Community Survey plays key role in shaping VUMC
The VUMC Community Survey, an employee satisfaction survey, will be conducted March 19 through April 6. As always, the identity of respondents is kept strictly confidential by the survey vendor. Staff and faculty will again have the option of filling out the survey online or on paper.
“The survey is an absolutely invaluable tool for management,” said Harry Jacobson, M.D., vice chancellor for Health Affairs. “The findings help us make changes and shape new programs to boost satisfaction and job retention, which in turn promotes better performance and helps us fulfill our mission. We would like every member of the staff and faculty to fill out the survey and let their voice be heard.”
Employee satisfaction and retention are central to elevate. The Medical Center leadership team has decided to run surveys every year instead of every other year; the rest of the university is going to stick with surveys every other year. Annual surveys will be useful for job performance evaluations of VUMC supervisors.
In past surveys, employees signaled that VUMC could do better at sharing financial successes with staff, and that led to year-end “success sharing” salary bonuses, given in 2000, 2004, 2005 and 2006. Medical Center employees have also signaled for more help to balance their work with other commitments, and this led to an adoption benefit, a free VUMC errand service (Vanderbilt Valet), and an alternative work arrangements policy covering flexible work scheduling, job sharing and telecommuting.
VUMC departments and work groups are also urged to use survey results as a starting point for more localized employee satisfaction improvement efforts.
For more information, contact your supervisor.