitment to ensuring institutional success. Engagement encourages an
employee’s natural drive. The attachment leads to higher productivity and improved quality of work.
“Engagement is about passion and commitment – the willingness to invest oneself and expand one’s
discretionary effort to help the employer succeed..” (Kompaso 2010).
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Literature Review
The internal employee culture at Clackamas County is no accident. It has been intentionally developed
over the course of at least the last two decades. Its’ success is a direct result of strong administrative
leadership emphasizing the value of employees. It is worth noting, government entities have challenges
that are uniquely different from private businesses. The County is not perfect, it has its’ share of bad press,
budget cuts and unsupportive management – the success in the face of this adversity is what makes this
positive internal culture remarkable. The County has implemented diverse strategies to foster this unique
culture. This capstone seeks to document and measure the effectiveness of the innovative programming of
Clackamas County and the positive culture it has created. This report is influenced by scholarly research
specific to employee engagement as it relates to performance outcomes and integrates academic support
for programs featured in the study.
John Daly explains the concept of work life balance and how non-traditional soft benefits affect workplace
culture. He states, “Work-life balance refers to organizational policies that seek to balance the need for
worker productivity on the job with the realization that people have personal lives, family responsibilities,
and interests outside the workplace that also require nurturing and attention”. Institutional initiatives that
support employees’ personal and professional well-being result in a higher level of employee engagement.
Higher levels of employee engagement equal an overall better commitment to institutional missions.
Additionally, recruiting and retaining skilled and talented employees in today’s job market is a challenge.
Creating and maintaining a positive workplace culture is a “vital strategy” for a government entity.
“Organizational cultures serve as the major source of identity for employees, aids in guiding their behavior,
helps reduce uncertainty for their actions, and help join employees together in pursuit of common
purposes.” (Daly, p. 62-65)
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Employee engagement has a direct link to employer success. Initiatives, such as the current programming
at Clackamas County, create an environment that fosters an efficient and productive workforce.
Contemporary administrators recognize that by investing in employee engagement they are investing in the
success of their overall mission and goals. The literature emphasizes key factors that promote a highly
engaged workforce. A workplace culture that nurtures teamwork and collaboration, appreciation and
recognition and professional development opportunities – like the Clackamas County programs that will be
featured in the current analysis – experience a highly engaged workforce. The positive relationship
between employee engagement and overall organizational performance is directly related to specific
performance outcomes. Increased employee retention, productivity, profitability, customer loyalty and
safety can be attributed to a strong culture of engagement. Furthermore, it is positively connected to
customer satisfaction, to include a tax paying constituency, when referring to public service organizations.
Disengaged employees demonstrate increased use of sick leave, less productivity and a significant fiscal
impact on the institution. Engaged employees are critical to overall institutional success. Employers with
engaged employees have higher employee retention and as a result of reduced turnover and reduced
intention to leave the organization, which can be problematic. (Kompaso 2010).
The Society for Human Resources Management’s (SHRM) Research Quarterly published Nancy
Lockwood’s article, “Leveraging Employee Engagement for Competitive Advantage: HR’s Strategic Role”
(2007). Lockwood emphasized the degree to which an employee is emotionally committed to their
employer as significantly related to employee performance. The connection is furthered when she points
out, “The financial and competitive advantage of employee engagement efforts can be demonstrated by
measuring engagement and commitment initiatives.” (Lockwood 2007) She promoted measuring employee
engagement as a method of informing strategies to improve on productivity and suggested employee
surveys, focus groups or gap analysis to obtain relevant data. Additionally, contemporary workforce
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competition demands employers take employee engagement into consideration in order to recruit and
retain talented employees. She adds, “Without a workplace environment for employee engagement,
turnover will increase and efficiency will decline, leading to low customer loyalty and decreased stakeholder
value.” This knowledge coupled with ethically inherent obligations to stakeholders, when working in public
service highlight the need for public service organizations to invest in employee engagement, while being
accountable to public constituencies. Since this current research is related to a public entity it is important
to mention the high value of customer service. “When employees feel more engaged in their work, the
climate is better for service and the customer receives better-quality service, thus promoting customer
loyalty. The practical implication is that the organizations must focus more on keeping employees
engaged.” (Lockwood 2007.)
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Background on Featured Engagement Programming at Clackamas County
The purpose of this section is to outline Clackamas County employee engagement programs that will be
featured for the current analysis. The awareness, effectiveness and value of the featured programs will be
measured through an original employee survey. They represent the collective goals to achieving a culture
of employee engagement at the County. The programs are designated in four categories: 1. Morale
Enhancement and Employee Networking 2. Awards and Recognition 3. Wellness and 4. Leadership and
Professional Development.
1. Morale Enhancement and Employee Networking:
The “A-Team” is a significant program that is featured in this report because of its important mission “….to
build connections and help make Clackamas County a better place to work.” It is made up of multi-sector
representatives with clear goals.
GOALS:

To develop opportunities for interaction among staff and families.

To acknowledge the value and contribution of employees, past and present.

