Process Improvement Survey Summary
January 2006
The following is a summary of overall respondent themes
and sample representative comments from survey respondents. There were
75 responses to our January 2006 survey.
“Human
Resources News” – A quarterly newsletter from the Minnesota State Colleges
and Universities Human Resources Division
| 29 |
I’ve read each issue fully |
| 34 |
I’ve only looked at a few articles |
| 12 |
I haven’t looked at any of the articles |
| Overall Respondent Themes: |
| What works well? |
- Appreciate that campuses have input.
- This is a good resource for information on other campuses’
projects as well as announcements and reminders.
|
| Improved? |
- I
don’t have enough time to read the newsletter thoroughly. It
is yet another source of information and there isn’t time to
keep up with all of them.
|
| Sample of Representative Comments from Survey Respondents: |
- I
like the fact that the campuses have input. I find the info
from other campuses invaluable.
- This is relatively new so it is hard to give recommendations
on this. I think it is a good idea if people can find the time
to share their best practices and also a good way to get to
know other HR directors.
- Reminders and announcements of changes work well; i.e., DCR,
Retirement, common start date.
- I
have to admit, the only article I truly remember was the one
that highlighted the HR office from Southwest. It's not a criticism
of the newsletter, it's just that there is so much information
to read from many sources that it gets lost in the shuffle.
- Connecting us with other departments through information,
reminding us of upcoming issues we need to pay attention to,
etc.
- I like the information campuses and OOC share about what they
are doing or new ideas they are trying out. I also appreciate
the articles that go into a little more depth about a particular
topic or issue.
|
New
Employee Orientation Video
| 29 |
I've viewed the video but haven't used it with employees |
| 23 |
I've used the video with employees |
| 15 |
I haven't looked at it |
| 7 |
I didn't know this existed |
| 1 |
Did not respond |
| Overall Respondent Themes: |
| What works well? |
- Good resource for general view of the system.
- Nice “welcome” activity for new employees.
- Good response from most employees.
|
| Improved? |
- Misnamed
– not an orientation in the sense of detailed benefits information.
- Too long; some employees view as a waste of time.
|
| Sample of Representative Comments from Survey Respondents: |
- I think this will be a good tool to use in addition to other
orientation materials. Many people don't really understand
"MnSCU."
- I think it is an excellent resource and will use it in future
orientations. I would like to see more of these types of resources
produced centrally rather than each college producing their
own materials and spending a lot of time and valuable resources.
A suggestion for a much needed training video is sexual harassment
and harassment of any nature.
- The video is excellent. We showed it at our staff and faculty
in-service. Also use it during orientation for all new employees.
Please do a video on affirmative action and also on workplace
discrimination and harassment.
- It is great! We require all new employees to watch the video.
More videos would be great!
- We used it at a new employee orientation. I think it gives
a nice general view of the system. The new employees love the
videos. I hope to show it at a cabinet meeting.
- We have shown it to all of our employees. We set it up in
a conference room with popcorn when it first came out and remind
people that it's out there so almost all of our employees have
viewed it.
- This is a helpful overview to the system, and a nice "welcome"
activity to do with employees in their first few days of work.
Thank you.
- It
isn't an orientation video at all, it's a "welcome to MnSCU"
video.
- We've had a nice response from employees...very interesting
to see the instrument repair, etc.
- It
is a well done piece and is ok in length, could be shorter...time
is of the essence during the orientation, but overall like using
it.
- It is a good overview, but our orientation is so jam packed
with information now that it is hard to get in the time to show
it.
- So much needs to be covered in orientation already, that adding
a fluff video is seen by our faculty as a waste of time during
their orientation time. They want to get to the meat of things
- the benefits, retirement plans, payroll.
|
Tips
and Tools
| 28 |
I regularly look at the Tips and Tools when I need
information |
| 31 |
I've only looked at them once or twice |
| 7 |
I never use them |
| 8 |
I don't know where to find them (http://www.hr.mnscu.edu/tipsTools/index.html) |
| 1 |
Did not respond |
| Overall Respondent Themes: |
| What works well? |
- This is a good resource and is easy to find.
|
| Improved? |
- I
forget that this resource is out there. It would be helpful to
be reminded that they are available.
- There could be more effort made to making sure they are kept
current.
|
| Sample of Representative Comments from Survey Respondents: |
- I keep forgetting they are out there. I think we just need
to be reminded that the resource is there and continue to add
more topics to it.
