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City study highlights strengths, weaknesses
By KELLY WILKINSON
The city scored high marks in employee satisfaction, but ranked lower in manager-employee relations in a recent study conducted to determine its effectiveness as an organization.
The Gelfond Group, survey research consultants, conducted the study in January, distributing surveys to every full-time employee of the city and its contractors to evaluate workers' perceptions of the city as an organization.
The preliminary results of the study were released during a study session before the March 2 City Council meeting.
Edmund Pinelli, managing director of The Gelfond Group, told city councilmembers and city manager Bob LaSala that the mere gesture of conducting a survey of this type was "indicative of why you are as good an organization as you are."
"This shows a willingness to take a candid look at yourselves and a want to continue to improve," Pinelli said. "Frankly, a lot of organizations wouldn't want to do that."
Pinelli stated that the main purpose of the survey was to conduct a "diagnostic scan of the organization" which would focus on management/employee relationships, strengths and opportunities for improvement, and areas that need improvement. Responses were kept confidential to encourage participation.
The city attorney, human resources, and community development were the departments with the highest level of participation, while public safety and parks and recreation had the lowest.
Strengths identified were job satisfaction, quality of service, and employees' ratings of their immediate
supervisor.
Pinelli said he found the sense of pride and job satisfaction ratings "quite remarkable."
"Quite frankly," he said, "I'm pleasantly surprised at how many people derive a great deal of intrinsic satisfaction with what they do here."
Areas that were identified for improvement included organizational effectiveness, performance management, and relationships between management and employees.
According to Pinelli, there was a broad perception across all departments that there are not enough employees in relation to the workload, which inhibits the city's effectiveness.
Management-employee relationships, which translates into management above an employee's immediate supervisor, was cited as an area where communications and responsiveness could be improved.
"There is some sense that management is not listening, and are slow to respond when they do listen," Pinelli said.
City Manager Bob LaSala spoke of using the survey results to institute "long-term cultural shifts within the organization."
"We need to address a host of issues across the board and begin changing how we relate to each other within the organization in a candid, forthright way," he said. "This won't just be a flash in the pan, we need to approach this slowly, deliberately and methodically and build on the foundation of what we've already done well."
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Sunnyvale, California Since 1994
