'We Want to Hear From You'

Chief HR Officer Vera Potapenko Focuses on Communication With Surveys, Upward Review

— By Lyn Hunter

“The mission of the Lab’s Human Resources Department is to foster an environment that allows us to recruit and retain the best talent, on both the scientific and operations sides of the house,” explains Berkeley Lab’s Chief Human Resources Officer Vera Potapenko. “One of the best ways to do that is to ask staff about what they do and how they do it, then make adjustments as needed, based on that information.”

Potapenko’s group has been busy “asking” over the last couple of months, conducting two major surveys — one that focuses on postdoctoral staff and the other on employees in the Operations Division — and an “upward review” of the Lab’s senior leadership that is currently in process.

“Our goal is to improve the workplace experience at the Lab, because the more engaged and satisfied staff are, the more productive they are,” says Potapenko. “The role of HR in this endeavor is to facilitate the integration of what management and staff both want and need.”

Interim Lab Director Paul Alivisatos was the catalyst for the postdoc survey and upward review, adds Potapenko, while Chief Operating Officer Jim Krupnick requested the Operations staff survey. Human Resources’ Berkeley Lab Learning Institute and HR Center staff were also key to conducting the surveys and review.

Operations Climate Survey

“The Lab can’t pursue its scientific initiatives unless the support and infrastructure systems here work exceptionally well,” says Potapenko. “Our operations staff are key to making that a reality and they are closest to the work, so it’s important for us to hear what they have to say, and that they know their work is integral to the Lab’s research mission.”

To that end, career, term and limited staff in Environment, Health and Safety, Public Affairs, Human Resources, Facilities, Office of the Chief Financial Officer, Tech Transfer and IT were polled from late February to early March on all aspects of their work. The response rate was 85 percent (total number of operations staff is about 800).

Respondents answered questions about fairness and respect in the workplace, compensation and benefits, career development and the quality of communication and supervision provided in their workgroup, among other topics.

While the results are still being analyzed, two areas that rated high in satisfaction were the Lab’s attention to safety, and staff’s sense that their work was valued and contributed to the Lab’s mission. Workload and career development were among the lower-ranked areas.

Senior leadership will evaluate the report, which is now posted on the Operations website, to determine which issues need attention and what actions are feasible to take.

Postdoctoral Survey

When Berkeley Lab didn’t make it into the top-40 list of best places for postdocs to work, as ranked by The Scientist magazine, it convinced Potapenko and her group that it was time to take action.

“Postdocs are such an important population…they are the next generation of scientists and their experience at Berkeley Lab should be the best we can offer,” says Potapenko. “Plus, these researchers fan out all over the world after they’ve completed their research here, so it’s important that they convey a positive impression of Berkeley Lab.”

Providing a supportive environment is also key to recruiting the best and brightest from both the U.S. and abroad, she adds.

Postdocs were surveyed from March 10-24 about their research, training and mentoring, networking opportunities, and institutional support, among other topics. About 72 percent of the Lab’s nearly 400 postdocs responded. A report on the survey’s findings will be posted this summer.

The survey was sponsored by the Postdoc Initiative Committee, which was formed to assess the current environment for postdocs and recommend steps to making the Lab an institution of choice for conducting postdoctoral research.

Senior Leadership Upward Review

Earlier this month, many Lab employees were asked to provide feedback on the performance of the Lab’s senior leadership via a confidential, online survey conducted by an outside service. Feedback will be sought from a leader’s direct reports, their indirect reports, and their supervisor or manager. The review ended May 5.

The 20 leaders being reviewed include 12 scientific division directors, five operations managers, the Interim Lab Director, the Interim Deputy Lab Director, and the Chief Operating Officer (it excludes three leaders who are too new in their positions: Jeff Miller of Public Affairs, Miquel Salmeron of Materials Sciences and Paul Adams of Physical Biosciences).

Those taking the survey are being asked to rate the performance of their manager based on his or her ability to achieve results, think strategically, focus on what’s important, communicate effectively, and make sound decisions, among other areas. The aim is to help Laboratory managers identify their strengths as well as areas for improvement on a bi-annual basis.

“I think there is a real desire among upper management to get a good assessment of how they are doing as leaders,” says Potapenko, who is among those being reviewed. “We are committed to helping the Lab achieve its mission, and this information will enable all of us to reach that goal more effectively.”