To improve customer service through team building and awareness of our County services.
The group, meets monthly to plan events and activities promoting employee enhanced engagement and
morale. The A-team is open to any employee with supervisor approval, and seeks to foster an environment
of employee networking to increase interdepartmental collaboration. In large bureaucratic organizations
such as Clackamas County many employees never have the opportunity to meet co-workers outside of
their unit or division. The A-Team creates county-wide bridges with activities that have included: “Think
Pink Week” during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, where employees are encouraged to where pink;
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Blazer Night and Winter Hawks night where discount seating is available; a Halloween chili and cornbread
contest/feast; blue berries and ice cream in the courtyard for Independence Day in July; a variety of
activities during Employee Appreciation Week; and a family picnic featuring lawn games, food, community
fundraising, live music and an awards ceremony.
2. Awards & Recognition:
There are multiple ways to be recognized for exceptional work. Programs were created in 2008/2009 as
part of the Board of County Commissioners (BCC) goal to enhance “employee connections”. One of the
objectives was to provide employees with the means by which to acknowledge co-workers for exceptional
work. The BCC, Department of Employee Services, County Administration and Union Leadership met
throughout the development and evaluation of the programs. After one year of piloting the programs there
was support for continuing with a slight modification to distinguish between varying levels of recognition,
which resulted in the programming still in existence today including “Bravo”, “Bravo Excellence” and “Team
Excellence Awards”.
“Bravo” Awards were initiated with a purpose of providing a mechanism by which employees can thank
and/or recognize another employee. The program started with four goals.
GOALS:

To encourage constructive and positive feedback among colleagues;

To motivate employees toward excellent performance;

To help employees understand the value of their work in relation to the mission of the team,
division, department, County (BCC goals, sustainability, etc);

To support employee retention
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Individuals can receive “Bravo” Awards when they are nominated by co-workers for an outstanding or
“above and beyond” achievement. There is no limit to the number of Bravo winners who are then entered
into a drawing for $25 gift cards from a local business, to be to be drawn quarterly. For every 20 “Bravo”
awards one winner is drawn and each quarter a new group of names are eligible to be potential winners.
An employee survey administered in 2012 showed 82% of employees were aware of the program, 32%
had used it 1-4 times in the past year and 81% of employees appreciated the opportunity for peer to peer
recognition.
“Bravo Excellence” awards were created as a higher level of “Bravo”. Department directors are responsible
for reviewing and evaluating these recognitions within their respective departments. The criteria includes:
specific instances of exceptional customer service, finished work product of high quality under tight
deadlines, or highly innovative ideas that save significant County resources. Recipient names are
highlighted in the monthly employee newsletter, “Insights”.
“Team Excellence” Awards are awarded to teams demonstrating cross departmental collaboration and
unique partnerships to take innovative actions and better serve the community. Breaking down silos is
celebrated. The goals have been clearly defined.
Goals:

To support the BCC’s goal of enhanced employee partnerships, including inter-disciplinary and/or
cross-departmental teams;

To promote innovation, cost-savings, sustainability, and new and improved business partnerships;

To motivate employees toward excellent performance in a team environment;

