City of Cincinnati Department of Transportation and Engineering Climate Assessment March 2019 Prepared by: Make It Plain Consulting, LLC 1212 Sycamore Street, Suite 21 Cincinnati, OH 45202 March 4, 2019 Table of Contents I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY............................................................................................................. 3 II. ASSESSMENT METHODOLOGY ................................................................................................ 3 III. KEY FINDINGS .......................................................................................................................... 4 IV. ASSESSMENT SUMMARIES and RECOMMENDATIONS ......................................................... 15 V. APPENDIX .............................................................................................................................. 17 DOTE Climate Assessment Procedure ................................................................................... 18 Cincinnati Department of Transportation and Engineering Interview Questions ................ 20 Cincinnati Department of Transportation and Engineering Focus Group Questions ........... 20 Cincinnati Department of Transportation and Engineering Observation Questions ............ 20 Cincinnati Department of Transportation and Engineering Electronic Survey Questions .... 21 Electronic Survey Responses ................................................................................................. 23 DOTE Staff Document Analysis .............................................................................................. 51 Page 2 of 53 I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY At the request of the City of Cincinnati Department of Transportation and Engineering (DOTE), an independent climate assessment of the DOTE was conducted to assess the workforce and workplace environment within the Department. Make It Plain Consulting concentrated on the assessment of the Department’s people, processes and culture. Interviews were conducted with DOTE employees (henceforth named “staff”) including staff at all levels to capture perspectives about what is working well in the Department, the current challenges facing the division and recommendations for addressing the challenges. Make It Plain Consulting conducted focus groups, individual interviews, ethnographic observations and collected and analyzed documentation to determine the scope of concerns. As part of the assessment process, an online survey instrument was administered to allow staff to rate the Department. The survey was launched on January 25, 2019 and closed on February 8, 2019. II. ASSESSMENT METHODOLOGY Make It Plain Consulting facilitated focus groups, conducted individual interviews, created and launched an online survey, reviewed existing documents and observed staff in their work environments to obtain both qualitative, and quantitative information. This information was then analyzed to ascertain key findings and provide recommendations regarding the current culture climate of DOTE. The assessment consisted of 42 individual interviews; 13 focus groups (113 participants); 19 ethnographic observations (work-alongs); an electronic survey (124 respondents [82.67% response rate]); review of DOTE Staff Demographic Data; DOTE Mission Statement; DOTE Standard Operating Procedure; City of Cincinnati HR Regulations; Administrative Regulation 258; Administrative Regulation 55; DOTE Staff Promotion List 2015; DOTE Staff Promotion List 2016; DOTE Staff Promotion List 2017; DOTE Staff Promotion List 2018; DOTE Organizational Chart 7/13/2015; DOTE Organizational Chart 1/22/2016; DOTE Organizational Chart 6/22/2016; DOTE Organizational Chart 12/1/2016; DOTE Organizational Chart 1/31/2017; DOTE Organizational Chart 6/1/2018; DOTE Organizational Chart 10/23/2018; DOTE Organizational Chart 11/1/2018; DOTE Organizational Chart 1/22/2019; DOTE Complaints and Grievances 2015; DOTE Complaints and Grievances 2016; DOTE Complaints and Grievances 2017; DOTE Complaints and Grievances 2018; and Fall 2018 Queen City Certified Survey Analysis of DOTE. Page 3 of 53 III. KEY FINDINGS Based on individual interviews, focus groups, ethnographic observations and survey results, the following three (3) themes emerged: Theme I: TRAINING Staff cited that tools and resources are adequately provided. However, there is a lack of technical training to utilize said resources. In addition, staff cited a need for interpersonal skills training for all employees in order to improve work relationships and overall morale. 60.83% of survey respondents rated morale of DOTE a 3 or less out of 5. 74.34% of survey respondents indicated that they had the tools and resources that they need to perform their job well. 54.46% of survey respondents indicated that DOTE needs Interpersonal Skills Training. On a scale of 1-5, 5 being excellent, how would you rate the morale of the Department? Do you have the tools and resources you need to perform your job well? 74.34% 34.17% 27.50% 18.33% 1 25.66% 11.67% 8.33% 2 3 4 Yes 5 No Does DOTE need Interpersonal Skills training? 54.46% 45.54% Yes No Does DOTE need Interpersonal Skills Training? If yes, please check all that apply 35 How to Handle Employee Performance Problems 33 27 Giving Effective How to Identify and Performance Eliminate Implicit Feedback & Bias & Employee Reviews Microaggressions 26 Preventing & Handling Workplace Harassment & Discrimination 25 24 19 18 Effective Records Cultural Awareness Valuing Diversity in Writing Effective Management, for the Whole the Workplace Job Descriptions Retention & Workforce Destruction 11 Preventing Sexual Harassment Page 4 of 53 In their own words… “Training for public outreach activities and/or access to professionals/consultants who specialize in such activities, training on various Department procedures.” “Need more money allocated to training.” “HR has many trainers and training classes besides the HR Required Course that our not utilized -why not? Training for personal/professional development is great for people who feel stuck in their positions.” “I feel we need training whenever new technology or new methods are introduced to the department.” “Create a culture of training 3-4-5-year cycle.” “I've mentioned examples throughout this survey. But I will conclude by saying that in general large-group training for "cultural issues" is less effective than focused training with smaller groups or individuals where there are known problems. How to effectively train someone for technical skills varies a lot, depending on the objective/needs. Those needs might be taught well in a big group, small group or individual one-on-one sessions. Sometimes people don't know what they don't know so they don't know to ask for help, if that makes sense. Also, I do think "media training" and "customer service" training would be very beneficial for any employees who meet/talk with the public or elected officials (in council chambers or in the community). That said, training without improved processes and financial backing won't get the job done because then our department might come across as lacking substance and only giving "lip service" to a given issue.” “[Some people] thought our discrimination training was funny and just for political correctness.” “Training needs to not be reactionary.” “HR does all training, they are not professional trainers.” “Sexually offensive and mocking of AR No. 25.” Page 5 of 53 DOTE Staff shared recommendations related to the following areas: A. Job-specific Training • AutoCAD is one of the most widely used software in the department. It would very helpful if we were to have a ""what's new training session"" when we have a new version of AutoCAD being used in the department. By not doing this we continue to use this software the same way we were before the new version came out which equals no advancement. This same thing would be nice with other new software. The current procedure is as follows: We get a new software, we ask questions about it, and we are told ""Just play with it."" To me that sounds like, ""I don't know so you figure it out."" I'm not saying the I.T. people have to do the training (we have many in house people who are qualified) but they should definitely spearhead it. • We have a good IT team, but they need to be in the trenches doing informal one-on-one group sessions to bring employees up to speed on how best to utilize 21st century tools and technology… I also think anyone who participates in a professional development program should be willing to share a little about their experience in an informal or more formal way - via a presentation, in person Q&A, ""lunch and learn"" type thing. • As an inspector I would like to get asphalt, concrete, trenching and any job specific training over the winter. • Ensure whatever skills needed for promotion are being taught; e.g. Permits Plus, AutoCAD, CHRIS, etc. • Ongoing training on strategies, techniques and approaches to respond to customers' requests. • Cross training so processes aren’t slowed when someone is out. B. Soft skills Training • More mandatory training to all the employees on professional behavior and personal growth. the training should include professional dress, communication both internal and external, appropriate work behavior, how to become a manager of your co-workers if promoted over them, customer service and relations. HR then must be able to not just teach on a surface level but get down into some of the nitty gritty of business. • Implicit bias training. • Managerial training. • Generational training. • Communication training. • Ongoing training process of improving customer service. Page 6 of 53 Theme II: COMMUNICATION Staff cited challenges with lack of communication between divisions. This lack of communication causes issues with collaborative processes. In addition, staff cited a need for communication skills training for all staff, due to conflicting personalities. 40.50% of survey respondents rated the interpersonal skills of their co-workers as a 4 out of 5. 61.98% of survey respondents rated the interpersonal skills of their manager between a 4 and 5 out of 5. 64.60% of survey respondents stated that DOTE needs Communication Skills Training. Of the 64.60%, 67 respondents stated that DOTE needs Effective Communication Training. On a scale of 1-5, 5 being excellent, how would you rate your co-workers' interpersonal skills? On a scale of 1-5, 5 being excellent, how would you rate your manager's interpersonal skills? 40.50% 30.58% 31.40% 30.58% 3.30% 21.49% 14.88% 10.74% 1 2 3 4 5 6.61% 9.92% 1 2 3 4 5 Does DOTE need Communication Skills training? 64.60% 35.40% Yes No Does DOTE need Communication Skills Training? If yes, please check all that apply. 