- Excellent resource. Just need to make sure they are kept up-to-date
with most current information.
- Just keep building the library of Tips and Tools! If someone
asks a question of OOC or needs to find something, turn it into
a Tips and Tools.
- This is a fabulous resource and I use it frequently. It is
easy to find and it makes finding all the other stuff (statute
references, contact info, policies, etc.) easier to locate.
- I've looked more than once or twice, but could not accurately
check the box for "regularly" viewing the information.
However, I do regularly access the HR MnSCU website for Director's
resources, contract/policy info, matrices, etc.
- I only look there when I need information, it’s not on a regular
basis. I think it is good idea that we keep the resource.
- I believe since there are so many different locations to find
information, some things get overlooked. This is one area that
I find I don't go to often. Is there a way to consolidate where
things are found?
- Make them accurate.
- We forget they are there. We have a lot of resources but very
little time to assess the situation and take action. It's hard
to remember everything that's out there. Not sure what might
help that.
|
Monthly Conference Calls
| 49 |
I've participated in most of the calls |
| 16 |
I've participated a few times |
| 3 |
I don't find them worth my time |
| 7 |
Did not respond |
| Overall Respondent Themes: |
| What works well? |
- Good format, usually very useful information and discussion.
|
| Improved? |
- If
there are issues that pertain only to two-year colleges or to
state universities, have those items at the end so that the campuses
to whom it doesn't apply don't have to participate.
|
| Sample of Representative Comments from Survey Respondents: |
- Hearing from OCC folks about what's happening directly, openness
to adding agenda items for discussion, I think we should continue.
- Exchange
through conversation is usually better than through print. I
have heard comments that sometimes not much of importance gets
discussed (which may be true) but maintaining this contact is
still valuable for information as well as humanizing others that
we work with.
- I think keeping the meeting on task helps cover lots of info
in shorter time. Can we make suggestions without being the presenter
of the topic?
- I thought the monthly conference calls were for the Directors
of Human Resources only. I didn't realize that, as a staff member,
I could participate in the calls.
- Make
sure people know this is not an "individual issues"
call. There are too many specific issues raised during this call
and that is not a good use of everyone's time - particularly given
the difficulties of real conversation inherent in the call.
- These are good for updates, but it's hard to have an interactive
conversation with so many people on the call. Everyone can't
talk at once... I do hope these continue.
- These are helpful and informative. Suggest dividing agenda items
by university vs college and classified vs non-classified. We
could attend the part that applies to our specific area. (I think
this is already done somewhat.)
|
Calendar of Recurring
Tasks and Deadlines
| Overall Respondent Themes: |
| What works well? |
- This is a great document and we have added our timelines to
it.
- I had created one prior to this and blended the two documents
when the system level one came out. It is useful and would be
particularly good for new HR Directors and/or training efforts
for new HR employees. I like it!
|
| Improved? |
- I
did not know this existed. Where do you find it?
- I have seen it, but don't remember how to get back to it.
|
| Sample of Representative Comments from Survey Respondents: |
- As I have been here longer I think this is a tool I will use
more frequently.
- Honestly I haven't looked at it in detail - my problem - so
I don't have much feedback on this one. However, I understand
from other CHRO's that this is a great baseline calendar to use
and build on for the campus HR offices.
- I don't use it that often to make any suggestions.
- I like it even though I forget to look at!
- I'm not sure how this can be improved but we need more lead
time for data requests, particularly from Toni's area. My improvement
suggestion would be that we don't automatically agree to short
deadlines for pulling information unless it is something that
can be done by OOC staff. None of the campuses have enough staff
to set aside a person just to respond to data requests, which
often require a minimum of a couple of hours to collect for each
request.
- The HR staff uses it more than I do.
- This is a great idea, but just haven't really utilized it much
yet.
- This is a most useful tool and I appreciate all the work that
it continually takes to keep it up-to-date.
- We have used this as a starting point for our own calendar.
- Works well, we have added campus stuff to it!
|
| Suggestions for additional tasks or deadlines: |
- Include deadline for submission of pre-tax expenses.
|
Data Field of the Month
| 26 |
I've worked with the data field reconciliation queries
to improve my data |
| 16 |
I've read the information but haven't really used it
|
| 3 |
This doesn't apply to my work |
| 7 |
Did not respond |
| Overall Respondent Themes: |
| What works well? |
- It is a good idea to focus on one data field for clean up at
a time.
