Lessons in Internal Communication from Undercover Boss

Transcription

1 Lessons in Internal Communication from Undercover Boss Jennifer Piurek and Angela Tharp January 19, 2011 Office of Public Affairs and Government Relations

2 Undercover Boss Research goals/methodology Employee preferences Next steps for PAGR Recommendations for you Discussion/questions * This PowerPoint presentation has been provided for download from the PAGR website

3 Research goals 1. Evaluate the impact of current internal communications 2. Understand use and perceptions of current internal communications 3. Identify employees preferences for receiving future news PAGR s ultimate objective is to develop an effective system for communicating important and interesting IU news to faculty and staff at all campuses AVP Larry MacIntyre

4 Methodology and participants Quantitative online surveys May: Full-time and part-time* staff, all campuses Aug: Faculty, all campuses Response rates Staff (40%) Faculty (36%) Samples met completion targets, and findings can be generalized to the larger population (Margin of error: +/- 5; Certainty: 95%) * Part-time staff = appointed staff who work at 50% FTE or greater

5 EMPLOYEE PREFERENCES

6 Overall expectations of IU staff Significantly more than faculty at 80% Significantly more than faculty at 60% Similar to faculty at 76% Significantly more than faculty at 47% Most (91%) expect to find out about important university/campus news from an official IU source (this happens 64% of the time) Most (77%) believe their campus has an effective system for getting news to employees Most (73%) said the amount of promotional they receive from the IU administration is about right Most (59%) are only interested in news from their campus

7 Sources used weekly for IU news Sources % Used Your campus s home page 73% A local or state newspaper (print only) 66% A local or state newspaper s website 58% A local television news show 52% A local or state radio show 46% The IU Home Pages electronic publication for faculty/staff 38% Your campus s student newspaper (print) 32% IU Events Calendar 30% IU Gateway 24% For Finding IU News: The campus home page is both the most useful and the most often used by both faculty and staff. By contrast, social media pages/feeds are the least useful and the least often used. IU Home Pages publication for faculty/staff (print) 24% IU News Room 23% Your campus s student newspaper website 22% Un-aided mentions included: gossip, departmental websites, OneStart, IUPUI s JagNews, IUSOM s Scope, and IUSB s bulletin board. Your campus s radio station 17% Your campus s television channel 12% Official IU Facebook fan page 8% IU President s website 7% Official IU Twitter feed 4% Official IU Bloomington Twitter feed 4%

8 Staff are less satisfied with the publication than faculty. IU Home Pages Significantly less than faculty at 62% Significantly less than faculty at 77% Significantly less than faculty at 68% 50% read/skim the print publication 68% read/skim the electronic publication 62% find the content to be timely 61% are interested in the items featured 39% find the content to be relevant to their work 49% felt the publication encouraged IU pride

9 Use of other opt-in newsletters Similar to faculty most don t know about or subscribe to these newsletters Similar to faculty: IT Matters, Live at IU, and Active for Life are the most known/popular newsletters listed

10 Suggestions for IU Home Pages and other newsletters Open-ended comments fell primarily into the following categories 1. Content 2. Format 3. Consolidation/customization 4. Timing 5. News value 6. Promotion

11 Suggestions on content staff are largely ignored, and it s a very faculty-centric, upperadmin-centric publication. (Yeah, there s some bitterness there. Tired of being overworked while getting pay cuts year after year after year.) IUB staff member It is a great publication, but I get the sense that support staff feels it is not their publication like they don t have a sense of ownership in it. Part-time staff member While research is highlighted from Bloomington, perhaps IU Home Pages could focus on the strengths of the regionals as well community, service, relationships, intimacy, etc. IUSB staff member

12 Suggestions on format I am so busy at my work site that I don t have time to be exploring and reading just to be informed send me an . Part-time staff member Stop printing this publication and save funds there is no reason it shouldn t be entirely online unless IU is going to print it in Braille! IUPUI staff member I want short snippets (like CNN s breaking news texts). IUB staff member

13 Suggestions on consolidation/customization When I am answering phones, working with students, faculty, and staff, having ONE location to find campus information would be invaluable. IUE staff member There are too many IU e-newsletters and I don t read any of them anymore. One relevant e-newsletter, once a month, is plenty. IUB staff member If people could go to 1 specific place and customize what information is delivered and when/how it is delivered, they may feel happier with IU internal communications. IUB staff member

14 Suggestions on timing I shouldn't have to read the Herald Times to find out that I am not getting a raise... AGAIN. IUB staff member It s better to hear IU news of impact from the president or from a campus chancellor than to hear it on the news and wonder why an wasn t sent before folks saw it on the evening news. IUK staff member It would have been nice for our staff to have received the news about the 2010 salary freeze from our University officials, rather than the media. IUPUI staff member

