'

Employee Listening

Employee Listening Session Information

Between late 2022 and early 2023, a collaboration team that included the then-DEI Coordinator, YVC graduate, English faculty member, and a 3rd Party Consultant created a listening session protocol. They then conducted a series of focus groups to serve as employee listening sessions (six classified sessions, three faculty sessions, and two exempt professional staff. The focus group questions, developed by Hanover Research for the 2022 Campus Climate Survey, served as a template to maintain consistent methodology but modified as needed. An estimated 38 employees participated in the listening sessions. (Note: approximately 73 employees participated in the 2022 Campus Climate Survey)

What does a diverse, equitable, and inclusive institution look like?

  • Everyone feels welcomed, heard, seen, acknowledged, and valued.
  • Everyone is treated equally and with respect.
  • Everyone feels a sense of belonging, regardless of their backgrounds or demographics.

  1. What does it mean for you to have a diverse and inclusive workplace?
  2. How would you describe the current climate of the college, among staff, when it comes to diversity, equity, and inclusion?
  3. In what ways does the college support a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion among staff?
  4. How would you describe the level of diversity of staff?
  5. How would you describe your treatment as a member of the college community?
  6. How would you describe your access to opportunities and growth compared to your fellow staff members?
  7. If you are comfortable sharing, in what ways have you witnessed or experienced prejudice or discrimination at work, if at all?
  8. What obstacles have you faced that may not be experienced by others at the college?
  9. What obstacles do you feel other face that you do not?
  10. What are the biggest barriers you see to establishing a diverse, inclusive, and equitable environment at the college?
  11. What should leadership do to improve the climate of diversity, equity, and inclusion at the college among staff?
  12. Where do they need to focus their efforts? What would be most impactful?
  13. What DEI measures, policies, or efforts at the college have been most helpful and should continue?
  14. What types of (additional) resources or training would be helpful?
  15. Final task (for Zoom only): use the chat window to write down 3-4 things that make the college a comfortable and welcome place, and 3-4 ways the climate could improve.

the protocol allowed for modifications to accommodate the natural flow of discussion

 

Survey Results

Percentage Question
73% - 78% Number of

employees who agreed that the YVC respected their age, gender, immigration status, race/ethnicity, and socio-economic status.

Even with institutional efforts beginning to move in the right direction, there are areas with room for growth regarding workplace dynamics and culture.

  • Cross-training of employees to empower/encourage employees to take guilt/stress-free personal and vacation time
  • Supervisor support of employees taking advantage of professional development opportunities (release time)
  • Supervisors help employees manage/balance workloads
  • More training for supervisors: supporting staff, power dynamics, etc.
  • Recognition of birthdays, holidays, or personal/professional accomplishments
  • Policies and practices are not applied equitably
  • Response from supervisors or “chain of command” within a reasonable timeframe, regarding staff complaints
  • Due to the pandemic and switch to CTC Link, job changed without updates to descriptions, classifications, or compensation.
  • Transparency and consistency around compensation and related policies/procedures: part-time, hourly, full-time, classifications, and applying bilingual pay
  • Clearly defined paths and requirements for internal growth and promotion opportunities

  • Show more appreciation to all employees
  • More transparency in the hiring process
  • Weekly update on open positions and their status
  • Notify college when someone is hired
  • More/improved training around the recruiting/selection process
  • Stipends for extra work required for those on selection committees
  • Employee recognition
  • Create an employee retention plan with transparent progress updates
  • More/better communication to promote transparency, trust, and repair the disconnect with administration
  • Present more information about, both, positive and negative issues that impact employees (budget, problem-solving)
  • Two-way communication (seek input feedback from employees)
  • Ask employees for what supports they need/have
  • Administrators visit Deccio during the first week of the quarter
  • Supervisors should meet with their managers to discuss performance and identify areas for growth, look for ways to do so
  • Consider the 360 Feedback system, for anonymous and confidential feedback process on competencies by managers, direct reports, peers, and even customers
  • Provide equitable PD opportunities for staff to develop advancement opportunities
  • Check in on employees’ mental health
  • Institute equity-minded hiring and onboarding
  • More diversity on the board, administration, and faculty
  • Communication and advertisement of resources
  • Employee Resource and Support Groups for women, veterans, LGBTQ, people of color, people with disabilities, etc.
  • Offer regular DEI training and workshops
  • Training on how to submit Title IX complaints and be transparent about the process for addressing those complaints

  • DEI work groups have been reconstituted and are now meeting on a regular basis
  • Workforce Diversity work group to address need for diversified faculty and staff and explore employee retention strategies
  • Expanding professional development opportunities for ALL employees (faculty and staff) around diversity, equity, and inclusion
  • DEI Policy Review work group to refine and implement Equity Lens Tool for policy review for use across the institution
  • Hiring of full-time Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
  • Expanded student listening sessions to include both campuses, learning centers, and students in daytime and evening classes/programs and in English and Spanish
  • Updating DEI website to include reports, updates, and resources
  • Creation of DEI SharePoint to make DEI tools available for employee use
  • Transparency and Shared Equity Leadership around DEI, Diversity, Equity budgets (state allotments) and funding opportunities for DEI projects/initiatives on campus
  • Review and revision of student and employee listening session protocols to increase participation opportunities and the diversity/inclusion of voices represented in the data/responses
  • Reviving of “Social & Welfare” Committee/Fund (rebranded to The Good Vibes Collective) to resume employee recognition (professional achievements, personal milestones (e.g., weddings, births/adoptions, birthdays, condolences, etc.)

 

 

Yakima Campus view from above.

College Climate Survey

Yakima Valley College contracted with Hanover Research to conduct a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Survey during Winter Quarter 2022 and to follow-up about survey results with faculty in Spring Quarter 2022. Further follow-up is planned with staff during Fall Quarter 2022 and students for Winter 2023.

Survey and Focus Group Findings