City to Conduct Employee Experience and Workplace Climate Survey

I'll write a straight-news article about the City of Abilene's plan to conduct an employee experience and workplace climate survey based on the transcript.

Abilene city officials will conduct an employee experience and workplace climate survey to better understand how employees view the organization, the city commission, and their overall work experience.

Interim City Manager Quinday presented the survey proposal during a recent commission meeting, explaining that the assessment would provide valuable insights for commissioners, the incoming city manager, employees, and the broader community.

"I reviewed potential approaches to ensure the survey would be meaningful to the city commission, the new city manager, while also providing value to the employees and the broader community," Quinday said.

The survey will incorporate two primary frameworks: a satisfaction survey focusing on how employees feel about their jobs and the city as an employer, and a work climate survey examining the organizational environment, including communication, fairness, and mission alignment.

According to Quinday, the survey will use a Likert-scale format to measure perceptions consistently across departments, with open-ended questions to capture qualitative feedback. Key areas to be assessed include trust, communication, fairness, inclusion, mission alignment, and job satisfaction.

The interim city manager emphasized that the survey would follow ethical standards for organizational research, ensuring confidentiality and voluntary participation. Employee responses would remain anonymous, particularly any feedback directed toward commissioners or department staff.

Quinday indicated the survey could be developed in-house, with results likely available by mid-November. He noted that he has previous experience conducting organizational surveys and would use appropriate analytical software to process the data.

Commissioner Kohlhoff, who initially suggested the survey, expressed support for the initiative, noting it would serve as a form of evaluation for the commission. "I think it's a good idea. It's kind of an evaluation of sorts. I would look at it for me and for us and how we're doing," Kohlhoff said.

Other commissioners agreed with the proposal, though Commissioner Meisenberg emphasized the importance of following through on any feedback received. "The absolute worst thing you can do is ask someone what they think and then do absolutely nothing with it," Meisenberg said.

Quinday acknowledged that many potential changes resulting from the survey would ultimately be up to the governing body, as they set organizational policies and culture through their interactions with staff.

The commission reached consensus to proceed with the survey without requiring formal approval.