- Please keep this up.
|
| Improved? |
- A new data field of the month has not come out each month.
It isn’t consistent.
|
| Sample of Representative Comments from Survey Respondents: |
- As a CHRO, I don't use the information directly. However, my
office staff have said they like focusing on one particular field
at a time. It's a much easier way to manage data updates.
- I believe we've only had one data field reconciliation given
to us thus far. I think this is an excellent idea and we are
looking forward to more queries which we intend to faithfully
run.
- I LOVE THIS ONE. Anything via email works great for me! I
have a binder exclusively for this and works great for cleaning
up, monitoring changes. PLEASE keep this!!!
- Keep it up! We need more of this to get all the data clean!
- Seems like a lot of extra work that there isn't time for.
- There again, it's hard to get through the process every time.
We just keep getting more and more to do and it's hard to get
to everything. There is a payroll/hr processing timeline. Maybe
something like that that would incorporate these queries and the
best time to run them.
- This is most helpful and I especially like the process.
- While I understand the importance, the reality is that I simply
don't have time - if I run the error report once a month it's
a miracle.
|
| Suggestions
for new products we might work on in 2006 |
- AA related reports, standard recruitment and information materials,
standard performance evaluation forms, employee recruitment resource
list.
- Applicant tracking software! Web based ability to apply through
MnSCU Employment Opportunities to the posting school.
- Encourage scanning software for those HR offices that are having
trouble getting it through the local administrative team.
- I feel that we get most of our benefit from the Spring and Fall
Conferences. Communication is always the key.
- Many more canned reports in Brio. Survey what kinds of reports
used and needed. More formal BRIO training.
- I struggle with changing Codes, with SCUPPS. The HR web site
has great information about scenarios and would like this expanded.
- At some of the conferences I have talked with others about having
monthly meetings for the Aides and Aide Seniors to get together
and talk about issues they face. Also have a meeting for the
officers to discuss issues they face and share information - similar
to the CHRO meetings. There have also been suggestions for an
FMLA work group to help everyone learn more and begin to do things
the same.
- More processing, examples need to be in writing so we can refer
to them. I also think that OOC could streamline processes - example,
maybe they should handle all of the tuition waivers.
- I'd like a bi-weekly summary of changes, notices, deadlines,
etc. So many things come at us in separate emails from different
people that it's easy to lose track.
- It
would be nice if there was a cd or online video for issues like
sexual harassment, workplace violence, nondiscrimination.
- One payroll system, instead of two. Applicant tracking system.
Electronic forms/signatures. Improve the ability to enter international
information in SCUPPS. More guidance on international hires -
retirement eligibility, etc. Electronic timesheet!!
- This survey is a good start. How about a survey of what campuses
would like to see in 2006? New product idea - SCUPPS user/training
manual.
|
| “Unsolicited”
comments focused on areas of concern |
- Frankly, e-mail is the best way to communicate with me. I use
e-mail every day, throughout the day, and usually check it at
home on evenings and weekends. If something is important, I count
on e-mail to keep me informed. Many complain about too much e-mail,
but it is now engrained in many of our routines. But again, I
personally don't want to have to go to multiple sites each day
to make sure I have everything I need to know. Even an e-mail
to let me know a new posting was out on the WebBoard would be
better than remembering to check it each day.
- I
do believe there needs to be better communication to everyone
when something comes up at a particular campus. There would be
better consistency; many times we find out months, even years
down the road, we should have been doing something different because
a couple individual campuses had the issue but it wasn't widely
shared with everyone. Avoid last minute requests for data. We
just can't drop everything.
- I have a difficult time finding things on the HR Web site.
Some things are under the Tips and Tools, others are under campus
resources, and you have to have a login to see them. Others are
only available to HR Directors. I don't understand the logic
of why things are where they are and the restricted areas for
some topics.
- We simply need more staff to participate in all your products
and efforts. When you constantly have deadlines to meet, the
above matters become secondary.
- You have a lot of good ideas for sharing information. The big
drawback to all of them is that we don't have time. Our HR office
is so busy all of the time that we can barely keep up with everything
that has to get done. We would love to get involved in some new
initiatives and do more training for our campus, but we don't
have enough staff to do everything that has to get done, let alone
any extras.
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