To foster employees understanding of the value of their work in relation to the mission of the team,
division, department and County
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Recipients of this award are honored at a luncheon and receive a “Team Excellence” sweatshirt. Plaques
are distributed for each department represented with all of the team members named. Plaques are then
displayed in the respective departments. A criteria for “Team Excellence” recognition was established early
on to include; a team consisting of three or more employees who are directly responsible for a project that
resulted in a positive, measureable outcome, work on the project consisted of more than 35 total hours of
work, the project cannot be performed as an immediate response to an emergency event and the project
work was not performed as typical, day-to-day responsibilities. Qualifying projects must also represent one
of the following elements; innovation, cost-savings, paradigm shifting, new or improved business
partnerships, improved business model or enhanced sustainability. Teams must be nominated by
management and approved by department directors.
There is one additional noteworthy recognition program. Monthly events are held to honor employee
tenure. It is common place to have people recognized for County service of 5 years to 35 years. Longevity
is rewarded with a 1% pay increase after 5 years and a 5% increase after 10 years. A luncheon is held for
tenures of 5, 10 and 15 years of employment. Bi-annually a recognition dinner is held for recognition of 20
years tenure and also in 5 year increments. Families are invited and the BCC is usually represented.
3. Wellness:
The Wellness initiatives, started in 2005, might be the most robust programming at the County. Soaring
medical costs inspired the interest in fostering opportunities for employees to be healthier. With quickly
increasing medical expenses employee health through proactive initiatives became a County priority. With
two full-time employees dedicated to coordination, it is believed healthier employees equal more productive
employees.
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The broad spectrum of opportunities for employee participation addresses such themes as the county’s
carbon foot print, healthy eating and exercise options. Exercise classes are offered during the lunch hour
and after work at multiple County locations. There are locker/shower rooms provided for after exercise
refreshing. The Health Pedometer Program is a fun competition to motivate employees to be more active.
A nice walking path has been developed around the main campus in a park-like setting that measures one
mile and encourages employees to take a 15 minute walk in the middle of the day. It’s highly popular - it is
common to see several groups of walkers on the trail. On site chair massages are offered at the
employee’s $22 expense on a weekly basis. Gym membership discounts have been arranged through
nearby athletic clubs. A farm stand in the lobby offers easy access to fresh local produce spring, summer
and fall. A community garden offers raised beds for employee use on a first come first serve basis. Weight
management programs and healthy cooking classes are offered at lunch. The Employee Assistance
Program (EAP) offers life coaching. And, an annual Wellness Fair offers employees time during work to
learn about unique and traditional healthcare options.
The County recognizes the occasional need for privacy during the work day. “Wellness Rooms” are
provided to meet those needs. The Developmental Services Building (DSB) and the Public Services
Building (PSB) each have two private rooms where employees can attend to personal needs. They are
available on a first come first serve basis and accessed using employee identification. One in each building
is designated for breast feeding mothers to maintain their family needs while at work. The other is available
to all employees to use for a moment of meditation, medical needs or even a power nap (it’s highly
recommended to take an alarm so as not to exceed a 15 minute break). The rooms are equipped with a
sink (which I use for mid-day teeth brushing), a recliner and a lamp.
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4. Leadership & Professional Development:
A well-documented key component of employee engagement is the positive belief there is potential for
growth, promotion and/or professional development. Daly refers to continuous training opportunities as
being a key factor of employee engagement (Daly, J. L. 2012). The County has demonstrated a
commitment by employing a fulltime Learning and Development Manager in the Department of Employee
Services (DES). The manager is responsible for comprehensive planning to make it easier for people to do
their best work and live their best life. The goal is to prepare employees for their next career step.
There are multiple options for ongoing professional development. Brown bag presentations, onsite
seminars, mentorship and the Leadership Academy are all very popular. Brown bag presentations are
promoted from various departments for employees to attend an informal presentation during a lunch break.
Topics include such things as diversity and inclusion, gardening, travel and recruitment for Portland State
University’s Executive Masters of Public Administration. One to three day seminars are offered at no cost
to employees or departments who participate - participation requires supervisor approval. Opportunities
include: Frontline Leadership HR, Communication & Leadership for an Effective Workplace (CLEW),
Communicating with Angry People, PeopleSoft Intro (software program), Employee Data Entry, Meeting
Facilitation, Blood borne Pathogens, Worker’s Compensation, Franklin Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective
People and 5 Choices, Project Management, Conflict Resolution, Strengths Finders, Grant Writing, Time
Management, Basic Writing Skills, Resiliency and CPR First Aid. Two lunchtime Toastmasters clubs have
been formed and the County supports it through elective departmental sponsorship (most supervisors
agree to pay membership dues).
Administrative staff are additionally offered training on Policy Development, Stakeholder Engagement,
Marketing and Communication, Funding, Workforce Planning, Coaching and Talent Identification.
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The mentorship program was developed in 2009 and offers a structure for succession training.
Relationships are coordinated so less experienced employees can gain historical and practical knowledge
from more seasoned employees. It is recognized as beneficial to the County to help motivate and retain
employees. Staff gain enhanced skills, increased institutional knowledge and ongoing support for their
career goals.
The County’s Leadership Academy is offered through a competitive process that seeks to identify
employees with the highest leadership potential and a desire to enhance their skills. While the competition
is significant, the academy is open to all employees regardless of position. It is a year-long commitment
that culminates in a project that offers a significant contribution to the County. The program is designed to
offer Strategic Leadership, Ethics/Integrity; Strategic Thinking; Communication and Relationships; Leading
within the Political Organization, and Leading Sustainably.
Honorable Mention:
The Diversity Equity and Inclusion Council (DEIC) offers significant and engagement-related value to