67 Effective Communication 55 How to Handle Difficult People 54 53 51 50 49 How to Handle The Unwritten Rules How to Handle Conflict Giving & Receiving Personality Clashes of Business Negativity, Bad Management & Feedback & in the Workplace Professionalism & Attitudes & Toxic Confrontation Skills Constructive Workplace Etiquette People in the Criticism Workplace Page 7 of 53 In their own words… “I believe we need to work on our communication with other departments to speed up the work process. Sometimes I have a simple work order for a single sign to be put in and it could be anywhere from 2 weeks to a year until the work gets done while the customer asks about the progress throughout the process. I feel that this makes us look bad in some situations.” “Encouragement & direction from Section Heads & Division Heads to improve collaboration across Section & Division lines to improve project delivery (i.e. better/more open sharing of personnel, resources, expertise, etc.).” “The department needs clear direction from top management, backing from top management and buy-in at all levels. With that should come better internal communication from the top down. I also think many employees operate in silos but have no practical way to bridge divides to improve our internal systems that all too often result in substandard customer service.” “Each department has different ways of communicating information to staff.” “People: Provide resources for training and professional development. Process: Improve communication between R/W permitting and our office, Traffic, to make sure we are aware of construction that will impact our infrastructure. Too often we involved at the last minute which makes responding difficult. Culture: Quarterly newsletter that can summarize what the Department is working on and what ""new"" challenges are on the horizon.” “I cannot say that the negative behavior I have experienced is specifically sexist, but my impression is that I would be taken more seriously if I were a man and an engineer with certain individuals/groups based on anecdotal evidence and direct feedback male colleagues have shared. I work with every section and division within DOTE.” “When tough question or complaint comes in that requires multiple departments, investigation and study; it’s not an easy question, no one wants to take the lead”. “People not respecting other’s deadlines but not communicating it with them.” “Disruptive staff need to stay on task so that they do not have the opportunity to disrupt the office. Staff who usually make demoralizing or nasty comments need to be trained to communicate more effectively and positively.” “Many of the engineers are severely challenged when it comes to interpersonal communication. They don't know how to have a difference of opinion without becoming emotional and derogatory toward those who disagree.” Page 8 of 53 DOTE Staff shared recommendations related to the following areas: A. Interdivisional communication • Reduce siloed operational processes. • Need for cross-functional education and information sharing. • The chain of command for concerns, issues, and challenges need to be defined. • I would like to see our new director have a regular (once or twice a year) "State of DOTE" discussion with ALL employees at one time and in one location (i.e., Duke Energy Convention Center) to set the tone and allow discourse. I also think it would be helpful to have an anonymous employee process that allows folks to say how the department is progressing or not. This would help inform the director what is working and what isn't. B. Interpersonal communication • Personality and conflict training. • More education and training for multiculturalism, diversity, interpersonal communication, and best practices. • An entire new crew and style of management that know how to communicate well, is progressive, open to all their subordinates, and the current management/managers is just not good for the section. Team builders and those with eagle vision, and goals that are attainable and punitive. • Encourage more open and respectful communication between sections/employees. Page 9 of 53 Theme III: FAVORITISM Staff cited a challenge with favoritism within the Department. Staff specifically cited unfairness in the promotional process, standard operating procedures and discipline. This led to the overall lack of trust within the Department. 67.76% of survey respondents rated the level of trust within the department a 3 or less out of 5. 62.81% of respondents feel comfortable discussing an inappropriate incident to a manager or human resources. 64.46% of survey respondents agree that their division properly addresses issues of employee misconduct. Of those that disagreed that their division properly addresses issues of employee misconduct, 34.55% indicated that they were in Engineering-Right of Way and 25.45% indicated that they were in Traffic-Engineering. On a scale of 1-5, 5 being very comforable, how comfortable would you feel discussing a behavior or incident that you felt was inappropriate to a manager or human resources? On a scale of 1-5, 5 being excellent, how would you rate the level of trust within the department? 38.84% 23.14% 13.22% 15.70% 1 2 3 4 21.49% 9.09% 8.26% 7.44% 5 1 2 3 32.23% 30.58% 4 5 Do you agree with the following statement? “My division properly addresses issues of employee misconduct.” 64.46% 35.54% 0.00% Agree Disagree No issues of misconduct If you disagree with the statement: “My division properly addresses issues of employee misconduct.” Indicate which division and please explain. 34.55% 25.45% 7.27% Aviation 7.27% 10.91% Director's Office Engineering Construction Engineering Right of Way 3.64% 3.64% Engineering Structures Traffic - Design 7.27% Traffic Engineering Traffic Planning/Urban Design Page 10 of 53 In their own words… “The ultimate problem is most of my coworkers be it equal or managerial are friends outside the office. They had these relationships prior or developed them during their tenure. So, it is very unnerving to approach them with an issue you have with their buddy. Some managers are the problem. They tend to display poor judgement with their comments, language (vulgar), which then gives their subordinates free range to follow suit or be even worse. I have heard comments about African Americans, Hispanics, Women, and men who may identify as something else from both coworkers as well as managers. Report it and you're told to not worry about coming into the office during the morning period when all those shenanigans are happening instead of fixing the behavior. So, then you are on the outside looking in, left out of information, and angry that what you feel or deal with is disregarded.” “Most supervisors prefer to "pass the buck" than deal with employee misconduct. I have seen a supervisor try to address something, but then they didn't get support from their superiors. In some instances, there is a fear of being accused of racial discrimination.” “DOTE seems to have a habit of "sweeping things under the rug", the only time things will be addressed it seems is when there is incident that the union is involved notified about, other than that certain management personnel are allowed to as they please, and also certain DOTE staff. If you are not "IN" with certain management, you are not taken seriously. There are also personnel (Management and Staff) in DOTE that are allowed to do as they will and harass and make demands, what some could be called vailed threats (if this don't happen, this could) to their supervisors.” “It all starts when an individual is hired. Most times a position is held for a friend or family member which affects the numbers concerning diversity. Then as the individual moves along in their career they then are given more opportunities based on those relationships that brought them in to begin with not based upon merit. So now you have an overwhelming number of white males in supervisory roles with subordinates who are displaced and angry that they were passed over. So, you throw a title to a non-white male as a consolation prize in order to quiet the clamor of those who were passed over. yet in still that person does not have equal footing with their peers." “Favoritism, inequities, resentment occur when they don’t handle issues properly.” “Group think and in-group behavior. If you are a person who does not fit into the "group" in the office, then you are targeted for bullying and poor behavior. If you are not one who fits the "normal" well that's the way we have always done it mentality then you are ostracized by the group. If you actually work when at work instead of goofing off, sleeping at your desk, or do what everyone else is doing, which over all makes the non-working individual look bad you are bullied. Plus, I am a different gender from the office working group, that does not help.” Page 11 of 53 “Unprofessional behavior not addressed at management level. Unfair discipline.” “This department reminds me of an elementary school class. Many people will say or do anything because they are so desperate to be a part of the "cool" group. They want to please senior management, City Council, and the Mayor. In addition, certain processes, programs, and personnel decisions were made to circumvent a person or a certain group of people.” “Special treatment, inconsistent messages, lack of communication, no benchmarks to base performance, lying, gossip, favoritism, lack of opportunity for professional growth and training-even free....” “Inconsistent management decisions allowing exceptions to the SOP causing animosity among the ranks.” DOTE Staff shared recommendations related to the following areas: A. Promotions • • • • • • People should not be promoted based on their longevity with the City, "being the next person in line." Every couple of years there should be a deep internal review of each departments/sections process of work or finances. There should be a way an anonymous 360 feedback for the section head, HR rep, and division head from all the employees of that section. Mandatory training hours on all levels of management. Diversity in hiring. IT has diversity. Look at HBCUs not just UC. More women. Younger talent with newer ideas and different experiences. Many of these jobs, you don’t need a degree. “Peter Principle” - The Peter principle, which states that people are promoted to their level of incompetence, suggests that something is fundamentally misaligned in the promotion process. I think the best-run organizations have a good mix of employees with long-term institutional memory and newer employees with a fresh perspective. We need more fresh blood and that doesn't necessarily mean younger employees. Recruiting experienced talent from other organizations would benefit the department and city as a whole. Promotional process: Promotion Test; Make it come around faster, don’t make it public. Create more positions. Make lines of growth clearer. Raises shouldn’t be based on promotion test. Unclear about promotional eligibility. You submit a resume, it goes to a board and the board decides if you can take the exam diversity in the top 3 ranks, and a path to success for those in the lower tiers who aren't related to or social with the upper ranks. Page 12 of 53 B. Unfairness • • • • • • 360° feedback for managers. Strengthen leadership in order to increase trust in management’s decisions. Communication from the top down: Director to Division Head to Principle Engineers to Supervisors to Employees. Communication to employees on respecting the importance of following the department Standard Operating Procedures. Consistent application of the rules by all managers and supervisors to all employees. Hold people accountable for their behavior or the behavior of the people they supervise. "standardize SOP. no exceptions for select coworkers. management needs to resolve issues as they arise, not ignore Communication of required/mandatory procedures and department rules is not consistently applied to everyone…. Communication from the top down on important issues with continued follow up for accountability in the process. Referral to PEAP should be used in cases of conflict/personal issues. there needs to be a reporting and review system that does not include in office or department personnel. a way to report things anonymously so to bring attention to the issue but not have to deal with internal bullying. most of the office issue steam from poor management. Managers need to be held accountable for lack of corrective action, there needs to be a way to report this anonymously. Page 13 of 53 Additional Recommendations from Staff A. Mismanagement • • • • • • Improve management and leadership skills- settled for candidates not the best. Identify individuals that would be good managers, placing them in management positions, and then training them to be good managers. Establish roles and responsibilities, clear lines of honest communication, work towards a shared DOTE team goal, not each division or section. Communicate defined roles and responsibilities of Divisions and Sections. Improve morale by encouraging ownership of projects and work Fair pay for supervisors that need to have higher salaries vs. supervisees Work with AFSCME on agreement for flexible schedule. DOTE HR communicate with department on job openings and tests. Director support Engineering classifications on salary study. B. Succession Planning • • • • • Develop next generation of leaders. Urgent concern for retirees. Move this knowledge from mental memory to paper policy/practice. We need our senior managers at the division and section head levels to show more interest in their staff and our work or retire. Many are eligible to retire now but instead linger in the