Agenda item

Joint report of the Town Clerk and Director of Human Resources.

The Committee received a joint report of the Town Clerk and Director of Human Resources which presented the headline findings of the 2018 City of London Corporation (COLC) employee engagement survey.

The Town Clerk gave a presentation to the Committee which set out the highlights of the survey and the proposed action plans. It was explained that there had been a very good response rate of 62%, the survey had shown that were areas where the COLC had scored extremely well, areas where there was ambivalence amongst those who had responded and areas which had scored poorly and where action would need to be taken. The Town Clerk advised of the next steps following the survey; the findings from the 2018 employee engagement survey would be used to help improve collaboration across departments, communication and leadership and departmental action plans would be developed to address issues identified in the survey.

The Town Clerk highlighted the importance of the work arising from the staff survey results nothing the difference in responses from those based at the Guildhall site and those who worked in other areas. It was suggested that given the complexity of the results, a workshop be held for Members of this Committee to look at this further.

During discussion Members made the following comments:

·         Members observed the responses received around senior leadership noting that 50% of respondents believed senior managers had a clear vision, but only 29% believed change was being managed effectively.  It was noted that the statistics were high level and the detail had not been provided therefore this should be a topic for further discussion at the workshop.

·         Continuing the discussion around leadership; a Member queried whether any guidance had been provided within the survey as to who should be deemed as senior management. A Member asked that going forward, the performance assessments of leaders include measures from the survey.

·         A Member commented that the action plans should focus on enhancing collaboration and breaking down silos within the organisation.

·         Member noted the low scores given to elements such as pay, poor performance and senior leadership. It was asked whether there were any individual departments where there might be specific issues.

·         A Member commented that the percentages relating to the questions on whistleblowing and safeguarding should be higher as those were areas where people should feel protected.

·         A Member queried the response rate to the previous staff survey which had been conducted nine years ago.

·         A Member asked whether staff would have the opportunity to input into the strategy and when staff would be able to address the issues that had arisen.

Responding to the discussion and questions raised, the Town Clerk explained that:

·         With regards to change management, there had been a high percentage of respondents who advised they did not know/were unsure to the questions posed therefore this group of people should also be considered when looking at the statistics. The proposed workshop would be useful for Members and officers to look further at this level of detail.

·         It was suggested that the level of pay and comparisons with other organisations/local authorities also be considered at the Workshop.

·         The definition of senior leadership should be considered when looking at the statistics as based on the guidance provided this section of the survey could refer to any level of manager within the Corporation. However, this area would need further consideration and performance appraisals would be looked at as a potential measure of both good and poor behaviour.

·         Responding to the question regarding the response rate to the staff survey conducted nine years, it was confirmed that this was 48%.

·         In response to the point made around safeguarding, Members were advised that the wording of the question was critical when considering the responses received. The number of people who had answered they did not know should the need arise for them to access those policies should be taken into account.

·         In response to a Member’s questions on the level of respondents to the survey when compared with the previous survey. The Town Clerk agreed to look into the detail of this and respond to the Member directly.

A Member asked the Director of Human Resources for their thoughts on the responses received in relation to how poor performance was managed. The Director explained that this would need to be looked at in more detail with comparisons of the responses submitted alongside the work carried out such as grievances, appeals, etc. The Director advised it would be helpful to conduct workshops with staff to find out more behind the responses.

The Chair thanked the Committee for a helpful discussion and for their agreement to hold a workshop on this matter. It was asked that the presentation be circulated to all Members of the Committee for information.

RESOLVED – That:

a)    the Committee note the headline findings of the employee engagement survey;

b)     a workshop focussing on the staff survey results be organised; and

c)    the presentation be circulated to all Members of the Committee.