Read how the Xref Engage Survey provided invaluable insights into the key areas requiring attention: leadership, cross-department collaboration, process improvement, and the attraction, development, and retention of employees.
In 2022, Edward River Council embarked on an improvement program aimed at stabilising and strengthening the organisation. The program commenced with the Your Voice employee engagement survey, facilitated through Xref.
The priorities from the engagement survey included leadership, cross-department collaboration, process improvement, and attracting, developing and retaining employees.
In response to the survey results, Edward River Council partnered with Winton Consulting to facilitate an organisational review. The primary goal was to identify opportunities for better alignment across strategy, people, systems, and processes, ultimately enhancing service delivery to the community.
The team at Edward River took a hands-on approach to encourage participation in the survey.
The General Manager and Directors personally visited all staff to explain the survey’s purpose and invited everyone to participate. To boost engagement, they organised a special "Survey Day," giving staff time and support to complete it.
Impressively, half of the workforce participated on that day alone. Additional support was provided throughout the survey period for those who couldn't join. This thoughtful approach resulted in an incredible 96% response rate!
In partnership with Winton, Edward River’s approach to the organisational review was iterative and based on human-centered design principles. The process involved:
Data Collection and Current State Analysis: The project team reviewed corporate documentation and conducted information gathering sessions with key stakeholders, including the Executive Team, Managers, Consultative Committee and a cross-section of the workforce.
Strategic Planning Workshops: Strategic workshops were facilitated with the Executive Team to envision a desired future state for the organisation. The focus was on mission critical drivers that would address priorities from the Your Voice employee engagement survey and enhance alignment between the Council’s strategy, people, systems, and processes.
Organisational Roadmap: Synthesising information from the current state analysis and strategic planning workshops, the project team presented an organisational roadmap, outlining key steps towards achieving the desired future state. This roadmap served as a guide for strategic decision making.
Alternate Functional Structure: Working in partnership with the Executive Team and People and Culture Manager, Winton proposed an alternative functional structure to support progress toward the desired state.
Restructure Program Oversight: Drawing on their understanding of the organisation and the local government context, Winton also supported Edward River’s planning and implementation of the subsequent restructure program. This involved creating a restructure guide, communication and consultation plan and necessary documentation, ensuring sound process and positive engagement.
With the leadership team’s hands-on approach, Edward River Council achieved an impressive 96% participation rate in the survey. This created great momentum and support for the Council’s improvement journey.
The survey results highlighted important areas for growth, such as supporting leadership at all levels to connect and support staff and finding better ways to attract, onboard, develop, and recognise employees.
The strong participation reflected the staff's dedication and provided valuable insights to guide the Council’s future improvements.
Following the successful implementation of the organisational redesign, Edward River continued with an improvement program, which included continued collaboration with Winton collaborating on several fronts:
People and Culture Framework: Winton reviewed, updated, and supported the implementation of the Council’s People and Culture framework in priority areas such as recruitment, induction, and performance reviews.
Salary System and Job Evaluation: Winton provided recommendations for a contemporary, fit-for-purpose salary system and job evaluation process, including draft policies and procedures.
Leadership Development Program: Winton developed a Capability Framework and subsequent leadership development program to support the leaders of Edward River Council and provide a toolkit for leaders to use to influence the organisational culture and performance.
By investing in the staff’s voice and achieving one of the strongest response rates in the sector, Edward River Council demonstrated its dedication to understanding the root causes of internal challenges.
Supported by Winton and with the insights from the Xref survey, Edward River Council worked to address issues, making significant changes to its systems and culture. They continue to prioritise their employees, ensuring that meaningful, lasting improvements benefit the organisation and its community.
If you would like to conduct an employee engagement survey for your organisation, reach out to us for a free demo.
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