DROP program and appear to be doing very little to make things better. Advertise outside of the department to get new people. C. Additional Resources • • • • • • We prefer trucks over cars for our in-kind vehicles. Trucks are more convenient when working on a construction build. We must sometimes carry measuring tools, pick up cones, etc. therefore a truck would be more effective. DOTE should ask for inspectors’ input on vehicle replacements. If it’s paper and it is misplaced, it’s gone forever. If it’s digital, you can search all. Laptops in the field. Records management system. Simplify procurement system. We need a new shop and more storage space. Everything is too spread out. Page 14 of 53 IV. ASSESSMENT SUMMARIES and RECOMMENDATIONS PEOPLE Cincinnati Department of Transportation and Engineering (DOTE) staff overall are a high performing group of individuals. Staff cited that DOTE overall serves their customers well and completes projects in a timely fashion and within budgetary restrictions. However, staff acknowledged a need to improve interpersonal skills amongst all levels and technical skills training. In addition, staff recognize a need for technological advancement in order to increase performance and efficiency. Staff have cited that DOTE has a “close-knit” environment with many tenured professionals. Survey data indicated that 47.3% of DOTE staff have been employed with DOTE 15+ years. However, this close-knit environment has led to incidents of favoritism and inequity. Recommendations: • Provide soft skills training for staff, such as Emotional Intelligence and Diversity™, Implicit Bias., Effective Communication, Generational Inclusion, Situational Leadership, and Conflict Resolution. • Conduct technical/job specific training for staff, such as AutoCAD, PermitsPlus, Civil 3D, and ESRI. • Regular performance reviews for staff and 360˚ feedback for managers. • Technological advancements such as, updated databases, updated software, electronic filing software, tablet/laptops for field staff and Trucks for those in the field. • Create corrective action plan. PROCESS DOTE staff are highly competent in their respective roles. However, staff cited inconsistencies in their processes due to lack of interdivisional communication, staff transitions and follow through of standard operating procedures. Recommendations: • Establish clear job roles and responsibilities. • Review and update promotion and appraisal process. • Fill vacant positions and address additional staffing needs. • Establish a clear succession plan. • Provide cross training opportunities within each division in order to prepare for successions. • Communicate standard operating procedure. • Clear complaints and grievances process. Page 15 of 53 CULTURE DOTE overall has a high morale. Survey data indicated that 60.83% of DOTE staff rated morale between a 1 and 3 out of 5. However, 67.76% of staff rated the level of trust within the department between a 1 and 3 out of 5. DOTE staff also cited a lack of communication overall due to the departments staff working in siloes. This lack of intersectionality and information sharing causes decreased morale and trust amongst all staff. Recommendations: • Communicate both business and employee essential information through a consistent medium such as, employee newsletter, State of the Department Address or emails. • Conduct interdivisional project communication meetings to ensure that all divisions are aware of upcoming projects that may affect their infrastructures. • Communicate divisional and departmental successes to build trust and morale. • Hold team building activities to increase morale. Page 16 of 53 V. APPENDIX DOTE Climate Assessment Procedure Make It Plain Consulting facilitated focus groups, conducted individual interviews, created and launched an online survey, reviewed existing documents and conducted ethnographic observations to obtain both qualitative, and quantitative information to ascertain key findings and provide recommendations regarding the current climate of Cincinnati Department of Transportation and Engineering (DOTE). DOTE had 150 positions filled at the time of this assessment. The participation in the different components of this assessment is depicted in the following table: Number of Occurrences Number of Participants Participation Rate Focus Groups 13 113 100.00% Individual Interviews 42 42 100.00% Online Survey 1 124 82.67% Ethnographic Observations 19 19 100.00% Activity Focus Groups Make It Plain Consulting Staff conducted 13 focus groups for DOTE non-management staff. The number of focus groups was based on the number of staff members, no focus group was to exceed 13 participants. The number of Focus Groups was determined by the number of staff in the division. No focus group was to exceed 13 participants. The focus groups consisted of Traffic Engineering (2); Engineering Structures & IT (1); Director’s Office (1); Transportation Planning & Urban Design (1); Engineering-Right of Way (1); Transportation Design (1); Engineering Construction (3); Aviation (1). All of the focus groups were held in City Hall and Lunken Airport. Interviews Various levels of staff from DOTE participated in the individual interviews. However, all DOTE employees were afforded the opportunity to have an individual interview upon request. FortyTwo (42) individual interviews were held in various conference rooms throughout City Hall, Lunken Airport and at the office of Make It Plain Consulting. Ethnographic Observations Ethnographic Observations, also referred to as work-alongs, provide insight on the daily work life of DOTE employees. A sampling of 19 staff members was selected for Make It Plain Consulting to observe their respective workplace environments and learn how their roles play into the Department’s overall operations and services. Page 18 of 53 Online Survey Make It Plain Consulting deployed an online survey that was distributed to all 150 DOTE staff via email. The survey consisted of 26 questions customized to capture demographic information, feedback on the culture, and the needs of staff. Document Review Make It Plain Consulting reviewed the following documents from DOTE: 1. DOTE Staff Demographic Data a. (name, position title, supervisor, Division/Department, Email Address, Annual Rate, Ethnic Group, date joined DOTE, date returned to DOTE) 2. DOTE Organizational Charts a. (Dated 7/13/2015, 1/22/2016, 6/22/2016, 12/1/2016, 1/31/2017, 6/1/2018, 10/23/2018, 11/1/2018 and 1/22/2019) 3. DOTE Staff Promotion Lists a. (For calendar years: 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018) 4. DOTE Mission Statement 5. Complaints and Grievances (Calendar years 2015-2018) 6. DOTE Standard Operating Procedure 7. City of Cincinnati HR Regulations 8. Administrative Regulation 25 9. Administrative Regulation 55 10. Fall 2018 Queen City Certified Survey Analysis of DOTE Page 19 of 53 Cincinnati Department of Transportation and Engineering Interview Questions 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. What are your primary roles, duties and responsibilities? What do you find most rewarding about your job? What does DOTE do well? What specific challenges or issues are you facing? What recommendations do you have to improve the Department? Improvements may include: PEOPLE: training, performance, tools and resources PROCESSES: project management, planning, budgeting, communications CULTURE: workplace environment, communications, employee morale Cincinnati Department of Transportation and Engineering Focus Group Questions 1. 2. 3. 4. How would you describe the workplace in the Department? What does DOTE do well? What specific challenges or issues need to be addressed? What recommendations do you have to improve the Department, specifically its PEOPLE? For example, career growth, training, performance, tools and resources 5. What recommendations do you have to improve the Department, specifically its PROCESSES? For example, project management, planning, budgeting, communications 6. What recommendations do you have to improve the Department, specifically its CULTURE? For example, workplace environment, communications, employee morale Cincinnati Department of Transportation and Engineering Observation Questions 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. How do you typically start your day? What would be a “good” or “productive” workday for you? How do you work with co-workers in your division or on your team? What do you need to make your work more efficient? How you utilize technology to service your customer (i.e. assist, customer notes, landlords and property owners)? 6. Would you like to share anything else about your job (story, interaction with customers, incidents with co-workers in the field, etc.)? Page 20 of 53 Cincinnati Department of Transportation and Engineering Electronic Survey Questions Q1. Q2. Q3. Q4. Q5. Q6. Q7. Q8. Q9. Q10. Q11. Q12. Q13. Q14. Q15. Q16. Gender Age Race Years of Service On a scale of 1-5, 5 being excellent, how would you rate... • the morale of the Department? • the level of trust within the Department? • the Department’s acceptance to change? • your ability to communicate the Department’s challenges and your recommendations? On a scale of 1-5, 5 being excellent, how would you rate... • level of trust with you Manager(s)? • Managers’ interpersonal skills? On a scale of 1-5, 5 being excellent, how would you rate... • the morale of your co-workers? • the level of trust with your co-workers? • Your co-workers’ interpersonal skills? • Your ability to resolve issues with your fellow co-workers? On a scale of 1-5, 5 being very comfortable • How comfortable would you feel discussing a behavior or incident that you felt was inappropriate to a manager or human resources? The Department effectively handles employee problems and complaints. Do you agree with the following statement? “My division properly addresses issues of employee misconduct.” If you disagree with the statement: “My division properly addresses issues of employee misconduct.” Indicate which division and please explain. In the past 12 months, have you been subjected to negative or offensive comments or remarks? If yes, please indicate what you believe the behavior was based upon. Please indicate how often you have been subjected to negative or offensive comments or remarks. In the past 12 months, have you witnessed negative or offensive comments or remarks? If yes, please indicate what you believe the behavior was based upon. Page 21 of 53 Q17. Q18. Q19. Q20. Q21. Q22. Q23. Q24. Q25. Q26. Q27. Q28. Q29. Q30. Q31. Q32. Please indicate how often you have been subjected to negative or offensive comments or remarks. What specific challenges or issues need to be addressed? What recommendations do you have to improve the Department? Improvements may include: PEOPLE: training, performance, tools and resources; PROCESSES: project management, planning, budgeting, communications; CULTURE: workplace environment, communications, employee morale. Are you encouraged to contribute to the improvement of work processes? Do you have the tools and resources you need to perform your job well? I understand the vision, goals and objectives of the Department. I see a clear link between my work and the division's goals and objectives. The Department has a culture of inclusion and equity for all employees. Does DOTE need Communication Skills training? If yes, please check all that apply. Does DOTE need Interpersonal Skills training? If yes, please check all that apply. Does DOTE need Leadership training? If yes, please indicate all that apply. Does DOTE need Customer Service training? Is there any other job-specific training that DOTE needs? Page 22 of 53 Electronic Survey Responses Launched: January 25, 2019 Closed: February 8, 2019 Q1. Gender n=124 69.35% PERCENTAGE 80.00% 60.00% 40.00% 29.03% 20.00% 1.61% 0.00% Female Male Other Q2. Age n= 122 PERCENTAGE 40.00% 35.25% 30.00% 20.00% 10.00% 23.77% 22.95% 11.48% 3.28% 3.28% 0.00% 18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+ Q3. Race n=120 90.00% 82.50% PERCENTAGE 80.00% 70.00% 60.00% 50.00% 40.00% 30.00% 20.00% 10.83% 10.00% 1.67% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 2.50% 2.50% Bi-Racial Other (please specify) 0.00% White or Caucasian Black or African American Hispanic or Asian or Asian Latino American American Native Indian or Hawaiian or Alaska Native other Pacific Islander Page 23 of 53 Q4. Years of Service n=121 30.00% 23.97% PERCENTAGE 25.00% 20.00% 14.05% 15.00% 10.00% 8.26% 8.26% 8.26% 7.44% 14.05% 8.26% 7.44% 5.00% 0.00% 0-3 years 3-6 years 6-9 years 9-12 years 12-15 years 15-18 years 18-21 years 21-24 years 25+ years Q5. On a scale of 1-5, 5 being excellent, how would you rate... n=121 45.00% 38.84% 40.00% Percentage 35.00% 30.00% 26.45% 23.14% 18.33% 15.00% 13.33% 11.67% 8.33% 9.09% 14.88% 7.50% 1 2 21.49% 15.70% 13.22% 15.00% 10.00% 27.27% 27.50% 27.50% 25.00% 20.00% 36.67% 34.17% 3 4 9.92% 5 5.00% 0.00% the morale of the Department? the level of trust within the Department? the Department's acceptance to your ability to communicate the Department’s challenges and change? your recommendations? Q6. On a scale of 1-5, 5 being excellent, how would you rate... n=121 50.00% 44.54% PERCENTAGE 40.00% 30.58% 30.00% 10.00% 21.49% 3 15.97% 9.24% 5.88% 1 2 24.37% 20.00% 31.40% 4 9.92% 6.61% 5 0.00% the level of trust with your Manager(s)? Managers’ interpersonal skills? Page 24 of 53 Q7. On a scale of 1-5, 5 being excellent, how would you rate... PERCENTAGE n=121 45.00% 40.00% 35.00% 30.00% 25.00% 20.00% 15.00% 10.00% 5.00% 0.00% 40.50% 36.67% 38.33% 36.36% 30.58% 27.50% 25.83% 25.83% 24.79% 20.66% 16.67% 11.67% 7.50% 2 14.88% 12.40% 10.74% 5.79% 8.33% 3.31% 3 1.67% the morale of your the level of trust with your co-workers’ co-workers? your co-workers? interpersonal skills? 