15 Suggestions on news value Establish a base of people or a website to assist with finding the GOODS! IUPUI staff member Less frivolous news about [the administration] please. IUB staff member It s sad that IUPUI has a much better electronic newsletter than the main campus, Bloomington.I take the time to read these from IUPUI. IUB staff member

16 Suggestions on promotion Unless I go looking for info at BL, I receive very little university-wide information; an improved distribution to the regional campuses would be welcome. IUN staff member I would LOVE to have more campus pride and facts!! Talking points are a must to explain to student staff what to say/do in regards to our school being in the news in a negative light. IUPUI staff member I ve been a staff member for over 6 years and feel like I am in the loop on things. Yet, I didn t know about the optional e-newsletters, and in checking with my peers, they didn t either. It makes me wonder what other great tools are out there that staff don t know about. IUB staff member

17 Top media choice for getting future IU news Top 4 choices identical to faculty choices, but staff (57%) have a stronger preference for blurbs than faculty (47%) have Most want news pushed to them electronically

18 Preferences for content Similar preferences to faculty Staff regarded everything as important. Also, they were far more interested in talking points.

19 Interest in a new consolidated newsletter Similar preferences to faculty 77% probably or definitely would subscribe to an e-newsletter combining the most important headlines, stories, and media quotes about IU About half would want to get this newsletter once a week

20 Would download from an online toolkit Tool % Definitely or Probably Would Download Talking points on key IU or campus issues 52% Iconic IU or campus photos 50% IU or campus points of pride 48% About half would download the top 3 items. IU or campus PowerPoint templates and graphics Short videos reinforcing IU or campus pride 42% 31%

21 Staff profile Use of devices at work Laptop or desktop computer: 97% Years worked at IU Cell phone: 51% Smart phone (iphone, Blackberry, etc.): 24% Other mobile computing device (ipad, ipod Touch, etc.): 8% Staff are significantly less likely than faculty to use a cell phone (61%), smart phone (41%), or other mobile computing device (17%) at work.

22 NEXT STEPS FOR PAGR

23 Because Employees question the news value of existing communications tools Those who are unhappy with tools are very unhappy and vocal Morale is low Focus on employee input, information, pride, and preferences

24 IU Home Pages Until we can customize what/when/how content is delivered Eliminate print copies Make it THE primary news source ed weekly to ALL part- and fulltime faculty/staff Limit the spin and focus more on items of interest

25 IU Home Pages (cont.) Give employees a stronger voice (consider opportunities for commenting, thumbs up/down voting, op-eds, representative editorial board, etc.) Expand coverage to include more stories about students, staff, and regionals Segment stories by campus and by importance for quicker scanning Develop a complementary breaking news template for big presidential announcements

26 Other PAGR newsletters Keep them targeted to external alumni and donors Remind subscribers of their option to opt out Weave the top stories of interest to faculty/staff into IU Home Pages so they don t have to subscribe to multiple newsletters

27 Planning for the future Prep employees for any public announcements that may impact them Test new creative concepts for IU Home Pages with employees (e.g., front page) Use the survey as a benchmark to chart changes in employee satisfaction with, and use of, IU internal communications Format newsletters for greater smart phone use in 2011

28 Greater collaboration between PAGR and campus marketing offices ID appropriate content for campus versus university newsletters Utilize campus home pages more for disseminating news (employees go there often) Systematically tap partners for story ideas Partner with IUB to address perceptions that it has the least effective system for getting news to employees Share relevant findings from this study so we can together improve internal communications

29 Greater promotion/perks Employees want more than a newsletter; they want a stronger IU family that makes them proud Discussion forums Annually updated employee ambassador kits Informal chancellor chats each semester Campus presentations that reinforce IU s history/culture Systematically promote opt-in newsletters and other tools through IU Home Pages, orientations, and events

30 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR YOU

31 Recommendations When seeking faculty/staff attention 1. Ask for their input, and ask often 2. Pursue mentions/graphics/ads in or on your campus home page, local newspaper, and IU Home Pages 3. Push information to them by , and begin experimenting more with smart phones and ipads

32 4. Provide a courtesy heads-up for controversial/breaking news 5. For newsletters, err on the side of hard news, segmented by campus Complete reports will be provided to each campus marketing office. Ask for a copy and ID any relevant findings for your unit.

33 Discussion/questions University Communications: Jennifer Piurek (812) Research: Angela Tharp (812)