Initiatives to Enhance the Redbird Staff Experience
Cabinet-Identified Initiatives and Outcomes
Adapt the Staff Success Survey developed in Academic Affairs and distribute campus wide.
The survey will provide employee feedback on Job Satisfaction, Performance and Feedback, Department Engagement, Work Climate, Workload, Professional Development, Employee Recognition, Overall Satisfaction, Remote Work, and Future Employment Plans.
Outcome: The Staff Success Survey was administered during the spring 2022 term and was open to all staff from April 11 through April 29. The overall response rate of the survey was approximately 57 percent, with strong representation from all six areas it was administered to – Academic Affairs, Athletics, Finance and Planning, Office of the President, Student Affairs, and University Advancement.
Communicate and promote flexibility in work assignments, including remote work and flexible work schedules, where appropriate and in accordance with university policy.
Two policies were updated with collaboration from staff councils and representatives across multiple divisions and communicated to campus. 3.1.31 Remote Work Guidelines for Administrative Professional and Civil Service Appointments (Updated May 2021) and 3.6.25 and 3.4.12 Alternate Work Schedules (Updated May 2022).
Outcome: Completed additional reports were given at the staff council meetings (AP and Civil Service) to highlight the increasing adoption of these policies and practices.
Provide more education on the ability to be flexible under the remote work policy.
Directors should evaluate operations and develop an adaptive workforce plan. If a position is eligible for a remote work option, the employee has discretion to choose if they want to work remotely.
Outcome: Completed and ongoing – communication continues to occur regarding policy and practice, including additional information highlighted on the central human resources website. The remote work application was also moved to an online process to streamline the process for staff and supervisors.
Expand departmental onboarding practices to include a shift to adaptive work.
Outcome: Ongoing - Flexible schedules, benefit time and remote work are addressed during the employee’s initial onboarding. Supervisors are encouraged to permit employees to access these benefits to the greatest extent possible given operational needs. Additional filtering options were installed on the career application page to highlight positions that are initially posted with remote and/or hybrid options.
Create an organization-wide, comprehensive list of specific expectations and performance metrics for employees working remotely.
Human Resources has created a website to help facilitate discussions: Remote Work Conversation Guide for Employees and Supervisors
Outcome: Completed
Increase training and education on the tools available and how to best leverage them for productivity.
To ease resistance to change, employees need to understand the benefits of the tools, and supervisors need to be held accountable for using them.
Outcome: Ongoing - HR has begun this process through expanding the training calendar for both in-person and remotely led training sessions on productivity tools such as Excel, Teams, and Digital Literacy/Accessibility for forms and websites, as well as launched broader access to LinkedIn Learning.
Adopt a more casual dress code, where and when appropriate.
Implement a ‘dress for your day’ guideline where employees are allowed to dress based on their schedule. Include spirit wear days to increase loyalty and pride in the workplace.
Outcome: Completed and ongoing - Dress for your Day, originally piloted in Human Resources, was recommended to campus through executive/presidential discussion. In addition, communication regarding this initiative is expected to occur periodically going forward.
Ensure Illinois State’s competitive advantage by conducting a salary and compensation study to maintain salary grades/ranges and benefits package.
Outcome: Ongoing - Human Resources continues to increase our reporting to and use of tools like the professional organization of CUPA-HR for comparisons of other higher education salaries and structures across the country. In addition, Illinois State University Human Resources participates in the Illinois Higher Education Consortium on Human Capital (IHECHC) to keep current with information at other state universities.
Provide consistent cost-of-living increases to maintain competitive edge.
Outcome: Many factors including inflation, technology and an ever-changing workforce footprint impact our employees' spending power. The University continues to work to find opportunities to keep salaries competitive as resources allow and has implemented a 3.5% merit-based increase for FY23 and FY24 for non-negotiated staff.
Explore opportunities for upfront benefit loading for certain employee classifications (i.e., vacation/sick).
Outcome: Completed- The chosen application of Personal Plus Time allowed the University to both respond to Illinois legislation, but also choose to incorporate more time-off up-front for faculty and staff.
Continue working closely with the State University Civil Service System (SUCSS) for changes needed to outdated processes in the recruitment and promotion of staff.
Outcome: Ongoing - Illinois State University has a strong reputation and relationship with SUCSS and continues to foster opportunities to identify operational challenges that we face and work with SUCSS to overcome those challenges to enhance experiences for our civil service staff and our hiring managers.
Build a greater shared understanding of well-being with stakeholders and engage them in a collaborative approach to delivering well-being strategies.
Outcome: Ongoing - The University Eexpanded EAP benefits and student support benefits, implemented parental leave program, and continues to have Human Resources partner with Health Promotion and Wellness for additional well-being resources.