1 4 your ability to resolve issues with your fellow coworkers? 5 Q8. On a scale of 1-5, 5 being very comfortable PERCENTAGE n=121 40.00% 32.23% 30.00% 20.00% 10.00% 30.58% 1 21.49% 8.26% 2 7.44% 3 0.00% 4 how comfortable would you feel discussing a behavior or incident that you felt was inappropriate to a manager or human resources? 5 Q9. The Department effectively handles employee problems and complaints. PERCENTAGE n=121 60.00% 47.93% 40.00% 20.00% 28.93% 14.05% 9.09% 0.00% Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree Q10. Do you agree with the following statement? “My division properly addresses issues of employee misconduct.” PERCENTAGE n=121 100.00% 64.46% 35.54% 50.00% 0.00% 0.00% Agree Disagree No issues of misconduct Page 25 of 53 Q11. If you disagree with the statement: “My division properly addresses issues of employee misconduct.” Indicate which division and please explain. n=55 Traffic - Planning/Urban Design 7.27% Traffic - Engineering 25.45% Traffic - Design 3.64% Engineering - Structures 3.64% Engineering - Right of Way 34.55% Engineering - Construction 10.91% Director's Office 7.27% Aviation 7.27% 0.00% 5.00% 10.00% 15.00% 20.00% 25.00% 30.00% 35.00% 40.00% PERCENTAGE Q11. If you disagree with the statement: “My division properly addresses issues of employee misconduct.” Indicate which division and please explain. (survey participants typed the following verbatim responses) • • • • Upper Management needs to be given the ability to address issues, WITHIN THE DIVISION. IT APPEARS that the people causing the issues are "untouchable", and upper management just runs scared because the people causing the issues go to City Management, file EEO Complaints, or sue people because they "PERCEIVE" an injustice or an inequality in how they are being treated. IT APPEARS that City Management/HR doesn't allow Upper Management to address these issues and doesn't back Upper Management when unpopular decisions need to be made. IT APPEARS that Upper Management is made to back away from difficult situations to "keep the peace", instead of addressing the issues, making decisions, and being backed up by City Management. So, to your question, IT APPEARS that my division IS NOT GIVEN THE ABILITY to address things, as they should be addressed, because they are not backed up by City Management. Therefore, they cannot properly address issues of employee misconduct. Several times it has been brought forward that an employee is not doing their job, and nothing has been done. I think the department is getting better, but we still have work to do. Everyone must be held accountable. We are all here to provide a service to the citizens of Cincinnati. We need to identify employees that can rise to the task at hand and put them in the proper place, with the proper tools, to succeed. Over the past three plus years, I have brought to the attention of the section head and HR rep several behavior issues, processing issues, and complaints from contractors for personnel not doing their work. I was told it was my fault and that I was the issue. Or that it was my fault do to a recent death in the family. Page 26 of 53 • • • • • • • • • • • • • [Redacted] shows favoritism to an employee and management is aware of the problem and does nothing to resolve. I personally have not had an issue, but there are issues in the section. I feel that there just has not been a solution found that works yet. There is also the issue that some people have gotten away with things for so long that it becomes difficult to discipline. There are personality conflicts but rarely rising to the level I would consider "misconduct" by an employee. The squeaky wheel theory. You should have included "don't know" as a possible response. I say that because I do not have enough information to answer the previous question authoritatively. I chose 'disagree' because I see first-hand evidence of poor management and poor customer service. I say this because unprofessional behavior continues despite my repeated requests for action on a couple particular, basic things but I am not privy to whether a higher-level manager has reprimanded offenders or personally supports the change that is desperately needed in this section. The example that most affects me is ROW managers and, by extension, the inspectors under those managers, consistently disregarding certain of our department's own permit requirements. I believe [Redacted] is attempting is correct issues but I believe he is thwarted from doing so because of long-tenured employees and toplevel leadership in the section who do not want to improve. In addition, the ROW section needs to advance its use of technology to be more efficient and accountable. This is 2019, not 1991. Our employees in that section either because they aren't given better tools and training or are resistant to accept new tools and training are woefully behind the times. Our principal engineer has been asked to address certain employees being disruptive to other staff trying to get work done, instead he just interrupts the staff trying to get their work done instead of dealing with the disruptive staff members; which is very demoralizing. Mine does but I'm not putting my division. Few managers have been trained in management and/or leadership. There is a reluctance to confront and discipline people; letting people get away with things. On the other hand, the Department over reacted in disciplining [Redacted]. The is no trust for central HR. A select few employees do not have to follow policies and procedures. I took the issue to management. They counseled supervisor. The behavior changed for the better for a minute. The behavior is happening again, I voiced concerns but not to upper management. I was told to back off because it looks like I am picking on certain employees. I don't have the problem. But others have this problem. Most supervisors prefer to "pass the buck" than deal with employee misconduct. I have seen a supervisor try to address something, but then they didn't get support from their superiors. In some instances, there is a fear of being accused of racial discrimination. The dept. as a whole makes policies that effect everyone instead of dealing with the individual that the cause the issue. The section was a good place to work until one person was hired and it has gone downhill and nothing is done about it. Page 27 of 53 • • • • • • • • • Chronic issues never resolved. management chooses to ignore hoping it will go away. We have ongoing interpersonal problems involving tenured male employees behaving poorly towards a low-ranking female employee, and senior management and our internal [Redacted] have demonstrated bias toward the tenured male employees. Unprofessional behavior not addressed at management level. Unfair discipline. The way its handled is by excluding the complaining party from the environment instead of fixing the environment and culture of "White is Right" correction "White Male is Right" I have brought issues to the section head, the HR rep for 3+ years. I am constantly told I am making it up or that I am the problem. The poor behavior is accepted as being normal. Change is not an option, but acceptance is the norm. It appears that certain people in this office get a free pass: they can do whatever they want and say whatever they want to other employees. DOTE seems to have a habit of "sweeping things under the rug", the only time things will be addressed it seems is when there is incident that the union is involved notified about, other than that certain management personnel are allowed to as they please, and also certain DOTE staff. If you are not "IN" with certain management, you are not taken seriously. There are also personnel (Management and Staff) in DOTE that are allowed to do as they will and harass and make demands, what some could be called vailed threats (if this don't happen, this could) to their supervisors. They sweep under the rug whatever they can. Nobody is ever punished on their own for their actions. It always turns into the entire office taking a class or training. Page 28 of 53 Q12. In the past 12 months, have you been subjected to negative or offensive comments or remarks? n=117 100.00% 77.78% PERCENTAGE 80.00% 60.00% 40.00% 22.22% 20.00% 0.00% Yes No Q13. If yes, please indicate what you believe the behavior was based upon. n=32 PERCENTAGE 80.00% 71.88% 60.00% 40.00% 15.63% 20.00% 3.13% 3.13% 3.13% 3.13% 0.00% 0.00% Age Gender Identity Race/Ethnicity Sexual Orientation Status/Seniority Other Comments Q13. If yes, please indicate what you believe the behavior was based upon. (survey participants typed the following verbatim responses) • • • • • Comments have been made privately and publicly to make me believe I have no chance at getting an upcoming promotion. A non-supervisor was implying I was wasting time without any discussion. group think and in-group behavior. If you are a person who does not fit into the "group" in the office, then you are targeted for bullying and poor behavior. If you are not one who fits the "normal" well that's the they we have always done it mentality, then you are ostracized by the group. If you actually work when at work instead of goofing off, sleeping at your desk, or do what everyone else is doing, which over all makes the non-working individual look bad you are bullied. Plus, I am a different gender from the office working group, that does not help. Management problems, family member problems The past 12 months have been an HR headache with plenty of negatively all around, not specific to me, not really specific behaviors listed above, but overall negativity. Page 29 of 53 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • We have a terrible supervisor that routinely bad mouths employees to management, contractors, other employees… I cannot say that the negative behavior I have experienced is specifically sexist, but my impression is that I would be taken more seriously if I were a man and an engineer with certain individuals/groups based on anecdotal evidence and direct feedback male colleagues have shared. I work with every section and division within DOTE. Some in our department view my role for the strategic value and customer service it is intended to provide while others consider it unimportant. It varies. It wouldn't be fair or accurate to paint everyone in the department with the same brush. I think the negative comments are made because we have a difference of opinion and the other people involved do not respect my education and experience. However, sometimes the way they choose to express their disagreement (their words) are sexist. I questioned who the back-up person for a staff member is because that staff member was unable