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                          Issue 2
         February 2000

In This Issue

  • We Want YOU!
  • How to be Surveyed
  • We're Counting On You
  • Aligning Our Rewards
  • Who's Who
    •
  • Have Questions or Need More Information?
 Ohio University is committed to designing and implementing new compensation and reward programs for Classified and Information Technology (IT) Staff that support Ohio University’s organizational strategy more effectively.

Part of our commitment is to keep you informed throughout the process. This newsletter is designed to update you on the progress of the project. In addition, the project website www.ohiou.edu.comp is available for you to access current project details. Please take a moment to read this newsletter so you have a better understanding of the project and visit our website for additional information and updates.

We Want YOU!

It's flowing in the rumor mill, we mentioned it in our last newsletter and it's on our website. It's true, Ohio University is conducting an Employee Opinion Survey, and we want YOU to participate!

Our Classified and IT compensation project has three phases: Discover, Invent and Deliver. As mentioned in earlier communications, we are assessing the University's culture, perceptions of the current programs and practices, and expectations of a compensation program as part of the Discover phase of our project. The Discover phase encourages and depends on input from many people in many ways. So far, many employees have provided input through interviews, focus groups and Job Information Questionnaires. Now we want to get input through an employee survey.

There are two key reasons that OU is conducting an employee opinion survey.
1. To assist the project team in gathering information to develop consistent,     competitive and flexible compensation and reward programs.

Developing compensation and reward programs for our Classified and IT Staff requires the technical skill and rigorous processes that Watson Wyatt Worldwide, the human resource consulting firm we are working with, brings to our organization. However, to make it work at Ohio University, we need to hear from our employees. Hearing from you allows us to better understand what does and does not work, and what you and the organization need to make a program successful.

2. To see how our University is doing on a variety of topics, such as career development, communications and leadership, from our employees' perspective.

Ohio University has experienced significant change over the last few years making this an ideal time for us to assess where we are today as we create plans for the University's future. Getting information directly from our employees helps us gauge where we stand. In addition, we can compare our survey results to other organizations' survey results.

Survey Topics
Below is a list of the topics, which will be covered in the survey:

  • Compensation
  • Work Organization
  • Quality and Customer Service
  • Performance Management
  • Teamwork
  • Decision Making
  • Supervision
  • Plan Unit Management Effectiveness
  • Communications
  • Career Development and Training
  • Job Content and Satisfaction
  • Ohio University Image
  • Change
  • Leadership
How to Be Surveyed
You will receive a survey through campus mail in early March.  It will take approximately one-half hour to complete the survey and all surveys must be completed and mailed by Friday, March 10. Your survey will include a pre-addressed envelope for you to use to return your confidential response to Watson Wyatt Worldwide.

At the end of the survey period Watson Wyatt Worldwide will analyze the survey responses and cumulative results will be provided to the University. The survey results, next steps and action plans (based on the overall survey results) will be shared with all employees.

The University is committed to protecting the confidentiality of survey participants. One form of confidentiality is that survey results will only be provided if at least 10 people respond to a question.

Don't Forget... Survey Week!
   What: Ohio University
           Employee Opinion Survey

    Who:   Classified Staff
               IT Staff
               Administrators
               Faculty with Administrative
               Appointments

    When:  March 2-10, 2000

  Where:   At work, at home, in your office, in your car, wherever you choose. Surveys will be sent to you via campus mail so you can complete your survey at a time and in a place that is convenient and comfortable for you. When you complete your survey, simply put it in the provided envelope and drop it in campus mail.

We're Counting On You
Our survey will be successful and provide the University with the most useful information if...
  • You actively participate. A larger sampling will allow a more factual representation of the survey group and produce more accurate results;
  • You respond candidly. Each survey response is completely confidential and data will not be provided if less than 10 people respond.

Aligning Our Rewards

One goal of this project is to assess what currently gets rewarded within our organization, either directly or indirectly. In addition, we want to determine what should get rewarded. For this project, a reward is something that sends a message to employees about what our organization values.

For example, if we say that we value higher education and we provide free tuition, we are aligning our reward of free tuition with our value of higher education. However, if we say we value career development, but do not provide employees with the opportunities to increase their skills by giving them additional responsibilities, we are missing the opportunity to align our reward of additional responsibility and skill development with what we value, career development. Valuing career development requires more programs, services, and philosophies than the tuition waiver. You can see why it is critical to the University's success to accurately align rewards with values.

Rewards come in many forms including pay, benefits, training programs and performance management. The focus of the Classified and IT compensation project is to assist the University in developing reward programs (compensation and pay programs) that support the values and vision of the organization.

Sept. 1999                                            March 2000                           Aug. 2000             Fall 2000

Phase I:
Discover

Phase II:
Invent

Phase III:
Deliver
  • Project Kickoff meeting with the Project Team, Steering Team, and Watson Wyatt Worldwide (external Human Resources Consulting Firm)
  • Senior Leadership Interviews
  • Employee Focus Groups
  • Market Analysis, including completion of the Job Information Questionnaires
  • Employee Opinion Survey (all Non-Bargaining Classified and Administrative staff)
  • Design new compensation and rewards systems
  • Communicate new compensation and rewards systems
  • Implement compensation and rewards systems

Who's Who

OU Project Team
Karen Hudson- Project Manager
Rosemary Butcher
Kim Greenfest
Diana Kasler
Nellie Mitchell
Steve Noftz
Judi Rioch
Steve Skidmore
Wanda Sheridan
Mark Stockman
Vicki Storer		 OU Steering Team
Gary North- Executive Sponsor
Greg Coen
Margaret Cooper
Nancy Crist
Karen Hudson
Sharon Huge
Jim Kemper
Ted Kohan
Doug Mann		 Watson Wyatt Project Team
Watson Wyatt is the human resources consulting firm that is working with the University on this project.
Jon Randall- Project Lead
Sharon Vance- Project Manager
Jeff Bierbower
Craig Camelio
Andrea Foust
Sanjay Patel
Have Questions or Need More Information?
Contact a project team member or visit our website at  www.ohiou.edu/comp. Remember to  check out the Frequently Asked Questions link on our website, as someone else may have the same question as you!