Harnessing Workforce Opinion to Make Your Organization Stronger

-By Michelle Kobayashi and Damema Mann–

Managers sometimes fear that asking their employees about the work environment may be inviting an elephant into the room. But the truth is, that elephant is already there and ignoring it won’t make it disappear. By acknowledging what most employees are seeing anyway, you can demonstrate your willingness to welcome real conversations that bring in the voices of everyone who works for you.

National Research Center, Inc (NRC), creator of The National Employee Survey™ (The NES™), illuminates the ins-and-outs of assessing workforce opinion. Connie Jacobs-Walton, Human Resources Director for Decatur, GA and Pete Petersen, City Manager for Johnson City, TN describe what their organizations have done with employee surveys—the lead-up, execution, and follow-up—that helped set their organizations on the right track. These tips can be used by any local government to empower staff and increase job satisfaction.

This presentation by NRC comes from the 2018 International City/County Management Association (ICMA) Conference in Baltimore, MD.