to fulfill their work duties on a project due to health issues. In asking that question, I was told I was harassing the staff member. I believe older employees are being passed over for opportunities that provide valuable experience for promotion. There is a perception by some that one person near the top is responsible. There is ageism in this department. An employee not getting what they wanted. Attitude problems. inconsistent management decisions allowing exceptions to the SOP causing animosity among the ranks The negative behavior demonstrated toward me appears to be rooted in my effort to address inadequate work processes and make necessary improvements. The end result is "change" and some of the more tenured employees, include the section head, have been resistive and unsupportive. Negative towards workplace morale. Unprofessional attitudes and behaviors. Even before our wonderful president took office, the 44th President was depicted as a monkey in cubicles in the office I was assigned to. Since the 45th President's tenure, the language of offensive terms for people of color or of any religious decent except for Catholic/Christian has been talked about very badly. Not only is the conversation terrible but they use visual aids such as videos of people either treating other races negatively, they are shared openly, laughed at, and ridiculed with recourse of discipline. Directed comments stated loud enough for section to hear indicating disproval of work. being singled out by section head, HR rep, and other employees for seeking help outside the department. The remarks were not directed toward a protected class. However, it's obvious I am not part of the "cool" kids and the remarks are made by people who have no clue what I do every day. They have no idea what it takes to do my job. They have no clue how much time it takes to do my job properly, but they also have no idea of the amount of tasks I try to balance on a daily basis. Incompetence throughout hierarchy that allows it to happen in all areas above. If you aren't in the club you won't get the same level of support and special treatment. Page 30 of 53 Q14. Please indicate how often you have been subjected to negative or offensive comments or remarks. n=35 50.00% 42.86% PERCENTAGE 40.00% 31.43% 30.00% 22.86% 20.00% 10.00% 2.86% 0.00% Every day Every week Every month One time Q15. In the past 12 months, have you witnessed negative or offensive comments or remarks? n=116 64.66% 70.00% PERCENTAGE 60.00% 50.00% 35.34% 40.00% 30.00% 20.00% 10.00% 0.00% Yes No Q16. If yes, please indicate what you believe the behavior was based upon. n=46 60.00% 50.00% PERCENTAGE 50.00% 40.00% 34.78% 30.00% 20.00% 10.00% 6.52% 4.35% 4.35% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% Age Gender Identity Race/Ethnicity Sexual Orientation Status/Seniority Other Other (please specify) Page 31 of 53 Q16. If yes, please indicate what you believe the behavior was based upon. (survey participants typed the following verbatim responses) • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Favoritism/bias towards another employee Frustration at another co-worker The person may look like a different nationality of which most Americans fear; however, he is not of that nationality Politics, distrust, uncertainty. Overall negativity Comments about a coworker's weight made me uncomfortable Anyone that isn’t the supervisors one friend. More laziness than anything - lack of willingness to change more so someone's age, gender, race, etc. I think the only way this person can give feedback is to do so in a negative and degrading manner. Work style Inappropriate poor attitudes. Work ethic, personality traits. Management style. Sexually offensive and mocking of AR No. 25. Poor morale. Unfair discipline. Muslims. Lack of professional behavior Group think, ingroup behavior, personal bias, employees with longevity feel as though they can do no wrong. Inability to promote. Unfair wages. Sophomoric attitudes. Q17. Please indicate how often you have been subjected to negative or offensive comments or remarks. n=43 50.00% 44.19% PERCENTAGE 40.00% 30.00% 25.58% 27.91% 20.00% 10.00% 2.33% 0.00% Every day Every week Every month One time Page 32 of 53 Q18. What specific challenges or issues need to be addressed? (survey participants typed the following verbatim responses) • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Communication. Upper Management needs to be given the ability to address issues, WITHIN THE DIVISION. IT APPEARS that the people causing the issues are "untouchable", and upper management just runs scared because the people causing the issues go to City Management, file EEO Complaints, or sue people because they "PERCEIVE" an injustice or an inequality in how they are being treated. IT APPEARS that City Management/HR doesn't allow Upper Management to address these issues and doesn't back Upper Management when unpopular decisions need to be made. IT APPEARS that Upper Management is made to back away from difficult situations to "keep the peace", instead of addressing the issues, making decisions, and being backed up by City Management. So, to your question, IT APPEARS that my division IS NOT GIVEN THE ABILITY to address things, as they should be addressed, because they are not backed up by City Management. Therefore, they cannot properly address issues of employee misconduct. Work we are supposed to be doing actually getting done. No favoritism being shown. Identifying good managers and placing them with staff where they both can succeed. Training on how to be a good manager once you're promoted would be a good place to start. Focusing on responding to customers' requests. Supervision. Lack of supervision Upper management hides their heads in the sand instead of addressing problems fingers are pointed at those who try More communication and higher level of trust. there needs to be a reporting and review system that does not include in office or department personnel. a way to report things anonymously so to bring attention to the issue but not have to deal with internal bullying. most of the office issue steam from poor management. Managers need to be held accountable for lack of corrective action, there needs to be a way to report this anonymously. Some personality conflicts. The work environment is very negative. Working above classifications, also nepotism 1.Upgrade our titles to include the amount of electric we do at the airport 2. job specific training 3. better communication between departments people not being responsible and respectful. need to be professional Communications Professional Training. Promotional Opportunities. Too much RED TAPE, TOO MANY HURDLES TO OVERCOME EVERYDAY JUST TO DO MY JOB. WAY TO HARD TO GET PARTS, EQUIPMENT, VEHICLES, LIGHT BULBS AND REPAIRS MADE TO EQUIPMENT. Communication from our Director with visions and goals and directives. Page 33 of 53 • • • • • • • • Communication from the top down: Director to Division Head to Principle Engineers to Supervisors to Employees. Communication to employees on respecting the importance of following the department Standard Operating Procedures. Consistent application of the rules by all managers and supervisors to all employees. Hold people accountable for their behavior or the behavior of the people they supervise. If the entire office has an issue with a supervisor, it should be addressed. The department needs clear direction from top management, backing from top management and buy-in at all levels. With that should come better internal communication from the top down. I also think many employees operate in silos but have no practical way to bridge divides to improve our internal systems that all too often result in substandard customer service. Some in the department try to provide good customer service and do but there are too many examples of passing the buck and lack of accountability. This prevents those who may wish to do the right thing from being able to do so as it relates to the public. The ROW section and traffic engineering division in particular would benefit from a restructuring that results in leaders who have the incentive to improve efficiency, timeliness and customer service. Total lack of respect for anyone's expertise and responsibilities. Young people are favored and given opportunities and older people shunned This is a really sticky topic that no one likes to talk about. It's almost impossible to get rid of either problematic or underperforming employees. There has always been a certain level of protection for minorities. I understand the need to have a diverse workforce, but if problem/underperforming employees aren't weeded out during the probation period, they are here for life. I have heard of Performance Reviews being overturned by superiors in order to keep from failing certain individuals. Supervisors seem powerless in these situations. Co-workers see the disparity and discuss things in whispers. It has been this way for many, many years now, and I don't see it changing. Many of the engineers are severely challenged when it comes to interpersonal communication. They don't know how to have a difference of opinion without becoming emotional and derogatory toward those who disagree. Disruptive staff need to stay on task so that they do not have the opportunity to disrupt the office. Staff who usually make demoralizing or nasty comments need to be trained to communicate more effectively and positively. Managers who like to micro-manage need to let go and encourage their staff to do the right thing on projects. Managers also need to do tasks within their job description and not infringe on employees whose job it is to do those tasks. All employers have problem employees; for those employees I suggest the following: Employees should strive to be actively engaged during all hours that they are on the clock. Employees should strive to adhere to the Department’s SOP. Employees should strive to be more self-sufficient and self-starting. Employees should strive to employ active listening techniques. Employees should strive to accept constructive criticism. Employees should strive to accept assignments without unduly questioning and critiquing the assigner. Employees should strive to understand that not all tasks are clear cut and that several iterations of work may be required to achieve an acceptable end state. Employees Page 34 of 53 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • should strive to complete the work rather than spending undue amount of time discussing and trying to improve methods for completing the work. Employees should strive to give the City a full 8-hours of work for 8-hours of pay. Fair pay for supervisors that need to have higher salaries vs. supervisees We need to regroup and work as a team. Policies are not standard. Holding all employees accountable to work standards, improve communication between sections Ageism. Leadership that uses HR for infrastructure, doesn't let HR run the show; tail wagging the dog. Every section & supervisors need to be on the same page when it comes to policies and procedures. ALL EMPLOYEES need to follow the same rules. Sad to say but training on common courtesy and respect. I have asked to be moved numerous times. Unprofessional behavior. Disrespect. Attitude problems. Communication. Leadership - Starting with Director. Setting Policy/Standards and following them Define Roles & Responsibilities. Rules need to be applied to everyone. Respect for one another needs to be emphasized. I think when there is a problem with one person the department needs to address the issue with that individual and not the entire Department as a whole. Department vision, roles and responsibilities. Training budget. Supervision in permits section. Communication. Work assignments. Standardize SOP. no exceptions for select coworkers. management needs to resolve issues as they arise, not ignore. We need our senior managers at the division and section head levels to show more interest in their staff and our work or retire. Many are eligible to retire now but instead linger in the DROP program and appear to be doing very little to make things better. How projects are divided among staff members. DOTE employees face the challenge of being the Department that is