In this section, you will find an overview, participant list and contact person for all active workgroups.

• Pay and Benefits

  In February and March of 2016, the Institute for Organizational Excellence conducted a "Survey of Employee Engagement" specific to Workforce Solutions of the Texas Gulf Coast.   Results of the survey were released in June 2016, and the report identified pay and benefits as areas of concern.  Workforce Solutions Director for the Gulf Coast Workforce Board Mike Temple asked the Regional Management Team to set up a workgroup to develop recommendations addressing these concerns.
  
  The Pay and Benefits Workgroup - made up of contractor staff from Baker-Ripley, Interfaith of The Woodlands, Employment and Training Centers, and Texas Workforce Commission - has met over the past several months to assess current pay (and, to a lesser extent, benefits) by occupation and contractor.  The Workgroup is comparing these data elements to similar jobs across industries, as appropriate.  Also being evaluated are the competency and training requirements across the various system roles.   We understand that employee engagement includes competitive compensation, and Workforce Solutions and its contractors want employees who are fully committed to and enthusiastic about their work.  Pay is a key factor in raising the bar for staff recruitment, retention, and professional caliber, as our organization continuously seeks to improve customer service delivery and results. The committee made an initial presentation to Board Staff in January 2017 and continues its work on this important matter.  The target date for a final report is April 2017.

  Participants
  Russell Tomlin, Director, BakerRipley Career Offices
  Irma Diaz-Gonzalez, President/CEO , Employment and Training Centers, Inc.
  Phil Platt, Workforce Services Director, Interfaith
  Sharron Benson Powell,  Sr. Workforce Planner, Houston-Galveston Area Council
  Shunta Williams, Integrated Service Area Manager, Texas Workforce Commission

  For more information,contact:
  Russell Tomlin
  Russell.Tomlin@wrksolutions.com
  713.669.5261

  or

  Irma Diaz-Gonzalez
  Irma.Diaz-Gonzalez@wrksolutions.com
  713.439-7530

• Internal Communications

  The 2016 Survey of Employee Engagement – Texas Workforce Solutions Gulf Coast Executive Summary noted as an area of concern that “employees feel information does not arrive in a timely fashion and is difficult to find.”  As a result, the Internal Communications Workgroup was formed.  The Workgroup’s purpose is to develop recommendations to ensure all staff in Gulf Coast Workforce Solutions offices receive essential information in timely and understandable ways.  The recommendations developed and their statuses are outlined below.

  #	What We Heard	Recommendation	Status
  1	It is sometimes difficult to know what projects and workgroups are taking place throughout the system. Not knowing creates staff anxiety and fuels rumors about what staff think may be happening.	List all HGAC-sponsored workgroups and their purpose, timeframe, etc., on a webpage similar to Special Initiatives detailing current local workforce projects.	Webpage has been established – www.wrksolutions.com/staff-resources/workgroups
  2	Staff do not know how to use www.wrksolutions.com effectively, so they tend not to look up the information that would help them do their work more effectively.	Create tutorial for using www.wrksolutions.com.	Tutorial now included in the Workforce Academy and additional trainings offered by Learning Designs.
  3	It would be nice to have an active online space to share information in real-time	Utilize SharePoint for internal knowledge management.	Board considering system-wide implementation of Microsoft Office 365, which includes SharePoint.
  4	“Communication” is in everything we do. It would help to reinforce via different channels the guiding principles for good communication.	Embed enhanced communications content into trainings.	Under consideration by Learning Designs.
  5	Offices communicate important information differently throughout our system.  Some offices are good at sharing, while others miss the mark.	Create a brief toolkit to help management incorporate best practices into various forms of communication.	Toolkit was created and circulated to management teams.
  6	Staff have so many emails coming at them that they do not always review the information like they should.	Incorporate fun, office-based activities to enhance staff retention of important information.	Contractors considering or assigning point persons to generate periodic “rallies” – e.g., music, food, games, giveaways, email quizzes, scavenger hunts, trophies – around key communication topics.
  7	How will we know if internal communications have improved?	Evaluate effectiveness of above communication strategies by:
  		Administering the Internal Communications portion of the annual Employee Engagement Survey quarterly or semiannually.	Under consideration by Board staff.
  		Bringing communications point persons together quarterly to discuss what is/is not working and brainstorm additional suggestions.	TBD based on contractor assignment of point persons.
  		Regional Management Team reviewing the impact of all recommendations above.	Discussed monthly.

   

  Participants
  Deserea Eason, Supervisor, NCI Career Offices
  Johnathan Benjamin, Program Tracking Specialist, NCI Tracking Unit
  Tresell Anderson, Workforce Services Assistant Director, Interfaith Career Offices
  Phil Platt, Workforce Services Director, Interfaith
  Lucy Ybarra, Office Manager, Interfaith Career Offices
  Kelly Copeland, Supervisor Interfaith Tracking Unit, Interfaith Tracking Unit
  Cheryl Mongo, Office Manager, Financial Aid Call Center
  Thelisa Lavergne, Income Now Navigator, Regional Team
  Niki Mitchell, Performance and Training Consultant, Learning Designs
  Trudy Ray, Sr. Workforce Planner, Houston-Galveston Area Council
  Ashley Seals, Public Information Planner, Houston-Galveston Area Council
  Shunta Williams, Integrated Service Area Manager, Texas Workforce Commission
  LeCresha Davenport, Assistant Integrated Service Area Manager, Texas Workforce Commission
  Tammlyn Alexander, Quality Assurance Manager, Employer Services Division
  Kizzy Brooks, Office Manager, Job Order Office
  Anthony Gillum, Training Vendor Procurement Coordinator, Financial Aid Payment Office

  For more information, contact:
  Phil Platt
  pplatt@woodlandsinterfaith.org
  832.615.8217