Situation
Rex Healthcare in Raleigh, North Carolina has had a consistent history of conducting employee surveys, typically, as has been the norm for years in the healthcare industry, by administering the survey in group sessions held round the clock.
Surveys results, though actively communicated to Executives, Managers and staff, were only moderately used at each survey point and, typically, the emphasis given to survey responsiveness was soon replaced by other, more pressing agenda items.
In recent years, Rex Hospital moved from a "Point-In-Time" survey to a departmental survey approach in order to lessen the "event syndrome" of a major survey. Accountability for follow-through still was less than effective.
A change in CEOs and the Vice-President for Human Resources ushered in a new era of reliance on surveys as a benchmark for organizational work life improvement.
Action
A shorter survey consisting of a number of TJG standardized inquiries plus specific inquiries designed for Rex to coincide with internal initiatives being undertaken was developed. The new survey featured (and piloted) for TJG the use of Indices (rather than variables) as a major survey feature.
Rex adopted the use of the Organizational Health Index (OHI), the Engagement Index (EI) and the Work Environment Index (WEI) as key measures that provided both organizational and departmental accountabilities.
The method of administration was primarily the Internet. All employees and Directors, with the exception of three departments where keyboard and mouse navigation may have been a problem, used the survey on the WEB.
Results
Response to the Index-based, shorter survey, taken on the WEB was well received as a more preferable tool for surveying. Targets for improvement both at the organizational and departmental levels were established. Results were thoroughly communicated to employees and commitments made for more consistent surveying.
Not only were the above positive outcomes, but, more importantly, the Rex results were significantly improved over previous scores, thus reinforcing the idea that leadership initiatives and an aggressive stance on improving the environment pays handsome dividends.