Only 39 per cent of staff happy with Commission leadership and change management

08 Dec 2017 News

Charity Commission staff have shown a lack of confidence in the regulator's leadership and change management, a new engagement survey reveals.

Commission staff were asked a series of questions to track their “engagement index” as part of the Civil Service People Survey 2017 – a measure of how positively they viewed their experiences at work. A total of 264 people responded – 90 per cent of the workforce.

Leadership and change management was the highest driver of engagement but received the third lowest score out of nine themes - only 39 out of 100.

Altogether the regulator scored 54 out of 100 – seven points below the typical civil service organisation, but two points better than last year.

Commission staff were particularly critical of the board, with only 28 per cent agreeing with the statement “I believe that the board has a clear vision for the future of the Commission”. Only 24 per cent agreed with the statement that “when changes are made at the Commission they are usually for the better”. And only 43 per cent agreed they had confidence in the decisions made by senior managers.

The lowest scoring indicator was pay and benefits, with only 17 per cent of staff agreeing that pay adequately reflects performance, and only 15 per cent believing they were paid in line with staff at similar organisations.

The highest scoring indicator was "My team", with 88 per cent of staff showing satisfaction with their direct colleagues.

Helen Stephenson, chief executive of the Commission, said: “It’s really important to me that 90 per cent of staff took part in this year’s survey and we take the results of this very seriously. We have already put in place plans to respond to the issues raised, in particular around leadership and managing change. I am pleased to see a number of positive factors come out of this year’s results.

"The survey shows that over 80 per cent of staff have positive engagement with their work, organisational objectives, and their teams. In recent years we have been through significant change and the commitment of colleagues has been central to the improvements highlighted in the recent NAO report.

"I am proud of the hard work and huge impact that our staff have in regulating a large and complex sector, with they do with no shortage of passion and skill."

 

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