Employee Compensation Guidelines for Transit Providers in Rural and Small Urban Areas (2008) / Chapter Skim
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Pages 61-84
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. 61 S E C T I O N 4 Recruiting, Hiring, and Retaining Staff
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62 Employee Compensation Guidelines for Transit Providers in Rural and Small Urban Areas
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Recruiting, Hiring, and Retaining Staff 63 JOB DESCRIPTION – PARATRANSIT DRIVER • Conduct pre- and post-trip inspections to ensure proper operating condition of vehicle and on-board equipment. • Successfully perform scheduled manifest by picking up all clients on time and delivering them to their destinations safely and within a reasonable time frame.
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64 Employee Compensation Guidelines for Transit Providers in Rural and Small Urban Areas JOB DESCRIPTION – DIRECTOR Key Responsibilities • Plan, direct, coordinate, and evaluate the activities of transit system. • Analyze and determine community transit needs; provide information, and develop alternatives.
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More guidance on developing a compensation package can be found in Section 3. Benefits such as training, schedules, flexibility, promotional opportunities, bonuses, uniforms, and health and wellness programs can be very attractive to people, in addition to pay and traditional benefits such as health insurance, retirement, and paid leave.
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Although this does not guarantee that the 66 Employee Compensation Guidelines for Transit Providers in Rural and Small Urban Areas Recruiting Methods (from Project Survey) Survey Response No.
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Benefits and wages are rarely what capture this group's attention. A well-written advertisement posted at retirement centers, senior citizen housRecruiting, Hiring, and Retaining Staff 67 One-Stop Programs When people are looking for work, they can be very easily frustrated by the time the process takes, and perceive a lack of timely feedback as a lack of interest by the employer.
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68 Employee Compensation Guidelines for Transit Providers in Rural and Small Urban Areas Your Good Employees Know What You Need Many transit systems use employee referrals to attract new employees, some formally and others informally. Formal programs include bonuses paid to the employee who makes the referral, upon successful completion of a defined period of employment by the referred employee.
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Soft skills are more along the lines of people skills, such as customer service, the ability to diffuse an argument, or the ability to use good judgment in difficult situations. Soft skills can be more tied to personality traits, such as patience, honesty, and the ability to reason.
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70 Employee Compensation Guidelines for Transit Providers in Rural and Small Urban Areas • Identify key personality traits desired for position • Relate those traits to specific behaviors, actions or thoughts • Determine what job skills are represented in the desired behavior • Develop questions that allow candidate to demonstrate skills through behavioral examples
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Recruiting, Hiring, and Retaining Staff 71 As a result of low unemployment and local competition, applicants have employment options and can make choices. Under these circumstances, applicants are also interviewing the potential employer.
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Simulation training can be useful by placing employees in a realistic operating situation while in a controlled environment, testing their ability to use all of their skills. 72 Employee Compensation Guidelines for Transit Providers in Rural and Small Urban Areas Where Do We Start?
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This additional training should also be provided in a positive and encouraging manner, as the goal is to foster the supportive environment. On a regular basis, the training program should be reviewed and adjusted to ensure that it is sufficient, especially if trends are spotted during the probationary period that require regular retraining.
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74 Employee Compensation Guidelines for Transit Providers in Rural and Small Urban Areas Less Traditional Benefits • Uniforms & Laundry Service • Access to Computers & Internet • Break Room with Amenities • Credit Union Membership • Membership Discounts • Personal Vehicle Use Privileges The performance review is a good way to implement or support a merit based incentive or wage plan. Many transit systems indicate that employees receive step increases, or increases tied to longevity rather than performance.
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This gives dispatchers, trainers, and maintenance staff, for instance, the ability to comment from their perspective, as their interactions may be more informative than a supervisor's. "Special" Promotional Opportunities These positions are frequently held by senior employees and provide more advancement opportunity, particularly in smaller systems.
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These programs include Employee of the Month/Year, Safe-Driver awards, and Customer Service awards, to name a few. When developing these types of incentives, systems must make sure that the goals are realistic and accomplishable, that the process for determining success is valid and not subject to be compromised, that bias is removed from the equation, and that rewards are made in a timely manner.
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Structured mentoring programs include goal development, regular follow-up, and scheduled counseling and training sessions. However, smaller systems may want to create a less formal program.
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Little things that make work more personal include: • Employee Newsletters • Birthday cakes, cards, and gifts (movie passes, lunch certificates) 78 Employee Compensation Guidelines for Transit Providers in Rural and Small Urban Areas Many transit systems cited being flexible with scheduling and considering employees' personal needs as contributing to a great work environment; especially since many small transit systems have parttime employees, many of which are single parents, retired persons, and second wage earners, employees' personal lives are more sensitive to family needs.
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Employee suggestions should always be solicited, especially when determining a course of action that will affect the larger group. Staff meetings, employee surveys, suggestion boxes, training reviews, performance reviews, and daily interaction can be helpful in soliciting employee input and in maintaining an open environment.
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Soliciting employee participation 80 Employee Compensation Guidelines for Transit Providers in Rural and Small Urban Areas Disciplinary Action vs. Corrective Counseling In a supportive work environment the disciplinary process is aimed at correcting behaviors through consistent policy enforcement.
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Ways to accomplish this include having a mechanic on staff during pullouts and pull-ins, to walk the lot, monitor vehicle inspections, and provide assistance and minor repairs; providing orientation to the maintenance function during initial training, including maintenance staff; and discussing maintenance related topics in safety meetings and in ongoing training sessions. Where the maintenance function is separated from the operations function and in systems whose maintenance is provided by another department of a larger organization (such as the city or county fleet maintenance)
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In addition to internal training and safety programs, presentations and training provided by trained risk professionals from outside the organization may help boost a program's safety awareness. The introduction of driver wellness programs, pre-employment physical screening, health insurance benefits, work schedule and break accommodations, aggressive return to work programs, and fitness for duty evaluations can further emphasize the organization's commitment to protecting its employees and passengers.
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Organizational Health Assessments While the exit interview is a good opportunity to gather valuable information, it is also done after the fact -- the employee has already left or has expressed a desire to leave. His/her feedback is important and an exit interview may change his/her decision (be careful, withdrawal of Recruiting, Hiring, and Retaining Staff 83
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Where responses indicate management/supervisory relations and the overall environment, an emphasis on improving these soft management areas should be made, either through development of individual managers/supervisors or of programs that encourage better relationships. 84 Employee Compensation Guidelines for Transit Providers in Rural and Small Urban Areas
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