Suggestion Topics:

Below are suggestions received by the Communication Committee from either the suggestion boxes or the online Web form. Some suggestions have been summarized to save space or avoid repetition when more than one person has commented about similar issues. We read and refer each suggestion. If the suggestion maps to the charge of one of the Communication Committee Task Forces, it is sent to that chairperson for inclusion in the Task Force's deliberations. If a suggestion relates to a functional area of  SLAC, it is sent to someone who can respond to that suggestion. Referrals are preceded by the word REFERRED.  RESPONSES from the people to whom a suggestion has been referred are included when available. 

The suggestions below share a theme of education, training, or recruitment:

SUGGESTION: SLAC should give employees a formal way to review their supervisors. 
My suggestion would benefit: SLAC. Incompetents and those that develop bad supervisory skills could be weeded out. 
REFERRED:  Lee Lyon, Human Resources with a copy to Roger Erickson, Chairperson, Task Force A (Line communication). 
RESPONSE: Although this suggestion is motivated by the positive desire to improve supervision, it is more complicated than it may seem. A recent study by the consulting firm of Watson/Wyatt indicates that the best performing companies do not use 360 degree ratings for evaluation and salary setting purposes and, in fact, that its use in that way is associated with poorly performing companies. In addition, it is enormously time consuming and therefore expensive to implement. On the other hand, when it is used as a tool to give feedback to a manager/supervisor for developmental and training purposes, it does have value. In fact, as part of special projects initiated by managers in some SLAC department, it has been used in this way.

SUGGESTION: (Provide) a training symposium for supervisors on positive employee motivation. Especially in this era of trying to keep good workers with less.  My suggestion would benefit: the worker--better desire to stay at SLAC. 
REFERRED:  Susan Hoerger, Human Resources with a copy to Roger Erickson, Chairperson, Task Force A (Line communication). 
RESPONSE: S. Hoerger:  Thanks for the idea. We'll try to incorporate it as part of our ongoing supervisory training program.

SUGGESTION: Better employee orientation - available services and "how to" information -- purchase things, arrange travel, schedule required training, etc. Offer refreshers when policy changes made.  My suggestion would benefit: All SLAC employees 
REFERRED:  Susan Hoerger, SLAC Human Resources Head of Employee Training and Development with a cc to Roger Erickson, Chairperson, Task Force A (Line communication). 
RESPONSE: Susan Hoerger has contacted the suggestor to let that person know of the newly-instituted New Employee Training sessions that are offered.  She also offers this description of them:

SLAC now offers orientation for new employees. The program, which is still in its pilot phase, is offered every 2-3 months, depending on the number of new hires during the time period. The agenda generally includes introductions and welcome, a presentation on SLAC history and current research, an overview of employee services available through SLAC and the University, an overview of employee activities, an introduction to SLAC's main communication methods (e.g., The Interaction Point, The Beam Line, The Bulletin Board) and useful web pages. Orientation is followed by an optional site tour. There is a brief presentation on "how to get things paid/reimbursed" at SLAC.

The orientation program is a work in progress. Each time we conduct orientation, we learn new suggestions for how we can improve it in the future. We will try to incorporate the ideas of including portions on how to purchase things, arranged (and get reimbursed for) travel, schedule required training, etc., as well as the suggestion about follow-up training when there are policy changes.

We have asked some employees to help us evaluate the pilot program. If you would like to come to the next orientation, please call (x2358) or e-mail (shoerger@slac.stanford.edu) Susan Hoerger and we will add you to the invitation list.

SUGGESTION: A more active effort could be made to contact new employees to set up a new employee orientation. I still have not had an orientation. I received a notice in my mailbox, didn't have time to RSVP but showed up at the orientation site anyhow, only to find a note on the door that it'd been cancelled.  I called the person I was supposed to RSVP to, left a voice mail message that I was interested in an orientation and haven't heard anything since. (Editor's note: first part of this suggestion is about the Web and was put into the topical page on general communication.)
REFERRED:  Susan Hoerger, Human Resources with a copy to Roger Erickson, Chairperson, Task Force A (Line communication). 
RESPONSE:  New employee orientation is scheduled every two months, if there is sufficient interest (at least 5 "yes" responses) by newly hired employees. All employees hired since the last orientation are invited, as well as employees who have been unable to attend in the past who have asked to be invited to the next orientation. Last time, May 10, only two employees accepted the invitation to attend orientation, and consequently the orientation was postponed to July. An invitation to the July orientation will go out shortly, and will include those who were invited to the May 10 orientation. Any employee who wants to attend is welcome, including longer service employees. Employees who want more information about orientation can call Susan Hoerger, x2358.

