Employee survey shows improved morale and ongoing compensation concerns; HR highlights market adjustments and retention gains
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Summary
An internal employee survey of City of Flagstaff staff recorded improved work-life balance and reduced burnout while showing persistent compensation and career-path concerns; HR outlined recent market adjustments and asked council to sustain investments in pay and benefits.
Champions of Team Flagstaff and HR staff presented results from the city’s recent employee survey and summarized talent-investment work completed and planned.
Survey results: the survey collected 510 responses (~49% of staff). Positive trends since the prior survey include higher agreement that employees can manage workloads without burnout (+14% vs. prior year) and improved satisfaction with work-life balance (+8%). Perceptions of fair pay improved (+7%), but compensation, promotion paths and succession planning remain areas employees flagged for improvement in open comments.
Workforce investments and outcomes: HR reported recent, major investments in pay: the city completed a four-year market-review cycle and provided market adjustments last year that HR characterized as roughly a $4 million investment to align classifications. HR also maintains a midyear market-adjustment bank to respond to difficult-to-fill classifications. Retention indicators improved: turnover trended down toward ~12% and vacancy rates have stabilized, HR said. Application volumes for city jobs increased to roughly 6,900 this year, an HR speaker said, and offer-acceptance rates remain high (roughly 84% of offers accepted).
Why it matters: council members heard that pay and benefits remain important drivers of recruitment and retention and that additional investments may be needed to maintain competitiveness, especially with minimum-wage increases coming into effect regionally.
Next steps: HR is evaluating a market-philosophy study with a consultant and said it will continue to monitor benefits costs, which may drive premium increases during future budget cycles.