always getting shorted. Budget cuts hurt us the most because our department doesn't "generate revenue". Other departments have opportunity for tuition reimbursement and training that we get passed on. Upper Management and HR don't do anything to elevate the quality of the employees but would rather everyone just fall in line. Poor work ethics. Low morale. Unprofessional behavior/attitudes. Page 35 of 53 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • There needs to be a person to report the behavior to outside the network of friends in manager positions. Someone unbiased that you would not have to worry about retaliation or it getting back to the responsible party and not corrected. Show me the person whose stuff don't stink, I'll shake their hand and say, Hello Lord! 1) We are letting architects run the city traffic engineering division. I don't know who thought it was a good idea to have architects in charge of traffic, but it isn't. 2) We work in traffic signals/street lights but we let people upstairs tell us where we are going to put new traffic signals or new street lights even though they don't do that for a living. It is my job for traffic signals/street lights but I have to let somebody else tell me how to do it and where to put them. 3) We have supervisors getting paid less than the people they are supervising. That to me is crazy. Why would anyone what to be a supervisor when they will actually take a demotion from the job the currently have? Training Lack of collaborative spirit across individual sections, a lack of understanding and/or loss of continuity with respect to Department procedures or norms, no training or guidance for public outreach activities (i.e. community council meetings, public involvement meetings, mailings, surveys, etc.) This department reminds me of an elementary school class. Many people will say or do anything because they are so desperate to be a part of the "cool" group. They want to please senior management, City Council, and the mayor. In addition, certain processes, programs, and personnel decisions were made to circumvent a person or a certain group of people. We also have people working on special projects that don't seem to add any value to our core responsibilities. Meanwhile this leaves fewer people to work on the dayto-day stuff. Many in this department have no concept of our roles and responsibilities. The end result is pure chaos. Why are people working out of class? Why are people allowed to choose what they do, workwise, when the position dictates what they are supposed to be doing, and why is that work going to other people that already have a good work load? Budget situation is leading to difficult times. Job specific training during winter. Open communication. Council, procurement and human resources. Supervisors need proper pay scale. Union employee’s ability to promote within their own Dept. Special treatment, inconsistent messages, lack of communication, no benchmarks to base performance, lying, gossip, favoritism, lack of opportunity for professional growth and training-- even free... Supervisors need to leave the office and go out on jobs. All supervisors should talk to each other. Roles and responsibilities across divisions. Page 36 of 53 Q19. What recommendations do you have to improve the Department? Improvements may include: PEOPLE: training, performance, tools and resources PROCESSES: project management, planning, budgeting, communications CULTURE: workplace environment, communications, employee morale (survey participants typed the following verbatim responses) • • • • • • • • Training, communication, morale. At this point, open communication needs to happen about what is expected of us, as employees of the City of Cincinnati. WE ARE HERE TO SUPPLY A SERVICE to the citizens of Cincinnati, and THAT is what we are being paid to do. Too much time is being spent on maneuvering and posturing and not enough time focus is being put on DOING OUR JOBS. Clear and concise expectations heard by EVERYONE, AT THE SAME TIME, so that there is no misunderstanding about what is being communicated. Acknowledge that there may be perceptions that there are injustices or inequality within the division but that everyone needs to do their part to communicate with their supervisors, within their department. If this approach does not bring them the satisfaction they are looking for, then they should bring it to the DEPARTMENT’s HR who should sit down with both the employee and their supervisor. And when an employee states, “I’m not getting promotions” it needs to be explained that promotions happen, on the City’s timeline, not the employees, and just because you’ve been in a position for 4-5 years doesn’t mean that the City owes you a promotion. Many employees have waited 6, 7 or 8 years for a promotion. When you rise through the ranks there are FEWER positions and IT TAKES TIME TO WORK YOUR WAY THROUGH THE SYSTEM. But, if they bide their time, do a good job, take pride in the work they do and take tests when they become available, they will eventually work your way into those positions up your career ladder. But, they need to BE PATIENT, promotions are not instantaneous. If expectations are spelled out, they may not be what certain people want to hear, but, at least it’s been communicated, and they know the departments position. THEN STOP TALKING ABOUT IT AND GET BACK TO WORK!" [Redacted] needs to be reined in on how he acts and treats other people. "Workplace environment: move up by performance, not time in grade. Training: Identifying individuals that would be good managers, placing them in management positions, and then training them to be good managers." On-going training on strategies, techniques and approaches to respond to customers' requests. The ability to telecommute for those with jobs that would lend themselves to this option. This is a benefit offered by most forward-thinking organizations. Benefits of this option include: ability to work in an environment more conducive to productivity (less office chatter/disruption), greater flexibility in dealing with children's schedules (snow days, before/afterschool care issues), helpful for the environment (lower carbon footprint due Page 37 of 53 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • to less commuting), savings on expenses associated with commuting, more satisfied employees, greater productivity. More winter training. Tech training. Nothing will change until the people responsible move on or retire. Communications. People should not be promoted based on their longevity with the city, "being the next person in line." Every couple of years there should be a deep internal review of each departments/sections process of work or finances. There should be a way an anonymous 360 feedback for the section head, HR rep, and division head from all the employees of that section. Mandatory training hours on all levels of management. More mandatory training to all the employees on professional behavior and personal growth. the training should include professional dress, communication both internal and external, appropriate work behavior, how to become a manager of your co-workers if promoted over them, customer service and relations. HR then must be able to not just teach on a surface level but get down into some of the nitty gritty of business. Managers need more training on how to deal with conflicts, make employees accountable for their actions and completion of their work. Stop pretending everything is good. Have meetings as a group to talk things out and encourage and build up each other. Some work with certain individual personalities. Communication and workplace management. Training. Job specific training like working on navaids. Definitely need to improve the morale. Most people feel like they are walking on eggshells. Training for people is never a bad thing. something simple that can go a long way. Communicating defined roles and responsibilities of Divisions and Sections. Improve morale by encouraging ownership of projects and work Training. Promotional Opportunities. I don't believe that DOTE has extraordinary issues between personnel. For an engineering department I believe it's fairly diverse between gender and race. I believe, and I feel that most others believe that the biggest issue is with management/HR. I don't think employees feel valued. Achieving top step in your pay scale and not receiving a raise in several years no matter how hard you work gives employees the impression they aren't valued, and it lowers moral. It feels like DOTE is always being squeezed by the administration, but the administration doesn't do anything to help us become more efficient. LET DEPARTMENTS RUN THEIR DEPARTMENTS AND HOLD THE PEOPLE RUNNING THEM BE ACCOUNTABLE TO RUN THEIR DEPARTMENTS AND STAFF Establish roles and responsibilities, clear lines of honest communication, work towards a shared DOTE team goal, not each division or section. HR has many trainers and training classes besides the HR Required Course that our not utilized -why not? Training for personal/professional development is great for people who Page 38 of 53 • • • • • feel stuck in their positions. Communication of required/mandatory procedures and department rules is not consistently applied to everyone. Supervisors need training to deal with problem employees and situations of negative tensions. Communication from the top down on important issues with continued follow up for accountability in the process. Referral to PEAP should be used in cases of conflict/personal issues. I believe we need to work on our communication with other departments to speed up the work process. Sometimes I have a simple work order for a single sign to be put in and it could be anywhere from 2 weeks to a year until the work gets done while the customer asks about the progress throughout the process. I feel that this makes us look bad in some situations. People: Provide resources for training and professional development. Processes: Improve communication between R/W permitting and our office, Traffic, to make sure we are aware of construction that will impact our infrastructure. Too often we involved at the last minute which makes responding difficult. Culture: Quarterly newsletter that can summarize what the Department is working on and what ""new"" challenges are on the horizon. " Communications all around. Let employees “professionally” evaluate their supervisors. Listen to everyone, not just one side of a story. People: We have a good IT team, but they need to be in the trenches doing informal oneon-one group sessions to bring employees up to speed on how best to utilize 21st century tools and technology. Processes: We would benefit from having more empowered project managers who have authority to make decisions that other sections/divisions and departments follow. PMs or people who aren't given the title of PM but are effectively serving in that type of role are hesitant to tell someone they don't directly manage what to do even if they know the project or task will get stymied as a result. Communications: I would like to see our new director have a regular (once or twice a year) ""State of DOTE"" discussion with ALL employees at one time and in one location (i.e., Duke Energy Convention Center) to set the tone and allow discourse. I also think it would be helpful to have an anonymous employee process that allows folks to say how the department is progressing or not. This would help inform the director what is working and what isn't. Culture: I think the best-run organizations have a good mix of employees with long-term institutional memory and newer employees with a fresh perspective. We need more fresh blood and that doesn't necessarily mean younger employees. Recruiting experienced talent from other organizations would benefit the department and city as a whole. Also, importantly, I think we need to figure out a way to reward those employees and managers who are doing good work. In a unionized environment, it may be harder to provide direct financial rewards but perhaps one could be given inexpensive but tangible 'rewards' such as a Red Bike pass, a half-day vacation, a free lunch for an individual or a group, concert/movie tickets, or even a personal note from the