Look Who's Talking: Oklahoma's Experience with an Employee Attitude Survey

• NCJ Number: 206968
• Journal: Corrections Today Magazine Volume: 66 Issue: 5 Dated: August 2004 Pages: 76-78,138
• Author(s): Ron J. Ward; Edward L. Evans; Deborah K. Boyer
• Date Published: August 2004
• Length: 4 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Program Description (Model)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This article describes the employee attitude survey undertaken by the Oklahoma Department of Corrections in an effort to proactively address the problem of employee retention.

Abstract

Facing the critical management problem of reducing employee turnover and shortages and increasing employee job satisfaction, the Oklahoma Department of Corrections undertook an employee attitude survey in an effort to examine the major issues in employee retention. The article describes the development and administration of the employee survey, which is a labor-intensive process that begins with the establishment of survey objectives and management commitment to the survey process and outcomes. The survey was developed by a work team that drew from tested models previously used in adult and juvenile correctional settings and was field-tested at a correctional facility with a variety of security levels. The written survey was administered to all agency employees with a customized answer sheet to easily scan results. The 4,800 Oklahoma Department of Corrections employees were asked to submit survey responses within 60 days directly to the University of Oklahoma to ensure confidentiality and anonymity. Survey results were compiled and presented to agency management and the governing board of corrections. Common concerns of employees were a lack of communication between staff and management and competitive compensation. Managers reviewed results and engaged employees in the process of improvement by making them stakeholders in the development of strategies and solutions. Feedback to employees concerning the actions taken as a result of the survey were included as part of the survey process. The survey was considered important not only for proactively addressing employee retention problems, but also for communicating to employees that their opinions are important to the management of the correctional system. Figures, references