employees. The council’s diversity and inclusion efforts represent an embedded, longstanding and highly
complex range of initiatives that were determined to go beyond the scope of this study, and were not
included in the employee survey. The depth and spirit of their mission and work, however, represent a
focus worthy of respectful mention in this report.
The DEIC is made up of County employees committed to advising County Administration on issues of
equity and inclusion fostering a welcoming environment for employees and the community at large. They
have a goal of improving “customer service and access to opportunity”. Led by the Director of Equity and
Inclusion, Emmett Wheatfall, who is housed with County Administration, the DEIC works to progress policy
that will result in a social conscious to achieve fairness. They want every department and division to have
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a diversity goal relevant to their unique situation. In 2011, Portland State University, Center for Public
Service Mark O. Hatfield School of Government in collaboration with Director Wheatfall engaged in a
Diversity Assessment of the County, which culminated with the County Board of County Commissioners
adopting a Resolution Valuing Diversity in Clackamas County in 2012. (See Appendix E.) The study
focused on County Diversity Goals, including: Recruiting and Hiring Diverse Staff, achieving a Welcoming
and Respectful Workplace, Retention and Development of a Diverse Workforce and Cultural Competence.
The culmination of the project included action steps to promote implementation, which are progressively
being realized.
Director Wheatfall and the DEIC are responsible for operationalizing the goals through varied projects and
mediums. Each year in September, since 2011, the DEIC has coordinated and hosted a diversity
celebration known as the Community Festival open to employees and the public, where resources are
shared specific to services for diverse populations. Food vendors offer an eclectic blend of international
and regionally specific foods. Music is played representing different ethnicities. The event grows every year
and is becoming a signature event for the County’s DEIC. They host Brown Bag presentations at lunch
time for employees featuring such topics as: Faith, Lesbian Gay Bi Transgendered and Queer issues,
African American History, Hispanic Heritage, Mental Health Challenges and Disabilities. The Director is a
strong supporter of and a partner in the Northwest Diversity Conference held each year in Portland and well
attended by the public sector. The DEIC is working toward a workforce character where diversity and
equality are central to core values, a customer bill of rights and affirmative action.
While researching and setting up the framework for this study, I had the pleasure of interviewing Mr.
Wheatfall and gained a new understanding about his vision for the County and how he is implementing
small initiatives to achieve big things. For example, due to his efforts the presentation about diversity,
equity and inclusion are now a mandatory part of new employee orientation. His goal is to welcome new
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employees with a strong demonstration that the County values diversity. He also has a vision of offering
advanced training with expert speakers for administrators in leadership roles. Director Wheatfall believes
that promoting and achieving equal opportunity and inclusion at Clackamas County is each manager’s
responsibility.. Director Wheatfall’s wisdom and experience is respected throughout the county and I am
grateful for his wise counsel and leadership.
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2015 Employee Engagement Survey Methodology
Overall design of the Clackamas County Employee Engagement Survey included several sections. It
started with a few simple questions to gain some demographics - location of work station and years
employed with the County. The questions were designed in varied ways. Some were informed by Gallup
science, some were specific to County goals and others clearly sought to measure programmatic
effectiveness. The question series were developed specifically linked to County initiatives. Substantive
questions focused on the initiatives, including: A-Team (Morale Enhancement and Employee Networking),
Awards and Recognition, Wellness and Leadership and Professional Development. They attempt to be
uniform, for easy participant understanding, but in some sections it was determined additional information
would be valuable resulting in some slight variations. (See Appendix A, for the actual survey.)
The research has shown the most effective leadership recognizes the need for people to have the freedom
to get to know each other. This helps establish work place trust and communication improving productivity
and encouraging project collaboration. At the County significant effort has been made to foster employee
internal relationships providing networking opportunities, through the A-Team. A complete series of
questions was included to specifically measure these activities. Engagement is also enhanced when
employees feel their opinions matter it encourages ownership in overall success. Since the County makes
a significant investment in employee professional development knowing if staff feel supported in their
development is important. Gallup states, “How employees are coached can influence how they perceive
their future. If the manager is helping the employee improve as an individual by providing opportunities that
are in sync with the employee’s talent, both the employee and the company will profit.” A sense of
someone caring about an individual employee in the work place, while it can be subjective, indicates a
leadership understanding about the value of recognition.
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Conditions that support health and psychological well-being are open communication, respect, trust,
teamwork and positive work relationships (Lockwood 2007,) hence some survey questions are focused on
trust, communication, friendships in the workplace, caring, appreciation and training opportunities and are
partially informed by the highly technical methods used by Gallup Inc. an organization long recognized for
its’ scientific polling techniques. Gallup describes employee engagement as involvement with enthusiasm
for one’s work. They established and copyrighted the Q12, which are considered to be a standard 12question survey designed to measure employee engagement. In designing and validating the Q12, a metaanalysis process was applied to 263 research studies from around the world to determine elements of
workplace engagement directly linked to workplace performance outcomes. Gallup determined, “[It] means
that practitioners can apply the Q12 measure in varied contexts with confidence that the measure captures
important performance-related information.” Moreover, Gallup Inc. Towers and Perrin, Development
Dimensions International, Hewitt Associates, Corporate Executive Board, The Hay Group have all
consistently determined through extensive research, “employee engagement is a powerful factor in the
achievement of organizational goals.” (Wellins, 2004, p26). The Q12 includes statements measured on a
five point scale with five being strongly agreeable to the statement and one representing strong
disagreement with the statement. The questions are directly linked to “engagement conditions” that can be
affected by management.
Q12 Statements:
Q00.