director or city manager thanking someone would do just as well. Page 39 of 53 • • • • • • • • • • In another note, for some of us in the department, there is no obvious or clear opportunity for advancement. I can't speak for other sections or divisions, but I would like to be recognized and advanced based on the quality of my work. It is demoralizing to lack an obvious career path given my experience, education and abilities. On a related note, the city should recognize and reward those with college degrees and other advanced training/experience that are outside some of its current yet outdated standards. My bachelor's degree, post-grad education credits and work experience do not translate into promotional opportunities comparable to opportunities available to those with degrees in engineering, architecture, public administration, city planning, accounting, human resource management and law. In some cases, it is understandable that a law, accounting or engineering degree is a necessity for the given job but there are many examples where it is not. The only things that seem to be in the way are inertia and lack of fresh perspective. An example not related to my field would be the four-year degree for construction management. This degree ""doesn't count"" when it comes to certain opportunities and promotions within the city as best I can tell. This is a more general comment, not necessarily specific to DOTE. Last, another way to inject fresh perspective into the department would be to allow/encourage/defray cost of employees to participate in outside professional development. I see an emphasis on that for the engineers in DOTE but DOTE would be well served to recognize that those who aren't engineers/architects would also benefit from professional development. I also think anyone who participates in a professional development program should be willing to share a little about their experience in an informal or more formal way - via a presentation, in person Q&A, ""lunch and learn"" type thing. There is no hope - it is a club of the popular kids and no one will change it because they are in control. As with question no. 14, there has to be a way to terminate problematic/underperforming employees. Documentation seems to be a waste of time for supervisors since there is no support from up the food chain to pursue the termination process. More education and training for multiculturalism, diversity, interpersonal communication, and best practice. I feel we need training whenever new technology or new methods are introduced to the department. Positive communication training for everyone. No more manager micro-managing on projects. Improving co-worker accountability. All employers and employees have room for improvement in some aspect of their employment. This department does an excellent job of fulfilling its mission (see the departmental mission statement) and all tasks that the mission statement entails. This department has and provides tremendous people resources, has great structure and process in place to accomplish its mission, and has an excellent culture that is driven my highly educated and dedicated employees. Fair pay for supervisors. Training Page 40 of 53 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Training and communications. More training. Communication/respect/patience training. Better training, educational benefits, help people get promoted by providing training for upper positions. Training. Communications. An entire new crew and style of management that know how to communicate well, is progressive, open to all their subordinates, and the current management/managers is just not good for the section. Team builders and those with eagle vision, and goals that are attainable and punitive. It is not a place for growth, expansion, opportunity and development. Managers create a hostile environment that embarrass certain employees, they gossip and it's demoralizing, and a hard place to work let alone strive or succeed. PEOPLE - supervisor & employee training/coaching, performance, tools and resources; PROCESSES - communications; CULTURE - environment, communications, employee morale Work with AFSCME on agreement for flexible schedule. DOTE HR communicate with department on job openings and tests. Director support Engineering classifications on salary study. Training and better communication. More technical training related to the job (i.e. AutoCad training, transportation design concepts and theory, etc.) Leadership - Starting with Director. Eliminate the Director's small "Circle of Trust" that has already formed. Setting Policy/Standards and following them Define Roles & Responsibilities. Employee morale. While I thoroughly enjoy my position as [redacted] in Traffic Engineering, I find it extremely frustrating that the top step of a Supervising Engineer gets paid the same or less than a Senior Engineer (it is actually close to $4,500 less when you factor in CODE benefits that Division 8 employees do not receive). This leads me to questioning my decision to accept my promotion to a [redacted] years ago knowing that I would be making more money and have less responsibilities (less stress) if I would have declined the promotion and just remained a [redacted]. I think a lot about this pay issue at during work hours which leads to a significant amount of loss productivity. This pay discrepancy has led me to investigate other employment opportunities outside of City service. Training! I also think that the department was more personable years ago such as employee annual picnics, Department employee recognition ceremony, United Way Campaign/Fine Arts employee involvement etc. DOTE no longer feels inviting, the culture of the organization has totally changed...it’s just a place to work! More training, more department activities. All the above. Training. Communication needs to be better and supervisor needs to treat employees the same. Page 41 of 53 • • • • • • • • • • • • • The culture needs to change. More training. Performance, planning, budgeting, build morale. I think our new Director can make a significant impact by simply holding division and section heads accountable for things they're responsible for and making sure they aren't just lingering to take advantage of the DROP program. Training dollars needed, leadership training. In my opinion the culture would improve if the employees were given quality opportunities to better themselves and were showed that they were appreciated. It’s discouraging when employees who barely pass their evaluations to the ones who try the hardest are all rewarded the same, and that reward is all based on how well the union negotiates for you. If you're not in a union, you're that less fortunate. Culture Encourage more open and respectful communication between sections/employees Culture it all starts when an individual is hired. Most times a position is held for a friend or family member which affects the numbers concerning diversity. Then as the individual moves along in their career they then are given more opportunities based on those relationships that brought them in to begin with not based upon merit. So now you have an overwhelming number of white males in supervisory roles with subordinates who are displaced and angry that they were passed over. So, you throw a title to a non-white male as a consolation prize in order to quiet the clamor of those who were passed over. yet in still that person does not have equal footing with their peers. Project management process provide staff with an understanding and respect for what other department staff members do. Put them in their shoes. 1) People, we need training when the new computer programs come out, instead we are supposed to ask the one person in the office that kind of knows how to do it and that person is supposed to show everyone else? That doesn't make sense to me. 2) Tools-we are supposed to use cars that are from 2004-2006 where the heat doesn’t work at all or only from the defrost and the air conditioning doesn't work either or they keep overheating and are in the shop or several weeks at a time. Police constantly get news cars, but we can’t. 3) We need somebody in upper management to stand up to council and the mayor and tell them that we are the engineers and we decide that a street is one-way or two-way or where we are going to put in stop signs or traffic signals or street lights. They should tell us how to do our job because last time I checked, there wasn't anybody on council or the mayor that had an engineering degree with 5 years of schooling. But we have to listen to them tell us how to do our jobs. Just doesn't make sense." AutoCad is one of the most widely used software in the department. It would very helpful if we were to have a "what's new training session" when we have a new version of AutoCad being used in the department. By not doing this we continue to use this software the same way we were before the new version came out which equals no advancement. Page 42 of 53 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • This same thing would be nice with other new software. The current procedure is as follows: We get a new software, we ask questions about it, and we are told ""Just play with it."" To me that sounds like, ""I don't know so you figure it out."" I'm not saying the I.T. people have to do the training (we have many in house people who are qualified) but they should definitely spearhead it. People: Training for public outreach activities and/or access to professionals/consultants who specialize in such activities, training on various Department procedures (purchasing, utility coordination, filing & archiving). Culture: Encouragement & direction from Section Heads & Division Heads to improve collaboration across Section & Division lines to improve project delivery (i.e. better/more open sharing of personnel, resources, expertise, etc.) Training, technology. Training, coaching. Training. We need to reestablish roles and responsibilities and allow the professionals to do their jobs. Stop the programs that are set up to circumvent certain people. We have managers in place who do not have a basic understanding of the subject matter they manage. We focus on certain tasks and "pet projects" while more critical issues are ignored. The unofficial mission statement of the department is "Do what we tell you to do and don't ask questions." However, we have a lot of great people in this department. We can do better if we return to our core responsibilities and take a hard look at every piece of this department. Training, increase # of employees. No idea. People: Supervisors need supervisor training Culture: Why are so many Engineers hired, go to other departments and they have their middle management handle a lot more, DOTE has to have an Engineer for just about every aspect. Communication has to be freely distributed, why should someone have to hunt for information that pertains to them in the program that they are inventorying? NonEngineers are not just support staff for Engineers, Work people in their classes and let them do the work they are titled to do. MAKE JOB/WORK DISCRIPTIONS actually mean what they are supposed to do, not - This job you will be doing 1,2,3 and other duties, which means you will be mainly doing items that are under your classification and that is your main duty." Field computers. With changes coming keep communications open. Training. Better resources for navigating bureaucracy involving the City. Better direction managing information within the department. Personnel matters (people and culture) generally seem fine. Given the size of the department, there are very few issues that I'm aware of. Current budget makes for difficult times Job specific training during the winter. Page 43 of 53 • • • • • • Effective and efficient training (pertinent to the actual job). Procurement process needs to be scrapped and start over, again. Quit giving the money away and make vendors actually work for it. You cannot change the culture of the work place, it is merely a reflection of society as it is today. Wasting way too much time and effort in this area. Increase the pay of personnel, quit messing with their benefits and give them more responsibility (let them do their job!). Then maybe they would