Agenda item - Staff Survey

Agenda item

Staff Survey

Minutes:

The Head of Business Transformation, Organisational Development and Digital Strategy introduced the update regarding the Staff Survey and informed Members that there had been delays experienced in administering the Staff Survey due to the Covid-19 pandemic and associated restrictions. However, planning was well underway for the next Staff Survey which was due to take place later in 2021.

 

The Human Resources & Development Manager provided further information to the Board and highlighted the following for Members’ attention:

 

·       Although some delays had been experienced for the full Staff Survey there had been a number of smaller surveys carried out over the course of 2021 in order to maintain regular contact with staff. Information on these smaller staff Surveys were considered during a Board meeting held in March 2021.

·       The majority of the questions to be included in the next full Staff Survey would be the same as were included in previous surveys in order to provide consistency during the analysis.  Members were advised that some questions would be included following discussions with CMT in order to provide some organisational specific focus.

·       The Staff Survey would be administered and analysed by an external provider through the Local Government Association (LGA) and that the data collected would be undertaken at a level that ensured confidentially however still allowed meaningful information to be gathered. It was envisaged that the information would be available early in 2022.

·       Communications would be sent out during November to encourage staff to take part in the survey. Those members of staff who did not readily have access to IT equipment would be provided with alternative ways to complete the survey. 

 

Following the presentation Members were invited to ask any questions arising from the report. In doing so Members were interested in understanding how many staff would be surveyed. It was stated that all 850 members of Council staff would be invited to complete the survey.

 

In respect of the survey questions, some Members were concerned that by including additional questions might compromise the outcome of the results. The Human Resources & Development Manager assured Members of the Board that, although there would be some service specific questions, there would be little room for modification of the questions by CMT and that the external provider would analyse the results to ensure impartiality when analysing the responses. Members were keen to see a copy of the final questions and officers undertook to provide them once they were available.

 

Members were also interested in the cost of the Staff Survey and whether this would be shared across both Councils. Officers were unsure as to the final cost of the of survey as it was not yet known whether the analysis undertaken would need to be significant or more high level. However, Members were assured by the Executive Director of Resources that a budget had been set to undertake surveys and that this would not be exceeded.

 

Some Members required further reassurance that this was the case and also that the Cabinet were fully aware of the expected costs of the survey. With this in mind, the following recommendation was made by the Board:

 

‘the Cabinet are fully informed of the higher and lower cost of the Staff Survey.’

 

On being put to the vote the recommendation was agreed.

 

There was detailed discussion regarding whether it would be possible to split the responses received by Council so that a clearer picture could be established regarding those members of staff who worked solely at Bromsgrove District Council. It was thought by some members of the Board that despite Bromsgrove and Redditch Councils being separate, they operated under a shared service agreement and therefore it was important to fully understand how this affected staff rather than separating the data. Officers confirmed that it was not possible to split the data as it could potentially compromise the confidentiality of the responses and make staff reluctant to take part. However, the following recommendation was made:

 

‘that Cabinet seriously consider ways in which future Staff Surveys are split’

 

On being put to the vote the recommendation was lost.

 

RECOMMENDED that

 

The Cabinet are fully informed of the higher and lower cost of the Staff Survey.

 

 

Supporting documents: