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Employee survey: 48% participation; staff report highlights pay, benefits and workplace concerns
Summary
Christian County’s HR director presented results of a November employee survey showing 48% participation and overall positive ratings for supervisors and benefits, while flagging areas for improvement including pay, equipment and workplace environment.
Employee Services Director Amber presented the results of the county's November employee survey to the Christian County Commission on Feb. 5, reporting 48% participation and a mix of positive ratings and specific concerns staff plan to address.
Amber told the commission the survey covered 15 questions and was designed to be anonymous. "This is supposed to be getting a pulse of what is out there," she said. She said the county ran a version tailored for the sheriff’s office and another for other departments but kept common questions consistent to allow comparison across years.
Highlights: 75% of respondents were satisfied or very satisfied with their supervisors; most employees rated department heads as fair and reasonable; many employees said they like their job and enjoy helping citizens. On pay, about a quarter reported being extremely or very satisfied and about 15% said they were not so satisfied. Amber noted the county will need to consider Missouri’s minimum-wage increase when setting pay scales for the 2026 budget cycle.
The survey also flagged common issues: an uptick in comments about rude or angry members of the public, problems with aging equipment (notably radios and some software), and concerns about workplace politics or favoritism in a small number of offices. "There are some specifics on here — one about the paint, and then there was another — some people want more scheduling options," Amber said when reviewing open-ended responses. She told commissioners that some staff explicitly suggested facility updates, including a fresh coat of paint for the building.
One metric that worsened since the prior survey was an employee-promoter score question about recommending Christian County as an employer; Amber said the county will work with department heads to investigate drivers of that decline and to follow up with targeted training. She also said training participation appears to have improved in some offices and that IT is on a rotation to replace old computers over the next three years.
Commissioners and Amber discussed ways to increase participation, such as encouraging department heads to allow employees time during work hours to complete the six-minute survey. Amber said the county spent $1,500 this year to have analytics performed by the survey vendor and will consider delivery changes next year to improve anonymity perceptions and response rates.
Amber recommended continuing the annual survey and promised follow-up with departments where negative responses clustered so that HR and elected officials can address specific needs. "After you have three years, I can show you we'll have enough data to show trends," she said.
NEXT STEPS: HR will work with department heads and elected officials to follow up on negative feedback, continue training initiatives, accelerate equipment replacement and publish trend comparisons next year. Commissioners encouraged senior staff to promote survey participation to improve response rates.
No formal action was taken; the commission accepted the presentation and directed staff to continue follow-up work.
