The annual report below captures the status of initiatives that impact a large cross-section of the Department of Medicine (DOM) staff and the department as a whole. In 2016, the DOM, in an effort to improve staff experience in the department across all sites, formed the Staff Experience Advisory Council. Members of the council represent divisions from the SFVA, UCSF Health, and ZSFG, as well as Human Resources, Learning and Organization Development, and the School of Medicine. Click on the expandable menu below for more information.
2017: Laying the Foundation for Change
Communication: In October 2018, the DOM Insider, a monthly newsletter for staff, was launched to provide staff with access to information that can be useful in their day-to-day activities. Currently, the DOM Insider circulates to an audience of ~1,050 DOM staff with a 35% open rate - far exceeding the industry standard of 13%. Through this newsletter, staff members receive brief, relevant information about initiatives, activities, and events that caters to staff at all sites. This newsletter has been established as the main platform for targeted communication to staff. View previous staff newsletters.
Roundtable Meetings: Our staff are located in various sites and belong to many job families, which means that some may feel siloed and disconnected from colleagues. While there have been monthly roundtable meetings already established for specific groups (e.g., for Clinical Research Coordinators (CRCs), led by Dr. Natalie Nardone, and for Research Financial Administrators (RFAs), led by the Director of Research Administration), the DOM aims to create more opportunities of this sort in order to build community across job families. In October 2017, a roundtable meeting was established for Administrative Officers (AOs) and Academic Analysts (AAs), led by a steering committee. The AO/AA Roundtable meeting yields a ~33% attendance rate of those invited and covers topics that support our employees’ career growth and improvement of day-to-day performance.
Topic-based Workshops: In January 2018, the Topic-based Workshop Steering Committee distributed a survey to all DOM staff requesting their input on training and development topics that they would like the department to offer. The survey generated ~100 responses that covered topics from project management to career advancement training. Based on feedback received, DOM offered the inaugural Topic-based Workshop on Project Management in February 2018. The first workshop had 120 participants from all sites who either attended in person or via Zoom. Each month, the DOM offers workshops based on topics of interest. The workshops continue to be offered in person and via Zoom in order to increase the opportunity for our staff to participate. Currently, the workshop themes rotate on a 3-month cycle: skills development, career development, and interpersonal development.
PRIDE Values Education Plan: The PRIDE Values (Professionalism, Respect, Integrity, Diversity, and Excellence) were adopted by UCSF in 2016. Although communications regarding the PRIDE Values have been circulated through various forums, Campus Life Services (CLS) has led an effort to incorporate the language of the PRIDE Values into new and existing job descriptions, campus awards, and a new performance evaluation form. The DOM will adopt the revised performance evaluation form in 2019. In the meantime, a year-long education plan to raise awareness of the PRIDE Values and bring them to the forefront of everyone’s day-to-day activities has been initiated.
The Staff Experience Advisory Council operationalized the education plan, through the efforts of seven workgroups comprised of DOM staff and supervisors that develop monthly presentations on PRIDE Values, highlighting trainings offered through Learning and Organization Development that align with the values. Each month, the workgroups provide divisions with a PowerPoint presentation and discussion points that managers may utilize to facilitate conversations with DOM staff. Further, the DOM Insider features trainings, content, and staff profiles that align with the PRIDE Value of the month. Beyond the month-to-month materials, a workgroup is currently developing a comprehensive PRIDE Values guide that all DOM staff will be able to use as a reference for concrete recommendations detailing how the PRIDE Values may be demonstrated in the workplace. All of these efforts are designed to lead up to the adoption of the new performance evaluation that includes the PRIDE Values starting in 2019.
SPIRIT of DOM Award: Our staff are integral to the success of the DOM. In August 2018, the department launched the SPIRIT of DOM Award (Staff Professionalism, Inspiration, Responsibility, Integrity, and Teamwork), which is specifically designed to recognize our staff members who exemplify our core values as a department and make the DOM and UCSF a better place to work. This award is given twice a year to two DOM staff members, who are selected by a committee of their peers. See past recipients.
Staff Performance Evaluation Process: The annual performance evaluation process was digitized during the 2017 evaluation cycle in order to streamline the review process. The system has helped increase the completion rate of staff performance evaluations to 99%. Our staff members benefit from this updated process because it removes the challenges of tracking paper forms, allows for reporting to help managers follow up with employees and supervisors, and facilitates easy completion of evaluations online.
2018: Building on Our Foundation
Recruitment & Job Fairs: Staff diversity provides invaluable perspectives and experiences that generate creativity and foster inclusion. The Department of Medicine, in partnership with Talent Acquisition, will develop a strategic recruitment plan to enhance our presence in local communities and agencies.
Onboarding & Training: Currently, new employees participate in the UCSF Human Resources 2-hour orientation session, in addition to onboarding that is unique to each division. The department will develop a department-wide orientation and onboarding process that will help build a common staff identity across the DOM, complement the processes at the campus and divisional levels, and ensure that all staff feel supported as they join the department.
Mentoring Program: UCSF offers a mentoring program through the Administrative Management Professionals (AMP) group, along with other leadership development programs. The DOM is planning to develop a mentoring program for DOM staff to enable participation by those who would not have the mentorship opportunity otherwise. We hope this initiative will help grow the next staff leaders in our department.
Listening Sessions: The size of our department ensures that there are many perspectives and ideas that have the potential to shape the experience for our staff. In order to provide the opportunity for DOM staff to share their ideas and suggestions for improving the culture and experience of the department, we will offer several small-group listening sessions at all of our sites.