have a better morale. Stated previously. Diversity in the top 3 ranks, and a path to success for those in the lower tiers who aren't related to or social with the upper ranks. Work performance feedback acknowledging work achievements Training that is job related. A boss that cares. Training and department wide communication need to be addressed. The department vision is not disseminated from the top down. Q20. Are you encouraged to contribute to the improvement of work processes? PERCENTAGE n=113 100.00% 80.00% 60.00% 40.00% 20.00% 0.00% 82.30% 17.70% Yes No Q21. Do you have the tools and resources you need to perform your job well? n=113 PERCENTAGE 80.00% 74.34% 60.00% 40.00% 25.66% 20.00% 0.00% Yes No Q21. Do you have the tools and resources you need to perform your job well? (survey participants typed the following verbatim responses) • • • • As long as I keep bodies in positions, the process is good, and I know what is expected of me! To have the broken printer which resides in my office replaced would be helpful. Laptops New shop tools are needed. Page 44 of 53 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Some tools are helpful, but it appears they only reach the surface. I have created my own tools and resource to do my job. If there is an issue or something that can be improved it is usually squashed. New shop, tools, working out of classification when it comes to electrical on the field. Need updated testing equipment & new vehicles. Additional funding, additional personnel. Could use help with technology improvements. It was only if the last few years that we were given devices to check email in the field. We need to embrace technology and have someone to encourage it's used to become more efficient. We need a new shop and more storage space everything is to spread out. It would be nice to have additional printers around, comfortable chairs that not broken, cleaner carpets, improvements to the main conference room where clients meet. I need team members who will get their pieces of the project done effectively, efficiently, completely and in a timely manner, but still be open minded to make improvements. Improvements and updates are necessary, but my division is open to that. Outdated databases. It is not easy to purchase software and industry standard resources. Need more money allocated to training. Cross training. I need more support at the division and section head level. There currently seems to be a lack of interest from them. Lack of funds. Not enough staff. A cohesive set of standards for everyone. Not information that differs from person to person about the same subject. Yes and no. We have really old cars that keep breaking down and then we have equipment that keeps breaking. Some of us take it upon ourselves to get equipment or to fix what is broke. I need a Senior Engineer to fill a currently vacant position. This vacancy over the past year has resulted in struggling to keep projects on schedule and checking and review of design lagging behind. Certain, valuable computer programs disappear and are replaced by inferior programs. Some employee desk phones disappeared without any warning to the employee or our customers. The cell phones we do have are not very good. They are cumbersome, buttons, stick, and sometimes the phone will dial random numbers by itself. Do I have the tools Yes, am I allowed to work on my actual duties, NO, I am mainly working at a class or 2 below what I am and get micromanaged, my actual duties are to come 2nd to everything? The person I "supervise" knows more about what is going on than I do. I have the tools to do the job but not well, just well enough to get by. Technology in the right areas and streamlined procurement would be a bonus. Some testing equipment needed and updated vehicle. Training, software, access to information that is kept in silos. Access to permits in the field The division does not have adequate staff or budget to handle the infrastructure we manage Page 45 of 53 Q22. I understand the vision, goals and objectives of the Department. n=113 75.22% 80.00% PERCENTAGE 70.00% 60.00% 50.00% 40.00% 24.78% 30.00% 20.00% 10.00% 0.00% Agree Disagree Q23. I see a clear link between my work and the division's goals and objectives. n=113 60.00% 49.56% PERCENTAGE 50.00% 40.00% 30.97% 30.00% 15.04% 20.00% 10.00% 4.42% 0.00% Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree Q24. The Department has a culture of inclusion and equity for all employees. PERCENTAGE n=113 50.00% 45.00% 40.00% 35.00% 30.00% 25.00% 20.00% 15.00% 10.00% 5.00% 0.00% 46.02% 25.66% 18.58% 9.73% Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Page 46 of 53 Q25. Does DOTE need Communication Skills training? n=113 70.00% 64.60% PERCENTAGE 60.00% 50.00% 35.40% 40.00% 30.00% 20.00% 10.00% 0.00% Yes No Q26. If yes, please check all that apply. Giving & Receiving Feedback & Constructive Criticism 49 Conflict Management & Confrontation Skills 50 How to Handle Negativity, Bad Attitudes & Toxic People in the Workplace 51 The Unwritten Rules of Business Professionalism & Workplace Etiquette 53 How to Handle Personality Clashes in the Workplace 54 How to Handle Difficult People 55 Effective Communication 67 0 20 40 60 80 Number of votes Q27. Does DOTE need Interpersonal Skills training? n=112 PERCENTAGE 60.00% 55.00% 54.46% 50.00% 45.54% 45.00% 40.00% Yes No Page 47 of 53 Q28. If yes, please check all that apply. 18 Writing Effective Job Descriptions 19 Valuing Diversity in the Workplace 26 Preventing & Handling Workplace Harassment & Discrimination 27 How to Identify and Eliminate Implicit Bias & Microaggressions 11 Preventing Sexual Harassment 35 How to Handle Employee Performance Problems 33 Giving Effective Performance Feedback & Employee Reviews 25 Effective Records Management, Retention & Destruction 24 Cultural Awareness for the Whole Workforce 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 Number of Votes Q29. Does DOTE need Leadership training? n=96 PERCENTAGE 80.00% 61.46% 60.00% 38.54% 40.00% 20.00% 0.00% Yes No Q30. If yes, please indicate all that apply. 18 Managing Generational Differences 24 24 24 Coaching Employees to Improve Performance 29 Dealing with Challenging Employees 33 34 35 35 35 36 37 37 Strategies for Resolving Conflict Dealing with Attitude Problems in the Workplace Succession Planning Leadership Skills for Managers 42 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 Number of Votes Page 48 of 53 Q31. Does DOTE need Customer Service training? n=98 75.51% PERCENTAGE 80.00% 60.00% 40.00% 24.49% 20.00% 0.00% Yes No Q32. Is there any other job-specific training that DOTE needs? (survey participants typed the following verbatim responses) • • • • • • • • • • On-going team building skills I think we need structure training. All levels of training are greatly needed this department. Inspectors could use specific construction training classes. We are working out of our classification when we work on the lights on the field. !000 volts transformers being replaced. We should be up graded to a higher classification. DOTE really needs to work on succession planning. Upper management doesn't do anything to improve the staff in preparation for any promotions. I've mentioned examples throughout this survey. But I will conclude by saying that in general large-group training for "cultural issues" is less effective than focused training with smaller groups or individuals where there are known problems. How to effectively train someone for technical skills varies a lot, depending on the objective/needs. Those needs might be taught well in a big group, small group or individual one-on-one sessions. Sometimes people don't know what they don't know so they don't know to ask for help, if that makes sense. Also, I do think "media training" and "customer service" training would be very beneficial for any employees who meet/talk with the public or elected officials (in council chambers or in the community). That said, training without improved processes and financial backing won't get the job done because then our department might come across as lacking substance and only giving "lip service" to a given issue. Yes - we need training for staff in updated technical items and professional engineering development. For the difficult employees, how to get along with others, change is good even though it feels bad, how to accept constructive criticism, how to learn, grow and adapt without dying. I have answered the above questions as "no" because the City already has access to many training programs that address the listed topics. Additionally, many topics are best handled at the work group level with existing Supervisors and Senior Management being responsible for setting the standards. Page 49 of 53 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Ensure whatever skills needed for promotion are being taught; e.g. Permits Plus, AutoCAD, CHRIS, etc. ACAD; CAGIS AutoCad, transportation design and theory. Software - operating systems, AutoCAD, Esri. Nothing I can think of that wasn't checked in the previous questions. Understanding the communities, they serve and the people in them. Not the same amount of care or attention to detail is given to poorer or predominately ethnic communities. This process seems to be trying to identify a gender or racial bias. I don't see any of that. I see people that fail to understand that the tasks they perform have an impact on the ability of other staff member to perform their own tasks. The causes may be complacency, lack of understanding, or laziness. These causes come in all genders and races. " Public outreach/involvement. Inspectors could use job related training. AutoCAD Civil 3D. Yes, as an inspector I would like to have refresher training over the Winter. Concrete asphalt shoring and so on. Construction Tech. Navigating the City Departments and record management are the most lacking. As an inspector I would like to get asphalt, concrete, trenching and any job specific training over the winter. Training pertinent to the position. Listening to good ideas. Inspectors could use construction related courses. Training options for professional licensing. Page 50 of 53 DOTE Staff Document Analysis 73.65% of DOTE staff are male. Of the male staff, 11.93% of men are ethnic minorities. 26.35% of DOTE staff are female. Of the 26.35% of females, 33.33% of females are ethnic minorities. 47.3% of DOTE staff have been employed with DOTE 15+ years. 77.14% of the staff that have been employed 15+ years with DOTE are male. 78.57% of staff who have been employed with DOTE 15+ years are white. 82.86% of all management are male. 91.43% of all management is white. DOTE Staff Gender n=148 Number 150 109 100 39 50 0 Male Female DOTE Staff Ethnicity 120 96 Number 100 80 60 Male 26 40 10 20 10 0 1 1 2 1 Female 1 0 African American American Indian Asian Hispanic White DOTE Staff Years of Service (Gender) 25 22 21 19 Number 20 18 15 15 11 Male 8 10 4 5 6 6 6 3 8 Female 1 0 0-5 6-10 11-15 16-20 21-25 26-30 31+ Page 51 of 53 DOTE Staff Years of Service (Ethnicity) 30 27 23 Number 25 23 17 20 17 White 15 10 5 4 5 5 2 8 7 7 Non-White/Hispanic 2 1 0 0-5 6-10 11-15 16-20 21-25 26-30 31+ DOTE Management (Gender) n=35 25 20 Number 20 15 Male 9 10 3 5 Female 2 0 Supervisory Upper Management DOTE Management (Ethnicity) n=35 Number 25 21 20 15 11 White 10 Minority 2 5 0 0 Supervisory Upper Management DOTE Staff Promotions (Gender) 12 11 11 Number 10 8 8 5 6 3 4 3 Male 3 2 Female 2 0 2015 2016 2017 2018 Page 52 of 53 DOTE Staff Promotions (Ethnicity) 15 16 14 12 Number 12 10 10 White 8 5 6 4 2 1 2 Minority 1 0 0 2015 2016 2017 2018 Number DOTE Staff Promotions (Reasons) 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 8 8 5 5 2015 5 2016 3 3 3 2017 2 1 1 1 0 PNC 0 0 0 0 0 PRE PRO PWE 2018 1 0 UNC PNC – Position number correction (lateral/position change) PRE – Exceptional Appointment PRO – Promotion from list (list created from exam and/or application pool) PWE – Promotion without exam (union rule; list created due to lack of interest) UNC – Unclassified DOTE Staff Vacancies 25 Number 20 20 19 17 13 15 10 5 0 2015 2016 2017 2018 This data was extracted from DOTE organizational charts dated 7/15/15; 6/22/16; 7/11/17; 12/19/18. 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