SUGGESTION: Job opportunities at SLAC, for which only SLAC employees/contractors are  eligible to apply, are not well communicated.  They are sent to various points in the lab via paper copy, and then posted on  clipboards. An example is located in the first-floor  hallway of the Central Lab. It is not clear whether the positions are currently  open, and there is not a confidential way to view them  (i.e. imagine the awkward situation where a current employee is viewing one of  these clipboards, and their supervisor walks by). 
Job opportunities which are open to inside as well as outside candidates are  viewable in this manner, but are also listed on the web.  The web listings are kept current, so applicants know if an opportunity is  really still available or not. Communicating these opportunities a little better may help improve employee  retention. 
REFERRED:  The Human Resources Website is being redesigned. This suggestion has been sent to Lee Lyon. It was also copied to Roger Erickson, (Task Force A chairperson). 

SUGGESTION: Communicating about Employment Opportunities at SLAC, 
__________________________________________________ 
Helping SLAC Recruit in Today's Hot Job Market 
_____________________________________________ 
Comparing SLAC's employment web pages 
http://www.slac.stanford.edu/emp/emp-opp/emp-opp.html 
(last change made was August 1996) 
with the LBNL employment web pages 
http://www.lbl.gov/Workplace/employment.html 
note their photographs of happy faces, 
their sections on 
-- benefits 
-- career paths 
-- international applicants and different visa processes for LBNL 
-- relocation policies 
-- opportunities for students and educators 
In today's hot job market, how can we compare more favorably? 
REFERRED:  This has also been referred to Susan Hoerger who is responsible for the redesign of the Human Resource's Employment Opportunities at SLAC web page. 

SUGGESTION: School to Career Program, -- More synergy between Local Schools and SLAC.  LBNL launched a 'School to Career Program' a year ago at their lab, concentrating on recruiting computer support, administrative, engineering and technician staff from local colleges. (Article in LBNL Currents, April 21 2000)  
1) They surveyed local colleges to see who had the best practical training programs 
2) They arranged for supervisors to speak to schools 
3) They arranged college professors to tour the lab environment 
Perhaps SLAC can also be more proactive, promoting education and science in schools and at the same time also giving a bridge to practical training while helping SLAC recruit in this hot job market. Another method to develop a two-way street between SLAC and the local community. 
REFERRED: This email was sent to Helen Quinn, Task Force C (External Communications) Chairperson and SLAC's program director for educational outreach. She will share it with her committee members. 

SUGGESTION: Consider instituting a formal educational program at SLAC for technical people at the technician and engineer level. Suggestion would benefit: Efficiency of designs, SLAC operations, and affected personnel. (Like it or not, SLAC has the reputation of being a dinosaur in Silicon Valley.) 
REFERRED:  Susan Hoerger, Human Resources Training Manager. Also sent to Roger Erickson, Task Force A chairperson. 
RESPONSE: Susan Hoerger contacted this person directly and followed up with more detail on the needs to be addressed as well as outlined what is currently available.

SUGGESTION:  More chance for college education at Stanford for employees not just work-related too! My suggestion would benefit everyone.
REFERRED: Susan Hoerger, SLAC Manager of Education and Training.
RESPONSE:  There's good news. Stanford University pays up to $2000 per year for tuition for eligible employees enrolled in approved undergraduate or graduate degree programs. These degree programs do not need to be job-related. Job-related tuition assistance continues to be available, as well. STAP (Staff Tuition Assistance Program) provides $200/quarter or $267/semester to defray the costs of work-related courses, workshops, seminars, etc. STAP funds may also be used for Stanford's own Continuing Education courses. Those courses do not need to be job-related to qualify for STAP funding. In addition, SLAC itself has a tuition reimbursement program that provides up to 90% reimbursement for job/career-related degree programs. Finally, SLAC employees are eligible to audit Stanford University classes. Employees wishing to audit should work out arrangements directly with the professor who is offering the course.

SUGGESTION:   How about setting up satellite computer stations and training in their use for staff who don't have access to a computer.
REFERRED: (Editor's note to suggestor: There is a cluster of computers in a training room in SCS which are specifically used for computer skills training classes.  If this is not what you need, please contact Susan Hoerger, Head of Employee Relations and Training in Human Resources.)

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McDunn
18 Jan 2002 04:01 PM