Web viewThis capstone project is ... level case study of the County’s employee engagement ... and word usage in this final draft and throughout your

Tiffany Hicks - EMPA Capstone - 2015

Clackamas County

9/6/2015

2015Public Sector Employee Engagement – A Case Study

of Clackamas County

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.

Tiffany Hicks - EMPA Capstone - 2015 1

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

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 a stewards of taxpayer dollars inherent 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.


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).


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 research 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)


Catherine LaTourette, 09/15/15,

This is an insightful comment that demonstrates your broad perspective about how employee engagement fits within the county’s context. Good job.

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

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 a 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.)


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;

Blazer Night and Winter Hawks night where discount seating is available; a Halloween chili and cornbread



Very good introduction to this section of the report. It transitions well. The numbering is a helpful organizational device.

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

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

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.

The broad spectrum of opportunities for employee participation addresses such themes as the county’s

our 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



This is a nicely written section that offers the county rationale for caring about employee health. Again—you are able to see the big picture and the tie-in of employee engagement programs to bottom line interests.

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.

4. Leadership & Professional Development:

It isA well- documented a 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 for 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.

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 gains 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

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

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 managers’

manager’s responsibility.. Director Wheatfall’s wisdom and experience is respected throughout the county

and I am grateful for his wise counsel and leadership.


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 specific to measuringto 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 of about the value of recognition.

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



I like your opening paragraph and how you introduced the survey methodology. Nice writing.

trust, communication, training, 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 12 questions12-question survey designed to measure employee engagement. In designing and

validating the Q12, a meta-analysis 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.

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

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



Kudos for your leadership in asking County Administrator Krupp to send out the survey in his name. You gained his awareness about your work and the potential for his interest in real follow-up to your project. Also, his name increased the credibility of the survey, and likely increased the response rate. Well-done!

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 graduate-level 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.


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

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).


33%

31%

24%

8% 4%

Employee's Pride in Working for Clackamas County

Very Proud Proud NeutralNot Very Proud Not at all Proud

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

the same activities, showing the A-Team increased employee awareness over the past three years of

6.5%.



This was another very good idea to connect your survey work with one performed in the past. In this way you provided a continuity and longitudinal view of progress in the area of employee awards and recognition. This approach yielded a meaningful finding. Bravo!

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

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.



This phrase is not clear—what does it mean? Was the feedback unsolicited? Provided without prompting and in what format? Orally, in writing? May need to be more specific here. Sorry I didn’t catch that earlier.


I noticed your consistency in how you incorporated numbers in your text. You are increasing your ability to write professionally and academically. It’s great to see your development take shape even in this small way.

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:

Wellness

Safety & Susta

inability F

air

Exerci

se Classe

s

Red Soils W

alking Trail

Wellness

& Safety @

Work

Newsletter

Divisio

n Mini-g

rants

Weight Watch

ers

Challenges

Race fe

e Reimburse

ment

Reduced gym

fees

0%

20%

40%

60%

80% 75%

42%52% 53%

33%14%

43%

15%25%

Wellness Activity Particpation

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)

0%20%40%60%80%

46% 43%

75% 73%

Importance to Employees of Featured Programs

Figure 3

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

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.



This is a major finding that provides data analysis to conclude what many administrator surmised. This gives the county clear information about how to focus improvements to employee engagement programs.

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.

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

EMPLOYEES

OFFSITE

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



Good wrap-up to the section.


This is terrific feedback for supervisors and should be included in supervisory training programs. It’s a simple thing and reaps tremendous positive response in employee performance.

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 to access to any of the programs described?” (Q39). Once again Red Soils Employees participated

at 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-

Lack of Time-Understaffed

Location

Q38 – Suggestions to enhance

engagement

2% 4%



This distinction about workload is very interesting and can be further investigated. I really like that you uncovered this finding.


This analysis provides helpful information to the county. You are providing very usable findings.

Q39 – Barriers to program

accessibility

29% 0%

Total: 31% 4%

Figure 5


OFFSITE EMPLOYEES Heavy Workload-

Lack of Time-Understaffed

Location

Q38 – Suggestions to enhance

engagement

0% 26%

Q39 – Barriers to program

accessibility

15% 37%

Total: 15% 63%

Figure 6


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.)


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.


All Offsite Participants Red Soils Participants0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

51%

39%

56%

Very Engaged or Significantly Engaged Based on Survey Participants

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

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: AThis 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, co-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


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.


References

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http://www.clackamas.us/diversity/)

Council, C. L. (2004). Driving performance and retention through employee engagement. Washington, DC:

Corporate Executive Board.

Cox, T. (2001). Creating the multicultural organization: a strategy for capturing the power of diversity. San

Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Daly, J. L. (2012). Human resource management in the public sector: Policies and practices. Armonk, NY:

M.E. Sharpe.

Forbes Inc. http://www.forbes.com/sites/kevinkruse/2012/06/22/employee-engagement-what-and-why/

retrieved 5/29/15

Fornal, P., & Sanchez, D. (2005). Employee engagement and organizational performance: How Do you

know your employees are engaged?[White Paper]. Alexandria, VA: Society for Human Resource

Management.

http://www.gallup.com/services/176708/state-american-workplace.aspx retrieved 5/30/15

Kompaso, S. M., & Sridevi, M. S. (2010). Employee engagement: The key to improving performance.

International Journal of Business and Management, 5(12), p89

Kouzes, J. M., & Posner, B. Z. (2002). The leadership challenge. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Lockwood, N. R. (2007). Leveraging employee engagement for competitive advantage. Society for Human

Resource Management Research Quarterly, 1, 1-12.

Welch, Mary (2011),"The evolution of the employee engagement concept: communication implications",


http://www.gallup.com/services/176708/state-american-workplace.aspx

http://www.forbes.com/sites/kevinkruse/2012/06/22/employee-engagement-what-and-why/

http://www.clackamas.us/diversity/

http://www.clackamas.us/onboarding/

Corporate Communications: An International Journal, Vol. 16 Iss 4 pp. 328 - 346

Wellins, R.S. & Bernthal, P (2004) employee engagement: the Key to Realizing Competitive Advantage.

Development Dimensions International. Online publication.

http://www.ddiworld.com/DDIWorld/media/monographs/employeeengagement_mg_ddi.pdf?ext=.pdf

Employee Engagement Group, Inc. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4nwoZ02AJM


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4nwoZ02AJM

Web viewThis capstone project is ... level case study of the County’s employee engagement ... and word usage in this final draft and throughout your

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