Workplace Survey Initiatives update - May 13

The ITS Leadership Team and the ITS Climate, Culture, and Inclusion (CCI) Task Force continue to make workplace improvements through the nine separate initiatives derived from the 2019 Workplace Survey results.

Between April 10 and May 7, teams working on these initiatives have accomplished the following:

• Establish ITS work from home guidance for staff (Ted Hanss/Sandra Germenis)—The team is developing the steps for transition and post-pandemic phases of return to work. Primarily, the gate is institutional policy, and thus, the completion dates have been pushed out into May and June.
• Implement inclusive recruiting practices (Diane Fusco / Blanche Temple)—The team identified the IT at Yale Teams channel as the repository for information on diversity and inclusive recruiting practices and for developing training and communication materials. The team will present the diversity and inclusion resources at the IT Leadership Team meeting on May 26.
• Examine total rewards, pay equity, and simplifying career paths in alignment with market data (Blanche Temple)—The team finalized title alignment of job positions with the SLT. The SLT is reviewing market data to support efforts associated with the annual merit increase program. On May 18, we have planned a calibration meeting and will discuss the first level of recommendations.
• 25 Science Park safety (John Barden)—Public Safety had Security staff returning to ‘normal’ schedule assignments in April. They expect to increase presence in the Science Park campus area in coordination with the increase of staff, students, and faculty returning to campus over the next several months.
• Research “high tech” firm employment practices, culture, and retention strategies (Hadar Call / Kiran Keshav)—An initial presentation of the findings was shared with the IT Leadership Team on March 31, followed by a workshop conducted for the same group in April. Based on learnings from the workshop, we are developing recommendations and a final report. 
• Ensuring fairness of opportunity - Extend ITS diversity and inclusion training curriculum (Ann Brainard-Dougan / Sandra Germenis)—The action team has worked with Deb Stanley-McAulay to structure a series of  facilitated discussions based on four monologues by Yale employees who experienced bias in the workplace. We have sketched out the structure for the training discussions and will vet this plan with the CCI steering committee and the SLT before May 30. We will offer training in four sessions, held in July, August, and September, to ensure that all ITS staff members have the opportunity to participate.

Previously completed initiatives:

• Meaningful performance evaluations for all ITS Staff (Assure 1:1 feedback consistency across M&P & C&T) (Sandra Germenis)—All work for this initiative was completed on October 30, 2020, resulting in the publication of recommended practices and resources for managers.
• Promote transparency and provide access to senior management (Ryan Schlagheck)—The IT Senior Leadership Team (SLT) reviewed and confirmed skip-level meeting guidance, and this information is now available as a resource on the new Performance Feedback website. Skip-level guidance was also added to the New Employee Orientation for Manager/Supervisor reference and reviewed with the IT Leadership Team at the January 27 monthly meeting. The team completed all work for this initiative as of January 29.

For the latest status and to see all of the great work accomplished to date, visit the Workplace Survey Improvement Initiatives Monthly Tracker snapshot on the IT Teams channel, or contact Randal Ritter, Senior Project Manager, Enterprise Reporting & Analytics.