Staffing
Like other organizations in the Federal community, the RRB has an aging workforce, with about 55 percent of its employees having 20 or more years of service. Additionally, over 40 percent of the agency's current workforce will be eligible for retirement by fiscal year 2019. To help cope with the loss of experience and bridge the knowledge gap, the RRB is placing increased emphasis on strategic management of human capital, particularly in the areas of training, development and succession planning. While attrition remains an ongoing concern, it has also presented an opportunity for the RRB to increase hiring of entry-level positions, particularly those engaged in direct customer service. In 2015, the agency launched one training class for claims examiners involved in the adjudication and processing of sickness and unemployment benefit claims. The RRB is filling additional training classes for retirement, survivor, unemployment, sickness and Medicare claims examiners in summer 2016.
Training
The RRB has devoted more attention and resources to training in recent years, providing meaningful development programs for its employees. One example is the reestablishment of the training section within the Bureau of Human Resources. This unit is charged with creating, implementing and modifying overall training and developmental policies, procedures and programs on an agencywide basis. The primary goal is to create training opportunities to assist RRB employees in building the competencies needed to achieve the agency's mission, values and strategic goals. They utilize training needs assessments and surveys to prioritize needs in these areas, and have also made expanded use of technology.
This has included use of a recently acquired learning management system (LMS). The LMS is an internet-based program which effectively formalizes all aspects of training for RRB employees, while also providing self-assessments to students and feedback to supervisors on their progress. Since the LMS became operational in May 2015, 880 employees and contractors have taken 516 different online or instructor-led training courses on 13,601 occasions. In addition, all agency field managers now have access to the latest webinar technology to facilitate remote training of new employees, as well as ongoing training of experienced staff.
In 2015, the Office of Programs also completed several training classes for employees involved in the adjudication and processing of the RR's benefit programs. This included two training programs for initial adjudication of Railroad Retirement Act claims (one retirement and one survivor), along with three post-adjudication programs (two retirement and one survivor). Another training program for initial examiners of disability benefit applications was also completed during the year.
Employee Recognition
The RRB recognizes its employees for their contributions to the agency and service to the railroad public as part of its annual Award for Excellence program. All agency employees have the opportunity to be recognized for their accomplishments individually or as part of a team in various categories. The 28th annual awards ceremony was held in August 2015 in Kasbeer Hall at Loyola University of Chicago's nearby Water Tower campus. The program honored 14 individual nominations and 5 team nominations. The RRB also participates in the Chicago Federal Executive Board's Federal Employee of the Year awards program, which recognizes outstanding Federal employees throughout the metropolitan area. In 2015, the RRB had seven individual and three team nominations.
Employee Survey
The Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey, conducted by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), is a tool that measures employees' perceptions of whether, and to what extent, conditions characterizing successful organizations are present in their agencies. Of 862 RRB employees invited to participate in the 2015 survey, 481 completed the survey for a response rate of 56 percent (compared to a governmentwide rate of 50 percent). Forty-eight survey items had higher scores than in 2014, while only 15 showed a decrease. The RRB ranked in the top ten out of 37 departments/large agencies in the areas of global satisfaction (7th), and employee engagement (10th). Based on OPM guidelines for determining notable results, the RRB scored especially high (greater than 65 percent favorable) on the majority of items measuring personal work experiences. Over 92 percent of the RRB respondents think the work they do is important, 87 percent know how their work relates to the agency's goals and priorities, and 79 percent feel their work gives them a feeling of personal accomplishment. Eight-two percent like the kind of work they do, and 87 percent feel they are held accountable for achieving results. Additionally, 83 percent of agency employees feel supported by their supervisors to balance work and other life issues.
The lowest scores were on items gauging performance culture and talent management, although these scores still represent a minority of the employees that responded. For example, only 36 percent felt that pay raises depend on how well employees perform their jobs, and only 35 percent agreed that steps are taken to deal with poor performers (compared to a governmentwide figure of 28 percent). Only 30 percent of respondents felt that creativity and innovation are rewarded, which is an area that the RRB intends to concentrate on improving in the coming years.