OIC staff survey results released

Orkney Islands Council has published the results of its latest staff survey.

For the first time, the results are being published on the Council website.

All of the Council’s staff were invited to take part in the survey at the end of 2013, with one in three completing a return.

A similar survey was carried out in 2009, through which staff suggested that they would like the Council to introduce more flexible working practices.  As a result, the Council’s flexi-time scheme was introduced, which has been positively received by staff.

The survey results have highlighted some key areas for improvement for the Council as an employer, including employee policies and procedures, communication and engagement with staff and dignity and respect at work.

As a result of this, a series of staff groups are to be set up to help the Council to identify ways in which improvements can be made.

OIC Chief Executive Alistair Buchan said: “There were many positive results to come out of the survey.  Our workforce showed themselves once again to be extremely dedicated, with the vast majority saying they were happy to go the extra mile at work.  There were also a number of improvements on the results gathered in the 2009 survey, particularly around staff appraisals and personal development plans.   We are pleased with these results and will work hard to further improve them in the coming years.

“Of course, where there are positives, there are also areas of concern being highlighted to us as requiring further investigation and engagement with our staff.  On analysing the survey results, the main areas that give us cause for concern are communication and engagement with staff, dignity at work and employee policies and procedures.

“The last few years have been a time of great instability and financial uncertainty for the Council, with the organisation required to make significant financial savings and undergoing a major restructure.   We know that this will have affected almost all our staff in some way in terms of how they feel about working for the Council.

“With the new Corporate Management Team now firmly in place it is time for us to look forward and plan for the future both in terms of the things we intend to achieve as an organisation, but also the kind of organisation and employer that we want to be.”

The survey results are available in the consultation and engagement section of the Council website.