(Overall Satisfaction) On a 5-point scale, where “5” is extremely satisfied and “1” is extremely
dissatisfied, how satisfied are you with (your company) as a place to work?
Q01.
I know what is expected of me at work.
Q02.
I have the materials and equipment I need to do my work right.
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Q03.
At work, I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day.
Q04.
In the last seven days, I have received recognition or praise for doing good work.
Q05.
My supervisor, or someone at work, seems to care about me as a person.
Q06.
There is someone at work who encourages my development.
Q07.
At work, my opinions seem to count.
Q08.
The mission or purpose of my company makes me feel my job is important.
Q09.
My associates or fellow employees are committed to doing quality work.
Q10.
I have a best friend at work.
Q11.
In the last six months, someone at work has talked to me about my progress.
Q12.
This last year, I have had opportunities at work to learn and grow.
The final question in this series of the survey questions is based on the spirit of the original intent for
improving employee engagement at the County. Former County Administrator, John Mantay, in the early
2000’s had a two part vision. He wanted employees to have a feeling of pride when they told people they
worked for the County. The second part was instilling a feeling associated with the County as a whole
rather than divisions or departmental silos. It has been proven that when employees are proud of their
employers, engagement and productivity doubles. (Employee Engagement Group.)
The survey was implemented with generous support from current County Administration. County
Administrator Don Krupp agreed to send the survey out to employees from his email, with the hope that
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support from his office would result in a higher participation rate. (Thank you Mr. Krupp.) This was the
message sent from Mr. Krupps office with the survey link:
To County employees –
Clackamas County strives to provide a great place to work and a culture of wellness and support. We try to
foster an environment of appreciation and support for employee growth and teamwork. These efforts
include diverse initiatives from a variety of departments and in coordination with the Department of
Employee Services whose goal is to:
Promote a healthier workforce through education, awareness and activities to increase
employee morale and reduce claims experience in our health, worker’s compensation
and disability programs.
We value your well-being and your input. One of your fellow employees is completing a graduatelevel case study of the County’s employee engagement activities and their impact on workplace
culture. I encourage you to take 5-7 minutes to participate in the attached survey to help
employees and us evaluate how we are doing.
Many thanks,
Don Krupp, County Administrator
Employees were given two weeks to complete the survey with a reminder midway. Employees commonly
receive surveys through various departments and organizations throughout the year, so the activity was not
unusual. In fact, the culture of inviting and participating in feedback about events and programming could
also be considered a demonstration of engagement in and of itself.
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Survey Analysis and Findings
At the time of survey implementation Clackamas County employed 2,339 people including 577 sheriff’s
office staff. In an effort to make the analysis manageable a decision was made to limit the number of staff
invited to participate in the survey. Recognizing the uniqueness of the internal culture of law enforcement
departments, the sheriff’s office staff were excluded from the survey in an effort to create a manageable
number for analysis. Seventeen-hundred and sixty-two Clackamas County employees were invited to take
the survey and four hundred sixty-five participated, for a participation rate of twenty-six percent. Employees
represented 93 divisions assigned to various locations throughout the county. The survey broke down work
stations in five categories: At the main location -Red Soils Campus (70.84%); Off Red Soils Campus but
still in a County facility (20.52%); Workspace within a County facility, but most work occurs off site in the
field (2.59%); and Other (5.62%).
Most participating employees (45%) had worked at the County for 1-10 years, with only a small amount
(11%) employed less than a year, employed eleven to twenty years was the next highest amount (27%)
and a remarkable number were employed for over twenty one years (16%). The longevity of the County’s
workforce is indicative of strong employee engagement.
The initial analysis of the general questions illustrated several interesting results. First, the County has
committed to a “culture of appreciation”, starting with encouraging appreciation as a common agenda item
for all staff meetings. Gallup also recognizes appreciation as a key employee value as reflected in its
question asking if the participant has received recognition or praise within the seven days prior to taking the
survey. This survey indicated 73% of employees are told informally by their supervisors they are
appreciated and 81% are appreciated by their co-workers. Asked how important appreciation is to County
employees, 80% indicated it was important or very important. Having clear lines of communication is seen
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as an important element of employee engagement. In Clackamas County 88% of survey participants said
they learn about engagement programs and opportunities through the weekly county email update. Other
communication approaches included: The Wellness Emails, Intranet, word of mouth, fliers posted in the
elevators and from their supervisors. Gallup inquires if survey participants have a “best friend” at work,
which is believed to relate to an employee’s attachment to work. For the purpose of this survey the question
was broadened to find out if employees are friends with any of their co-workers. Eighty-five percent
indicated, yes they are friends with co-workers. Two questions were asked about feeling trust at work.
Eighty-two percent of participants indicated they feel trust with their co-workers and 73% feel trust with their
supervisors. Gallup points out an employee feeling their opinions count is vital to workplace engagement.
Seventy-four percent of County participants feel their opinions count. In the spirit of Gallup’s “Q05” query
asking if the employee’s supervisor or anyone cares about them at work, the Clackamas County Employee
Engagement Survey simply asked “Do you feel someone at work cares about you?” An overwhelming 90%
answered affirmatively. Finally, as previously explained a former County Administrator (John Mantay)
promoted his vision of County employees being proud to tell people they worked for the County.
Question 12 read:
How proud are you to tell people that you work at Clackamas County? Please indicate on the
scale below, with 1 being "Not at all proud" and 5 being "Very proud"
Sixty-four percent of participants answering this question answered either proud or very proud (4 or 5).
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EMPLOYEE'S PRIDE IN WORKING FOR
CLACKAMAS COUNTY
Very Proud
Proud
Neutral
8%
Not Very Proud
Not at all Proud
4%
33%
24%
31%
Figure 1
Specific programmatic questions led to program-specific findings:
A-Team
An introduction to the A-Team prefaced the relative questions as follows:
