NOT HAPPY: Staff wouldn't recommend council as employer

NEARLY half of all surveyed employees at the Toowoomba Regional Council would not recommend the organisation as an employer, a report has found.

A new staff survey has revealed low levels of satisfaction among workers.

NEARLY half of all surveyed employees at the Toowoomba Regional Council would not recommend the organisation as an employer, a report has found.

Major issues have been raised about the TRC by its own staff in a recent independent survey of more than 1100 employees, including its retention of skilled people, transparency of business results and trust among other workers.

The report by Insync Surveys, published late last year and released to The Chronicle now, explored the satisfaction levels of staff covering the council's performance in areas like leadership, strategy, products and services and business results.

Of the 63 per cent of staff who responded to the survey, 44 per cent (or 485 workers) said they were not likely, in varying degrees, to recommend the council as an employer to others.

The vast majority of questions and statements were based on a scale from one (most negative) to seven (most positive), with percentages based on those who gave a six or seven.

Just 24 per cent of workers surveyed said they were being listened to by their general manager, while just 17 per cent said they understood why council made changes.

Of the seven main performance categories, the council received a positive weighted score of 30 per cent.

However, a majority of staff said the council provided a safe work environment (62 per cent) and that they were happy to do extra work (55 per cent) and were satisfied with their job (53 per cent).

Toowoomba Regional Council CEO Brian Pidgeon said the organisation had identified areas to improve on and would follow up with another survey in 2020.

"From the data gathered, we are able to pinpoint areas for improvement and develop initiatives which aim to improve organisational culture," he said in a statement.

"All staff have the opportunity to provide feedback on how we can continue to move forward as an organisation, with the community's best interests at the forefront of everything we do.

"It's important to note the staff survey isn't an isolated activity the council has undertaken but is part of an ongoing journey of continuous improvement.

"The council is expected to conduct these comprehensive employee engagement and performance surveys biennially."

Mayor Paul Antonio was approached for comment but elected to let Mr Pidgeon speak on the matter.

FINDINGS

Findings were based on responses from 1116 workers, who rated statements from one (most negative) to seven (most positive):

 - Only 24 per cent said they were being listened to by their general manager

 - Only 32 per cent said they got regular recognition for their efforts

 - Only 17 per cent said they understood why council made changes

 - Only 16 per cent said there was trust among people in council

 - Only 25 per cent gave council a positive score for customer and market focus

 - 32 per cent had high levels of satisfaction with council

Originally published as NOT HAPPY: Staff wouldn't recommend council as employer