If you could change one thing at Duke to improve the campus climate for staff that wouldn't cost a cent, what would it be?
The Campus Culture Initiative's February report didn't mark the end of the university's discussion about changing campus life. Most of that discussion focused on student life, but employees have had a lot to say on the issue. During a Primetime event this summer, Duke President Richard H. Brodhead was asked by an employee, "If you could change one thing at Duke to improve the campus climate for staff that wouldn't cost a cent, what would it be?" Brodhead noted that some of the most effective ideas wouldn't cost a lot of money.
"The best thing that could happen at the university is to just make the habit of realizing that work is done by actual people and that you can actually find that person and express some appreciation for it," Brodhead said. He also suggested that employees share their knowledge with newcomers.
This month Working@Duke wanted to know what inexpensive ideas employees had that could improve campus culture. Below are three responses. We'd like to hear from more ideas. Send your suggestions to duketoday@duke.edu. Below are several comments we've received. We'll add new comments as we get them.
Effective evaluations
I would implement 360 evaluations. It's great to hear you're doing a good job from your boss; however, in many cases, your boss needs to hear how well you are relating to your peers across campus. It's not just the results that matter. It's really about how you collaborate, partner and support others across the campus.
Amy Feistel
Telecommute
If I could change one thing at Duke to improve the campus climate for staff, it would be to allow employees to telecommute. I am sure many people have come up with this idea, but I wanted to bring it up again from someone who actually worked for a company that allowed employees to telecommute.
Sharletta Dunlap
Telecommute to Duke
Allow non-essential campus employees to telecommute. It may have some initial (minimal) cost but it would turn into enormous savings in the long run. For example, it would:
- Reduce need and maintenance of office space and of other facilities,
- Considerably reduce consumption of natural resources, ie, water, electricity, etc.
- Improve air quality by less people driving into campus every day. Better air quality = better health = less people calling in sick,
- Reduce parking problems. This would be met with cheers from our students,
- Improve employee productivity. Less commuting time = less stress. It would afford people extra time to exercise and feel better about themselves. Everyone knows the strong, positive correlation between fitness and productivity.
Other benefits:
- Improved morale;
- Good PR, especially now that Duke signed a contract to increase efforts to go green and reduce environmental climate problems.
Note that the federal government has been doing this for several years now. If they can do it, then a strong, smart academic institution like ours can do it, too.
Lorena Brewster
Smile
My answer is to promote a specific day called:: "Smile and say hello to everyone you see while at work today."
Karen Heller
Look at employment process
The Duke employee recruitment website reaches a wide audience and is a great service. I have experienced it as both a potential employee and one reviewing resumes that are brought forward. In both instances, it seems that the resumes are often filtered in such a manner that the many of most qualified applicants are never brought forward. If more than one person could review/match the applicants with the open positions, perhaps better balance would be in place to offset an automated, impersonal system.
Lillian Hicks
Improve customer service
I am not a Duke employee, but I am on one of your mailing lists that linked to this story.
Over the summer I e-mailed two different departments at Duke. One took two months to respond to my e-mail; the other took one month. Just think - if you are a paying customer and the company you contacted took four weeks and eight weeks to answer a simple question! They would be out of business in no time in today's world.
I found the following article online. There are more in print and online, but the bottom line is universities and colleges, including Duke, need to improve their customer service.
I just love this quote:
"The school is your home. You've invited these guests in. Just show them the treatment you would provide to any invited guest."
This website or blog called "Great Service Matters" is aimed at universities and colleges. After working retail this summer my daughter and Duke student agrees - Duke needs to be more customer service oriented. She said the Financial Aid section is great and the staff there understand their mission and how to work with students.
I still remember during Blue Devils Days the very polite clerk in the store in the Bryant Center. He was friendly and polite to every customer. I complimented him (as in contrast to an earlier grouchy unfriendly clerk) and told him he really understand how to treat customers. He responded with a wide grin telling me his retail background and how much he enjoyed working with the students and staff.
My daughter realizes customer service is hard work. There are a lot of rude people in this world. It's no fun having to stay after closing when a customer keeps trying clothes on and leaves the dressing room in a mess. It's disappointing when that customer walks out without buying anything.
But at Duke the students are guests - they are there for a few years of their life. For the employees Duke is their home - they are the ones who have been there in many cases for 10 or 20 years. They are the hosts to the invited guests, the students. And that's the different attitude that Duke needs to engender.
Sheila Simpson, Mercer Island, WA
Flexible work environment
If I could change one thing at Duke that wouldn't cost a penny it would be to allow for more flexible working practices - whether it's telecommuting or more employee involvement in scheduling - research shows that employees with more control over how, when and where they work are much more satisfied and engaged with their jobs. Much of Duke could become more of a virtual organization which would certainly make sense given the high cost and scarcity of space on campus.
Not only would flexible working not cost a penny, organizations such as IBM (which has nearly half of their workforce working from home) have shown that it can result in considerable cost savings. With Duke's new sustainability policy there is an added imperative to look earnestly at how we can reduce our physical footprint and eliminate needless commuting.
The Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI) has to compete with private CROs (clinical research organizations) in the Park who increasingly allow and encourage employees to work from home offices; coming in for meetings and brainstorming sessions only when necessary. The DCRI has found that allowing employees to work from home has been a key tool in enabling them to recruit and retain the right people in a highly competitive staffing environment.
Flexible working also encourages and supports diversity as it empowers individuals with very different lifestyles and responsibilities to thrive in the work environment; while rigid schedules unintentionally bias those who are monetarily or otherwise more able to adhere to externally fixed schedules.
Monica Pallett
"One way to improve the campus culture would be to expand the mentoring opportunities for graduate students and professionals to work with undergraduates. Mentoring programs offer a way for grad students, faculty and staff to share their knowledge with undergrads. In return, the undergrads keep the grad students and researchers updated about everything that's happening on that side of campus."
Suzanne Sikes, Project Director, Raising Interest in Science Education
5 years at Duke
"I think giving people a pat on the back when they do a good job would be a great way to boost morale on campus."
Antonio King, Projects Assistant, Duke Lemur Center
8 years at Duke
"Telling employees that they're doing a good job seems like an easy way to me."
Zach Crew, Summer Assistant, Duke Forest