The A-Team is dedicated to creating opportunities to enhance morale, networking and knowledge
about the County. Some of the A-Team's annual initiatives include the Employee Appreciation
Week (picnic, activities), Walk & Sandwich event, Blueberries & Ice Cream, and Chili Feed &
Contest.
An “Employee and Recognition and Morale” survey was performed as part of a 2012 County project
offering a baseline of data, and therefore those questions were asked again in the same manner for
comparison. The 2012 survey revealed 90.2% of employees participating in the survey were aware of the
A-Team and A-Team activities. When asked the same question in the current survey, 96.7% were aware of
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the same activities, showing the A-Team increased employee awareness over the past three years of
6.5%.
The majority of survey participants have participated in A-Team sponsored activities, 72.7%, and the
County Employee Appreciation Picnic was the most popular with a participation rate of 79%. The
Blueberries and Ice Cream event held annually came in second with a 52% participation rate. Forty six
percent of respondents indicated the A-Team activities were important or very important.
Awards and Recognition
An introduction to questions related to Awards and Recognition (A & R) Programming was prefaced with
the following explanation:
The Department of Employee Services makes a concerted effort to support a culture of employee
appreciation, both formally and informally. In addition to monthly recognition lunches to recognize
longevity, County employee recognition efforts include the Bravo, Bravo Excellence and Team
Excellence Award programs.
An overwhelming number of survey participants were aware of A & R programs, totaling 89%, indicating the
Department of Employee Services who oversees this programming has done a good job of promoting
them. Only 60% of respondents have participated in formal recognition opportunities, but an additional
20% percent are interested in participating. Bravo awards took the award for the most accessed option,
with 75% participation. This could be predicted, because the Bravo program is more accessible to the
majority of employees. Bravo excellence awards are determined by administration to be the most
exceptional of the Bravo awards and Team Excellence awards can only be generated by management. In
fact, several comments were made about the inaccessibility of the awards programs and the lack of
supervisor buy in. The comments section emphasized another program that was not included in the survey
design. The recognition luncheons celebrating longevity are popular. Employees are invited to the
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luncheons every five years of service and the luncheons are held quarterly. In the survey, where
comments were invited 42% of the comments were about having participated in the recognition luncheon,
which is especially notable because the feedback was independently self-initiated by survey participants.
The survey emphasized the importance of the A & R programs with 43% indicating it was important or very
important.
Wellness
Questions related to the County’s Wellness Programming were introduced in the following manner:
Clackamas County invests in a Wellness program that facilitates initiatives/resources including
the Wellness Safety & Sustainability Fair, exercise classes, Red Soils Walking Trail, Wellness &
Safety @Work newsletter, mini-grants to help individual offices fund their own Wellness projects,
Weight Watchers coordination, challenges (such as "Stretch Yourself"), race fee reimbursements,
and reduced gym fees.
The County’s Wellness programming was the most well-known of all the programs featured in this survey,
with 99% of survey respondents aware of the initiatives. Sixty-six percent of those who answered the
question have participated in Wellness activities. The annual Wellness and Safety fair was the most
popular with a 75% participation rate. The Wellness News Letter and the Red Soils walking trails were
also very popular. The details are further illustrated in Figure 2:
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Wellness Activity Particpation
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
75%
52%
53%
43%
42%
33%
25%
14%
15%
Figure 2
Wellness programming was more valued by employees than other featured programming with 75% of
respondents indicating these activities are important or very important. This finding is consistent with the
literature that explains employee health is a critical factor in employee engagement. (Lockwood, 2007)
Importance to Employees of Featured
Programs
80%
75%
73%
Wellness
Leadership &
Professional
Development
70%
60%
50%
46%
43%
A-Team
Awards and
Recognition
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Figure 3
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26
Leadership and Professional Development Questions
The Leadership and Professional Development section of survey questions was introduced with the
following preface:
Clackamas County invests in many activities related to Leadership & Professional Development.
These include several elective training sessions, Toastmasters coordination, job shadowing
programs, and the Lending Library.
Eighty-three percent of survey participants had knowledge of the Leadership and Development
opportunities prior to the survey. When asked if they had participated in any Leadership and Development
activities survey results indicated only 45% of survey participants have partaken in the opportunities, with
another 31% interested in participating. A later question designed to identify which activities are getting
the most participation resulted in 81% of respondents having participated in elective trainings. The
discrepancy between these two numbers can be attributed to a difference in the number of participants
who answered each question. Three-hundred-seventy-five answered the question inquiring if the
respondent had participated in any activities and only two-hundred-forty-seven answered the question
about which activities they had participated. (This problem indicates a flaw in the survey design logic and
outcomes should be considered with this in mind.) Finally, Leadership and Development opportunities
were either important or very important to 73% of respondents.
It is also notable that several voluntary comments were offered stating these opportunities were not
available to them, either because of a lack of supervisor support or a misunderstanding that the
opportunities are not open to all employees.
Further Noteworthy Findings
A pattern emerged as the data was analyzed, showing there were significant differences in responses
based on where an employee’s work station was located. It seemed as though employees working on the
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main campus, The Red Soils Campus, had greater levels of engagement than offsite employees. In order
to confirm this theory the data was sorted into two data sets. (See Appendix for all three Survey Monkey
Summaries.) The first set included all respondents indicating they work at the Red Soils Campus and the
second data set included the four alternative possible locations and will be referred to as Offsite Work
Stations for the purpose of this study. The Red Soils data set included 328 surveys (71%) and the offsite
data set included 135 surveys (29%).
The comparison revealed several things. Gallup informed indicators demonstrated higher levels of
engagement for Red Soils employees. Featured programs have better participation from employees on the