Energize campus-wide efforts around well-being and activate industry practices (e.g., the Okanagan Charter, the Inter-Association Definition of Well-being, ACHA’s Healthy Campus Initiative).
Outcome: Ongoing - Programs continue to evolve and are provided by Be Well offered through CMS for all benefit eligible employees and for all employees through Health Promotion and Wellness.
Expand the recognition of employee milestones (individual and team performance, certificates and degrees earned, and career milestones) by restructuring the staff recognition program, including the University’s years of service acknowledgment.
Outcome: Completed and ongoing - Work group efforts led to the creation of a new employee recognition program unveiled on September 7, 2023; as part of the program a new “Welcome Back Faculty/Staff Luncheon was held and faculty and staff were recognized at each 5-year employment milestone with a “Faculty/Staff Years of Service” medallion and display board. Each medallion visually represents a specific element of the Illinois State experience. Feedback continues to be collected for improvement to the program and distribution of recognition materials.
Develop a comprehensive Learning and Development (L&D) Unit to support employee growth and skill-building.
This unit would work in collaboration with campus professional development partners through an L & D Council.
Outcome: Ongoing - Staffing in HR was realigned to create and add a learning and development coordinator. As part of this initiative, monthly sessions with other learning and development coordinators across campus are held to discuss how to centralize efforts and maximize impact.
Provide relevant and timely professional development to employees at all levels in traditional and non-traditional formats.
Provide a catalog of training opportunities for the year to be used as a tool for employees to map growth development. Create core competency models for various employee groups and tie learning to the model’s outcomes.
Outcome: Ongoing- Human Resources launched a Leadership Development Certification program in the fall of 2023. This program is in addition to monthly trainings presented on a variety of topics (customer service, DISC analysis and 5 voices training, ally training, and others) and access for all employees to the LinkedIn Learning platform which hosts more than 16,000 training opportunities. On a monthly basis, HR also identifies Bite-Sized learning through the LinkedIn platform. The daily learning calendar offers bite-sized videos or reflection activities (generally 5 minutes or less) on a specific topic for employees to complete.
Provide a library or learning system from which employees can choose on-demand courses/workshops.
This suite of resources should include LinkedIn Learning modules at no-cost to employees. As suggested in the DIAC Faculty and Staff Retention Report, online resources should include a reading list and resources to advance diverse perspectives.
Outcome: Ongoing - The first step in this included securing access provided by LinkedIn Learning through 2025 for active faculty, staff, and student employees.
Provide support and coaching to employees in preparation for promotional opportunities (e.g., preparation and confidence-building for testing; career development tools; interviewing techniques).
Outcome: Ongoing - Motivational Interviewing has been one of the popular sessions offered by Human Resources, along with several programs geared toward awareness and development of strengths and workstyle. The State Universities Civil Service System (SUCSS) removed all electronic and paper testing requirements in early 2023. In addition, the LinkedIn Learning platformprovides interview tips, etiquette, and preparatory questions.
Provide opportunities for staff to gain certificates through professional development programming.
Individuals are motivated by structured programs with certification; also provides an alternative to employees who are non-degree-seeking.
Outcome: Ongoing - Employees have the opportunity to earn certifications and badges through the University’s partnership with LinkedIn Learning. The Leadership Certificate in its inaugural year will provide a certificate to approximately 50 individuals.
Develop a leadership strategy for supervisors and managers, including clearly defined expectations and core competencies.
Require ongoing training to develop effective hybrid leaders. Provide time for supervisors to grow the skills needed to manage in an adaptive and flexible environment. Augment foundational leadership competencies with an emphasis on demonstrating empathy, developing talent, digital acumen, situational adaptability, cultivating innovation, and change management. Consider a Learning Management System for supervisors and managers in the future.
Outcome: Complete and ongoing - Human Resources launched a Leadership Development Certification program in the fall of 2023 and spring of 2024. Feedback and continuous improvement are part of the program, which offers a variety of leadership speakers (including multiple leader perspectives on specific leadership topics).
Increase responses for the formalized process for feedback annually (at a minimum) through performance appraisals and growth plans.
With an aim of creating/reinforcing a culture of valuation and advancement, cement processes for supervisors to develop habits of consistent feedback, coaching, and recognition.
Outcome: Ongoing - HR provides performance management training to assist supervisors in understanding the importance of the full performance review process and encourages them to provide feedback on both a regular and routine basis.
Provide performance management software to supervisors to manage the appraisal process and create individualized growth plans for staff more consistently.
Leverage data insights to predict talent opportunities and gaps in support of organizational goals. Provide employees with tools to assess individual and department strengths and opportunities for growth. Build in training for how to interpret results and create development plans.
Outcome: Ongoing - The Division of Student Affairs, Office of Technology Solutions, and Human Resources are piloting software that will be used to coordinate annual and probationary evaluations.