Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Employee Survey topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Employee survey shows high overall satisfaction; county to convene focus group and follow up midyear
Summary
An independent consultant presented the county's 2024 employee survey results: high overall satisfaction and favorability, strong support for the four-day workweek and areas of opportunity in pay and communication. Commissioners directed staff to convene a focus group and report progress midyear.
An Employers Council consultant told commissioners that Ouray County's 2024 employee opinion survey produced high overall ratings but identified specific areas for follow-up, and commissioners directed staff to convene a cross-departmental focus group and provide a midyear update.
Rick Dela Castro of Employers Council presented the survey results, which had a stated response rate of 71 of 87 employees (about 82%). He reported an overall average score of roughly 4.0 on a 1-to-5 scale and said favorability (responses of "agree" or "strongly agree") was high in many dimensions. "I would consider this one of the higher ones that I've reviewed all year in the last 12 months," Dela Castro said.
Areas highlighted as strengths included high motivation for quality work, satisfaction with the four-day workweek (which scored particularly high), and generally positive ratings for performance evaluation processes. Areas of opportunity included pay and total rewards (pay-range favorability was lower relative to other dimensions), ergonomic workstation setup, and clearer communication about leadership (some employees interpreted "leadership" to mean immediate supervisors while others meant county leadership or commissioners).
Dela Castro and commissioners discussed taking next steps beyond the survey: convening a representative focus group, asking targeted follow-up questions (for example, what employees would do with an unlimited budget vs. what to prioritize within the county—budget), and creating ongoing communication products so employees know how to access benefits. The board asked HR and administration to schedule a focus group with department representation and to provide a progress update midyear. Commissioners also suggested practical follow-ups: invite county insurer CTSI to perform free ergonomic workstation assessments, expand benefit communications and consider low-cost additions (voluntary Aflac enrollment, informational materials), and test whether payroll frequency or retirement-plan options merit deeper study.
No formal board action was required; the consultant will share raw data with county staff, and staff will develop an action plan and report back in July with progress notes and next steps.
