Chapter Three: Regional Interviews

Research Methodology

In July and August 2001, face-to-face interviews focused on employee retention and motivation were conducted with two or three employees from each of the seven DOTs included in the first phase of this regional study. The seven states that participated were North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, Wyoming, and Montana. These states were chosen for their geographic proximity to one another and for other similarities, including financial situations and external environments.

In each state, the predetermined questions were asked of one Human Resources (HR) representative and one or two other employees from the DOT. Three interviewers, two from Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute and one from the NDDOT, participated in all but the NDDOT interviews. The interviews consisted of several items assessing general organizational issues such as communication, technology, and structure and many items focusing specifically on employee retention and motivation. Interviews lasted from 30 minutes to two hours, depending on the knowledge level and the willingness of the interviewee. All questions were not asked of every employee. Questions that focused specifically on the technical aspects of HR policies and practices only were asked of the HR representative at each DOT. The specific questions asked and the full summary of results from these interviews are included in Appendix A. However, several key points are outlined below.

Interview Highlights

Through the interview process, we were made aware of several innovative practices or programs that certain states had implemented or were in the process of implementing. Although some of these best practices are not specifically in the areas of employee retention and motivation, each of them contributes to the environment of the organization, which affects employee morale, motivation, and retention. The following list outlines best practices and programs along with the state or states that have implemented them.

• Formal succession planning is done in the Minnesota DOT at the highest levels. They currently are working to include other levels of employees in this program. This planning helps management develop a pool of employees who could potentially move to other positions in the organization.
• Mentoring programs are used for the development of employees in the Minnesota and the Wyoming DOTs. Although this mentoring may not be used with every employee, the beginning of this type of formal program in each of these organizations was seen as a strength.
• Self-directed work teams have been developed and used in Iowa and Wyoming to allow more start-to-finish work in some of the technical positions in the organization. Iowa's program is well-established and ongoing.
• Strong leadership in Nebraska has made the powerful vision of the director known to employees throughout the organization.
• An organizational health study has been conducted in South Dakota by its well-respected research division. The study was designed to assess many organizational factors that directly influence the behavior of employees, including staff competency, communication, work environment, and training and development. The research division has already conducted a follow up of its original study to determine whether desired changes have taken place.
• Rotation programs for new engineers are being used in Minnesota and Montana. These programs currently allow new engineers to rotate through different areas in the organization for a specified period of time.
• Montana is developing performance plans that will lead to changes in pay. Their goal is to move toward paying for performance and competencies rather than for seniority.
• An annual termination report which includes turnover by job title, location, and reason for leaving, is completed by the NDDOT. The report allows management to see where and why employees are leaving the organization.

There also were some areas where all of the DOTs that we interviewed could make improvements. The most consistent areas for improvement are listed below.

• DOTs should make better use of the information they obtain from their exit interviews. This was an area in which all seven DOTs were weak. This exit interview information could be used to determine trends in voluntary terminations, including why people are leaving, what jobs or other opportunities they may have had in hand, and what the DOT could have done to retain them.
• Workforce development should continue to be a goal for the DOTs. None of the DOTs we spoke with use individualized training or development plans, nor did they have various career ladders that allow employees to choose between technical and management career options.
• Rewarding high performing employees should continue to be a high priority. Many interviewees reported that there are few, if any, rewards for high performers. Although monetary rewards may not always be feasible, employees can sometimes be rewarded in other ways. Recognition and praise, as well as, new and challenging projects or assignments can be effective. Also, many of the employees indicated a desire to have flexibility in their work and working hours. Such perks could serve as rewards for high performing employees as well.

The interviews conducted for phase one of the Strategies for Addressing DOT Employee Retention and Motivation study contained a great deal of interesting and useful information (see Appendix A). The specific information reported by employees of the NDDOT indicated a few areas of concern that needed to be addressed in the second phase of the study. The issues that were noted in the NDDOT interviews included the following:

• There was some concern about micro-management and determining who has the responsibility and authority for making certain decisions.
• There was also a concern that without rewards for good performers, every one is treated the same, making it difficult to keep good employees motivated.
• Some of the employees reported frustration about slow deployment of new technology.

To allow all employees and managers in the NDDOT to have a chance to express their opinions on issues highlighted in the interviews, survey questions were designed to specifically address the areas of technology, accountability and decision making, and performance management. In addition, many other issues affecting organizational health also were included as part of the surveys in the second phase of this project.