Red Soils Campus. These two things together suggest the featured programs do increase employee
engagement. Employee responses to questions specific to employee value of the featured programs and
activities showed both groups find the concepts almost equally important. Finally, questions inquiring about
what the County can do better and what barriers there are to participation revealed compelling points of
interest.
There was only a small difference between Red Soils and offsite employees as it relates to receiving
informal appreciation. Seventy six percent of Red Soils located employees said supervisors informally
appreciate them, while only 67% of off-site employees indicated they receive informal appreciation from
their supervisors. The disparity was minor regarding the similar question about co-workers informally
appreciating each other, with 82% of Red Soils employees and 79%t of offsite employees reporting their
co-workers show them informal appreciation (a disparity of only 3%). Consistent with similar findings both
groups predominantly indicated the same thing, informal appreciation is important or very important to
them.
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Even though there is less participation in programs featured in this study for offsite employees, both groups
find comparable value in the activities. For each featured program the question was asked, “How important
are these activities to you?” A side by side comparison demonstrates very similar feedback from both
groups. The Figure 4 indicates the percentage of employees who answered the programs were important
or very important to them:
VALUE of PROGRAMS TO EMPLOYEES –
Programs:
RED SOILS
OFFSITE
EMPLOYEES
EMPLOYEES
A-Team – Networking Activities
47%
40%
Awards & Recognition
44%
41%
Wellness Programming
79%
64%
Leadership and Professional Development
73%
72%
Figure 4
The largest disparity demonstrated when evaluating the value of programs to employees is in the Wellness
Programming category, with a difference of 15%. It is additionally notable that when employees were
solicited for suggestions about other Wellness Program activities they would participate in if offered, there
were significantly less suggestions from offsite employees. Forty-three suggestions were made from Red
Soils Employees, while only twenty-three were made by offsite employees. The more robust participation
in answering this question from Red Soils Employees is an additional indicator of their higher engagement.
The two final questions of the survey invited anecdotal feedback. The questions asked were, “What else
could the County do to enhance your feeling of workplace engagement?” (Q38) and “Are there any barriers
to your access to any of the programs described?” (Q39). Once again Red Soils Employees participated at
TIFFANY HICKS - EMPA CAPSTONE - 2015
29
a greater rate with more than double the responses. Red Soils Employees gave 218 responses and Offsite
Employees only gave 110 combined. This break down demonstrates another indicator of higher
engagement and a stronger reciprocal relationship between employee and employer, at the Red Soils
Campus by showing an increased willingness to offer feedback. The responses themselves also provide
interesting information. The break down revealed drastically different barriers to accessing programs. Only
4% of Red Soils Employees sited location as a barrier to accessing programs, while 63% of offsite
employees indicated location is a barrier to accessing employee programs and activities. Comments
related to heavy workloads, lack of time to participate in activities and being understaffed was a trend. It
was a problem for both groups, but doubled for the Red Soils group. Fifteen percent of Offsite Employees
mentioned these related issues as barriers, but 31% percent of Red Soils Employees pointed out lack of
time as a barrier to their accessing employee programs. The breakdown of survey responses is further
illustrated in the Figures 5 and 6.
RED SOILS EMPLOYEES
Heavy Workload-
Location
Lack of Time-Understaffed
Q38 – Suggestions to enhance
2%
4%
29%
0%
31%
4%
engagement
Q39 – Barriers to program
accessibility
Total:
Figure 5
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30
OFFSITE EMPLOYEES
Heavy Workload-
Location
Lack of Time-Understaffed
Q38 – Suggestions to enhance
0%
26%
15%
37%
15%
63%
engagement
Q39 – Barriers to program
accessibility
Total:
Figure 6
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Conclusions and Recommendations
Based on the findings of the employee engagement survey, the featured employee programs in Clackamas
County are enjoying varied levels of success. As demonstrated in Figure 3 Wellness programs are ranked
as having the most importance to employees, with 75% of survey participants responding that it was
important or very important. Leadership and Professional Development programs ran a close second in
having a perceived importance score of 73%. The A-Team activities came in third with 46%, followed by
Awards and Recognition Programming with a rating of 43%. Several comments regarding Awards and
Recognition programs indicated a lack of supervisory support and a lack of accessibility (since only
leadership can facilitate the recommendations for Bravo Excellence and Team Excellence) to several of
these programs.
To measure how engaged employees feel, question 37 asked, “As a Clackamas County employee how
engaged do you feel you are?” *A Likert scale of one to five, with five being most significant level of
engagement and one being the least engaged was applied. Fifty-one percent of survey participants
indicated they were very engaged or significantly engaged. When groups were sorted into Red Soils and
Offsite groupings Red Soils employees demonstrated they are significantly more engaged than offsite
employees. Demonstrated in Figure 7.
(*Note: The question was asked correctly, but the answer options were mistakenly left to match a previous version of the survey that was not
implemented. The answers were (5) “Significantly enhances my engagement” and (1) “Does not enhance my engagement”. Fifty-one percent
chose either 4 or 5, very engaged or significantly engaged. This flaw was overlooked in the final review before implementation, however it is
believed survey participants understood the intent. Four hundred sixty three survey participants started the survey and questions were
answered and skipped at various rates throughout the survey. However, on this question, third from the last, four hundred thirty four
participants answered the question, which suggests they understood the intent of the question regardless of the flaw.)
TIFFANY HICKS - EMPA CAPSTONE - 2015
32
Very Engaged or Significantly Engaged
Based on Survey Participants
60%
50%
56%
51%
39%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
All
Offsite Participants
Red Soils Participants
Figure 7
The ongoing investment in employees as a valued asset to County success is illustrated throughout this
capstone study. This research demonstrated that employee engagement initiatives are collectively
impacting feelings of employee engagement. The A-Team, Awards and Recognition, Wellness and
Leadership and Professional Development programs are meaningful and are meeting their respective
goals. This capstone project represents an opportunity to consider feedback and enhance current efforts.
The following recommendations are respectfully suggested for Clackamas County Leadership
consideration based on the survey findings and employee comments:

Offer additional training for supervisors and management about the institutional benefits of
employee engagement and encourage leadership support of featured programs. In keeping with
the spirit of awards and recognition, consider offering awards or incentives for managers who
foster remarkable employee engagement within their respective departments or divisions.

Increase access for offsite employees to participate in featured programming through a policy
allowing for drive time to and from Red Soils Campus.
TIFFANY HICKS - EMPA CAPSTONE - 2015
33

Offer flexible online trainings to increase participation in development opportunities by mitigating
the barriers of distance and time.

Initiate more Wellness opportunities for offsite employees. This is particularly important since
Wellness held the highest value for all groups of employees. Would a farmer’s market delivery be
a possibility? How about gym discounts in the rural communities for County employees.

Encourage A-Team participation from offsite employees, this will help with overall offsite
engagement because of added communication as a result of division level staff participation.

Offer division level or department level team building activities, possibly through scholarships. This
would increase networking and morale at a local level.

Increase promotion of existing Wellness and Leadership opportunities, there seemed to be several
that are not well utilized and employees were sometimes surprised to learn about them through the
survey.

Revise or promote existing Awards and Recognition programming to offer more opportunity for
employees to recognize each other.

Further suggested research includes: (1) a survey of supervisors and managers about their support
of featured programming and employee engagement initiatives (2) compare workforce turnover to
the current findings about engagement, possibly through exit interviews of employees moving on
(3) this current research could be enhanced by a cost benefit analysis of featured programs and (4)
it would be interesting to know the DEIC’s impact on employee engagement.
In conclusion, the literature is clear that strong employee engagement increases performance, commitment
to organizational success and retention of a talented skilled workforce. Subsequently, employee
engagement supports exceptional customer service, which is in the best interest of public stakeholders.
The literature shows programs related to increasing collaboration and teamwork, enhancing a culture of
TIFFANY HICKS - EMPA CAPSTONE - 2015
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appreciation and offering professional development opportunities promote employee engagement.
Responses to the employee engagement survey were clear. The investment of County resources are
justifiable. The data shows the featured programs have influenced a culture of employee engagement, a
commitment to public service and an environment where employees are supportive of each other. Current
initiatives are positively influencing employee engagement and are appreciated. Finally, in the words of
John Mantay, I am proud to be a Clackamas County Employee.
Grade: A
This paper and your capstone project in total represents a solid “A” throughout! The concept for your
project was excellent. I liked that you recognized Clackamas County’s good work in the area of employee
engagement—which is fairly exceptional in public sector environments, and that you wanted to empirically
determine if employees utilized the programs and to what degree. You set out to do that and you did!
Your organization of the paper’s components flowed very well with fluid transitions. Your literature review
provided a strong foundation for the meaningfulness of employee engagement as aligned with
organizational performance.
As you see, I made corrections to typos and word usage in this final draft and throughout your revisions—
this will be an area of detail for you to address as you continue to write and present professionally. I
compliment you on your ability to receive and act on this type of feedback and for your ability to always see
the big picture, and the context of your work.
Your survey tool was very-well conceived with questions derived from a number of research-based
sources. I applaud your discovering a past survey performed in Clackamas County and utilizing several of
the questions in your current research. It provided a longitudinal look at the level of employee engagement
and yielded insightful findings. Great idea and implementation!
Again, I congratulate you for taking leadership in presenting the concept of your EMPA capstone project to
County Administrator Krupp and asking him to endorse your survey. Brilliant!
Finally, you sited numerous findings that will be very insightful and meaningful to the county. Your
conclusion and recommendations were well-written and should be very helpful to county administrators
interested in moving the needle on employee engagement.
Lastly, I will compliment you on your ability to find and use resources, and in accepting feedback well.
Asking for help from the County Administrator, the county’s public affairs specialist, EMPA mentor, coTIFFANY HICKS - EMPA CAPSTONE - 2015
35
workers, classmates, your advisor, etc. demonstrates your willingness to ask for help and collaborate with
others. These are very important qualities in working successfully in complex organizations. It was very
gratifying to see you grow and develop in your knowledge and skills as you progressed through the project,
and to witness your discipline in setting a schedule and sticking-to-it!
Very well done! It was a pleasure working with you,
Cathy LaTourette
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Acknowledgements

In humble appreciation to the Executive Masters of Public Administration (EMPA) faculty, thank
you for your academic and professional teachings over the past two years you have impacted my
life in ways I cannot possibly express and ways I have likely not yet even discovered.

This is a special shout out to my Capstone Advisor, Catherine La Tourette. Your patience,
guidance and support in the completion of this project are greatly appreciated.

To Laurel Butman, an excellent academic and professional guide, I deeply admire your
commitment to academics and public service. Thank you.

EMPA Cohort 2013, you are all so incredibly talented, brilliant, ambitious and beautiful. The ups
and downs we have experienced together over the past 2 years will forever be with me. I cannot
wait to see all of the places you will go and impact you will have in public service.

Brian Lawler, my capstone buddy, thank you for not only believing in me, but pushing me to be my
best. I am proud to call you my friend.

I especially want to THANK the dedicated and influential people of Clackamas County who
supported my work through their leadership, diligence and patience with my relentless inquiries.
Too many to mention, but I will try. THANK YOU Mr. Don Krupp, Nancy Drury, Rod Cook, Heather
Pederson, Tamara Dickenson, Nina Smith, Erin Knapp, Jeri Oswalt, Emmett Wheatfall, Nancy
Wilson, Tim Heider, and Dylan Blaylock.
TIFFANY HICKS - EMPA CAPSTONE - 2015
37
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