Stetson faculty and staff said they would like more information about training and development programs and about Human Resources, such as benefits and health insurance, according to a 2018 Internal Communications Survey.

After hearing their feedback, the Human Resources staff offered more training programs, redesigned the HR website to be more user-friendly, and provided more information about employee benefits, including the switch to Cigna for health insurance this year.

Stetson’s first internal communications survey took place during Spring Semester 2018 and received 371 responses from faculty and staff in DeLand and Celebration, representing a 38-percent response rate.

A best practice in internal communications surveys is to share the outcomes with employees before conducting a follow-up survey. Sharing the results can help faculty and staff see that their feedback matters and increase their engagement in the next survey, set for October 2019. 

This is the first of three stories that will recap key initiatives launched since the first survey. The stories will lead up to the second Internal Communications Survey, which will arrive by email in October in the inbox of Stetson employees in DeLand and Celebration.  

Human Resources: A Top Area of Interest

After the 2018 survey, the Stetson Marketing staff analyzed the results and shared them across campus, including with the Board of Trustees, the University Cabinet and at the All Staff Meeting, as well as reaching out to individual departments, such as Human Resources.

Read the story: 371 Faculty, Staff Respond to Internal Communications Survey
Stetson Today, May 28, 2018

Training and development, and employee benefits were top areas of interest, which prompted a number of enhancements from Human Resources.

“Training and development has been a focus of the year,” said Drew Macan, associate vice president for Human Resources. “We not only continued Monday Morning Leadership but also added the Advanced Leadership Workshop and piloted the Emotional Intelligence workshop.

“In addition, Staff Advisory Council has initiated a professional development workshop series that focuses on tools and topics that support staff members in their job and professional development,” she said.

The Staff Advisory Council’s professional development series will continue in coming months with workshops on How to Stay Well At Work, How to Use Excel Spreadsheets, Mindfulness and Emotional Intelligence, and Personal Finances and Budgeting.

In the 2018 survey, faculty and staff were asked which topics they were interested in receiving information about. Their top five answers were:

1. Training and development programs;
2. Human Resources, including benefits, health insurance, retirement, etc.;
3. University policies and procedures.
4. Products and services available to staff and faculty;
5. Stetson University strategies and vision for the future.

Based on the overall survey results and comments, the Human Resources staff:

• Redesigned the HR website to provide more information on benefits, wellness, resources and employee discounts. Visit Stetson.edu/human-resources.
• Developed a strategic communication plan to better inform employees of the transition to the Cigna healthcare provider for 2019.
• Sharpened the focus of All Staff Meetings to highlight key strategies and initiatives, and “the feedback has been very positive,” Macan said.
• Started monthly announcements of Staffing Changes, with new roles/title changes, new hires and recent departures.
• Continued to assess and enhance a new Employee Orientation Process for better onboarding.
• Currently is at work on procedures for greater transparency in salary levels and hiring ranges in job postings.

“We have also engaged in a comprehensive review and edit of the Personnel Policy Manual, expected to be completed in the Fall semester,” she said. “Finally, we have implemented a number of changes to the Green Pages process to better ensure timely and accurate information.”

For questions or comments about the internal communications surveys, please contact Stetson director of Internal Communications, Cory Lancaster, at [email protected] or 386.822.7215.

Coming Next Week: Stetson’s Marketing Office outlines key initiatives since the 2018 survey